First-timers due December - new thread!

[mopsytop]

Had to start a new thread, as our old one got too big to post anymore.
yay figgy - your scan sounds great! A wee boy - now you only have to think about boy names. Woohoo.

I think that going back to work is going to be a real heart-breaker. Better get those lottery numbers right!!

Or, in my case, start playing the lottery!

I can imagine that it will be quite tough to leave the baby in nursery... but I am about the same. I am planning to take 30 weeks of ML total (including 3 weeks before the baby). So I still have to work out what to do when I return - either a nursery or nannyshare.

But will worry about that later... first I need to meet the lil tyke!

Well I'm glad you ladies will be going through the same thing, we can support each other through!

I'm lucky in that my mum retires in January, and she's brilliant. She's going to have junior 2 days per wk, I will try and work from home Friday and see if work will allow a flexi type day, so I just do a few hours. So I'll need a child minder or nursery for 2 days only.

Oi judging from what friends have said, if the baby is in the house you won't get any work done... not to put a damper on things but just that I have been given this caution! Not sure whether childminder or nursery is better. The idea of searching for a childminder is just uggggh.

Yeah, but that doesn't really matter on a Friday, does it?

:D

Deciding when to go back to work is so difficult my mat leave starts on 12th December unless he comes early and thinking of going back to work mid June might push it to July if can afford to.

Managing a brief whizz on the computer before dinner!

I'm going on ML on the 1st, and junior lands on the 12th, although my EDD is the 19th. I'm going back to work on the 16th of April, BUT my OH is taking the other half of my maternity leave...so I have about 4.5 months and so does he.

If he ever gets round to bloody booking it that is...

I need to get back to start earning wages as soon as the enhanced mat pay runs out, but because OH doesn't earn a great deal it won't be a massive reduction for us if he's on SMP (essentially) for four months. Then it'll be up to him whether he wants to be a SAHP, part time or return...

Hope everyone sleeps well/ankles deflate/finds some energy!

Fnar at 'whizz on computer' pop bang goes the keyboard northern

Hey northern, do the OH have to book extended paternity leave in advance, if they do the other half? We had considered doing the same as you, for the same reasons. ...I'll have to look it up when I get my laptop back.

Im feeling really lucky as DH is self employed and works from home so though he wont be taking PAternity leave officially December is a quite month so i will get a lot of support and while on leave if on a Friday he has done enough work in the week we can have longer weekends together and go out and do things together. He is very keen that he spends as much time as possible with him so while it might be tough being in the house altogether it will also be nice he can come for coffee breaks with us both and see the LO in the day.

He is off birdwatching this morning so taking the chance to sell some maternity stuff on ebay that i bought for work and never wore and since i finish on thursday dont now intend to wear. Then later this afternoon i am off looking for xmas present ideas again but just at the local centre not trailing into Bristol again until after the new year sales chaos as passed.

Am starting to join the trouble sleeping club my hips get proper painful over night i am going to sleep in the spare room tonight as i think the little single bed is softer than our memory foam mattress on our bed (i hate that mattress anyway).

I don't even have paid maternity leave as PhD student and, very unfortunately, my funding ran out just before I got pregnant :( So husband can't even take the 2 weeks statutory paternity leave as you get a measly hundred quid a week or thereabouts. But he has about 10 days hols to take so that's good. Then I think my mum will come over for a bit so for the first 3 weeks or so I should have some support at home.

Hiya girls- sorry to hijack the thread- does anyone know where the "we've got big bumps" other Dec thread has disappeared to? I was only gone a day?!!?!

(was someone objecting to something on there and the thread got pulled?)
Let me know if you have any idea! Cheers...

Ok, sorry, found it now!

Bloody bastard nursing bras; according to Mothercare, Jojomamanbebe & Mamas & Papa's my bra size is an impossibilty...so I'm going to have to venture into a changing room all fat & pg to find my size! Gah!
Has anyone got their nursing gear sorted yet?

figgy how did shopping/idea gathering go?

Hope everyone gets a decent night of sleep tonight!

No idea about nursing bras - when are you supposed to buy them? I heard too soon is bad as your boobs can increase massively (although having already gone from a B to a DD not sure I want any more increase ... argh!). I also SO can't face the changing room hell - any advice anyone?

Apparently you should wait until wk 37 to buy nursing bras. But then allow some room for "engorgement". I bought 2 more at wk 35 because my first load were tearing into me. 32E to 38E. Not good!
I've just bought comfy M&S cotton ones. And my earlier mat bras were also nursing bras, so I hope as my size changes, I'll be covered.

Yeah... I read that you should wait till week 37 as well. ALthough... good god... I am really hoping they don't get any bigger! I have already gone from a 34C to 38E... It is ridiculous!

Hmmm ... I have obviously taken heaps of Mat leave before hand... I am only working till week 37. I want to spend the next 3 weeks taking it easy, resting and leaving plenty of time to make full use of my nesting energy...when it starts :)

On the maternity bra side i am still a 36A/B so when i invested in one on Friday i bought a B as they dont do A's in M+S in the maternity range. Since i finish work on Thursday Friday is going to be last trip to mothercare and mama's and papa's for last minute things, people keep asking me if i have everything i assume so but you just know that come babies arrival we will realise there is lots still to get at which point will be too late, thank god for the new 24 hour tesco 5 mins from my house.

Xmas shopping was fruitless the shops are just so full of tat and all my family have all they could need, might do eco gifts this year see how that goes down! I just hate all the scrabbling round for ideas and then ending up buying vouchers, i can always think of DVD's or something. I really want a breville toastie maker this year but that will not be conducive to post baby diet so might have to resist!!

According to the non-nursing size guides I'm now a 36G...up from a 34DD. How I've not got any backpain is beyond me (touch wood!).
Thanks Oi & lala for letting me know it's 37wks, I thought it was 35wks!

figgy, get the toastie maker. I'm all for eco gifts; Dh is getting a donation to a local rabbit charity as one of his main gifts this year (still getting him 'stuff'). I hate christmas/birthday shopping now, gift vouchers or dvds/games are such rubbish presents to wrap/open compared to the oddly shaped boxes I remember from childhood!!

Wotcha- have returned and not widdled over keyboard...

I was told in Mothercare to come in at 37 weeks; however, when I pressed them for a rough measurement, I was told that you need to go down a back size and up a cup size for breastfeeding.

My boobs haven't got any bigger whatsoever, so I just bought a couple that were a cup size up. I'm considering them my 'starter' ones that will do for when I'm in hospital, and then a couple of weeks after the birth when I'm up to it, the milk's properly in and I can face it, will go and get measured for what my 'actual' bf size is.

Well done AWCH on her impossible cleavage, I am impressed!

Have got the vast majority of Xmas shopping out the way- just need to get a couple more things for my Mum. OH was told agreed that we wouldn't bother with getting stuff for each other, and that a baby was present (and expensive) enough!

So true AWCH vouchers are really such a boring pressie! I have no idea what to buy my DH this year... which means it will probablly end up being clothes :(

Maybe I should just place a big ASOS order online and then that will be all my Xmas shopping out of the way!

Can't believe 2 people on the other thread have already had their babies... and I am not even full term yet!

lala i know... im 37 weeks today so full tern hurrah lol, but 5 girls that were on my NCT classes have all given birth! Jealous!