It seems like only yesterday I wrote about 10 things all mums should do before giving birth.
In fact it was four months ago, just before Littlest B was born on Valentine’s Day.
I donโt know where the time has gone but this week marks my last week of maternity leave before returning to work. Unless we win the lottery between now and next Monday this time next week the babymoon will be over, I’ll be back at my computer and normal life will have resumed.
Being a stay-and-work-at-home-mum I’m planning to wing it and work with Littlest B at home with me until she’s one so I can feed her myself. I’m not looking forward to it, but that’s another post for another day.
In the meantime I’ve been looking back at my maternity leave – and the two before that – and it got me thinking there really are some things all mums shouldย do before going back to work.
10 things all mums should do on maternity leave
1. Eat cake for breakfast. There’s always left over cake when the visitors have gone, and it’s just the job when you’re surviving on the least sleep you’ve ever had in your entire life.
2. Watch Jeremy Kyle. It’ll reassure you that even in your sleep deprived hag-like state you’re still totally normal.
3. Stay in bed with your baby when the rest of the world is going about it’s business. Because there’s nothing quite like being curled up under the duvet counting your baby’s fingers and toes on a Monday lunchtime.
4. Stay in your jim jams until 2 o’clock. Just because you can.
5. Sleep when your baby sleeps. It’s only with baby number three that I’ve actually done this. Contrary to popular belief it is possible and it makes the world of difference.
6. Sign up to a class. Baby massage, baby yoga, baby swimming – it doesn’t really matter, a class is one-to-one bonding time when the mountain of washing and everything else that needs doing can’t get in the way.
7. Do things you’d never normally do when working, and relish it. Like having tea and cake in a coffee shop while they’re napping, or sitting on a bench with your face turned to the sun.
8. Capture their babyness. Whether it’s with a photoshoot, hand or foot imprints or pottery painting, because if you think time is flying now wait until you go back to work. Blink and they’re two.
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9. Do things with other mum friends – and dads. Things you wouldn’t be able to do if you were at work, like drinking wine at lunchtime.
10. Enjoy being ‘just’ a mum. Because if you’re going back to work like me it won’t be long before you’re juggling meetings with food shops and your weekends are spent cramming in everything you didnโt get the chance to do during the week because you were working.
Have you recently returned to work after maternity leave? Is there anything you think all mums should make sure they do? I’d love to know!
Linking up to these fabulous blogs!
I smiled at wine at lunch time. It’s another world being ‘free’ in the day. #PostsFromTheHeart
I did all these and loved my maternity leave. Having nothing but a baby to worry about is liberating. After returning to work I then quit as maternity leave just wasn’t enough. I wanted that life to last a bit longer.
Great list. Number 3 is one of my favourite things to do in the mornings with my little girl. Even if we are just sat snuggling in bed for 20 minutes before we have to get up, its still 20 minutes of me and her with no interruptions, completely ignoring the world. โบ #TwinklyTuesday
These are great and totally agree although I’m too much of a martyr and never went back to bed. Actually I did once on Poppy’s first day at home and she just lay there hiccuping so I couldn’t sleep!! #twinklytuesday
I never managed the ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ thing! I’d say to enjoy watching all the TV you can – I never got through as many series as I did while on mat leave due to the amount of time I spent breastfeeding/sitting with a sleep baby on my chest. #FamilyFun
I’m with Squirmy Popple on this. I couldn’t sleep with my daughter but I did binge watch every TV box set I own! Also, yes, the pyjama thing. But it’s more fun when it’s an active choice to stay in PJs rather than you blink and it’s 2pm and all you’ve done is nurse, deal with nappies and clean up milk vomit…from your own PJs.
