Welcome Limpit and Yoko! It's never too late here for a newbie!
What a day... i'll start off positive! I spent the last of this months wages on most of the things I still needed! Got a swing, £38 from Asda, in the baby event, I've built it, and it seems pretty decent for the price! Just going to buy a newborn head hugger to make it a little more cosy! Got 2 large pj type shirts for use in labour and after, 2 pairs of yoga style bottoms, a vest top, and 2 maternity vest tops with those straps that clip off for feeding. That's all the clothing I needed really, aside from feeding bras. Have the big knickers already! That lot came to £50, and if I'd got the same in Mothercare it would have been triple that!
Got my gym ball, and a breastfeeding pillow too.
So, just mattress, and bras, and curtains for babys room to go now! Woohoo! Feeling happier now I'm more organised! Still need to read up on hypnobirthing though.
On the downside, I contacted payroll to find out what my pay would be while on mat. leave. They haven't told me yet, but what they did say has caused a near melt down and left me stomping off to the management this morning.
My edd is (saturday) 3/11. I wanted to start my leave on 5/11 as I have annual leave prior to this. I want as much time off after as possible, due to only being able to take 6 months off. So I don't want to start my leave any earlier, as I have no annual leave to take at the end (work won't let me carry my leave over).
So my dates were arranged with my manager, who said I can't leave on 5th, but can on the 4th. She had the copy of my matB1, and my letter with leave dates. Now payroll are telling me I can't start my leave on the 4th, it has to be 28th October! And I'd of been none the wiser had I not rang to ask about my pay. I know its just a week, but that is a week I will be back sooner after, plus I'm likely to go overdue, as did last time at 40+13, and I'm not agreeing to be induced either, so could go further than that. I'll be going back to work with a 5 month old baby at this rate, and I don't bloody want to.
Fuming isn't the word really. I'm being told you have to start your leave the week of the EDD, which for me is 28/10, even though I'm not due til 3/11. It's for their own bloody benefit as far as I can see. I'm now hoping I flippin' deliver at 37 weeks just to screw up their calculations and I hope its the middle of the sodding week.
Going to have to speak to my union I guess.
Hope everyone else hasn't had a nasty surprise :(