I am 38 weeks and feel there is no end in sight. I feel very discouraged with the possibility that this may last over two more weeks. I am so grateful and excited to meet baby and it could be anxiety amping all of this up. I am so stir crazy. My husband doesn’t understand. Does anyone have actual fun hobbies to recommend?

I’m not talking about the generic journaling or prenatal yoga either. I used to be very active before this but can only walk so many times. Any unique recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

  • Cooking and baking, especially freezer friendly recipes. Chili, lasagna, enchiladas, cookies, muffins, scones, you name it.

    parent

    Thata a grear idea! Especially if you want to batch cook/bake things that can be frozen for in a couple of weeks time when you're not feeling like doing much 😊

    parent root

  • Knitting and sewing! Granted I was into both of these before but I always avoided making kids stuff as I thought they'd be too small and fiddly. I am finding the opposite actually. They're so small they finish quickly and are very satisfying. Helps me feel like I'm doing something useful too rather than just sitting around. Hoping I'll still be able to sneak in some knitting during contact naps in the future.

    parent

    Yeah I always knit like a maniac in the winter but now it's been a great way to help feel less antsy about when baby might come, and as a bonus I'm using up all my little yarn scraps making things that baby can use!

    parent root

    I knitted like crazy third trimester, I didn't nest very much so I think my nesting energy was out into knitting. Made soooo many baby sweaters and even finished a fiddly cardigan I started for myself before I got pregnant. My baby is 4 months old (I just never left this sub lol) and I still knit like a maniac! During contact naps during the first few weeks, when grandparents were visiting and they wanted to look after baby, then once he learned how to play independently during little play pockets during the day.

    One thing I did that I would recommend to any other knitter or crocheter who is in third trimester is starting something special that you will finish after baby arrives. I started the Pressed Flowers kerchief when I was 37.5 weeks and just finished it this week. I accidentally made a little mistake in the colourwork the week my baby was born and I just love that I can rub that little spot and have such a tactile memory. Plus all the nice memories of knitting during his first four months.

    parent root

  • I was obsessed with reading historical romance novels with a pregnancy plot line 🙈 I'd go on r/HistoricalRomance to find books and then borrow them from libby so I could read them on my phone while rotting on the couch or my exercise ball.

    parent

    Love this. Any particular favs/ones to avoid in your opinion? 🥰

    parent root

    In no particular order

    Books I enjoyed: - {To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt} - {A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant} - {Simply Love by Mary Balogh} - {The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare} - {Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh}

    Books I didnt enjoy: - {Lily by Patricia Gaffney} - {Mad About the Duke by Elizabeth Boyle} - {Prisoner of my Desire by Johanna Lindsey}

    Edit: ignore the brackets. Im used to using them in the historical romance sub to make the romance bot show up lol

    parent root

  • I did diamond painting! Really takes your mind off of things. I also spend a lot of time searching for journal supplies (and buying them 🫣)

    parent

  • I second swimming! I’ve swum several times a week in the third trimester and feeling weightless is amazing. I’ve also enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles while listening to a podcast, baking cookies to gift to friends, making ornaments for our christmas tree out of salt dough and creating photo collages of past holidays for our photo wall.

    parent

  • I made some felted animals on embroidery hoops for my nursery. They were so easy to do and didn’t take a ton of time! Got all the supplies on Amazon and hobby lobby. You will need the felting kit, an embroidery hoop and some pretty fabric to match your nursery. I would search on Etsy “hand felted embroidery nursery” to get inspo pics then copy those designs. I have two that I made hanging in my nursery, and I even made some for friends too :)

    parent
    parent root

    These are SO cute! I want to do this but was worried it would be too difficult - you’ve given me the confidence to try

    parent root

    I saw a tutorial on tik tok but there’s probs some on YouTube too! Have fun ☺️

    parent root

  • swimming feels really good if you have access to an indoor pool and I also started a needle point/embroidery project - someone who is 40 weeks + 3 days and lives in a cold climate

    parent

  • At that point last time I was playing the banjo, it fit over my big belly easier than the guitar. And also writing a lot of fanfiction. I researched all of LOST. And did a lot of swimming in lakes as it was summer... I appreciate these hobbies are kinda niche and not for everyone 🤣 but it never hurts to think outside the box.

    parent

    i binged LOST too :)

    parent root

  • When I was pregnant with my first I knitted a baby blanket like crazy even until I went into labour just to get it done before I went to the hospital.

    parent

  • kinda generic but i did a lot of scrapbooking. its always been a hobby of mine and it was helpful to start a lot of a baby book because once baby came all i had to do was add pictures. i know its not unique but it was therapeutic for me

    parent

  • I’ve been playing bingo at my local rec hall. It’s really competitive and easy. It makes me happy how much I love it.

    parent

  • Video games if you don't feel up to physical activity, long walks with audiobooks or podcasts (may I recommend Normal Gossip. Great show.), Hang out at a coffee shop with a good book, buy a paint by numbers kit Michaels has some good easy ones, if you do go to Michael's then embroidery is fun as well as knitting or crocheting or some of those kits where you put a mini display together like a diorama, if you're into board games but it's just you and your husband then Settlers of Catan can be played on an ipad or any gaming system with just the two of you and a computer player - lots of board games that requires three or more are available this way

    parent

  • Everything just feels so exhausting right? 

    I am also thinking of hobbies to keep me busy and to have other thoughts than labor/baby. 

    Things I like to do: - water coloring  (I got this book once and it is easy and fun: Learn to Watercolor: 20 Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Lessons on Watercolor Paper (Watercolor This Book): 20 Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Lessons ... Pad with Sketches – No Drawing Required!

    Or there is this YouTube Lady with easy quick projects: Andrea Nelson Art) 

    • home farming  (I got another book about it to read and maybe will start the one or other thing at home) 

    • diy mobiles for baby 

    • reading the bible

    Well I thought I would come up with more, but pregnancy brain 

    parent

  • I started coloring in my 3rd trimester. Im typically someone who loves to paint it was just too much at that time to drag everything out. I would sit on my exercise ball, color and listen to a podcast.

    parent

  • First pregnancy I did jigsaw puzzles, read, crosswords, nested a ton and decluttered like my life depended on it. May want to start a show you haven’t seen before, I ended up watching a lot of Netflix in the middle of the night breastfeeding after baby came.

    I have houseplants so I did alllll my repotting, fertilizing, soil amendments etc. because I knew I wouldn’t have time later. Cooked a few freezer meals.

    parent

  • I’m 36 weeks and crocheting a small stroller/car blanket. Do I need a small blanket? No. Do I need a hobby to not just waste my life in my phone? Yes!

    parent

  • I picked up embroidery kits again, but honestly this last week I got into playing Stardew valley. I don’t normally play video games/phone games but this has been really fun while I’ve been more tired and less mobile.

    parent

  • Cross stitch! I got into it earlier in pregnancy. It doesn't require a lot to get started - in terms of equipment or skills! I made some really adorable pieces of dinosaurs in space for my son's nursery, and a big national park picture.

    parent

  • Crafts! Someone already suggested watercolor, which I second. Also: beading is SO fun and relaxing. 

    parent

    I definitely misread this as "beheading is SO fun and relaxing."

    And I mean maybe, but...

    parent root

  • I baked cookies every day till I went into labor

    parent

  • Learn how to embroider. It’s veeeery relaxing and easy on the body.

    parent