Before you can go back to work after delivery, you are entitled to at least 12 weeks to 14 weeks of maternity leave. Some mothers view this time as a long, boring and lonely as they literally don’t know how to spend the maternity leave productively.
But your maternity leave does not have to be boring. You can actually have fun and make the most out of your maternity leave by learning new skills & hobbies, bonding with your baby, and generally doing stuff you never got to do before during your pregnancy. I have created a list of amazing , fulfilling and satisfying activities and fun things you must do while you are on your maternity leave this year.
List of Fulfilling Things to Do on your Maternity Leave
1. Focus On Healing & Getting Your Energy Back
First things first, you need to feel better and stronger after delivery to even start on any plan after your maternity leave. You will probably feel weak in the first few weeks after delivery. During this time leave focus on getting your strength back (and of course, nursing your little one) but nothing much.
Delivering a baby is no joke and in addition, you now have an infant to nurse that requires a lot of energy. However, do not necessarily eat for two but eat foods that are more nutritious and bound to you more calories. Remember, a breastfeeding mom needs about 450 to 500 more kilo-calories in addition to the normal intake.
Some of the most recommended foods for a new mom to eat on her maternity leave that gives energy include;
- Lean beef
- Salmon
- Low
- Whole grains
- Nuts, beans and other legumes
- Low-fat dairy
- Fresh Vegetables and Fruits
Read: How to Avoid Work Calls during your Maternity Leave
2. Join a Motherhood Support Group
Another thing you should consider doing during your maternity leave is joining a relevant mom tribe. A mom tribe is a group of mothers of babies born around the same time. It is meant to be a forum for sharing the motherhood journey including the baby’s milestones, and challenges.
From the group, you will learn a lot about motherhood especially if you are a first-time mom. However, even if you are on second delivery you still have a lot to learn about parenting as every baby is different. You should not be lonely on maternity leave when you have people you can connect with on your mother hood journey.
There are so many mom tribes across the world, even at the most local level that you can join while on your maternity leave. Because there are so many babies born on the same day, week or month, you will definitely find one around your baby’s birth month this year . Join a group that you share more similarities with such as birth month and location among other key factors.
There are also other groups for certain motherhood issues such as groups for babies with Autism you can join during your maternity leave if need be. These groups are now on Facebook, Whats app, on email list, websites, chat rooms and hospital support channels among others. They are important in helping you pass time during your maternity leave.
Some groups even conduct physical meetings in addition to online meetings. It is an ideal option for moms who are on maternity leave who are looking for things to do; which is good for socializing and social development. A good thing about technology has the ability to bring people together on one platform, conveniently.
3. Bond with Your Baby Intimately
One of the main reasons a mother desperately needs the offered maternity leave is to heal and also care and nurse the infant. As such it is just the perfect time whereby you can make the most out of your maternity leave by bonding with your baby.
Use the time with your baby as a fun way of passing time during the long maternity leave. Some suggestions include;
- Spending quality time with your baby
- Personally bathing your baby, learning the texture and curves.
- Play with him or her and lure them to sleep with lullabies.
- Learn about your baby’s interest. What sounds does she/he like most? How does her/his face change when she/he sees you?
These small things will fill your heart with so much joy and fulfillment. You baby is finally here with you; just revel in these unique moments that only a mother and her child can share and make this one of main things that you do on your maternity leave.
Make sure you keep something such as a journal to preserve those special moments. Journaling is a very fun and important thing to do during your maternity leave this year . If possible you can make a daily entry about your baby and your experience.
Also considering taking frequent baby pictures. Babies grow so fat, and you will look at these photos and marvel at just how much your baby has grown.
Read: Why your Older Child Should go to Daycare when you are on your Maternity Leave
4. Shop for New Outfits
It is right to admit and acknowledge that pregnancy changes a lot in us, especially our bodies. We find that we no longer have the same slim and lean body, having gained a bit of weight (if not a lot). Our breasts also tend to be larger to accommodate the milk for nurturing the new baby.
All these factors considered, you probably need a new set of outfits, after delivery. Looking at your closest, you still have lots of your pregnancy clothes that you can no longer wear. Your pre-pregnancy clothes will probably no longer fit after your maternity leave is over.
Therefore since you will soon resume work, use some time on your maternity leave to shop around for new outfits. Shopping is indeed a fun way of passing time during your maternity leave. You may want to do this in your last few weeks when you have lost much of the baby weight and you are at an average constant weight.
