Maternity leaves are all about you and your baby. This is the time when you can bond with the precious love of your life and give time to heal your body from the stress of labor and delivery. But this is a time when you have opportunity to do lots of things, don’t waste this time in sitting idle at home or doing nothing. Some women even feel boring after few days and start looking for things to do on their maternity leaves.

Read here 20 tips to prepare yourself for labor and childbirth

Apart from the essential things to do on maternity leave, there are some other amazing things that one can choose to make the best of it. Here is the list of 30 things to keep you occupied on your leaves and make sure that your transition to work life is better and easier.

Things to do on maternity leaves before baby arrive.

If you have started your maternity leaves few weeks before due date, there are plenty to things to do.

1.     Spend some quality time with partner or loved ones

Maternity leave is best to spend time with your partner and friends. After having baby, your time and attention will divide in many directions, so why not to utilize this time and make best memories to discuss later with your partner.

You can even plan a date time or movie night also, taking care of your relationship is also very important, and may be you will not get that much time to spend with each other after arrival of your little one.

2.     Read books on breastfeeding, parenting, baby care or so on and educate yourself

There are plenty of good books available now days to get knowledge about upcoming things and be ready for future challenges.  Things become easier when you know how to handle them and make a list of important things which you think you should take care of.

You can read about different birthing method and make a plan according to your comfort. Read a book about breastfeeding and parenting to keep learning new things.

3.     Stay stress free, Do meditation and deep breathing exercise

Staying stress free is very important, especially when you are carrying your little one and your due date is nearby. Do some meditation and deep breathing exercise everyday to prepare yourself for future events. Trust me; this is going to help you a lot in labor and post-delivery phase where you need a lot of patience and will power to handle everything.

4.     Light exercise

Gentle and light exercise is very good to prepare your body for the arrival of your baby. Try some light exercise like walking every day, yoga, or swimming if you love to go in water or any other as per your comfort.

5.     Deep cleaning of the house

You must be very excited to meet your baby as well as tired also and not at all feeling like cleaning the house. But trust me, you won’t get enough time to deep clean your house after the arrival of baby. This can be a best way to welcome you baby in a deep cleaned place. 

This will not only make it a more comfortable place for you and your baby, but also give you some time to yourself. Here are some things that you can do on your maternity leaves.

• Clean the refrigerator and freezer (get rid of old food)
• Deep clean the kitchen (remove all the grease)
• Clean the bathroom (get rid of any stains or dirt)
• Clean windows, rugs, carpets pillows and curtains.
  

6.     Go for shopping and buy essential baby gear and other items

The first few months of a newborn baby’s life are the most crucial. This is the time when mothers need to be with their babies, and it is not always possible for them to go out for shopping. With this in mind, you get all the necessary items that you will need in the coming months.

You should also make sure that you have enough clothes and diapers stocked up at home so that your new arrival doesn’t have any interruptions while sleeping or eating.

You should buy baby gears like car seat, stroller, baby swing, or baby gear, so when your baby will arrive at home, he/she will not have any discomfort and you can also take rest whenever your baby sleeps.

7.     Organize baby room

Organizing your baby room is the perfect thing to do on maternity leave and this is the perfect time to make sure everything is on place and available, because you will not get enough time for this after the arrival of baby.

• Choose a theme for the nursery and buy things that go with it.
• Choose a color for the walls and paint them.
• Buy or make curtains for the windows, if needed.
• Put up shelves, if needed.
• Buy a crib or bedding, or borrow from friends or family.
• Buy linens and blankets in coordinating colors and patterns to fit your baby’s theme.
• Put together an emergency kit of clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, bottles and pacifiers for when you’re out of town.
• Consider buying some furniture that can grow with your child like a toddler bed and chair set.
  

8.     Stock up on essential items for day to day tasks

Stocking up house hold essential is also a very important thing to do during this time. Make sure you stock up everything like kitchen essentials, bathroom essential, food items like cereals, bread, milk, soft drinks and so on, before leaving for hospital for delivery. 

9.     Prepare list of items for essential days like labor

Prepare list of essential items which you can use later on and save your time. Like you can prepare list of items in hospital beg for labor, list of items for post-delivery care, list of items/things for house hold, list of things for baby care and so on and keep them ready in advance.

10.     Self pampering sessions like spa

Go for a self pampering session and book an appointment for spa or saloon. Give a treat to yourself in your busy schedule, go for a makeover, a haircut, pedicure or get your nails done and there are so many things to do on maternity leaves like these. It is important to take time for yourself also.

11.     Pregnancy photo shoot with partner

Time never comes back and there is no better time for a pre-delivery baby shoot with a big baby bump. You can create beautiful memories like this which will stays with you forever. You can hire a professional photographer to do this or can take help of friends. Flaunt your baby bump, save these days; feel this moment, because your baby is just on the way.

12.     Cook your favorite food or go out to eat your favorite food

Give yourself a treat and cook your favorite food. If you are not in a mood to cook, go out to eat at your favorite restaurant or café. Sometime being selfish is good and have some self love to feel confident and good.

