Maternity leave - keeping busy!

[Kej13]

Hey,
Just looking for some ideas and just generally to rant!

I'm 36+4 today and I started maternity leave on Tuesday of this week (well technically I'm on holiday this week, ML starts on Monday coming up) and I've already found I'm bored. Everyone keeps telling me I should be relaxing before the baby comes but that's just not who I am and I'm finding just sitting at home really really dull.

We live in a village, it has a shop and a pub and a drs surgery etc so I'm not completely in the middle of nowhere but DH has the car to go to work so I'm sort of stuck.

I've not been sleeping at night recently and I've been so tired all day but trying not to nap as it makes the following night worse. I'm really uncomfortable (as I guess most people are at my stage!) but just feeling really miserable...

Hospital bag is packed and ready, nursery is finished so don't need to sort anything out for the baby now so I guess it's just a waiting game but I wondered if anyone had been or is in the same position as me and what you've been doing to keep yourself busy?

Watched a tonne of Netflix! Drew, wrote...depending on your energy, you could go for a walk each day. Bake....sew....tidy your storage!

@Kej13 I look back on those childless mat leave weeks as my last few weeks of freedom! Freedom to sleep, pee when you want, eat when you want, leave the house when you want....I know it's hard hearing it from someone else but do try to just chill and make the most of the downtime - it's away to seriously end!

The best thing I did was batch cooked tonnes of healthy meals and filled my freezer with them. It meant once baby was here, I didn’t have to cook, but still had nice homemade meals every night. Enjoy!

I just realised I sound so bitter in that last post haha! It's away to end in a very good way is what I meant!

Enjoy all the things you won’t get much chance to do soon enough. Even if it’s doing a bit of cleaning or a nice bubble bath. I completely took for granted the stage you are at just now. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant plus have a 16 month old to run after so this time round I don’t have the privilege of being able to relax before the sleepless nights start again.

That being said, I completely sympathise with you, it’s easier said than done when your constantly in a state of discomfort!

What about going to local baby and toddlers groups to get to know local mums, before you are too sleep deprived to have a decent conversation or remember anyone's name!

I'll be starting mat leave in two weeks and like you was very worried I'll be bored quickly as am also quite an active person and work has made the pregnancy pass by very quickly! I have made a list of a few things Ive been putting off for ages such as sorting my photo albums, cleaning and organising the whole house, writing, and of course will do the usual Netflix binge watching etc. Also hoping to go tot he cinema quite a bit as that won't be possible for a while when the little one comes!

When do most women generally start their maternity leave? Ive saved my holiday an put 3 weeks in before my due date so im bot at work right up until the due date my job is physical. Now im thinking u should just start it a week a earlier & have a weeks a/l in oct/Nov rather than working loads.. this is my first child so ive just been listening to what friends have said but ive no idea what im doing lol

Sorry can't be of any help, planned to start mat leave at 39 weeks after a week of annual leave, had DS at 36+6 and didn't even have my hospital bag fully packed! Make sure you've got everything ready that you need to and then watch anything you've been meaning to, read, go to the cinema, have lunch with friends, good god have a lot of lie ins or just lazy days, bubble baths etc. Have a pedicure, a pregnancy massage (you can get people who come to you), go for a swim. The first few weeks hit me like a brick wall as I'd been away for work got home late Friday evening, had DS Monday evening after my waters breaking on the Sunday.

Thanks everyone! I went round the house with DH earlier and wrote up a list of jobs that I can actually do that do need doing (nothing too exciting) but thought that might keep me a little busier?

I'm starting to think I should have stayed at work another week but was really struggling at work too, so can't win! Trying to just enjoy this time as I know I won't get it again x

Op bless you, you don't need to put (darling husband) every time you write DH. It's a well used acronym on here.

Do you have any hobbies?

Oh it's not you! It's Mumsnet! It's done it to me too! What IS that?? I don't like it at all!

Haha I re read my messages and thought I'm sure I haven't 😂

Not really, I know it's sad but I'm usually at work so much that it doesn't even matter, I'm happy to come home from work and just relax with DH etc usually and once DS is here he'll keep me busy!

I do have a few friends having babies later this year or early next year so that'll be even better once they're off too and we can meet up with all the babies, it's just these next few weeks!

I took four weeks annual leave before my mat leave started and had a blast - so I had eight weeks off and started mat leave at the end of July.

However, I live in a big city and have a car. Having said that I’m sure you could find more things to do locally by using taxis etc. Things I’ve been doing:

1. Mummy to be pamper session. I had a facial, manicure and pedicure.

1. Mooching around the shops - spending too much!

1. Afternoon tea with family.

1. Lunch with friends.

1. Lie ins, afternoon naps and definitely Netflix.

1. Sorting out bits in the house.

1. Hair appointments weekly - I had carpal tunnel and couldn’t wash or dry my hair, not because I’m high maintenance.

1. Started leg and underarm waxing - see carpal tunnel!

1. IKEA - rainy day activity.

10. Costco - long walks whilst it rained!

11. Swimming when I could.

I also have a gym membership, but have been so swollen some days I couldn’t get my extra wide fat feet sandals on or drive! 😂

@Chocqueen99 general consensus is anything from 36 weeks onwards, depending on how you feel, how physical your job is, if you’ve got any holiday to use. I’m nearly 32 weeks and will be finishing at 37 weeks. I work in an office but I’ve got two weeks holiday to use, and to be honest I’m knackered so I’m hoping to have a good week or so of nothing to do but taking my eldest to school and then just pottering around the house until the baby comes.

Sleep, seriously! I went on maternity leave on the Friday 37+3 and had DD on tbe Saturday 37+4. She is 4 weeks now and the lack of sleep has hit me like a ton of bricks. I had visions of a couple weeks of long lie ins and slumming round the house in my Pjs for the planned 2 weeks before my due date but that wasn't to be.

If DH has the car and it sounds like you're somewhere fairly small, how will you get about when DC arrives?

I know it’s easy to say - but not relaxing during the two weeks on mat leave before my baby was born is a regret of mine. I bounced on balls, walked for miles trying to get her out! Just be bored - honestly, because soon you will never get the chance to do it again! Nap loads - l didn’t and was so tired by labour time. Eat loads. Dare I say it - treat yourself to a glass of wine if you enjoy it? Watch a box set. Good luck x

What are you going to do with no car when the baby arrives?

It is quite small where I live but for mums it's actually quite well serviced. There are baby groups I can go to locally once he's born and I have a friend who lives in the village over from me who's having a baby later on this year so once she's on maternity leave too we will spend more time together and generally having my own baby will keep me busy so I'm not worried about that.

DH and I have discussed getting another car but want to see what life is like on maternity pay before committing to that, we worked the same hours and just round the corner from each other before I finished work so we never needed two.