First day of mat leave - what to do?!

[AliceRR]

I am on my first day of mat leave and not sure what to do with myself although it was nice to be able to stay in bed when DH got up and went out to work in the cold!

What are you doing?

Any advice!

Obviously baby could come any time now so I might not have very long home alone before baby comes

Things on my list:

Pack hospital bag (tbf I need to do this now as I’m 38+1). I have washed most of the baby clothes and stuff and have most things, just need to pack it

Sort out / wash additional baby clothes and gifts I received from work on Friday and my baby shower yesterday as some might go in the hospital bag and plan was to wash everything up to age 3 months

Clean - might just do it bit by bit as I have PGP and can’t be on my feet for long

Hypnobirthing digital course I purchase last week

DH bought me a crochet bunny kit that I want to try to make

Shopping for baby and maybe a couple of other bits for baby bag like disposable knickers and need nighties

Plans for new house - not buying yet but getting an idea of what I want and where I can get it from for a good price etc

Exercise - I keep meaning to do this but have barely exercised due to PHP. Bought an exercise ball so will try to use that

Sort out other stuff as we are moving end of March but not really in the mindset for this yet

Read / watch Netflix!

Sleep sleep sleep. Lol but I'm serious I ran around tidying up and sorting out but I didn't sleep wish I did lol

I would definitely pack your hospital bag. My two came early and neither time did I have my bag packed - you would think I'd of learnt from the first time

Asides from that, if I had my time again, I would just relax - Sleep, read and watch tv. Everyone says it but you just don't get this chance again. A second period of maternity leave isn't the same as you may well have the oldest to look after.

Enjoy!

Well that should keep you busy for most of Day 1. [Grin]

Nap!

Sleeeeeeep!!! And do your bag 😀

Pack your hospital bag and sleep sleep sleep!!! wish I'd did this.

@WelshMammy123 How early?

My brother and I were both about two weeks early and my mum keeps telling me to pack my bag as she didn’t have hers packed when she went into labour with my brother!

Yes there’s plenty on the list but I imagine I won’t do much of it

But I quite like the idea of having a list because then the not doing anything is somehow more enjoyable 😆

Get a pedicure!

My baby arrived at 38+1 so I’d advise doing the hospital bag first

Mine came early too. No hospital bag packed 🤦🏼‍♀️ 37+5.

I finished for mat leave really early (34 weeks!) I’m so glad I did. I took the time for MYSELF. Long baths, shopping, sleeping, Netflix, any yummy food I wanted, lunches with friends if they were able. Do whatever you like but most of all just RELAX. Don’t worry too much about getting organised. Hospital bag and a few meals in the freezer is enough.

Sleep, relax and enjoy not having anyone to take care of but yourself!

Get your hair done. Go to the cinema.

Oh gosh definitely need to pack my bag!!

I can’t go anywhere today as we currently have one car so I said DH could take it but tomorrow might keep it so I can go shopping

Oh yes, go to the cinema, blissfully alone, and eat a shedload of popcorn.

Get a pedicure.

Sit, think quiet thoughts, as it'll be a couple of decades before you do that again.

Genuinely though, don't put pressure on yourself to be 'doing'. Just enjoy the time you have to yourself. It's a lovely little hiatus in life that you'll never experience ever again.

Make as many plans as you can. Baby is bound to come just to disrupt them!

Seriously though, it is quite an odd feeling isn't it! I got quite impatient last time and invented tasks to fill the time. This time around I have a nearly 3 year old at home so definitely not bored!

Yes get your bag done! Also make sure Moses basket or whatever you're using for baby to sleep in is built. I built ours when I was 37+3 and she arrived 2 days later!
Also echoing the sleep sleep sleep and just spend time doing things you want to as it may be sometime before you get to do it again.
Best of luck OP

I spent most of mine madly cleaning the house - wish I hadn’t bothered as you can’t even tell now the baby’s here! I don’t know how something so small can create so much mess 😂

Definitely relax as everyone else is saying and do things you WANT to do - not need to do 😊

Although hospital bag is a must 😂 I was two weeks overdue but was a nice feeling knowing the bag was ready to go when I needed it 😊

If you're that way inclined, personal "grooming" would be good around this point.
Hospital bag for definite and then sleep sleep sleep as much as you can.
It's my favourite pastime
Good luck op

Moses basket for downstairs is at my Mum’s and we have a bedside crib which is in the box but I’m a bit silly and superstitious and don’t want to put them up yet. I have washed the sheets though

As for s pedicure, what is the deal with nail polish or gel? I’m not sure I’m supposed to wear it as if heard the hospital dont like you have anything on for heart monitoring and in case you need a CS. So I just haven’t worn any for ages just in case 😂

I’m still in bed by the way so don’t have any false ideas that I can’t relax and sleep if needed

I might try to get into the habit of napping during the day actually as I heard it’s good to be able to do that for when baby is here

If you're that way inclined, personal "grooming" would be good around this point.

I made some progress on this last night as I can’t see under my bump obviously so haven’t been able to shave down there but last night I used a battery operated bikini trimmer and that worked really well 😃

Definitely get your crib built sooner rather than later. You do not want to have to be doing that when you get back from the hospital!

Don’t know about the official line on gels but I had them on for the birth and it wasn’t an issue.

I’ve had a load of holiday to take so I’ve been off since Xmas (now 36 weeks) and I made a long list of things to do which I’ve split into tasks for each day (I’m such a loser, I love a good list!!), with a mix of fun stuff like going to the cinema, having a massage, pedicure etc, baby stuff to do/buy and general household tasks like laundry and food shopping.

I’m a planner / list make too - love my diary 🤓

A mix of sleep, walks, swims, bouncing on a yoga ball, spending time on all fours... Do nice restful things. I found jigsaws while bouncing on a yoga ball helped keep body and mind occupied when I went nearly two weeks overdue with DD.

I'd leave the new house stuff, don't watch too much telly, especially nothing that could be stressful or produce adrenalin (I recommend period dramas!) Go out for hot chocolate by yourself and watch the world go by. Take the time to appreciate being able to decide where to go and what to do at any moment. Spend the day riding around on buses or just tootling around to wherever you fancy.

As well as hospital bag etc I'd set things up/know how to set things up so if the baby came tonight, you'd be ready. Go through what a typical day would look like - is your nappy changing bit set up, do you know what the baby would wear for the nighttime, do you need stuff to hand for breastfeeding or FF, how is the lighting set up in your room for night waking, do you need a chair by the bed for feeding or rocking? Have you got spare cot sheets and muslins to hand in case of sick? You have the sweats a lot and leak milk a bit in the first month or so, do you have enough bed sheets and a mattress protector?

Our first night out of hospital, we didn't get home until 9pm, it was dark and we freaked out with no idea how to actually go to bed when you have a baby! We knew we had all the things, we just couldn't remember where they were. It was a bit stressful, digging around in boxes!

I'd also sort baby clothes out into sizes - if you have newborn, tiny baby, 0-3 - the sizes are bloody confusing and you can go through at least five babygros a day. Your baby might go straight into any of those sizes depending on how big they are at birth. If you have several different brands it helps to lay them out and group them by how big they actually are rather than the label description, they vary A LOT.

Also - know where your nearest chemist/baby shop is and do a tiny bit of research into what you might need for things like cracked nipples, sore lady parts, formula feeding, nappy rash etc.

Pack your bag, make yourself some freezable nice meals and then go to bed for 2 weeks

Make up the crib, have the nappy station/changing area stocked and ready. The best peice of prep I can suggest is BATCH COOK AND FREEZE!!! The more the better - you will definitely appreciate it when the baby arrives!