March2013 New year, new trimester, old symptoms but the finishing post is in sight!

[Oodsigma]

And confuddled has passed it!

So will this one be our last before we move to post natal?

And who is next?

Thanks sarah & jojo for the thread title. :)

I have taken to having half a glass of chocolate milk as "pudding" in the evening and it has coincided with the overnight heartburn being much improved. Tastes nicer than Gaviscon anyway!

count goodluck with the spinning
Oh plonko poor you my sickness set me off into labour Thursday night luckily stopped but I was dangerously dehydrated put on a drip for 48 hours couldn't pee for 18 hours. Have a banana to keep your potassium levels ok and drink lots of fluids hope you feel better.

Good tip on the chocolate milk although milk doesn't help my heartburn so struggling through with gaviscon which doesn't help that much either lol

I'm stuck in hospital now till Thursday when I get scanned and see consultant. Dr seems confident if placenta has moved they will induce early and if not will be section next week once I am 37 weeks. Feel better knowing they aren't letting me go to 42 weeks like this so just depends on how big baby is and if placenta has got out of the way x

Anyone heard from zigzag

Oh Emsy look at you having sympathy for me! I'm just permanently queasy now, but you're in hospital looking at a c-sec! (Is it a sign of things that this has really touched me and made feel a bit tearful?) At least you now have a plan, which must be something of a relief? I wonder if Zigzag has her hands full now

I briefly fell asleep on the bathroom floor but managed to make it back to bed at some point - I certainly woke up there this morning! Sadly antacids/gaviscon and the like isn't budging it, so I think I'm just going to have to put up with it as much as I can until I deliver. To anyone considering having a curry to start things off - DON'T! It hurts. Tummy's still rather dodgy but it's easier to retain a sense of perspective when it's lovely, sunny and spring-like outside, and I've decided that all this is pointing towards imminent labour . Have double triple checked the hospital bags, everything is as ready as it's going to be...COME ON BABY!

Oh and I've just had a call from work to say they've LOST my MatB1 form. The one I gave them in November. Well done, work.

Count - spinning can still work even once labour starts!

Plonko - try some ginger - and not ale or biscuits, must be fresh root or powdered root. It's SO great for sickness but most people make the mistake of trying things that just have flavouring in, hence they think it doesn't work. Somehow it calms the acid really well.

Milk is ok but only because it gives the stomach something to work on, but it is actually slightly acidic, not alkaline.

Lemon is good for sickness too!!!

I went for Ranitidine (sp?), which has finally calmed it down, and eating little and often today. Massively strong BH all day, feel completely exhausted now! My mum's convinced she's going to become a granny in the next few days - but she's been saying that for a week now . Good excuse to have a nice bland dinner of chips...

How's everyone else getting on?

Just heard that OH might lose his job. Worst timing ever. He's freelance so easy to get rid of and my maternity leave is only paid for six weeks... He says he thinks he's safe for six months but I'm freaking out

Right, must calm down...

On a side note Plonko - I haven't been aware of having anything resembling BH's at all yet, is that a bad thing if my womb's not practising?! Does it feel weird that buba might come soon?

Hi all

Emsy rubbish that you're stuck in there but good that you're getting a proper plan and not waiting around for weeks

Plonko I'm on the ranitidine too! Gaviscon just wasn't doing the trick on its own anymore! Hopefully not long for you now! My BHs and period pains have all settled off a bit so I think Bubba might be in here for the long haul!

Count I'll think some spinny thoughts for you! You've got a much better chance of Bubs moving with it not being your first!

I've got an absolutely stinking cold, worst I've had in years. Appeared overnight on Sunday and I feel shocking! Not helped by he fact that PuppyMonster has been particularly taxing the last few days and just me here to look after her. DH has been at work even later than usual recently. This morning felt so awful I nearly asked him to stay home with me but I know he couldn't really so would have just been disappointed. Have to say I am a bit pissed off that he's only just left at 19.30 so won't be home til 20.45 when he knows I feel this shitty and really just want a bit of help. I know it would have been very tough to leave & perhaps impossible but I know full well he wouldn't have even mentioned to bosses that he needed to get away because of pregnant poorly wife as wouldn't want to rock the boat. Hmmm.

Leni has your DH come round or is he going this weekend without you? Hope you're ok.

leni how come only 6 weeks? Are you not UK?

leni oh no that's the last thing you need but try not to worry at the moment what does he do? 6 months is a good time to find more work but crap you only get 6 weeks. Having a baby makes all this so much more stressful but think about yourself for now, did you come to a resolution on visiting in laws?
plonko I hope you feel better definitely not nice I am fine really but remember vividly being sick in the middle of the night!
Thanks everyone for your kind words I am fine my poor DH is realising how hard it is with a toddler and I am getting rest. Going to risk a walk round the hospital tomorrow see if I bleed again figure it's the best place to be and if I'm going to bleed from walking then don't want it to happen at home.

Leni that sounds so stressful - such bad timing! But six months is plenty of time to explore other avenues.

