January 2014 - knicker checking, cramps, sore boobs, sickness, hungry, sleepy neurotic mums to be.... Roll on 12 week scan!!

[LittlePeaPod]

And off we go again.......

When I had DS, a year's maternity leave wasn't a thing. My work offered 6 months, and that was the best I'd heard of anywhere.

As it happened, I was made redundant on maternity leave, so it ended up being 7 months before I got a new job. DS was absolutely fine. I got a great childminder and it was easy.

ginny my GP was pretty ubrupt so I didn't ask anything either. I'm definately neurotic, I worry every time I cough!

I'm very lucky that I will be able to be a SAHM, but the downside is DH (who's a soldier) will probably be going on tour next year when baby will be about 4 months, so there are some downsides to his job!

Good evening everyone and welcome to all the newbies.

I was just wondering if anyone else is totally miserable?
I am just being so bloody grumpy, poor DP is being a saint. I just can't seem to raise a smile for anyone.

Well I can manage for DD but as soon as she's in bed I turn in to the incredible grump.

I have not purchased any maternity clothes yet. Want to at least wait until we get the all ok at the 12 week scan. I think I am going to need some though as i am eating like a horse between waves of sickness!

I would love to be a SAHM but financially its not possible. Dh is a teacher but doesnt have a job come September (hoping he will be lucky and get one soon) so he may just be subbing next school year so money will be tight.
Also I would love a 2nd within 18 months or so of the first and I dont know if I would qualify for maternity allowance for child no 2 unless I went back to work. Think you have to have worked for like 26 weeks in the 15 months before your baby is born to get the allowance and I am not sure if it counts as working if I am on maternity leave with my first child.

Thanks ladies for the lovely thoughts this morning. It's nearly over.. Wow loads of comments.

Congratulations to all the new ladies with BFPs...

Sultanajo. That peanut butter sandwich sounds fantastic. I am with you on the toasties and I can stomach baked potato cheese and coleslaw....... Infant anything with coleslaw.... Cheese and coleslaw toasters.. Peanut butter and coleslaw toasties also sound great... Salt/vinegar crisps and coleslaw......... Anything and coleslaw......

MrsV. How awful... I really hope you start feeling better soon...

Rhoscolyn I am an older first time mum to be. I am 37....

Humpty. I totally empathise, I am exhausted too. I am so tired trying to keep up on this thread is becoming difficult... I used to wake up and then start feeling tired about 9.30am but now I wake up exhausted even after 10 hours sleep.... .

Book. I would get checked out jus for piece o mind... I hope you are feeling better tonight....

MrsGSR. Fantastic news on your scan... Good luck for Friday.

Yoni brilliant news on your chicken pox.... Yeeeaaaaaaaaa.

Sending my thoughts to everyone feeling really poorly... Also looks like we will need a new thread soon....

Re. Marternity Leave... What are you ladies thinking of taking? My DF and I talked about it for the first time tonight. And well his royally pissed off with me... . He wants me to take at least 1 year off or preferably more (which would entail a career break - not a chance). I said I want to go back as soon as reasonably possible.... I know this may change once baby is here

Thanks so much for all the welcome messages! it was the knicker checking bit that drew me to the group. made me laugh because it is sooooo me.

I was in a car accident 2 weeks ago so that's how I found out I was pg because they couldn't X-ray me! Didn't think is have the news broken to me whilst lying on a bedpan. Won't know for sure everything's ok until the scan and as I say, dr couldn't give 2 hoots!

Mrs Howard roark I am furious today! I have been a monster all afternoon and came home early from work in a huff... You are not alone!

Thanks for accepting me into the jan gang!

Toby is that legal? I thought they couldn't make you redundant while on mat leave?

Copied this from the 'which' website (which I am paying for just to check safety ratings on baby stuff.. yes I am crazy)
I'm sure it's easy enough to find but it's a list of baby clubs that you can join whilst pregnant and get free stuff :)

Mothercare Baby & Me Club - you get over £100-worth of money-off vouchers along with details of offers and advice.

Sainsbury's Little Ones Baby and Toddler club ? when you join you can get a coupon for a free 'Huggies mum and baby bundle' worth £9.99 when you buy Huggies newborn nappies, or 500 Nectar card points, as well as a free magazine promising money-off coupons.

Tesco Baby & Toddler club ? offers free magazines, Tesco Clubcard coupons for baby products and a parents' parking permit for priority parking in Tesco car parks.

Boots Parenting Club ? joining this club gets you double Boots Advantage card points when you buy certain baby products, regular Advantage card points offers and a 'free' changing bag when you join and buy Pampers nappies.

Heinz Baby Club - you'll get five packs when you sign up, each containing samples, money-off vouchers and feeding guides.

Cow & Gate Mum and Baby Club ? offers a free pregnancy diary, cuddly cow and money-off vouchers.

