If you are feeling bored with your pregnancy, do not feel bad; you are not the only one who has felt this way. Yes, sure, pregnancy is a miracle, but the novelty can wear off a few months in when you get tired of all of the things you can’t eat, can’t do, and can’t get away from. Feeling this way is completely normal, especially in your third trimester, and doesn’t mean anything bad.

Although postpartum depression is the most commonly talked-about depression when it comes to discussions of pregnancy and childbirth, there does exist a form of pregnancy depression as well. So if you have baby blues before birth, consider speaking to a therapist. It can all be tedious and downright frustrating, so here are a few ways to get through it.

Change the Conversation

One thing that can be annoying is that everyone seems to only talk to you about pregnancy once you’re pregnant. When you have the same conversation for 9 months straight, that can drive you nuts. So if you’re bored with the conversation, then change it. Ask close friends and family to talk to you about other things, and as for mere casual work colleagues, change the conversation yourself, even if it’s just to talking about the weather.

You can also vent out your frustration with other moms-to-be, or even over a blog like I do. Starting one is easy enough – especially when you go with a pre-designed template on a website builder, since using this requires no design knowledge. The whole process can be very therapeutic, as it will allow you to talk about things that are on your mind, as well as get everything off your chest without blowing up on people.

Make the Most of Your Time

Once the baby is here, your every waking moment will be accounted for. Take the opportunity during your last weeks and months of pregnancy to really enjoy your time. Set aside breaks with friends and family, since making lunch dates after the birth will be difficult for a while. It’s not impossible to have a social life after having a baby, but it is more difficult and your social life changes from what it was before you had kids. So enjoy your time with friends while you can still spontaneously meet up and not have to pencil them in.

Also, dedicate some special time to your partner. It can be easy for that vital relationship to be less prioritized once the baby is there, since a newborn requires so much attention. So really use this time for you and your partner to focus on each other and really enjoy the moments between just the two of you. Plan date nights throughout the whole pregnancy, stick to them, and look forward to them.

Learn Something New

Try learning something new that is just for you; this could be anything from learning a new language to learning a new craft of some kind, or educating yourself on a subject that you were always interested in, but never really went further with. This can not only keep you busy and therefore help you not be bored, but it is also something that you are still doing just for yourself and not for your baby. It can really help you maintain your sanity and sense of self; this is vital during pregnancy, but just as vital afterward as well so that you don’t lose yourself in motherhood. You have always been an incredible and vibrant woman with interests, aspirations, and many talents; don’t lose that under the mom umbrella – prioritize time to focus on you.