While choosing your outfits, however, consider you are now a mother. You are breastfeeding mom and will need more comfortable dresses, or tops that allow for breastfeeding or expressing milk at the workplace. Go for tops and dresses that are not closed up to the neck or are not tight hence are comfortable to breastfeed and express milk in.
5. Buy Pumping Items for Going Back to Work
If you plan to continue your baby on breast milk after you resume work (which you should), there are some supplies and items you will need for when you get back to work. Some items you need to buy while on maternity leave include;
- A breast pump for expressing breast milk at the workplace.
- Sterile milk bags or containers to store milk after expressing. You may need to start expressing when still on maternity leave.
- Cold storage such as refrigerator to keep the milk. It is highly recommended to immediately keep expressed milk in the refrigerator to avoid spoiling the milk.
Some workplaces offer lactation rooms with refrigerators where you can store your milk while others don’t. In such a case, a portable cold box will come in handy for you. You will safely keep your milk hereafter pumping as well as move it back home to your baby at the end of the day.
You will find my post on pumping breast milk at work very useful as it details all the necessary arrangements needed. The time during your maternity leave is the best time to buy all these necessary items.
Read: How to Prepare and Make Pumping at Work Easy
6. Plan for Child Care while on Maternity Leave
Last but not least, you need to solidify your child care service plans while you are still in your maternity leave. There is no great way of getting the most out your maternity leave than ensuring your child will be in safe hands once you resume work.
If you have been having temporary child care service, it is time to now make a more permanent arrangement while you have the time. I have done a previous post on finding quality child care the right way that you will find useful.
Start looking early enough so that you have at least three weeks with your new nanny before resuming work. You can easily train and direct your nanny under your watch, and ease her into your baby’s care routine while you are still on maternity leave. This is very important rather than waiting till the end of your maternity leave as it makes the transition in care a smooth one.
You will also be able to monitor how your baby responds to the new caregiver and if they are getting along. Besides, let your child caregiver feed your baby directly from your expressed milk to see how the baby responds to this form of feeding.The transition to bottle feeding is critical as it will be the main form of feeding for your baby when you resume work after your maternity leave.
Read: Choose Daycare or Nanny for your Infant
7. Learn a New Skill
Find a productive thing to do on your maternity leave. Learn and apply new skills such as
- Baking, Knitting,Drawing, Art etc
- Project Management
- Public Speaking
- Learning a new language
- Communication
- Organisation
- Sales and Marketing
- Digital Assistance
These skills will help you make money during maternity leave while you pass time in your maternity leave. You are allowed to work and make more income as possible as you now have more financial needs.
8. Create a New Hobby
Hobbies during maternity leave are a great way to beat boredom as you will probably have a lot of free time. You can start a new hobby in
- Writing
- Craft making
- Sewing
- Art & Painting
- Photography
- Music & instruments
- Gardening
- Pottery
Hobbies are intensive and will help you to avoid feeling lonely. You can further turn them fun thing to do to make money by monetizing the creations for extra income.
9. Start a Side Hustle
Use the time you have on your leave to learn a new skill to monetize and make money from it. You can write, be a consultant or create products which you can be competent at while passing time during your maternity leave and make money while at it.
There is nothing wrong with working when you are on maternity leave. You will probably have a lot of time in your hands and it is productive if you can turn it into additional income before you can resume your job. You can start and effectively run your own buiness when you are on maternity leave.
10. Reflect and Set New Goals
The birth of your baby probably marked a major milestone in your life. It appears to be a good time to set up new goals and objectives. As you pass on time during your maternity leave, think about these things. It is the best time to reset your life’s course either personally or career wise.
11. Arrange for Family Planning
If you are not planning to get pregnant, plan not to. Consult your family doctor on the best choice as soon as possible . It is one of the things that many moms wish they did while on their maternity leave since going back to work leaves little time.
12. Put Baby’s Documents in Order
Ensure that you take this time to put your baby documents and other necessities in order. This includes getting the required injections, birth certificate, and health insurance among others. This is one the things to do to make most out of your maternity leave.
13. Document your Motherhood Journey
Write journals and take frequent baby photos while on maternity. Kids grow so fast! Capture as much moments as you can. Try not to get bored by engaging your writing and reflective skills on your mother hood journey. your love will love these Memories of their childhood.
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