Ten Things to Do While on Maternity Leave
1. Set up the baby’s nursery.
Don’t put off setting up the nursery until the last minute. Put together all the nursery furniture, put the bedding set on the crib, set up the mobile, and decorate the walls. It will be a fun project for you, and it will help to make it all feel real. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the baby is going to actually be there, living in that room, but he or she could be there sooner than you think. Many babies are born early; even 37 weeks can be considered full-term. So it couldn’t hurt to start setting up the nursery and making it look all special for you precious new arrival.
2. Write thank you cards for any baby shower gifts.
Writing thank you cards is very important! Sometimes it seems as though this matter of etiquette has been lost in our generation, but it is truly a good practice. Even if the people at the shower watched you open the gift, it is still a nice idea to send a written thank you card after the shower. It can be a short and sweet message, but it will still be very appreciated by the people who took the time to shop for a baby shower present.
3. Sort and put away all baby shower gifts .
After my baby shower, I had tons of baby outfits of all different sizes, as well as many other toys and other baby items. For a while, they just sat in bags in the nursery, but once I went on maternity leave I took the time to go through all those gifts. Separating clothes by size turned out to be very beneficial, since many of the outfits I received will not fit the baby for months. Take all clothes that will not fit for a while, and store them in a safe place. Then you can enjoy folding and hanging all those precious little baby outfits to be worn when you bring home your new baby.
4. Baby proof your home for when the baby starts walking and crawling.
Right now, it may seem like it will be ages before your baby will be crawling and eventually walking all over the house, but it really is not that far off. Besides, once the baby arrives you may find that you are busier than you bargained for. Already having baby proof latches on all the cupboards, and soft edges on all the corners of tables, will be a relief when your baby takes his/her first steps. Instead of worrying about all you need to do to keep the baby safe, you can just smile and take pictures.
5. Prepare the birth announcements for sending.
Sending out birth announcements is a great way to let all of your friends and family know that your baby has arrived. While you will probably call many of your close friends and family shortly after the baby arrives, there is probably an extended list of acquaintances and relatives who will be excited to find out about your new arrival. You can also send a small photo along with the birth announcements, so that friends and family who are out of the area can see what the baby looks like as a newborn.
Now, why you should start on this before the baby comes, in the early stages of your maternity leave, is so that it is easier to get done once the baby arrives. You can buy the announcement cards, fill in the names of Mom and Dad, and address the envelopes before the baby comes. You can even put stamps on them so that once the baby comes, a friend of family member can fill in the missing information and mail the cards out within days of the baby’s arrival. That way, anyone who would like to send gifts can have arrive within days of your homecoming.
6. Pack the hospital bag.
Since your baby could come early, it is always a good idea to have a bag ready to go with stuff you will need in the hospital. That way, you don’t have to feel rushed to remember everything if your water breaks two weeks early in the middle of the night! In my case, having my bag packed early really helped. Due to extremely high blood pressure, my doctor told me at my 38 week appointment that I needed to go home and stay in bed until the morning when I would go to the hospital to be induced. If I had not had my bag packed early, I would have had to stay in bed while directing my husband what to pack. It was certainly a relief to know that everything I needed was already ready to go.
7. Prepare meals that can be frozen for after the baby comes home.
Lasagnas, casseroles, and soups can all be made in advance and frozen to be easily heated up later. In those first days or weeks postpartum, you will not feel like preparing meals, but it is always nice to have a hot, home-cooked meal ready to go. Soups are an especially good idea, since they tend to be even better when reheated after the flavors have had a chance to really blend.
8. Plan lunch or coffee dates with your friends.
After the baby comes, it may be a while before you feel like going out again. When you are ready to go out again, you may find that taking the baby places requires more work that it is worth. While you are on maternity leave is a good time to go meet friends on their lunch hour, which you may otherwise not be able to do when you are at work also. Or you could set up coffee dates to have long, relaxed conversations that you may not have the leisure to enjoy after the baby comes.
9. Pamper yourself.
Go get a manicure and pedicure, or set-up for a massage. Many spas offer pregnancy massage that can really help with those lower back and leg pains in the last trimester. Getting out to do something for yourself will make you feel good about yourself when you may be feeling huge and ugly, and it will also help take your mind off of the waiting. Towards the end of your pregnancy it may feel like the baby is never going to come, but eventually he or she will be here and it will be hard to find the time and money to pamper yourself.
10. Arts and crafts
What I enjoyed more than anything during my maternity leave was having the time to get in touch with my creative side. I painted letters spelling out my baby’s name to hang on the wall in the nursery, and made curtains to match his crib bumper. I also worked on scrapbook pages, made a baby blanket, and redecorated the kitchen. I could spend hours a day scrapbooking, which was a great way to pass time after I was told to stay off of my feet.