Aptamil Baby Club ? offers free ABC guides to pregnancy nutrition and a free huggable polar bear.

Hipp Baby Club ? offers a free first year record book, samples, money-off coupons and a personalised baby calendar.

Toys R Us Mother and Baby club ? promises money-off coupons, points and free mailings.

Beaming Baby- register for free nappies, a £5 Beaming Baby voucher, advice on baby health and other bonuses.

Emma's Diary - sign up for £100 of Argos money-off vouchers, deals with companies such as Lovefilm and O2, and weekly offers and competitions.

Hopefully those links work as that took a little while lol!

Also, to those feeling shitty, I have to say, a day off has made the world of difference. Not as exhausted, nausea has gone, I've taken the time to eat some decent food I could stomach, not just junk (I graze, rather than eating) and I feel okay. In fact, I feel I could go to work tomorrow. Which is good, as I have to!

Wow, MrsG that's awesome, thank you!

You can't be made redundant while on maternity leave, but you can take voluntary redundancy. Otherwise, they have to find you a job elsewhere for the same money/level of responsibility.

They offered me about 10 times the redundancy pay I was entitled to by law, so I practically ripped their hands off for it!

MrsHowardRoark - you are not alone feeling grumpy. A smile is such a chore isn't it. I feel low today, but I shouldn't feel low considering what's happening in my belly right now. The constant nausea, sickness, loss of appetite and tiredness is wearing me down today, there is no break from it. I remember very clearly feeling like this for a few days with DC2, wondering what the hell I was doing so I know it will pass but right this minute grumpy ain't the word. I think it's mixed with THE FEAR. Fear of something going wrong again, fear of getting to the scan and there's nothing there. Gah. Oh and guilt. Guilty of not having any energy for my other two children. I can't be arsed to do anything with them, bless them. Sorry for the offload of negativity, having a proper wobble today and I'm so frustrated for feeling so glum over such an amazing thing. I can't wait for these next few weeks to pass. Hormones are a fucker.

mullins I told my boss last week but kind of unofficially, just because I was vomming and needed her to know in case I needed to duck out of anything. Otherwise I would have waited past 12 weeks. But she hasn't done any of the HR type stuff because its so soon and I was only telling for that reason.
ginny aww, shucks! Flattery will get you anywhere with us lot. Welcome to the gang!
penny I think I'd like to be in the situation that I earned more than DH. Our jobs pay almost exactly the same, his is a very small amount more, but I've always been more into my career so I do kind of resent that financially if after mat leave it makes sense for one of us to SAH it has to be me.
Valuing Maternity is a good website for anyone wanting to know about the legalities etc. - frizz I think your continuous employment continues during the year's mat leave so if you got pg again during that you'd still have the same rights? pea am really unsure about how much mat leave to take, but I guess we don't need to decide yet. I'd like to bf as long as possible so whether I'm able to or not might be a factor. Also depends on when and where we move house to... which we're planning for bAbyVB's first year but will probably mean me getting a new job in a new location.
mrsg thanks for the wonderful list! Yeah! More free stuff!
Xxx

Just a random thoguh, I've just subscribed to recieving Pregnacare Max tablets monthly from amazon, it lowers the price to £11.75 and they're almost £20 in tesco :) still stupidly expensive for a month's worth, but a bit better! And I don't have to remember to buy them as they just come in the post (although I think they tried to deliver them today but I was at the Doctors so I'll have to go to the postoffice tomorrow to get them!)

Don't forget -- all this signing up to things just means lots of junk mail from companies you've never heard of.

thoguh isn't a word... *thought

I can't believe we're in the 940s of this thread already!

Toby that's true, but my email inbox is already full of spam, and I'm quite sad in that I love getting post so I'll take the trade, junk mail for free stuff :) I also already have a boots, nectar and tesco clubcard, so joining those clubs probably wont mean much more crap :)

Thanks mrsg, signed up to a couple now but will sign up to others after 12 weeks. After the mc was really sad unsubscribing from everything . Love a freebie though :)

toby ohhh, I see - phew! Sounds like you got an excellent deal. And you're right about the spam, but I love anything pg related right now, and I figure I can always unsubscribe!

I also cannot believe we are nearly onto our THIRD fred!

We are overtaking the December thread... Woop woop! Here's to being neurotic chatterboxes! X

OMG look what landed in the post with a letter saying sorry. It's our scan pictures.. I thought that maybe we didn't get any but they sent them in the post.....

Ladies please meet our gorgeous little Chickpea....... .

www.mumsnet.com/member/manage-photos

Opposite here's the link..

www.mumsnet.com/member/manage-photos

Wow Littlepea those pics are so clear... even my oh paused the tv to have a look lol how exciting xxx

littlepea how exciting! They are excellent pics!

Awwww! So excited for you Pea :)

Can't wait till I have my 12 week scan which feels like it will be in eleventy million years time the way time is dragging right now