Emsy really pleased you're getting the rest you require.

SoYo how far along are you now? I'm 39 weeks tomorrow so more than happy to meet my little monster now. Sounds tough with your DH's working hours, that'd drive me crazy. Not fun feeling crappy then being alone for longer than you thought you'd be. I find the smallest things get me down now - how about you?

I just wish all the niggles would either disappear or suddenly turn into something. BH's are steadily becoming more intense, today going all over my back and bump but rather uncoordinated. Having a bounce on the ball as I type!

Unless your employer gives more than the statutory minimum then statutory pay in the UK is only 90% pay for 6 weeks followed by just statutory maternity pay (taxable) of approx £135 for up to 39 weeks. leni I'm in the same boat as you on this one unfortunately - really not great given how generous some employers are. My old employer used to offer 18 weeks full pay!

Rainbow it's only because I only started my contract in December :(
I'll be on maternity allowance which I didn't think was taxable?

I have a hunch OH is saying 6 months to stop me freaking out so we're really up crap creek if the company does go under.

Emsy best stay put in that case, can't be nice having to be in for days, really feel for you being stuck there even with a plan!

OH is staying home with me now and my Dad is coming to visit but no inlaws. I think he was exaggerating their reaction to us not coming which is annoying. We have very different family relationships, I rarely go back to visit and he goes quite a bit and gets annoyed that I don't want to. Family politics eh?

I only get stat pay too. Thought maternity allowance was the same as basic SMP without the 90% bit so you got the same time wise.
Not meaning to be nosy but worried you're getting screwed over !

Leni - glad things seem sorted! Well sort of!
Plonko- glad the sickness is better!
Ood - how are you doing?
Hi ladies just those uk based - did you apply for the health in pregnancy grant? I completely forgot about it, was reminded today by a friend!

Thanks for welcome everyone. Pains are very vague now. Really hoping baby will stay put til March....Spring is such a nice season. How far along is everyone? Haha, I see a few of us have gaviscon as a new bff. Where r people from here? X

count bored , very bored! Can't wait to have some mobility /decent painkillers. 2 weeks tomorrow so feel like I'm on countdown now which isn't too bad.
When do they see if your baby has turned?

Yep Ood it is, but my employer also luckily pay the 6 weeks on top. Still no idea how anyone manages on £135 a week with no other income, my half of rent alone is £700 a month! Hence going back in July somehow.

Count - what grant is that? I've never even heard of it?

It's a family income not individual income! Though having said that we take home about £800 each plus child benefit so your rent would screw us! We don't claim tax credits as I have had too many issues in the past with them and don't want to come under UC when it comes in. count is the health in pregnancy the vitamins/milk/fruit one?

Hi Count I thought they stopped the health in pregnancy grant last year I got it with DS but didn't think it was available now.
leni poor you having to go back so early money issues are a nightmare but glad the in law situation is sorted for now. Families are odd you don't realise how strange some family dynamics are my in laws are mental but many prob say the same about my own disfunctional lot!

leni yes you are right that maternity allowance is not taxable but statutory maternity pay is taxable and subject to national insurance. I'm going back to work pretty quickly too (and will be doing self-employed work from when baby is two weeks old) as will my DH but at least our routines will be established early on which I think will be best for our little family in the long run.

Hope everyone is feeling well today. I am actually feeling a little sad that pregnancy will be over soon despite the increasing obstacle that my tummy has become! I don't think I will be having another child as DH and I only ever wanted one. We now have two of course with our angel DD1 and this little one but financially I don't think we would be in a position to have any more in any case. So am trying to savour every last bit of being pregnant although I am looking forward to the arrival - bit mixed emotions on this at the moment!

Health in pregnancy grant doesn't exist any more. So far as I know, it was replaced by the healthy start vouchers that I get. Apparently we can't be trusted to spend a whole grant in one go on healthy stuff, so it's weekly fruit and veg vouchers now. You have to be low income to get them though. And there's the sure start maternity grant if you're low income too - doubt you'd qualify at the moment, leni, but if your husband does lose his job it might be worth looking into. Has to be claimed within three months of birth though.

Also, I just choked on my cuppa when I saw your rent. On the plus side, when you've given birth, cb and ctc will be eighty-odd quid a week, I think. And it may be worth looking into housing benefit too, if he loses his job. Best thing to do is not panic though, you don't need the stress!

I can't get CTC, but it'll be ok I'm sure, OH is one of those relied upon at work to fix everything when it goes wrong so hoping the powers that be will save the company!

I think I'll be sad knowing my one and only pregnancy is finite too, maybe only because I've had it fairly easy but I like having baby in the bump and being the closest we'll ever be.

For those who've had babies before, does it feel weird not having a bump after and how long does it take for it to go back to vaguely normal after the birth?

I'm hoping it'll be like in soap operas, and twenty minutes after giving birth one's stomach is flat as a pancake. Unfortunately I suspect this may not be the case...