13.     Research about local baby support groups in advance

Local support groups can be of a great help in your journey of motherhood. You can research about local support groups near to your area. To find local groups, check out local churches and community centers or search on internet.

14.     Talk to your insurance company in advance and check on finance

This is an essential thing to do on maternity leaves. You can speak to your insurance company to include your child in your policies on advance basis. These types of tasks include lots of paper work which you can keep ready on time.
You can have a look on your finance, income and expenses also. With the addition of a new member in your family, finances will undoubtedly take a dip. Now you have time to manage all these things with proper care and attention.

Things to do on maternity leaves after the baby arrive

Now is the time when your baby is with you and you just went through a long painful process of labor. Your routine is completely changed now and you have to everything according to your little one. There are so many things to manage all together now. Here is the list of things to do on maternity leaves post-delivery.

15.      Most important things is to take rest and be habitual on naps

The journey of nine month and then long hours of painful labor can be very tiring and stressed for your body. Make sure to take plenty of rest and try to take a nap when baby is sleeping. It will help you in fast post-partum recovery and you will be able to take care of your baby.

16.     Follow a healthy diet and maintain a routine

While it is very difficult to follow everything including a good diet, a good sleep and maintaining a routine with baby. But eating healthy and maintaining a routine will help to stay physically healthy and it will help you to prepare for your back to work life also.

Click here to know about 25 things you should not do with a newborn baby

17.     Check for child immunization

You need to check for your baby immunization and make sure he/she get vaccines on time to prevent any infection and disease. You can also read here about some tips to take care of baby post vaccination and recommended vaccination chart for child with age.

18.     Go for a post-partum massage

The period of post-partum can be very stressful for a mother. Some new moms experience postpartum “baby blues” also known as postpartum depression after childbirth, which can include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping.

Postpartum massage can help you to deal with your anxiety and depression and you will fell relax. In most Asian countries postpartum massage is done as a ritual till 40 days post delivery to help mother’s body to heal faster and for better sleep.

19.     Post-partum routine checkup with your doctor

Weather you delivered baby by c-section or normal, this is a must thing to do on maternity leaves. Go for a routine postpartum checkup and make sure everything is fine.

20.     Take your baby for walk and explore new calm places

Don’t think a lot about staying home all the time. Try to go out on walk with baby, explore some new calm places, take your baby to parks and enjoy bonding with your little one. The fresh air and change of environment will lighten up your mood when you struggling to manage yourself with new member and routine.

21.     Professional photo shoot of your little baby

Babies grow so fast and you might capture all the tiny moments. Arrange for a profession photo-shoot and capture theses little tiny hands and feet. They will grow up so fast that you won’t even realize. You can also decorate your wall with these little cute pictures and don’t forget to get a family photo also.

22.      Prepare a baby journal

Prepare a baby journal and record every milestone or your baby. This is the best memory that I created that time. As the time passes you keep forgetting things and every small details of each moment. Take lots of pictures and record everything you can and create a wonderful piece of memory for life time.

23.     Watch your favorite movies or TV show

You can binge watch your favorite movies or TV show. You can do this at home with your baby when he/she is breastfeeding or lying on your lap or while holding him. Have a Netflix and prime subscriptions and enjoy your free time which you will not get back once you start working again.

24.     Invite friends and family for baby meet and greet

As a new member adds in family, all relatives and friends are very excited to meet their new addition. You can have a get together with your friends and family member and have a baby meet and greet party. Like this everyone will get a chance to meet baby and your little one will get tons of blessings.

25.     Start any hobby which is pending since long

If you have a hobby which you unable to peruse because of busy work life and daily routine then this is the best time to start it. Take time for yourself and ask for help of your partner or family to take care of baby. Go out and make yourself happy.

26.     Go out with your girl friends or mommy friends

Your whole day must be going in baby chores like nappy changing, sleeping, breastfeeding, reading and so on. Take some time out and go out for a lunch or a coffee date with your friends or may be mommy friends where you can take your baby also with you. Doing theses normal activities will help you to stay calm and you will know that all mothers are in same boat.

27.     Read books or music to your little baby

Books and music is all time favorite for everyone. You can read stories and rhyme books to your baby. Babies enjoys listing to the voice of their mother, it’s very calming for them. You can listen some calming, relaxing and soft music with them or think about joining any music classes if you have interest in that area.

28.     Prepare for back to work life for smooth transition

Now may be you are at the end of your maternity leaves and now is a time to go back to work. You should start preparing for this in advance so that transition to work life will be easier and smoother. You should work on your child daily routine and start making arrangement to balance your work life and motherhood both together.

29.     Check a good day care

This is a must step before going back to work. You should check for a good day care where you can leave your baby when you are at work. You should start exploring your options as per your requirement and budget. This will help you to go back to work easily.

30.      Set up a backup plan for baby for any situation

You need to setup a backup place for any uncertainty. Think about any plan you can go with in any unpredictable situation like sometimes your baby can get sick, nanny is not available, or you are not able to manage the things on some days. I will recommend checking with your friends or relatives about their availability and letting them know they are on deck, what you are expecting and what they can do for you.

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