Glad you a relishing it this third time round xx #FamilyFun
I love this list. I miss the days of snuggling up in bed during the day with a baby – it’s so lovely to be able to cherish that time. And yes, eating cake for breakfast is definitely ok when you’re trying to cope with sleep-deprivation too. Love those little footprints ๐ #familyfunlinky
Yes, yes, yes! I’m currently on maternity leave with my second baby and am sitting here in my pyjamas at almost 12pm! My excuse is that it’s easier to breastfed in ๐ #TwinklyTuesday
A really great list, i love the eating cake for breakfast idea!! Im afraid I can’t bear Jeremy Kyle though- sleep deprived or not!! #FamilyFunLinky
I recently wrote a similar post and I love that a lot of our ideas are the same. Number 3 though is perfect <3 I hope the return to work goes okay, I will be watching with interest as I have been WFH with a little one tagging along but only for a few hours a week #coolmumclub
Cake for breakfast hurrah to that! I feel quite nostalgic about those baby days reading this. Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub with this xoxo
Lovely, I did all those things too! It was lovely being on leave, I didn’t want to go back to work! I went for lots of massages too. #FamilyFunLinky
Looking back, I wish I’d done more of the sleeping and the caking. I think going to groups or classes makes the world of difference to you, certainly as a new mum. I’d always had a particular image of groups, and it wasn’t in the least bit accurate. It goes faaaaaaar too fast. #ablogginggoodtime
I have two months left of my maternity leave, it’s gone so fast! I may have (definitely) eaten cake for breakfast. A LOT. But as you say, this is what maternity leave is for!! I think 8 and 9 are a must do though, before I go back… what’s wine again??? #coolmumclub
What a gorgeous post hun. I am now wishing myself back to this perfect time! Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime
Those moments when it is just you and your baby snuggled up alone are the most precious times and over far too quickly x
#ablogginggoodtime
Oh I actually think I did all of these, especially with my first. It was a little harder with the second. I miss the days I could lounge about in my pjs watching all the telly with a baby sleeping on me! There is zero chance of that when they become toddlers! Thanks for joining us at #familyfun
Oh I love all of these! Though I could never sleep in the day and used the time to clean/blog when baby slept! Enjoy your last week of maternity ๐ #thelistlinky
Yes, yes, yes! We are so hard on ourselves and need to just BE. #coolmumclub
Ooo sounds a perfect way to indulge on maternity X #coolmumclub
Oh my goodness. I’ve done a few of these but when it comes to sleep I’ve never been able to nap when baby does unless in hospital and when the second arrived eldest was awake. #FamilyFunLinky
Returning via #KCACOLS . Hope you come back again next time.
Returning with #FamilyFunLinky
I wish I had asked someone to take my bigger ones to school/nursery and had a pj day all day with my baby. Actually now i have said that I’m going to do this, somehow by rearranging my wahm sahm job!
My little one had this same bird romper on today! #coolmumclub
This is a real cute list of actual achievable items. I probably managed all of them too! Now on ever extending maternity leave if you can call not working that!! I’ll probably feel very different about things with my 2nd child! โชThank you for linking up to the #familyfunlinkyโฌ
I would just amend that first one.Cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner is a must haha! Great list – so simple too ๐ Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Having been back at work for four months now, I totally agree with all of these. Especially the cake. Cake should be eaten whenever possible! I hope this week goes well for you x
Cannot advocate this enough – 3. Stay in bed with your baby when the rest of the world is going about itโs business #kcacols
I love the cake suggestion but I can’t even remember if I did that!?
Jeremy Kyle – yes! It totally puts things in perspective! #postsfromtheheart
Loving this list! All of the points are geared towards enjoying your time with little one (and being away from work)… sometimes I forget to just do something I couldn’t do if I was at work – thank you for reminding me! #coolmumclub
I wish I could have my maternity leave again. I constantly felt as though I needed to achieve something. If I had my time again I’d recognise that keeping myself and my baby alive is in fact a massive achievement in those first few months. Pen x #KCACOLS
Ah such great advice. As i move towards Maternity Leave number 2 in December, I definitely will be doing some of these. Things that i didn’t think of with my son. I’ll be having as many duvet days as possible before baby comes and while my son is in pre-school too. ๐ #KCACOLS
I have never been on a maternity leave, but adoption leave is quite the same as in I got to do most of the things on your list – while my boys were in school. ๐ Eating cake for breakfast is my favourite! One thing I got to do and you can’t was going to the cinema alone during the day… ;)#KCACOLS
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