Mat leave (pre-birth) in covid times

[IamC]

I left starting my mat leave quite late really, I finished on Friday gone and this Friday I will be induced. So not a massive amount of time to 'chill out' and enjoy my time.

We're totally ready for baby - we did a top to bottom house clean at the weekend, clothes are washed, furniture and baby paraphernalia is all built and ready, bags are packed etc.

But when it comes to enjoying my time off - as short as it will be, with covid I can't really do anything of note.

I can't meet friends or family, I can't wander round the shops. Instead I'm stuck indoors trying not to turn the telly on.

Basically this is a half moan / half request for ideas on what others did on mat leave before their baby came in covid times when the options are limited.

Looking for ideas and inspiration!

It's rubbish you can't do the usual things, but I'd say rest, sleep in, long baths, watch a film, read etc

Night before induction I would have a nice bath. Wash your hair, shave legs etc as you might not get to do that for a while. Rest if you can as inductions can take a long time. Make sure your cupboards are fully stocked and some meals are in the freezer

It definitely isn't as fun as normal since you can't go out and do much but you could try to have a few pamper days and focus on things you really enjoy doing that might be harder with a baby? Have a lie in, an afternoon bubble bath with candles and fancy bath bits, get into nice new pjs and read a book or watch a movie that your partner would hate?

Try out some interesting recipes but make a deal with your husband that he does the dishes so you just have the fun bit?

I finish on Friday for mat leave and have set myself 3 goals: make and ice a cake, finish my cross stitch, make a cushion for baby's room. The rest of the time I am planning to enjoy reading and not having to think about work!

Why aren’t you turning the tv on? I’d be all over that. Feet up, remote to hand!

I only had the weekend then 3 days before I went into Labour. Saturday and Sunday were just normal weekdays. Monday I met my brother and nephew to go shopping (and got tutted at by old ladies for seemingly having 2 kids very close, though DN was only 5 months he was more like the size of a 9 month old). Tuesday was our antenatal class. Wednesday poof my waters went.

I’d been moaning I didn’t know what to do with myself, I bloody wouldn’t now

Some good ideas in there. I like the goal setting @wannabe123 think I need to come up with some of my own. There's goal 1...

@Marmite27 I hadn't considered the possibility of the baby coming sooner than the induction, so now I'm feeling double the pressure to do something worthwhile! 😂

Batch cooking for the freezer! A good Netflix series (Bridgerton perhaps?), nice bath, a long walk to try and get things moving...

Honestly I'm not sure even if things were open would you really feel like doing any of them? Both my pregnancies I was that uncomfortable that unless it involved sitting on the sofa and Netflix no way I would be doing it?

I had a baby last summer, I had planned to work up until 36 weeks but I’m a nurse practitioner and my ward was turned into a covid ward so got sent off to ‘shield’ from 28 weeks. Enjoy the tv, long baths, I did loads of batch cooking and it meant it was just a case of defrosting/heating up for the first month so we actually ate some real food. I crocheted a blanket for baby and had a lot of walks and if you have a pregnancy ball I spent a lot of time bouncing on that watching a box set! Also have a nice pamper I had an afternoon when I had a nice bath, painted nails, hair/face mask and then I tinted my brows/lashes. It was so bloody long before baby arrived but was necessary for safety, it would have been lovely if I could have enjoyed lunches and coffee out!

How exciting OP. Hope you are enjoying your week before baby arrives.
I ended up having 6 weeks may leave pre baby as she was two weeks late - I had consumed all of Netflix by the time she came
I’d say enjoy all the telly you want! But do it bouncing on your birthing ball, not slumped on the sofa... you never know baby might make an early appearance!

I had 34 days of mat leave before DS arrived in December and counted every day!

I went for walks & took a hot chocolate, tidied/decorated the house for Christmas, watched a lot of TV (bought a Now TV movie pass), baked & cooked, did lots of meal planning, bought cards & presents for the next six months for birthdays etc. Read lots of books and had a lot of naps & really long baths.

We did a zoom baby shower for my friend and send packages to everyone to open together and to have the bubbly on ice.
Post is a little slow for one this week but you could ask a friend to put together a quiz or something you can email out and all get dressed up and do something one evening this week.

Don’t focus on all the things you can’t do because of covid. Focus on the things that will be difficult with a new born. Biggest one being sleep, but also any hobbies, reading a book, relaxing. Any sort of me time will soon be gone so just enjoy the quiet and still. Batch cook nice food and enjoy eating it hot!

Enjoy doing absolutely nothing worth while, enjoy the peace! Feet up and binge watch some TV, eat and sleep!

Good luck for Friday ❤️

Thanks for the ideas....I think tomorrow I'm going to have a lie in and then spend the day playing records and reading books on the sofa (or birthing ball).

Then on Wednesday and Thursday I think I will do more jobsy stuff like the batch cooking ideas.