Charters Anonymous Graduates – No more temping!

[GetDownYouWillFall]

Hello ladies ? bit nerve wracking moving over to ante natal but thought I?d be brave! Here?s to a trouble free 8 or so months for us all! And hoping lots more of us move over very soon.

Step away from your thermometers ladies. That way madness lies.

Sits back. Feels a bit lonely. Waits for others.

Pmsl at spilt wanting to unzip her skin.... Sounds like a plan :)

Hello ladies. Just checking in to check you are all ok?

Well my nausea bands have arrived and I've just put them on so let's see how I get on. I can just imagine though that they will work then I'll panic because I dint have the sickness symptom. Can't win lol.
Have been a fat pig today and eaten all sorts. Ate hash browns at work not long after my breakfast.

Hello all!

As some of you know I got my BFP yesterday so I thought I'd venture onto this thread.

I was so sure that I wasn't pg this month, particularly because of the big temp drop I had on 13dpo, that I didn't even test until 15dpo which means that AF was 2 days late.

I had an early MC last August and this is DC1 for us so at the moment I am struggling to believe that this might be it! Hopefully you ladies can help me to think positively.

WHOOOP WHOOP MRS P.... HEEELLLooooooooooooo and welcome Hooooge congrats my darlink, so pliz to see you over here

Woohoo MrsP. Welcome. How are you feeling? Xx

Well the bands have done sod all up to now. Still rather sicky. And I know tmi but DP wants to dtd and I just can't face it because of the sickness .

Congratulations getdown what a huge happy relief, hope you sleep well tonight with a big grin on your face

lady it was hotter than I expected 25degrees plus humidity but I mostly stayed in the shade, swam lots, drank gallons of water, and had a rest during the hottest part of the day. The flight was long but worth it (had the sexy DVT socks, drank over 2 litres of water and walked around every few hours).

MrsP welcome and huge contratulations on your BFP!

Welcome MrsP - lots of us have had a mc so know what the fear is like! Can definitely recommend an early scan to reassure you.

But great you are here!

Sounds like you had fun, Newyears. I can't wait but aaages away still. Oh well, off to Centre Parcs in two weeks in any case.

Maybe the bands take a while to work, Iwish?

Yey for MrsP - welcome and congrats!

Thanks ladyg I'm going to give them another try today while I'm at work and hopefully they will kick in and I'll feel all lovely when I go out for tea tonight

Hope you had a lovely time newyears

Urgh off to work in 15 mins, so can't be bothered!

Iwish, try putting the bands on now rather than when you get to work - I always put them on before I get on a plane/boat etc and they seem to help more that way. Maybe same applies and you have to put them on before you start to feel MS?

Hey pippa. I put them on just a few mins after I wrote that and got to work at 9:30. I pretty much feel sick as soon as I wake up until I am asleep again at night so would have sleep in them lol.
How are you today?

Hm, hope they kick in for you! I'm ok today, am existing on ice lollies at the mo which is helping the nausea but not my waist line! Am driving DH crazy with my pickiness about food. Find that if I don't desperately want something then it makes me feel sick. But what o desperately want changes every hour! Bah.

Haha the joys eh! I find that there's nothing I fancy so am just forcing myself to eat whatever is in the house or biscuits to help nausea. I may have to try lollies tho - sounds good...
Our poor DH/DPs lol. Hormones and pickiness and puckeyness!

I think these bands are taking the edge off the sickness, still feel it but not as bad.

Thanks newyears yes it was a great relief, hope you had a fantastic holiday - sounds great. I'd love to have some sunshine, so sick of winter now.

Welcome to MrsP - yay! So pleased for you! It's a nerve wracking time, esp when you can't really say anything to anyone in RL, so feel free to post here all your worries / joys / trials and tribulations!!

Iwish hope your sickness eases soon, blimey I wonder if it's twins

Ok, how RUBBISH are my local maternity services. I am now nearly 10 weeks pregnant and still have not heard ANYTHING. Phoned my GP yesterday who gave me the number of the hospital. They couldn't connect me, so gave me the direct number of the antenatal clinic. Phoned them, the phone rang and rang and rang. No one answered.

So I tried again today, again no one answered. Have just now finally got through.

Round here there is a local hospital which does scans blood tests etc, but they don't have a maternity unit so I'd have to actually deliver at one of the bigger hospitals (half an hour drive).

She said she could do me an appointment at the big hospital for a scan, but not at my local one, as she "didn't know how they did things there".... WHAT??!! She "didn't have access to their systems". She left me with "well I suppose I could phone Alison, she might know what to do".

GRRRRRR. I can't be the ONLY woman in the world who wants to deliver at one hospital but have my blood tests and scan at the local one which is 15 mins walk away. Can I?

