October 2013- Constantly hungry and counting down to maternity leave.

[GTbaby]

Right off to finish the last thread

I appreciate I could stay longer, but I suspect I will feel useless, like I am wasting time, and in the way if I kept going in beyond two weeks into the term.
Also, as I am going to be battling for p/t work for when I return, I don't want to annoy them unnecessarily. Yet

Hmm... Thanks ladies. Perhaps I'll reconsider and go a little earlier. I'd rather have more time with the baby which is why I wanted to try to go on as long as I can. My replacement is already in post actually as we have lots of staff changes happening at the moment, so they're happy for me to do what I like. I suppose I can always go earlier if I'm not feeling up to it...?

I'm in a similar position to shire. We start back at the end of August so I'm planning to go back for 2 weeks and leave as teaching starts (teach in a 6th form college so we enrol etc for a week or 2). My cover will start straight away but I know I would have to take on classes- or worse still, team teach- if I stay once students are in. If I go up to due date I will have a long sounding 6 weeks at home, but my journey is 1.5-2hrs each way on the tube and I'm fed up with it already!

I've worked until 38 weeks with both my DCs and planning to work til 38 weeks again this time, though very jealous of you ladies who are finishing earlier. Probably will only be able to take 6 months off so wanting to save most of it til after the baby arrives. I did get tired towards the end, but coped ok.
Might be eating my words in another few months! Might take another week holiday to finish at 37wks, but will see how I get on.

shootingstars you have my sympathy. I wanted a VBAC too, but my DD was breech and they wouldn't try to turn her because of my previous section. My second section was easier than my first, but it was a pain not being able to lift my DS up, though he got very good at clambering up on my knee.
On the plus side at least my pelvic floor is still fairly intact :)

With DD1 I was due to finish at 34 weeks but as I felt so well spread my holiday out and went part time till I finished at 36+4, had my daughter 3 days later! Finished at 36 wks with DD2 and had her on my due date, this one I'll finish at 35-36 wks as DD2 starting school, and baby will come at some point

I think I'm planning to work as long as possible. My due date based on the IVF treatment is 7th Oct but the hospital have given me 30th Sept based on the baby's size. I've also joined a medical trial for women over 35 that may mean I get induced at 39 weeks. I find out in August so am keeping my mat leave date flexible until then.

Hi all, back from my holiday and catching up on the thread. I stopped work at 38 weeks last time, DS came at 42 weeks. Finishing at 38 weeks this time too. Hoping this baby won't be quite so late, but I was fine working to 38 weeks last time and this pregnancy seems to be similar, so fingers crossed it'll work out.

I went on Maternity Leave pretty early with DD (34 weeks and she was a week late too) and it was truly fabulous!! DD is a Christmas baby so I got to potter around doing bits of Christmas shopping, leisurely write my cards whilst watching films etc.. It was one of the nicest times of my life and I'm so glad I had that chunk of freedom before DD well and truly exploded into my life.

It's making me smile to hear all the teachers looking forward to the summer holidays - I'm the opposite - dreading being increasingly heavily pregnant with a lively 6 year old to entertain for weeks on end. Thankfully we've got a holiday planned and various bits and bobs lined up, but it's going to be a loooonnng summer.

I'm with you on the summer holidays bridget. We have holidays in Greece planned for early August but it's only 11 days so have to figure out what to do with an active 5 year old boy otherwise. Planning holiday clubs etc... only delivering him to these holiday clubs, having to get the car and drive in London at 8am and then 6pm on top of my tube commute, is going to be a nightmare. Plus, DS is an August baby and I remember how swollen I was in July (it was a scorcher)... puffy feet, buying shoes two sizes bigger than my normal size etc...

I'm also with you on early maternity leave - with DS I stopped working at 36 weeks and had him at 39 weeks. I had 3 lovely weeks for myself, just pottering around, meeting friends for lunch, preparing the house, buying last things, reading in the garden... I loved that time. I really recommend it if people can afford it. This time I'm planning to finish 27th September and I'm due on 22nd October, 2 weeks will be the remaining annual leave and then maternity. I want to work as long as possible as I don't think I will be going back so we are trying to sort out all the decorating now and pay off our mortgage as much as we can while I still work. I know being a SAHM may have its lows but at least we won't be sinking under dirty laundry like we do right now!! I find doing things in the evening practically impossible now and our weekends are busy.

So this is my exciting weekend planned! Laundry, more laundry... but also delivery of the changing unit (can't wait!) and our decorator is coming tomorrow to paint our bedroom and dressing room. We are going to flip the colour scheme and going for coffee walls and white blinds... hope it's going to work...

Hope everyone has lovely weekend plans and hopefully less laundry than me! :-)

Clapham - newly painted walls are really exciting (I think!). But then I'm getting much satisfaction from clearing out my cupboards.

