Pregnancy and childbirth are among the most precious moments in a woman’s life. During this period, mothers undergo a lot of unusual habits in their daily routine. Most experience sleep-deprived nights’ resultant in ever-changing sleep schedules and patterns; this is all thanks to the newborn, which dramatically reduces your work performance. Let’s dive a little deeper into what to do on maternity leave before baby.
There have also been cases of postpartum-related depression due to the high levels of stress and anxiety. The addition of huge workloads can trigger other health conditions such as fatigue and headaches, affecting the baby’s development. This led to the implementation of compulsory maternity leave by all employers. The mothers-to-be are given a grace period out of their work to concentrate on pregnancy and childbirth. The leave is supposed to take 91 days, four weeks before birth and after conception—a good move for both the mother and the baby.
For most women, the extra break gives them time to rejuvenate. But for some, the spare free time could make them feel lonely. So how about having a to-do list that will keep you excited about the arrival of your new bundle of joy.
Things to do before having a baby
It is essential to be involved in fun activities as this reduces anxiety levels. This article describes some of the practical activities an expectant mother can apply during the first maternity leave phase. There are more fun things to do while pregnant you can explore.
- Organize your baby’s room
Before childbirth, we tend to go on a shopping spree to prepare for the infant’s arrival. You can use this maternity leave to unpack the baby clothes and fit them into the drawers and wardrobes. Try to have the clothes organized in certain criteria. Maybe by category and age, to make it easy to look for an item. You can also fold the clothes in the dresser to ease the struggle of looking for suitable clothing.
Organizing your baby’s room and sorting out her clothes before she arrives leaves you organized and keeps you yarning to meet her. Remember, when she finally comes, you will not get adequate time to organize her items.
- Try some painting
Besides sorting out the wardrobes, how about painting the baby’s room, personalizing it a little for her arrival. And if you already know the baby’s gender, then picking out the color scheme will be very easy. But if the baby’s gender is a surprise, then go for unisex colors for the room. Some yellow hues and purple splashes could do the trick.
- Pick up a DIY project.
Now, for the baby toys, there are many creative DIY projects you could try out at this time. It is a cost-effective activity that will help you easily personalize your baby’s room. We are all about being unique; this is from choosing adorable names to have a kick as room decor done for them.
- Figure out how the baby gears work
During this season, you will receive many gifts from friends and family. And for some, I am sure you have no clue how it works. Thus, this is the perfect time to get acquainted with the new gadgets. This will come in handy when teaching the infant how to play with his or her toys. Most of the baby toys are complicated and require sufficient knowledge to operate and even repair them. Through dedicating time to understanding this, it would be easier for you to navigate through it.
- Make your cooking sessions a little easier.
During the pre-baby maternal stage, you will be involved in many activities in preparation for the baby. Try and stock up your freezer with various foods to reduce the time and energy spent cooking. You need to keep in mind your dietary needs and only prepare nutritional foods for you and the baby.
- Try some light reading.
During the third trimester, you are likely to start experiencing some fear and anxiety about labor-related pain. The best tool to kill anxiety and fear is being well informed of what to expect. There is no better way to be conversant with the subject than reading many books about the topic. You can focus on books that specifically focus on hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing is a natural pain relief method that utilizes mental and breathing exercises to counter the pain of the uterine walls contracting.
Also, take some time and read about breastfeeding and general motherhood. Getting the best breastfeeding tips will make the process much easier. What you read is just the tip of the iceberg as you will gain practical experience of motherhood through doing it. But a little head start does not hurt to make the journey slightly smoother for you and your baby.
Reading will open up your mind to an endless list of information, from best practices, how to increase milk supply and the critical dos and don’ts of the parenting journey.
- Exercise and keep your body moving
Pregnancy can lead to backaches, pelvic floor pains, plus other pains in your body. Remember, your body is a small factory creating a tiny human. But frequent exercises help alleviate this pain. Exercises will strengthen the muscles that help eliminate back pains and accomplish tasks with minimal effort. Regular practices are critical in enhancing your cardiovascular system, which prevents any heart-related complications.
Don’t get into anything strenuous. The idea is just to keep your body moving and active. A perfect option would be some yoga. These exercises aid in the management of stress and anxiety by controlling your mind, body, and soul. In addition to that, yoga is beneficial to muscle strength, flexibility, and, in other cases, skin tone.
- Photoshoot for this beautiful season
Photos help us remember precious moments in our life, and documenting your pregnancy season is something you will treasure for years to come. You can either organize a professional photoshoot or just take pictures with family or friends.
- Nap just because you can
Napping serves as an excellent reliever for the tiredness that comes with pregnancy. After you’re done with the daily chores and day-to-day tasks, how about spending the rest of the day taking a rest and enjoying an afternoon nap.
Final thoughts What to do on maternity leave before baby
The parenting journey is filled with rollercoasters of emotions, and when you can take a breather for yourself, it is essential to use this time wisely. When you are well rejuvenated and energized, you can get back to properly taking care of the people you love the most. So take the maternity leave and do something fun and relaxing that you enjoy before the baby arrives.
