November 2011. Bumps, kicks and less feeling sick.

[Missyraines]

Thought I'd take the plunge and go for it.

I think it depends on the employer rather than law re: annual leave and carryoing it over...my employer has technically just changed (from pct to healthcare trust due to the gov scrapping pct's, though still doing same job). Before I would've been allowed to carry over what I liked if on mat leave (& 5 days if I just wanted didn't use it all!!). But now I can't carry any over (so it a case of use it or loose it) unless exceptional circumstances e.g. Mat leave where I can carry over a max of 5 days!!!

It is law though that you still accrue your annual leave whilst employed on mat leave... So I have a total of 7weeks to use for this year, 6 I need to use before mat leave (summer hols & before mat)!!
I've worked out between april & september (start of new leave entitlement & when I plan on returning to work) I will have already accrued 3weeks so will tack that onto the end of my leave!!!

Overall I think mat leave & annual leave are logisitical nightmares esp when companies all differ & you have to plan so far in advance!!

MrsArchie I'm quite happy with the situation to be honest I commute around 5 hours a day to and from work and don't fancy doing that with the 3rd trimester aches and pains, plus I don't really see the point in teaching the students for a week or so and then leaving it's not fair on them, plus it would help my colleagues out too in organising timetables etc and on top of that fx I'll be moving house so would be nice having time to sort that out! I think I'm very lucky that I'll get a year off with bean but only actually take 9months on maternity :)

God this mat leave thing is really quite complicated!! If OH has a job by then (PLEASE GOD!) then I may be tempted to take longer. However still waiting to hear if have an interview for this MA. Had a day of drama when I rang the Uni only to be asked 'well why are u expecting an interview when u have withdrawn!' Panic stations. Fortunately I think my resounding cry of NOOOOOO might have alerted the admissions guy that this was actually not the case! So now I am having to wait til Monday after application has been sent to the Course Leader to make a decision as to whether to invite me to interviews which appear to be next week. Crap. Also it appears that the interview day is also the day am due my 16w appointment with the mw. Stress levels somewhat raised! It isnt ideal but the course (ft) starts the end of Jan. I would prefer to start then if I am even lucky enough to get an interview/offered a place but my mother decided last night to throw a little dampner on that by pointing out that I couldnt possibly start with a little baby. I reminded her that actually by that point I would be having to go back to work due to rubbishy mat leave. Ho hum.

voodoo good luck, I hope you get an interview!! If you do get accepted then they may allow you to defer for a year to start the following year if you don't feel up to studying with a tiny baby... I was due to start a course in sept band due to tyhe way it is funded didn't think it was possible to delay start but spoke to course leader after being offered the place & it was her suggestion (which I took up straight away as more time off with baby!!)

It is possible to study with a tiny baby, I know it's not quite the same but I managed to complete 3 a-levels & an AS whilst pg and with tiny baby- 3week ol ds when I sat all my exams!! I then completed my 4th A-level with ds in his 1st 6months (had done exams for it but needed to do coursework!!)

Thanks for all your supportive comments - had a much better day yesterday and pretty sure I felt some movements which really cheered
me up :) 15+5 so roughly the same as DS - think earlier flutterings were wishful thinking.

I am finishing at end of Aug then taking 3 weeks hol - will be about 30 weeks so really early but will allow me to focus on settling DS into school and having some special time just me and him when he's on half days. Finished at 34 weeks last time and enjoyed the me time and sorting time but lucky enough to be able to afford a full year after as well. Not sure how far money will go this time so length of leave post baby will depend on whether DH gets a bonus in March.

Voodoo fingers crossed for you - maybe you can reschedule 16 week appt, I'm sure MW will understand

Caz really hope your PG settles down and is really uneventful for next few months - not car behind you with 8 scans minimum on the cards

Re mat leave - I was told I could be paid in lieu of holiday (seeing as birth triggers mat leave, if you're early and don't manage to take your holiday, they have to pay you for it instead). I think it's discretionary whether to let you carry it over.

