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Original poster

Things to do on maternity leave

33 replies

beansprout · 02/09/2004 12:31

Will be starting my mat. leave next week (will be 36 + 3 when I finish) and while this might seem a bit mad to some people, I am a bit concerned about feeling stuck while playing the waiting game of my life.

I don't have too much money, so lovely massages and pampering etc aren't really an option, but what will keep me out of mischief/sane? Is there anything you would recommend or that you regretted not doing?

I know that once the Bean is here, this will all be very, very redundant but suggestions welcome in the mean time!! Thanks!

PS Hope I don't sound too mad - I do appreciate that this is what is known as a "high class problem"!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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hewlettsdaughter · 02/09/2004 12:33

Do you read much? It'd be worth getting some good books in - I noticed on another thread that Amazon is offering free supersaver delivery if you spend over £19.

Thomcat · 02/09/2004 12:34

Things I did:

Cooked and froze loads of meals - like sauce for spag bol, chill con carne, stews etc etc

Put all my photos into albums

Started a baby journal

Generally had strong nesting urges and resorted all cupboards etc, washed the clothers and new vests etc that hung in her wardrobe for her (even though I though it was going to be a him!),.

Met working mates for lunch.

Went to art galleries etc

Lay on sofa, slept and watched DVDs

hewlettsdaughter · 02/09/2004 12:37

I meant to do the photo album thing but didn't. Cooking and freezing meals is a good idea

sweetkitty · 02/09/2004 12:41

I had everything arranged for my maternity leave, DP was going to have a week off and we were going to spend some last time together just the 2 of us. By the end of that week I would have everything ready for the baby and be all set (still had 2 weeks after this to put my feet up) had a huge list of things I wanted to do etc and you've already guessed it, I got a week of leave then the baby arrived, was still on holiday not even started mat leave! I know people will say you lucky thing no waiting but I wasn't ready! Poor DP was scrambling around looking for car seat bases etc before we could come home. I felt so stressed normally I'm so organised. All worked out though but next time I will be prepared!

Good luck !

pesme · 02/09/2004 12:41

Alternatively have your baby, I had mine at 37 wks so had just stopped work. Sorry not very helpful. If you can, sleep lots. Get your hair cut. Catch up with friends. Go to the cinema. Sit on a gymball and bounce forlornly while watching day time t.v. Good luck.

beansmum · 02/09/2004 12:41

you never know, bean might be early, mine was!

i would make sure you see your friends as much as possible, go to the cinema, get your hair cut. If you get a trainee hairdresser to do it it doesn't cost much.

When you see your friends try not to talk about pregnancy and babys too much, you wont be able to talk about anything else once bean arrives!

beansmum · 02/09/2004 12:42

sorry, too slow again! just repeating what pesme said

pesme · 02/09/2004 12:42

Snap, beansmum. Spooky.

beansmum · 02/09/2004 12:43

defrost the freezer

aloha · 02/09/2004 12:43

Lunch with friends & partner, sleep (!), go to hairdresser, cut and colour, legs waxed etc. I was in hospital for last five weeks of pregnancy so missed all this. Jealous!

helsi · 02/09/2004 12:44

What did I do.....?

Well I went to a friends who had a baby and learnt how to change nappies, bath etc as I'd never done it before.

I cleaned my house from top to bottom.

I, like Thomcat, also made and cooked lots of homemade foods for the freezer as believe me you won't have time once the Bean comes so if you have a microwave they are a god send. I made shepherds pies, lasagnes, spag bol sauce, stews, yorkshire puddings etc etc.

I made sure the babys room was completed and looking good.

I went swimming.

I read a lot with my feet up, relaxing and letting the world pass me by...

I bought a small cross stitch and had a go at doing a new craft. It was good as you sit down to do it and if you do it right it makes a lovely pressie for baby as you can frame them. I did a winnie the pooh one for her bedroom.

Hope all these suggestions and the other posts help you keep occupied.

Bibiboo · 02/09/2004 13:06

Ooooh, what a lovely thread. My plans include a trip to Woolies to buy lots of tupperwear for the big cooking extravaganza that's going to happen in our house before Boo comes. DH is a meat eater and I'm not so lots of doubling up to do when making chillis etc, that should keep my plenty busy for a few days.
I've got my dvds lines up to watch and cry over - proper girl films too ... When Harry Met Sally, ET, To Kill A Mockingbird, Dirty Dancing, Grease etc etc, oh and mybe a bit of 24 Season 1 as well, just to macho it up a bit. Need to find someone who has that to lend me though - don't suppose anyone on here had it on dvd they want to sell cheaply? Will check out the FOr Sale boards now...

Um, should contribute really shouldn't I? How about compiling a memory box for the baby of contemporary things from the time of birth like the chart list, newspaper cuttings, writing lists of your fave films books and why. Writing about your pregnancy etc, and keep it for when your baby is old enough to appreciate something like this (i.e. when they move out and start a family of their own!)

fairydust · 02/09/2004 14:15

put the take away menu's in order for when bean comes

motherinferior · 02/09/2004 15:24

In a word:

DO BUGGER-ALL.

(well, that's two possibly three words, OK...)

