Due May 2011?

[Purplebuns]

Just got back from the docs, however we have known a few days.. Anyone else around? :)

firstpregnancy and anyone else that wants to know about SMP Check your contract with your employer (you should have a copy) because it may include additional benefits and money payable to you during maternity leave over and above statutory maternity pay (SMP). If your contract does not include any extra benefits then you will probably be eligible for SMP only.

You must have been employed by your current employer for a minimum of 26 weeks continuously by the time you are in your 15th week of pregnancy to qualify. During that week you must also earn a minimum of the amount equal to the lower earnings limit - in other words £97 per week for this current tax year. You may also be able to claim from more than one employer if you have several jobs.

Interestingly, your employer must pay you SMP if you satisfy the continuous earnings rule even if your contract is due to end anytime after the start of your 15th week of pregnancy.

If anyone has any questions about SMP please ask; before DD I did payroll for many years!!

Re the tiredness and taking on too much - rest as much as you possibly can inbetween jobs and your courses. If you can make it through to the end of 12 weeks doing this you should start to feel less tired and more able to cope!

SMP forgot to add the most important bit (pregnancy brain). SMP pays you 90% of your average weekly earnings for 6 weeks and then for the remaining 33 weeks you will be paid the standard amount of £124.88 (less tax unfortunately) or 90% of your average weekly earnings depending on which is lower.

Your average weekly earnings are calculated over an 8 week period up to and including the last payday before your qualifying week. Your qualifying week is 15 weeks before the week in which your baby is due.

Of course, the most profitable thing to do whilst you're pregnant is work loads and do lots of overtime so that your average is bigger than usual but let's face it, none of us have the energy!!!

Hi, Sorry this might be a bit of an essay.
Just got back from my 9am appointment.
Saw my GP first who didn't seem too concerned until she took my blood pressure and I told her I had been having pain in my shoulder and arm. She then rang the early pregnancy unit and booked me in for an emergency scan. Had to rush to the hospital, whilst drinking as much water as possible to fill my bladder for the scan.
When I got to the hospital the doctor took bloods and basically told me they were very concerned because all my symptoms led them to think it was an ectopic pregnancy. She said if it was ectopic I would most likely have to stay in and have immediate treatment

I was eventually scanned and she could see an empty sac which she said was good because it ruled out the ectopic, she then scanned my ovaries and found a cyst which she said they will have to keep an eye on but it shouldn't cause any other problems although it might be causing the pain and bleeding. She then looked in my uterus again and saw the sac, this time she was able to see the yolk sac inside. she has said that I am probably 5 weeks instead of 6+2 as I thought and everything looks fine. I have to go back in 10 days for another scan where she said we should be able to see the heartbeat .

So a very stressful morning but all looks well.

Thanks loopymumsy and southpacificfish. I hadn't realised that extra hours that I do could count towards my maternity pay. I just assumed that it would only count on my fixed hours, and that it wouldn't make any difference if I dropped some of the relief ones. Will definitely have more of a think about this and hope that I can manage to juggle. If push comes to shove I can always give up my evening classes but hopefully it won't come to that. I suppose the time may go quicker until I get to 12 weeks if I am busy!

Sounds like you've had a stressful day Icanonlytry but sounds like all is well thankfully.

Hi, I am still here and all seems ok with pg. Prob less than I expected - see earlier note about sperm and ovum long engagement - as sickness threatened but not yet started which is not normal for me.

BUT, will be off line as DD has been admitted to hospital as an emergency. We won't be back until CT scans, biopsys etc and treatment plan done. Woul be nice to have kept pg quiet but have had to say due to not being able to be with her for xrays.

keeping my hopes up.

Stripeybumpsmum your poor DD!! And you :(

Fantastic news Icanonly!

I am feeling slightly at people seeing their wee beans, I won't accept that I am pregnant until I have seen mine and I am glad I haven't had any problems so far (that I know of) though :)

Good Morning Ladies!

ITry Thank goodness they rushed you off for immediate scan.

Cazzr Don't fret too much over weight gain, just think now about what passes your lips instead. Its all about the fuel you put in now. For my last pregnancy, I walked an hour everyday and that seemed to keep the weight gain minimal, and besides, you lost 3 stone just now, so that is amazing. You will be fine.

Stripey Is that you? From Jan 2009 thread?

Off to the dentist today. Yeah... the only place in the world where you get pay an exorbitant amount of money to be repeatedly lectured on how to brush your teeth.

Icanonly phew! What a day but fantastic that you are not ectopic and all seems fine. Hope cyst doesn't cause you probs.

Stripey Hope DD is ok soon, must be extra horrid for you being worried about pg and DD!

Loopy Your 8 weeks that they take for average pay is calculated from any of the 8 weeks running together up to your 25th week (15 weeks back from your due date). Often, HR depts are nice and will calculate using your best paid period of 8 weeks but you never know what mood they will be in! You may end up being eligible for SMP instead of MA if you up your hours that much over the christmas period! In your case it's not particularly straightforward, I'll have to think about it and read up on MA - which I should do anyway as I only earn about £35 a week now too. Will get back to you...

Icanonly it sounds like you've had a flipping eventful morning! So happy that all sounds as though it's fine, you must be relieved!

I've just got back from my booking in appt. Bit boring TBH. Doesn't help that I had to drive 2.5 hours to get there (work stuff) so was struggling to keep my eyes open!

