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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

First day of mat leave - what to do?!

116 replies

AliceRR · 28/01/2019 10:30

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!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

hoponpopp · 01/02/2019 20:43

Ahhh jealous of your pre-baby mat leave! I loved obsessing over my hospital bag- packing and repacking it, making sure we’d have enough snacks, baby clothes, choosing a nice gel for the post labout shower etc. I packed pretty well for both births!

With #1 we moved into our “project” house 2 weeks before DC was born so I was still busy painting etc but loved a daily nap!

With #2 DC was 2 weeks early but I managed to treat myself to a hair appt (wanted to get this done before the hair loss!), batch cooked a load of bolognaise sauce etc and stuff for toddler and lots of bouncing on ball and pelvic tilts to help with my sciatica

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 20:49

@hoponpopp It’s a really nice time actually. I’m the kind of person who barely takes annual leave usually and had it all left at the end of the year or who ends up logging on to check emails while I’m home and now I’m just off work for ages and it’s actually really nice!!

We are moving end of March and there is a lot of work to do so we’ll see how that works with a baby but I could at least be making a start in organising and packing (I might have said that above - sorry if I’m repeating myself!)

I have even enjoyed washing and sorting through the baby clothes and things we have

Baby is apparently a bit back to back so I need to get on the ball more then I am

OP posts:

hoponpopp · 01/02/2019 21:00

I think being on all fours is good to help shift the baby too. Good luck!

PS others may disagree but I’d recommend getting a house with a bath if you can- it’ll be easier to clean a baby/toddler

Purplecatshopaholic · 01/02/2019 21:51

Sleep and relax. You wont be doing either of those for a while...

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 21:52

Oh we absolutely want a bath. Weve done up our house but with a view to selling and we took out the bath when we did the bathroom. Instead we have a large walk in / wet room shower and I do miss the bath. The new house doesn’t have a bath but we need to do the bathroom and I plan to get a free standing bath 🛁

Thanks for the tip. I need to get on the ball and on all fours but I’ve been a bit lazy about it. I’m currently lying in the sofa watching tv and eating chocolate 😬

OP posts:

TwigTheWonderKid · 01/02/2019 22:29

Watch tv sitting on the ball.

How old will the baby be when you move house?

caoraich · 01/02/2019 22:37

Noooo, all this sensible advice, bah! I do agree you really need to pack your hospital bag though.

Go to the cinema. See EVERYTHING. Especially if you have one of those ones with the reclining chairs and tray table things.

I spent my last 2 weeks of pregnancy mainly in the Odeon. If the film happened to be crap I had a lovely nap with my feet up.

I was quite overdue and I swear that labour was eventually brought on by a combination of Tom Hardy and a tango ice blast.

DC3dilemma · 01/02/2019 22:39

From someone who has done this 3 times, i’d advise:

Make a good bit of time each day to relax or do something indulgent.

Batch cook - get some of those aluminium takeaway tins and make as much bolognese, chilli etc as you can. Label it all with date, contents and number of portions.

Go to spinningbabies.com and look at optimal foetal positioning, download the exercise video and do daily. Position of the baby will have a huge impact on the kind of labour and recovery you have. Many first time mums have long back to back labours due to modern lifestyle and the fairly tight space first babies accommodate -it’s difficult for them to turn. It’s worth investing some time trying to avoid this.

If you intend to breast feed, visit the La Leche League website and look at info on hand expressing and start hand expressing now when you are relaxed and in the bath or shower. You may even start to get some pearls of colostrum, but even if you don’t -regular hand expressing now will get your milk flowing sooner. Sometimes 1st timers have a looong wait and the anxiety of feeling that you aren’t feeding your precious new born drives the decision to start formula instead. And read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

Do some perineal massage!

Create a chill out space that you can retreat to when labour starts. Lots of pillows, blankets, birthing ball etc.

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 22:58

@TwigTheWonderKid Well baby is due on 10 Feb (obviously realistically could be any time between now and 24 Feb ish) and we are due to complete the purchase by 29 March so depends when baby arrives but probably 5-7weeks 🤔

@caoraich I don’t have the car every day as we share a car and at the minute the weather is bad so not sure how much I’ll be going out over the next few days but I have Netflix and just got Now TV with Sky Movies so been watching TV and movies at home. Today was Cinderella! 😂

@DC3dilemma

I do need to pack my bag. I’ve probably made a bigger job of it than it is. First I needed to wash baby clothes first then realised I needed to buy no boo detergent. Needed to buy nappies and other essentials. This week bought more maternity pads and the like and needed to wash some clothes for me. I have now got everything and just need to pack it so will do it tomorrow (although I meant to do it today!). Baby bag is packed it’s just mine.

Some good tips there. I shall take a look.

I have done some cooking. Realistically enough for about four meals for me and DH do not loads. I may do more next week if I’m still at home waiting for baby.

I have been planning to do perineal massage. I tried it once and then forgot about it until today when I remembered I’d intended to do it!