Seeing as I can only afford to take six months off at most, I want as much of it with the baby as possible. But my dept head had a scare a while ago when a colleague went into labour before she was due to leave work - she'd planned on two weeks before her EDD. I don't see how you can plan for that though! I think he'd have me leave now if he could, while one of the partners doesn't want me to leave until somebody else is back off mat leave (some time in Nov). I figure on just waiting and seeing as best I can, I have no idea how I'm going to feel closer to the time.

Caz and others I echo alicat - hope things settle down and the next 5/6 months are uneventful.

I need to go clothes shopping as my jeans are getting really uncomfortable!

Ah thanks bump and well done on managing all that! I was pg with dd when I did my HEFC's and sat the exams (as well as having ds) then eventually went on to uni, worked and had the kids and managed to graduate with a 1st so am feeling confident (ish) about managing, it is just the stress of the interview, their mistakes and all the other stuff with work that is getting to me I reckon! Ali also thanks, wasnt sure how mw would take it if I did have to reschedule as she only does one clinic a week near me and was very definite she had to see me in my 16th week for bloods and stuff. Glad to hear you are feeling better and hopefully feeling some movement!

I cant wait to get to next week, sad as that sounds as at least I will have a clearer idea of what is happening. Really glad that my work are being very supportive, allowing me to take weds off if I need to go for interview and just being good about other things such as shifting some stuff around so I havent got a load of stuff happening at once.

Going to have some breakfast and watch sat kitchen now, waiting to see what weather is doing as I fancy getting out in the garden for a bit.

Caz just clocked the date - hope you get through it ok - it's a tough one after a tough week x

Thanks ali - the last 21st before THE 21st. I cannot believe we are now on the last month countdown to her 1st birthday. This time last year I would never have dreamed in a million years what June had in store for us and that a year later we'd be expecting DC2 now.

I'm ok. We're going to go out for a walk. We've organised a 17 themed sponsored walk on the 17th June to raise awareness of stillbirth and raise money for Sands around Belle's birthday (as well as the big event on the 25th) and today I want to make sure we know the route as we're leading!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned xx

Howdy All, thanks for all the Mat Leave chat. Looks like 3 weeks isn't an unusual space to leave before EDD. Now it's just down to me to stay fit and healthy. Since I'm still in bed with a streaming bunged up cold I'm not sure I feel that positive :)

Bump is now there for me - but no one else will notice thanks to existing bump. Definitely getting harder and moving upwards. Feels like lots of wriggling in there I think I'm 14+5 but not sure lose count so easily. Amnio getting closer and getting nervous.

I'm going to check the carry over of holiday because if you can't carry over to the next year then you are taking holiday that hasn't been accrued yet iyswim.
Whagt if you give birth early in the year and aren't coming back for a year? You'd have to take a month holiday before your mat leave? Not quite logical to me.

I bought Beans first little outfit today (slaps own wrist) I said I wouldn't buy anything like that till after 20 week scan but it was just soooooo cute I couldn't help myself!

afternon ladies hope you're all ok. So to do such short posts lately just been sooo busy with work and home. Ds will be 3 on Monday so been making a dragon cake. and today was making sheep and pig cakes with ds.

caz hope you're ok, and that the events go well.

I have just read a really interesting book, about the 'history of birth'. It sort of started from the perspective of 'why is it that even in this day and age, giving birth can be so traumatic?'. I found it really fascinating, read it all inside about two days. It made me very very grateful for the range of services that we have at our disposal now, on the NHS, in 2011, and even though we don't all end up with the perfect birth (I certainly didn't!), it really put things into perspective.

Sorry, that looked a bit of a random post there, I meant it in relation to how we had all been talking about pain relief options a couple of pages back......should have clarified that!

Hi ladies, sending lots of love to you today Caz it sounds like you have a lovely day planned and for next month too ((hugs))

I've not given mat leave loads of thought yet other than to hope I can work as far up to my due date as possible. I've got absolutely loads on between July-October and so could do with being there as long as possible. If I can go to 38 (or even 39?!) weeks I'd be pleased. I'm not sure about holidays and carrying over but it's a good question. I work in HR so have easy access to our maternity leave experts!

