My Maternity Leave Must-haves 

Oh, all the plans I had for my maternity leave….All the places I was going to visit. All the series I was going to watch while my Aidan napped peacefully in his cot and Alyssa played quietly… Yeah right!

With just a few weeks left of my maternity leave ( sob sob) I thought I would share some of the things which have made my time at home with the kids so much cosier and kept me sane!

1. Online shopping

I’m still not brave enough to face the shops alone with the kids. Why do I even need to when there’s online shopping? Groceries, clothing and nappies delivered to my doorstep – I’ve received super fast deliveries from Mr Price, Babygroup and takealot, to name but a few.

2. Dstv explora

Just before my maternity leave started, I invested in this baby. I can now catch up on the latest series and movies at my own pace at any time of the day. I can also record, pause, rewind and not miss out on any of my favorite shows. At the moment I’m enjoying the Wimbledon tournament. I never watched it for years but my interest has sparked after watching the Nadal and Brown match last week!

3. Breast pump

My breast pump is probably the 1 baby purchase I’ve gotten the most value out of. I’ve used my Medela mini electric since Alyssa was born. I expressed milk for her on a daily basis at work until she was about 11 months old and I’ve been using it now for Aidan as well. Expressing milk for baby is really a lifeline – it allows me to get out of the house for a few hours while someone else can bottle feed the expressed milk. ( Getting out of the house is really important – for the sake of your own wellbeing and that of your family)

4. Breastmilk storage bags

I’ve been lucky enough to try out some NUK products recently, one being their breastmilk storage bags. I’m using them to store my expressed breastmilk to build up a stock pile for when I’m back at work. You can store breastmilk in the freezer for up to 6 months and these bags have labels on them where you can note the amount, date and time of when the milk was expressed. There are 25 bags per pack and my goal is to fill all 25 of them before I’m back at the office.

5. Onesies

I have about 3 onesies which I’ve been living in lately. They are so warm and comfy and are perfect for breastfeeding – especially the night feeds. They are not very sexy I may add…. But hey, it’s flippin cold!!!

I really can’t believe how quickly the time is flying by. I’ll be back in office in just 6 weeks ….  Bitter sweet really. Although it’s been challenging at times, it’s really great to spend time with the kids and for them to have my full attention. I really do miss the mental stimulation of my job however.

What are or were your maternity leave must-haves?

3 Comments

  1. Jonelle July 6, 2015

    Ohhh I love the idea of onesies. I’ve never owned one but I’m terrified of night feeds and the cold so definitely going to get some of those before my baby arrives.

    Reply
  2. Jozi Wahm July 6, 2015

    I also blogged today about freezing while breastfeeding. Considered the onesies, but isn’t it a pain when you go to the bathroom?

    Reply
    • hayleysjoys July 8, 2015

      It depends on the onesie… I find the ones with zips are easier. If it has buttons – then yes it’s a pain 🙁

      Reply

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