I really regret not doing enough bugger-all before dd2 arrived on the second day of my maternity leave. One can, IMO, never do enough bugger-all overall, really. Recline, recumbant and magnificent, with a book (get one out of the library if you can't afford a new one) NOT about babies, a cup of something you can face drinking and if need be ring some friends to tell them sadistically just how little you are doing. I am selflessly prepared to take your calls myself

Original poster
beansprout · 02/09/2004 17:19

Sound advice from you all, as always - I feel better already!

I think this is really about being scared of the transition from full time work, to being at home and not being quite sure what that will entail or really feel like. I'm sure I will look back in a few weeks and wonder what I was worrying about (fingers crossed)! Thanks everyone

OP posts:
clary · 03/09/2004 00:14

Great thread beansprout. Thomcat's photo and baby journal ideas are very good. Word of warning: once on mat leave you are so pg that it's hard to do much. I used to go swimming a lot (swam two days before DS1 was born, so I was 8 days overdue) but I did find that that was about all I wanted to do all day! Seems extraordinary looking back, but carrying around a whole other person all day is really tiring. I would then forget this actually and wonder what I did all the time, then once very pg again would remember! but what I'm saying is don't feel you have to achieve anything very much each day. Get lots of rest. And enjoy! Good luck.

woodstock · 03/09/2004 00:32

I'm with clary on this one. I was so huge that just getting around took all my energy the last couple of weeks. Slept, took baths, read. I do admire those who can cook and freeze. That is very helpful if you have the energy. Dh thought it rather funny that I never got that cleaning urge everyone talks about.

batey · 03/09/2004 07:15

Sorted out all my photos........is the only thing I can remember planning to do and actually achieving!

eldestgirl · 03/09/2004 07:20

Beansprout,

On my first morning of Mat leave, I got ready to leave the house for a bit of idle browsing and got no further than the front door. I poked my head out to look at the day time world and a woman walked past, smoking a huge spliff. I was so surprised, it must have shown on my face because she glared at me and snarled: What the are you staring at? I was so taken aback, I shut the door and went back upstairs thinking, what have I done??! I've got to live in this world for the next 6 months!

But it was all fine, of course. I think I sat in the park with a book for the afternoon. I did my photo albums, read a lot and of course, scoured the flat from top to bottom. Try to resist the last bit!!

Pook · 03/09/2004 07:31

I regret not making the most of pre-baby free time by sleeping more, going swimming, reading etc. AS it was, I was gripped by a pathological desire to paint the house, finish the garden, paint front doors, clean car and so on. And the garden hasn't been touched for more than a year, the wall paint has scuff marks, the front door still has the stickers that DH used to attach a welome home sign, and the car was cleaned for the first time since 2 days before dd was born, a week ago (shes nearly 14 months). All that work was a complete waste of time!

moomina · 03/09/2004 07:37

Never got the cleaning urge - bizarrely enough, that happened after ds got here. I hoovered and washed-up more in the couple of weeks after I had ds then I've ever done. Displacement and denial, I reckon!! Very strange and not recommended!

Agree with those who say don't try to achieve too much. Enjoy your freedom and the chance to rest! Take gentle walks, read lots, sleep lots, see friends if you can, conserve your energy. Ds was 11 days over so I was bored rigid by the end of all that but did appreciate the chance to just do bugger-all. I did watch a hell of a lot of Dr Phil, too

BooMama · 03/09/2004 10:12

Sat on sofa eating hot cross buns and watching a lot of Knots Landing on UK Gold...

nellyk · 03/09/2004 11:42

I think it's the time to do all the things you never quite get around to - whatever that is for you. ie cleaning out your kitchen cupboards or getting the chance to read a good book.

Personally I didn't feel the urge to clean and lay around reading all day emerging only for meals - as I'd read somewhere that you don't get the chance to read with a new baby!! It will be diff this time round with a 2 year old toddler though!!

florenceuk · 03/09/2004 12:29

Well, you are coming to Moose meetup on September 13th! We could meet up another day if you are feeling bored and want to have lunch in town before I give up work on 24th??

Other than that I would just lie around and do absolutely nothing!

calcium · 03/09/2004 20:47

Like Pook first time around I filled my diary like a madwomen, painted the house, sorted clothes, cleaned, borrowed everything from friends for baby and generally nested like there was no tomorrow on the relaxation side of things went swimming loads, read the odd book (this is something I have only just started to do again 2 years later and now I am about to have number 2!) had reflexology (especially good just before your due date, my dd1 was born on time) did yoga.

This time around I have been even more manic but am visiting friends , have gone shopping, swim, intend to go to the cinema in the afternoons as a total indulgence and something I dearly missed after having dd1, sorted out all my filing (I sadly get excited by this) put up more black out blinds, you can never have enough and hang pictures which have been sitting on the floor for the past 4 years plus go to sleep when dd1 has her afternoon nap.

Most important things to do that I didn't do enough of last time is to sleep more, try to put my feet up a for a couple of weeks before due date, order my Tens and get my hair cut and coloured, eye brows coloured and shaped and buy a good eye cream otherwise I will look awful in the post baby pics and will never get around to have my hair done for months afterwards. However little money you have these are really worthwhile things to do believe me!

Good luck.