I seem to have some colostrum coming already whuchvive noticed while in the shower but wasn’t sure whether to start expressing. Will read about it more 🤔

Trying to watch a few hypnobirthing videos every day too

OP posts:

TwigTheWonderKid · 01/02/2019 23:01

So presumably you'll be using the kind of removal people who come and pack everything and unpack it at the other end?

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 23:04

So presumably you'll be using the kind of removal people who come and pack everything and unpack it at the other end?

Not sure. Haven’t put a lot of thought in it to be honest but possibly. It might be the best way in the circumstances but no doubt DH will want to do it as cheaply as possible!

OP posts:

DC3dilemma · 01/02/2019 23:08

If you have a reasonable amount of colostrum already you can collect and freeze it. Easiest way is into 5ml syringes which you can buy on amazon. But the point of hand expressing at this stage is to get the factory going, ready for the big day!

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 23:08

But the point of hand expressing at this stage is to get the factory going, ready for the big day!

I’ve head it can bring on labour too!!

OP posts:

whiteworld · 01/02/2019 23:11

I’m not sure it’s worth trying to do the hypnobirthing CD at this point - don’t you have to listen to it several times so it sinks in before you give birth, and so it’s familiar?

I’d pack your hospital bag, buy the last things you need, write your birth plan, and chill out and sleep as much as possible before baby arrives!

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 23:15

I’m not sure it’s worth trying to do the hypnobirthing CD at this point - don’t you have to listen to it several times so it sinks in before you give birth, and so it’s familiar?

Well at the minute I’m just watching the videos which are informative. Not sure about the MP3s as I haven’t listened to them but the videos themselves have been helpful and it could be another three weeks til baby arrives...

It’s helping me feel prepared anyway as I didn’t do any antenatal classes and these are quite informative

OP posts:

dragoning · 01/02/2019 23:17

Assume that you will be using a removal service if you can afford it It sounds ridiculous now, but you won't have time to pack and move house with a firstborn five week old. Or even organise the move. In your shoes I'd use the time now to call around for quotes!

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 23:18

In your shoes I'd use the time now to call around for quotes!

Probably not a bad idea to at least find out what it costs

OP posts:

Whatdoyouknowwhenyouknownowt · 01/02/2019 23:24

And don't be lifting furniture as your ligaments will still be relaxed!

Original poster

AliceRR · 01/02/2019 23:26

And don't be lifting furniture as your ligaments will still be relaxed!

Oh I didn’t know this was still an issue after the birth

OP posts:

TwigTheWonderKid · 01/02/2019 23:27

It probably sounds mad to you now but I strongly suspect that unless you are currently living in a studio flat which has recently been Marie Kondo'd to within an inch of its life, it's very unlikely you are going to be able to pack it yourselves with a newborn clamped to your boob for most of the time and suffering from sleep deprivation.

TwigTheWonderKid · 01/02/2019 23:29

Yes! Google "post partum laxity"

hoponpopp · 01/02/2019 23:36

Dc3 has some good tips. With both of my DCs I spent the last month or so avoiding sitting or leaning back or lying on my back as I wanted to avoid baby being back to back. All I wanted to do was lie on the sofa but I was very strict with myself about either being on my left or leaning forward!

Might be good to start some light packing- maybe nice easy stuff like putting cds or books you won’t need for a while into boxes. Just saves you having to do it with a newborn.

Oh another thing (I keep remembering stuff as I loved this stage before I had my DCs!) was I did pregnancy yoga- really good for any pelvic / sciatic pains and lots of breathing exercises for contractions!

Original poster

AliceRR · 02/02/2019 00:04

I did pregnancy yoga- really good for any pelvic / sciatic pains and lots of breathing exercises for contractions!

Did you go to a class or do it online? I’ve been to a few classes, the first couple were when I was about 16 w and then I did another about a month or more ago but haven’t been back since!

I might see if I can find something online and try to do a bit every day and a bit on the ball.

Don’t think I can be as strict as you about not leaning back though!!

OP posts:

MatriarchalDreams · 02/02/2019 00:07

Do not, under any circumstances, assume you'll be fine to pack it all yourself with a newborn. We moved about 18 months ago with an 8 week old and did most of the packing last minute as we didn't exchange until just before completion due to various issues with our buyers. Baby didn't want to be out down for more than a few mins at a time which really restricted what I could do in terms of packing/cleaning so most of it was left to DH, who was at work all day, evenings baby was unsettled/wanted feeding or walking around (plus we have an older child too, but you'll have the added stress of a first baby). Moving day was the most stressful day of my life! I spent the whole day desperately cramming stuff into boxes and cleaning with baby in the sling, getting him out to feed and change every few hours! So yeah, get some people to pack for you!

Original poster

AliceRR · 02/02/2019 00:59

I have packed my hospital bag, just about apart from a few bits like charger and my notes

OP posts:

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