What do to during maternity leave👩🏻🍼
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I’ve been on leave for 12 weeks and have 2 left… we wake up in the mornings, feed, go back to sleep if it’s before 5 and up for the day if it’s after 5. change out of our pjs (I feel like this sets the tone for the whole day) then do some tummy time before a little nap. Then we feed, change, tummy time, nap throughout the day until around 7 when we start our night routine which is bath, bottle, swaddle and lay down in the crib. But the first 5-6 weeks was just survival. Also try to get out of the house every couple of days. I think it helps to lessen/prevent ppd.
i can’t say too much as i’m only 3 weeks into it, but being brutally honest, the first few weeks are TOUGH. like @Patricia said, they’re just about survival 🤣 defo try and get out on walks daily/every 2 days if you can, although it is hard as you’re physically recovering during that time too. don’t put too much pressure in yourself to do much more in those early few weeks (unless you’re totally ok and up for it!) also - just be mindful about your recovery too, i tried to do too much too quick which ended up my stitches becoming undone 🫠🥲
I did loads of baby classes; baby sensory; baby sign language etc. and met other new mums to socialise. My advice would be don’t try and make rigid routines as you don’t know whether your baby will be a chill one or a high needs one which will dictate everything about how your day goes. You may plan on going on daily walks, but trust me girl when baby is here, you may just be surviving for months rather than weeks. Not to mention your birth will also affect you afterwards too. I tried to do one baby activity every other day and that was enough. You’ll find between feeding them you’ll barely have time to feed yourself and remain hydrated, add household tasks into the mix and cooking - you’ll be shattered!
Like most, we were just surviving with the occasional walk and trip to the shops. Walking round a supermarket really soothed my baby so this became a regular “activity”. Around 5 months we started baby sensory classes and around 7 months swimming lessons. Look into free play groups at your local church or library too. I wish I’d taken more advantage of these earlier on because there’s no pressure to turn up on time and if we don’t go at all, I’ve not wasted any money.
@Hannah how did swim lessons go? We have a pool so I want to do them next summer so my baby feels comfortable and doesn’t panic around water.
@Patricia I’ve just started swimming lessons with my 4.5 month old, she absolutely loves it
@Patricia my son loves being in the water and the lessons were more for me to gain confidence taking him in the water more than anything else. We did about 2 months worth and then I felt ready just to take him myself and do some of the things we had learnt. The lessons themselves were fine but I did feel the main teacher was phoning it in most of the time. She was always making excuses of why a session was just going to be playtime instead because the school kids in the other half of the pool were too noisy etc. We had a substitute the first week and he was so good and every exercise had a song to go with it so it was a let down when we met the actual teacher.
Routine for a few months will be hard. Even then it constantly changes 😅 however out of the normal looking after the baby and the house , keeping myself relatively sane. I do try and attend baby groups just to interact with other mums and try go for a walk if the weather is ok.
😂 survive sounds about right! No point jn a routine during the first 8 weeks
As everyone else has said, don’t expect your maternity leave to be the most productive. Often nothing will go to plan. Just do what you need to do to make it through the day. If you manage to leave the house at all, you’re doing well.
I’ve been on mat leave for almost a year now. We go for a walk for first nap in the pram then go to one of our local children’s centres in the afternoon. Then they’ll nap on the way home. I definitely recommend finding a children’s centre near by it’s been a life saver for me even if my babies are asleep I can just chill out and talk to the other mums until they wake up.
I seemed to have lunch out or a coffee most days with friends!!It’s was a dreamy year off work!! I went on a few holidays and did errands. Stayed with family. I did lots of baby classes, swimming, lots of walking! Did you do NCT? It’s fab highly recommend to meet people in your local area who are also off at the same time. 2 years on we are just as close and now starting to have 2nd babies. Keep yourself busy but also don’t put pressure on yourself. Do what you can with the time you have and the funds. Everyone’s expertise of their time off is different and there is no right way or wrong way to spend it. I was fortunate that i was paid my full pay for 9 months which made all the things I did very possible.
See if your area has a babies first friend group, baby massage is also a great little group to do
Get through the first 12 weeks and then baby sensory, baby massage, rhyme time at your local library, jiggly wigglers, little farms where you can feed animals when they get a bit older, i asked for membership to a few places for Xmas/birthday so we can go whenever xx
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First two months were mostly going to the park for walks then at two months we started to do activities Baby groups in children’s center Swimming lessons ( from 4 months ) Baby massage was like for 8 weeks Rythme time in local library
Activities can be expensive! I didn't have the budget to sign my baby up for A B and C, and the free classes i wanted to do like baby massage was on hiatus locally due to moving locations. I wish I could have done the baby massage as my LO had loads of trouble with trapped wind and we had to teach ourselves how to do tummy massages and bicycles but otherwise I've been very happy with the free ones offered by library, council, churches etc. I've taken baby swimming on one offs rather than doing a class, it was super overwhelming for him the first few times so i was happy I'd gone the more quiet route.
One of my biggest tips for surviving maternity leave is buy yourself a thermos mug. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’d make myself a tea/coffee, go to drink it and baby cries, have to feed them/change/put to sleep only to remember hours later where did that cup of tea go? To find it stone cold and having to microwave it again. I counted 3 times in one day I reheated the same cup 🤦🏽♀️ Not to mention you never know when you’ll be nap-trapped and GASPING for a drink, ANY DRINK! 🤣 Having a heated flask nearby is a lifesaver, you’ll be thanking me at 1am for this recommendation, you’re welcome 😂
Try some children centres if your UK based They are free too
Daily walks for sure, tummytime with the black and white cards, I did baby sensory classes too one day a week, we have a local charity that do baby mornings and the church do a couple mornings a week, normal errands like the food shop 👍🏻 Kept myself busy as it's so boring at home all the time. I also exclusively pumped.
Do what you feel is right. Money was tight so I did lots of things that were free. If you can, a National Trust membership is great as kids go free. If not, then look out for their free tickets.
A routine won't come at first. Initially it's about finding your feet, responding to baby's needs as and when, taking each day as it comes as you adjust to the new normal. We couldn't really start doing activities until baby was 6 months due to health issues but once we did we did things like baby groups, baby music class, baby sensory class, sensory rooms, play centers, parks, swimming, farm parks, museums, cafes & shopping, library.
Sleep, cry, remember to eat and (maybe) take a shower
Not sure what your area offers, but will be similar! I’m under Walsall and they give a timetable of all the baby/moms groups you can go to on a weekly basis, might be worth seeing if your antenatal group offer anything like this? Bonus is most are free! Or next to nothing x
Mondays 2 hour walk around park and to shops etc Tuesday lindylou playgroup and walk round park after. Weds- chill day, go see my parents, big housework day Thursday swimming Friday trip to shops, I do a loop of Costa, b n m and m and s at my local retail park 😂. Maybe zoo if weather is good. Saturday day at my parents usually watching football. Sunday travel to London to in laws.
What I do is survive 😂 my child is a daredevil in the making she’s not even 1 yet. All jokes aside though walks in the park is my nice weather go to it’s our first winter so not sure about winter activities yet.