Oh and I asked her when do I get my booking in appointment? She said "I don't know, I don't know how they do things over there"

getdown they do sound shocking!! Seriously you would think you are the only one in your area to have ever been pg! I reckon we could run the appointments better ourselves. Are they going to call you back? My local hospitals mat ward is shutting in April!
I had a dream a week ago that I was pg with twins, woke up a little bit scared lol! And my friend said she hopes I have twins!
Sickness has eased a bit but still there a little. Can't ask for much more lol x

Hi everyone, I've been reading about maternity leave/pay and have come across a plan to extend paid maternity leave to 52 weeks, which apparently was supposed to come into force in April 2010 but got shelved. Does anyone know why or whether it's still being considered?

Also, because I'm thick when it comes to this kind of thing, if I tell my employer I'm going to take 52 weeks, with all the variations in pay there are throughout that time, but then I decide I don't want to to back to work, do I have to pay back the Additional Maternity Pay? (ie the last 13 weeks of £125ish?) or does that only apply in private companies that offer more than the statutory requirements? My school is private but small and poor and I'm pretty sure they'll only offer the basics.

Thank you to anyone more clued up than me and able to answer!

Thanks for your welcomes ladies, it?s so lovely to be here. The test I did the other day was an internet cheapie so I thought I?d crack open the first response I?ve had in the drawer for ages ? the line is very dark and came up instantly so I feel nice and reassured!

Thanks for tip about early scan LadyG, it?s something I?ve been considering. The thing is that we?re off on holiday when I?ll be 9 weeks and come back at 11 weeks. So assuming I make it that far I?m not sure whether to have an early scan before we go or just wait for the 12 week one when we get back. Decisions, decisions!

That?s rubbish about your maternity services getdown, most frustrating.

Iwish, I hope your bands are helping.

Pippa, I?m afraid I don?t know much about maternity leave, sorry. Hopefully someone else will be a bit more clued up than me!

Have lovely weekends all, we?re off house hunting today.

I had one at 8 weeks, MrsP. You will find 12 weeks is a loooong time to wait without one.

Where are Spilt and Nickster? Been very quiet lately. Hope you ladies are both ok and bumps are good too?

I've been feeling bit rubbish last couple of days so been at home. Nothing specific just tired and needing rest. Hopefully will get livelier soon.

Have great weekends everyone! MiniG at his Dad's so going to try and get some jobs done.

Hello ladies, I never knew this was here!

Got my BFP about 10 days ago now, am 5+1. Have taken my temp twice since BFP but strangely have found it really easy not to - I thought I would have to fight the urge every morning!

Saw doctor on Monday and have already got my first midwife appointment through from the hospital (at 8 weeks - 15/03) so am very for those of you who haven't heard anything yet.

Have no real symptoms yet other than raging hunger for takeaways....but not sure if I am just using being pg as an excuse....being a bit tired and having the occasional wave of nausea.

xxxx

Hi Tory - Congrats on your BFP. Nausea hit me after 6 weeks so enjoy feeling ok while it lasts - or you might be a lucky one!

Hello ello, welcome to MrsP and tory our newest recruits

Sorry you're feeling crappy Lady. I am also feeling less than brilliant - DH got a nasty cold and guess what, I have picked it up. So have sore throat, headache and snotty nose which is delightful. I'm trying to take it easy to recover and am sleeping like anything!

pippa as far as I know statutory maternity pay is still only 39 weeks, last 13 unpaid. Of course if you have an insanely generous employer you may get some cash in the last few weeks, but that would be very rare.

If you only receive SMP (which is 90% of your earnings for 6 weeks, followed by the £125 ish per week for the next 33 weeks) then you cannot be made to repay anything if you decide to resign. The only money you could ever be made to repay would be any enhanced pay over and above that given by your employer - and they can only make you repay it if they agree it in writing with you at the beginning of your maternity leave. Hope that's what you wanted to hear!

My bastard employers are definitely not giving me redundancy which I have been rather pigged about. However, I've been getting my head round it all and am still on a countdown to finishing in June and am quite happy to resign afterwards! They can't complain about it as I have asked to be let go and they said no.

I am getting a bump! (very excited by this!)

(pippa when I said statutory mat pay is 39 weeks, last 13 unpaid, I meant of the 52 weeks 39 are paid and then 13 are then unpaid, just realised my post was a bit ambiguous!)

Morning ladies. Did a really long catch up year and laptop ate it! All fine and dandy here, catch up later xxx

Thanks Spilt-have been getting confused between SMP and AMP, both of which seem to fall under SML! (?!) Thanks for clarifying it for me :) I'm planning to resign but not planning to tell them yet. Is that v immoral? Want to keep my options open... Bet you're looking forward to June! When's your due date?

Waves to Tory-welcome!

Hi everyone else :)