Share your maternity leave ideas/plans

I was thinking of how i will spend my maternity leave apart from cleaning cooking nappy changes feeding naps etc. One idea a friend told me was a cinema club that has a showing for new mums and babies once a week in Dundalk and Swords and gives you time out with baby and opportunity to meet new mums and see a movie. Love this idea and think i will do this. . Has anyone else heard of any groups or have any suggestions , as would love to get some ideas on how to have a social life , enjoy my maternity leave while friends and family are at work ?

Sounds lovely! Hopefully I will be spending mine studying, if I can get into Blackhall next September. It's not exactly matenity leave then, but until recently women only got 3 months so I reckon I will be ok with the 3 months until college starts. Just have to convince work now.

Fair play to you studying while on maternity leave. i thought another activity - to bring baby swimming. Any other suggestions out there??

Sleeping

Im going back to work next week and and I honestly have loved every second of the last 5 months. Me and DD had quite the hectic schedule - I really wanted to make the most of the time and not just let it pass without doing anything. DD is a fab baby and has been since day one so she made it very easy to make plans. First on the list was baby massage class, depending on what health insurance you have you can get some/all the money back. It was a 5 week class and we both loved it. DD loves getting a massage now and I love spending that time with her. Also from that class I met other mums and once the class ended we arranged to meet for coffees etc Cinema - I love going to the cinema but never find the time or someone to go with so when DD arrived, this was a major to do! Our local cinema has a baby club once a week on a Tuesday - it was so lovely, especially as the days got colder. waterbabies - check out your local class - its so much fun and you get to meet other mums DH works long hours so it was great to get out of the house - most things I did involved other new mums too and we all met up for lunch and coffee etc. If you can (if the baby is good and you have the energy) do try and do as much as you can, the time goes by so fast, I cant believe I'm going back already!

DD hated the cinema! Only went once wtih another wollie and she cried through most of it. She's always been a pretty intense baby, always wanting action. They said in the creche yesterday that she really never ever stays still!!! My biggest advice to any BF mum would be to go to your local support group. I went to the one the PHN runs and it changed everything for me. I met up with about ten other mum's and every Thursday we'd meet at group and then go for lunch. We'd literally sit there all day til 5am! Then we all bacame friends and four of us still meet up weekly even though they are back to work. Luckily work part time or shift work! We used to meet up a few times a week at each others houses. THe weather was amazing this summer so was so much fun going for picnics, walks, bowling, shopping etc. Also great to see the kids growing up and getting to know each other. Poor DD is obsessed with one of the boys and I think he hates her as I said she's veyr full on. He's happy to sit and play quietly while she's literally swinging out of him. He started crawling way before her so he thought it was great to get away, but now she's walking and he's not so he's driven demented!!!