Maternity Leave about to start - any suggestions to keep distracted until the birth?

[CaraLondon]

I start my maternity leave on Monday, when I shall be 37+2 - hurrah!

But...
What am I going to do with myself? I have read on MN how bored people become waiting in the last few weeks - any suggestions? (apart from spending all my time on MN )

oh you wont be bored, you could be having a baby anytime soon!
things to do.

1. Sleep as much as you can, or at least laze in bed.
2. Cook a ton of spaghetti bolognaise/soup/casserole/etc, to freeze, so as to save some time when LO is here.
3. Sleep.
4. Read some good books.
5. Sleep.

I agree with KK, but get more sleep!!

Do you have any photos that could do with being sorted into albums? this mammoth task kept me really busy when I was on ML, plus you are relaxing at the same time

Ooooh, to have enough time to sort through photos ...!

I spent my maternity leave up a ladder painting. Glad I did, as didn't get the opportunity to do things like that again for about 10 years after the birth! Just make sure if there's anything you want to do, you do it now!

Lovely DH sent me for a pedicure and manicure, which was bliss. A bit of pampering was lovely and it was a while before i got the chance again.

1. Pedicure

2. Read read read 3. cinema 4. sleep 5. go for long solitary lunches with trashy mags and newspapers 6. start videoing trashy tv 7. enjoy sleeping with DH/DP (DD 10 days old and we haven't slept in the same bed at the same time since she was born!) 8. figure out how to use your tens machine if you have one 9. enjoy long baths 10. get some fresh air (I'm feeling very agoraphobic now!)

Good luck and enjoy yourself.

1. see as many movies as possible

2. have as many nice dinners out as possible 3. swim, walk 4. catch up with all your friends 5. bake

Make the most of not having about a million demands made of you each minute of every blessed day

SLEEEEEEEP. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Have long baths. Pamper yourself (pedicure, manicure etc). Have sex. Be lazy.

I'm feeling quite envious now.

go with the resting up plenty, sleeping, chilling in the park, sorting out drawers, pampering, pampering pampering and being positive about the labour. dp and i spend every evening in the last run acting as if it was our last one beofe rthe baby arrived - lots of massages, practising labour positions and talking about the future. was one of the most special times of my life

enjoy!!

Bank as much sleep as you can. Loaf as much as possible. You won't have this opportunity for complete lazinesss ever again.
I went made when on mat leave with dd. Painted, decorated, gardened and so on. I really wish I'd had more sleep!
Of course when on mat leave with ds, had dd, so no opportunities for complete self-indulgent relaxation!

sleep sleep sleep

I'm going on maternity leave on Thursday - will be 37 weeks +5, and the first thing I'm going to do is get my hair cut, then manicure and pedicure (although I keep threatening my other half that I'm going to grow talons to scar him with during labour). Then one of my favourite favourite things...sitting in waterstones/borders in their coffee shops, ordering a big slice of cake and a cup of tea, watch everyone else stress over work and browse through a selection of books.

The cooking suggestion sounds good - I have never cooked food specifically to freeze before, so I'll definitely have a go - I guess I only have a vague idea of how demanding on my time a newborn is going to be - I know it will be, but still can't quite get it into my head - if that makes sense!

But I've honestly been too excited to sleep - and I seem to be running to the loo on the hour, every hour - which rather disrupts the sleep cycle o:!

I'll enjoy being smug in cafes when everyone else is at work, though, and being able to make an appointment at the hairdressers outside of the mad lunchtime rush!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Sleep, sleep & more sleep

do all the little jobs you never have time to do (like the sorting out photos suggestion) - you won't have time again for a LONG time!

Pamper yourself

Fill the freezer

read those books you've been meaning to read for ages

Oh for that time again....it's not the same second time round when you have a LO to entertain you!

Sleep
Read
Consciously cherish this time and remember what it feels like to be on your own as your life will never be the same again!
Enjoy, and good luck with your labour when it eventually happens (it will seem like the baby's never going to come at all at about 38, 39, 40 wks).

Here here on the sleep! I can't sleep at night at the moment so its a godsend to be able to nap in the day!

Meet up with people for lunch etc

Wash all the baby clothes and things

Have a spring clean (although I'm still waiting for this so called nesting!)

Watch Wimbledon!!

Just make the most of only having to think of yourself before your baby comes. I'm the same weeks as you but have been off work for a month already thanks to having to take all my holiday. I can safely say that after a month off and I am far from bored. In fact, I don't know how I found time to go to work!

Have fun and good luck with baby

PPS (37+2) xx

I'd go with all the suggestions above. I was too ill to do any of it the first time and this time around I have DS to look after so am really

The one other thing we are hoping to do is to send out invites to a Welcome Baby Party.

The last time we were driven crazy with all the phone calls and visitors. When we unplugged the phones and switched off our mobiles people just came around and started knocking on the door to see if we were alright. "No, we aren't alright, we've been up all night and you've just woken us up!".

This time we are inviting everyone around for a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks after the birth and we are going to let them know when we tell them about the birth.

If you fancy doing this you could shop for or cook some food to put out while they are there and pop it all in the freezer and buy some drinks for the day. Then all you have to do is enlist a volunteer to help you clean up on the morning and put everything out. Well, thats the theory anyway

Oh, and I had DS at 38+1 so you might not have that long!

Other things you could do are:

Babysit for a friend (so that they might return the favour)

Find out what baby & toddler groups are on locally and maybe go along with a friend.

Find out what else is on for after you have the baby like swimming, baby signing etc.

Have a look to see if there are any NCT Bumps & Babes or Baby Cafes in your area as you are welcome at both if you are pregnant and its nice to meet everyone before you have the baby and to know that they will be there for you when you do.

www.thebabycafe.org/

www.nct.org.uk/

Have all these suggestions soothed your fears?

Shop shop shop (in between lovely daytime naps in front of Wimbledon) Never again will you be able to browse at your leisure like you can now. Buy some nice clothes for when you are no longer pg (you'll have to guesstimate your size without the bump!)

Thanks, mum2george - I hadn't thought about a party, highly remiss! Living in a tiny flat though, which is curently full of baby things being sorted, so hope I can arrange a picnic and send dh out on the day to M&S and hang the expense! The baby cafe sounds great - I'll definitely go and have a look at our local. Blimey - 38+1 must have been a bit of a shock!

Bodkin - the shopping has already happened and is set to continue!!! My only worrry is my waters breaking while I'm out and about - I'll just crumple up with embarassment if that happens, which I know is silly .

FioFio - afternoon naps would be great, if only I could sleep - did anyone else have this problem?

Thanks again!