Don't feel any more pg or relaxed. Didn't meniton anything about my early scan or plans for Sat's scan. Feeling slightly psychotic about going for another scan. My guilty side tells me that I should pay again if I want another one to save the space for someone else. Can afford, but can't really. Plus DH will tell me to stop being a nob.

What do you think?

As a reminder, I am going to America on a five day work trip. And am scared stiff of MMC and bleeding whilst there. Already seen HB at a 6 week scan and told that sac etc looks good.

Well, I had my scan today, I was really nervy. She did my scan, and although she complimented my on my full bladder, the position of my bladder / womb wasn't right and she was not going to be able to see anything properly on the normal scan. So, off I went to the loo, and then back in for an internal scan (joy).
She did the internal scan, and saw the sac and the baby, and... the heartbeat :)
She couldn't see any reason for the bleeding, kept saying reassuring things and showing us the heartbeat again. Baby is teeny, she measured me at 6 plus 2 which is what I thought I was based on LMP and my cycle length. She scanned my tubes and both ovaries, and said that they looked healthy and fine (and, also said that my right ovary should get all the kudos for this pregnancy, how the hell does she know?!).
So, now waiting for my booking in appointment with the midwife, and hoping that it doesn't take too long to get the nhs scan, the midwife appointment will be when I'm over 10 weeks, hoping it will be less than two weeks for them to arrange my scan.
Feeling very relieved, though I dont think I'll be entirely satisfied until I'm holding a pink, "cooked", screaming, looking fairly disgruntled baby in my arms!
Those of you with older children, when are you planning on telling them?

LittleMilla You will be fine. I think sometimes you have to deal with people in the medical industry that are disheartened and hence become not so helpful with new mother's... Actually, I can't recall if you have other DC... so many on this thread... but anyhow, just grin and try not to let it get you down. Thought's become things, choose the good ones. If you have medical insurance, you will be fine as well if you need to go to the hospital in The States. And because you come from England, with a medical system in place, you shouldn't have to deal with any billing or paying or anything. Or so I've been told. I don't know exactly, but I reckon you will be in a large city so you will be fine.

I'm in BC, Canada and we don't get first scan till 22 weeks if there is no problem and only one if nothing was abnormal. Plus, now, if you want to know the sex, you have to request it, pay $50 and make an appt. to see you doctor, not even your midwife, for that information. We are actually told now not to even speak to the sonographer... how F*&^%$#King absurd, not to talk to someone who is the only other person in the room with you and rubbing your belly with goop and electronics. I'm am just grateful that my midwife from my first baby was available so I could have another home birth.

Any other home birther's out there.

I would like an early scan as its not really settling in much yet but when I looked I couldnt book one in my area until 3 weeks before my 12 week is due so I think im just going to wait!

Its so hard trying to keep track of everyone as so busy on here.

I know its early days but on the maternity leave discusion has anyone thought yet about how long they are going to have off work? I told me boss last week and he asked for me to let him know a guideline time as soon as I can.

IHeart I don't know... I don't know as though DD, who will be 2 1/2 when baby comes, will truly understand till he comes. Someone, (sorry... just trying to get use to a whole new set of names) mentioned being sure everything is in place a couple of months beforehand to ensure that the new arrival doesn't mean too much change all at once and I'm going with that bit of advice. We are even looking now for a proper twin bed instead of the crib, which turns into a big kid bed but I'd rather not need to buy another bloody crib.

CowboyLover I work from home luckily so never had to deal with this but all my mummy friends in town worked up till the end nearly to maximize the leave afterwards.

chefswife thanks so much for the kind words. It's my first, which probably explains my worry. The funny thing is, although I usually do my own head in with my worrying thoughts, I generally keep it in check. I'm a control freak, really. So all of this - everything out of my control - is tough. Hopefully I'll be waaaaaaay cooler next time round!

cowboylover my boss has said that he'll assume i'm taking a year unless I decide otherwise. Before I got up-the-duff I'd be going for a new (as in doesn't already exist) role in the company. Irritatingly it hasn't yet be signed off, but because it's a role that the company needs and I had been told I'd be doing it, I don't think they can take it away from me. BUT, I also think it might mean I take less than a year, as it's something that will really keep my career going in the right direction.

Do what feels right for you though.

x

Commented on the wrong one sorry, I didnt mean to break the chat rule already!

Good idea, Cheers!

Thanks Loopy

Stripey I really hope your dd is OK, this must be a hell of a time for you.

Icanonlytry delighted that all looking OK in the end, such a relief though you clearly went through the mill to get there.

Iheart really pleased for you too, great news! My dd will be about 2.9 when no. 2 arrives (all things being equal) - am planning to tell her after 12 week scan (4 weeks today! yay!) if all OK. Think I'll go for the usual "there's a baby growing in mummy's tummy" line, potentially will be helped by fact that her bf's mum is also pg and about 7 weeks ahead of me. Am also planning to buy this lovely book, she's big into her books is dd.

Already feeling horribly guilty about Ruining Her Life, of course. Have plenty of friends who've been given cold shoulder for months by PFBs after arrival of no. 2, so steeling myself for the worst. Currently she starts weeping and clinging to me if I so much as pick up someone else's baby...

As for working: last time went up to week 38 so if all OK will prob do the same. Took 7 mths with dd for financial reasons but hoping for longer this time - approx 10 mths I think, working around nursery availability.