I bought my first maternity stuff today. A denim skirt from Jojo Maman Bebe, which is quite large so will hopefully last me (famous last words!) and a couple of maxi dresses. They aren't technically maternity but the style means they've got enough growing room to last the summer. Have also been looking through the JMB catalogue and spent several hundred pounds in my head - very dangerous!!

We've some friends coming to stay tonight so looking forward to that. The boys are off to the football tomorrow so I'll have a girlie afternnon wandering round the shops, having lunch and talking babies ( my friend and his wife have 2 little girls, one of whom we are Godparents to) so should be lovely. I had 12 hours sleep last night so my sickness is calmer today. I love weekends for that reason only!

Hello everyone,

I've not been on here in weeks, don't know where the time has gone and I've just been catching up on the past thread and this new thread.

poppet I'm so sorry for your friend and her loss, so sad. I don't really know what to say.

Caz your plans for next month sound like a fitting way to honour Belle's memory.

I hope that everyone starts feeling better soon that has had a tough time of it recently. To be honest, I'm still waiting for the energetic 2nd trimester feeling to kick in, at just over 16 weeks now I'm still waiting and have spent most of today lazing on the couch and sleeping, yet I have no bother waking at around 4am every day- anyone else not sleeping very well?

I also keep waking up on my front - argh, every night I fall asleep on my side/back and wake up face down - also feel ancient, like all the bones in my back ache like a wee old lady, it's an effort to get out of bed

Apart from that and some indigestion/heartburn I am feeling fine.

I eventually told my work on Wednesday after my appointment, everyone was so lovely, feels weird telling folk though having kept it from people for so long and as yet don't have a baby bump it is just plumpness so nobody was any the wiser, even though I went through every fib on a Friday lunchtime as to why I wasn't having a glass or 2 of wine - must be good at fibbing

Started thinking about maternity leave, think I'm going to finish up a fortnight before I am induced - I have 2 weeks worth of annual leave and want my maternity leave to start on my induction date. Maternity Pay is quite good 10 weeks full, 8 weeks half then the rest is SMP, want to take as long as I can off, but not sure how long that will be yet.

Sorry for rambling, hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and getting some time to relax.

Take care for now
x

On Truffkin's mention of mat clothes... Not sure if i've mentioned this before. If you do need larger sizes at a cheap price there are a few nice things on the Bon Prix website. They don't come up in google I found through another site.

www.bonprixsecure.com

A lot cheaper than other sites.

Oops that takes you to the German site?

www.bonprixsecure.com/uk/home.htm

Been on bed rest for several days and seems to be working. Dh has been fab and cleaned every room yesterday. I did manage to cook nice dinner although dh had to lift the pans as can't carry anything heavy.

Got a nice parcel from my mum containing maternity trousers and top from Pretty pregnant. My father got lots of smiles from strangers as he was carrying all my mum's shopping! Trousers are very comfortable and have some growing room in them for later. Have started to rub in my anti stretch Mark cream. Anyone else started yet?

Enjoyed reading the birth stories. Have asked to go to hospital's birth centre but would still like to have option of pain killer. Hoping for nice easy and short labour after having pretty miserable pregnancy so far. Not helped by mil saying that she never felt better when pregnant.

Aww cookie, glad things are improving and that your DH is helping out (and your parents by the sounds of it). I have loads of people saying how bad or how good their pregnancy was but I just try to remember that they arent me and vice versa and smile sweetly.

Voodoo you are so right the advice and stories come running at you. I was sitting with 3 ladies all recent 1st time mum's a bit of time ago now before I was knocked up. They were getting really competitve about how bad their tears or drug experiences were. I wonder if I'll do that in a year's time?

My biggest problem is every T,D & H now nodding their head sagely, giving advice as if I'm a 16 year old "Oh don't get a cat, it could give you toxoplasmosis!"

As much as I appreciate advice and stories - I really do - but I just want to put up a big sign of "I know! I'm 31! I've wanted this for 6 years! I've done all the reading!"

Thanks voodoo I am sure people mean well but it does get on my nerves at times. Every pregnancy is different and what works for one person may not work for another. So glad for these forums as not sure what people did before the Internet!
Pamsco hope I dont get competitive over how bad the tear is!!

Me too cookie me too! :)

Well when I was pg... lol.