Fighting Boredom Expectantly
Hobbies would have come in handy for Joanne. Mums and mums-to-be can borrow a few leaves from Joanne’s solutions:
1. Knitting: An art that is easy to learn and keeps one occupied. Also, one can follow through quite easily. You just need to know how to knit and purl: after you get knitting needles, of course. Besides, you can always take it up after birth and make creative gifts for family and friends! Most mums-to-be make bootees and pullovers for the new-born babies and needless to say, treasure them so.
2. Sleeping: Rest and relaxation is strongly encouraged, particularly at the time when mummy can barely move and must not strain. She needs her beauty and healthy sleep and nothing should bother her. Comfort is key. So her bedroom should be friendly, warm and relaxed to create a safe atmosphere and inspire peaceful rest. Those around mummy must crack jokes that will make mummy laugh and spin yarns that will amuse her. No annoying mummy and little baby(s).
3. Baking: Though mummy should watch her diet, mummy can bake for her family once in a while. Baking requires very little work. Once you make the batter, greasing the trays, warming the oven and popping the cake in the oven is simple. Mummy can set an alarm and pick the nicely browned-cake to surprise everyone when they get home.
But mummy should not eat too much cake too often—not good for baby(s).
5. Shopping list: An interesting one is a mother who found herself writing list after list of the things she needed to buy, get or do before the baby(s) arrived. Think layette and think names. This is a good sport as it helps kill two birds with one stone: You get to do what you must (prepare) while skipping what you do not want—boredom.
4. Reading: Joanne read a lot when she was expectant. She read pregnancy, baby-related and parenting magazines and literature. She found them educative and so interesting that time would just fly! Mums-to-be should be encouraged to read funny, positive and educative literature. It is important to avoid literature that upsets or excites mummy too much.
So do not forget to get your copy of Pregnant.
6. Naming: I bet this can be so much fun. Remember a certain game that involved listing, in alphabetical order, names of cars, foods, girls, boys…Well, this is similar, only that you have all the time to search, recite and decide what name(s) to give your baby(s). Joanne says that she had never thought of getting a name for her baby until she was asked by the nurses: ‘It’s a baby boy, what shall we call him?’ And all she could remember was a certain handsome man’s name. Never mind that he was a chauffeur in a certain Mexican soap opera.
END: PG24/25