I have been an eating FIEND this morning. Two slices of buttered toast (50% brown bread, 50% butter sliding all over the top), smoked trout, hummus, plum, yoghurt. Feel a bit sick now though...

oooo... clearing out cupboards sounds equally exciting... basically, anything that satisfies the nesting instinct and gets the house "ready"!

I also had a relatively big breakfast (at 10am!) and am planning to have a substantial lunch at 12pm - sod it!

I'm also busier in the summer running a play scheme for 30 5-11 year olds!! Eek!! should be fun though!

I just read that baby can now hear me (24wks today!) so picked up one of the books I've bought for him and read it out loud and he started kicking away like mad, my tummy was bouncing all over the place!! Haha. complete coincidence I'm sure but still made my heart melt!!

Sat in work feeling very down! I have the worse manager i've ever had the dissatisfaction of working for...She is truly awful, all her team keep leaving she is a bitch and a bully. I so desperatly want to leave, however my only other option is to be placed somewhere at heathrow. I am currently 30 mins from where i live (liverpool) however as my base is heathrow this is the only option if i were to leave here! I dread coming into work, although I only do 3 days per week. The other week my manager only spoke to me at 4.30pm she ignored me all day until then. She is like Jekyll and Hyde....The icing on the cake came today when one of the girls informed me we have an instore snitch (the shop is based inside debenhams) who is keeping a check on what time we arrive, leave and take lunch and reporting back to our manager! It feels like i'm at school again. Sorry for the rant, i'm just not used to this bitchy, childish behaviour in my job before starting here. I'm truly lost for words...

Hi everyone, been away AGES!

Had my 20 week scan on Monday and its a girl! So I'll have 2 girls and thats my lot!

havent caught up on all the threads, are you on facebook yet?

had a problem with a bully at work but as of this week (thanks to my persistance and manager) he has been demoted and removed from my work environment completely! Yey

That's funny Roofio because I was at a do last night and there was lots of talking etc then music and lots of kiccking from the sproglet. Seems he or she liked it!

I am also getting these weird tight feelings in the evenings - those of you who've had DC before are these Braxton Hicks?

this sounds awful flyer! But sounds like she is like this with everyone so it's not at all personal? And you don't have to go back there after your maternity leave right? You are back to flying then? Have you tried to count how many working days you actually have left? pseudo's inspired idea from yesterday which made us all feel much better! It feels so much more manageable when you think about it in terms of days. And I went through similar spying when I worked for Samsung in the past... every Friday afternoon President Kim got a print out showing when everyone came in, left etc... it felt terrible. I left after 6 months! So count these days :-)

congrats on your girl notyomomma! very few girls on this thread! And yes, we have a facebook group. gtbaby is our facebook specialist so PM her or me with your real name and I will try to add you! I'm sure I will manage to figure it out.

comtesse yes, this is how they felt for me - like my tummy turned into a stone, very tight and very hard for a few minutes. I started getting them about 3 weeks ago.

45 days in work!! The sooner that comes around the better....Yes claphammama she is like this with everyone, infact i probably get treated a bit better as I used to fly with her so i actually know her, she has changed somewhat over the years though! Thank goodness I can return to my former job pre pregnancy where none of this bitchness happens on my flights....I just like a nice easy work life, no stress or hassles! Roll on day 45 woohoo

by the way, can you balance this spreadsheet a bit with your girl please notyomomma?
docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AidVHHwJSwC3dDU2VzFhWWt1ckg4dW84WkdCNzhOaFE#gid=0

anyone else who is not there?

I am having a very productive day in the office as you can see... :-) I am actually so bored today that I'm considering re-arranging all entries by due date... exciting...!!

I'm a teacher too and cannot wait for the summer! I'm working until 27th September (management jobs on a laptop somewhere rather than having a class) and due on 25th October. Sneaking back for the last 2 weeks of July before being off for the summer on full pay I too am getting far too much enjoyment from sorting out the house and chucking all the clutter out!

Flyer It's a bit like that where I work too sometimes, there's an office mole who snitches you up to the MD, it's ridiculous.

We went to Ikea last night and got a great chair and footstall in place of a proper nursing chair, it's so comfortable. I'll link it up!

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S29900076/

I had a same chair with dd smitten but a cheaper version. It's currently in my bedroom collecting clothes but will be pulled back out for night feeds. Good idea about footstool although I wouldn't fit one in my room.

Jealous of all you's painting your nurseries! Baby will be in with us until we move which will either be march/sept next year!

Sorry to hear about you work situ flyer but at least you got the "counting down till mat leave" game

hello all - haven't posted for ages but have been trying to keep up with everyone's news (though have forgotten most of it!).

Have 50 days left at work - which as I'm finishing 23rd August seems a lot compared to some of you! Am preferring to think of it in terms of Monday's - only 10 Monday morning's left! This thread makes me want to be a teacher - very jealous of your summer hols then going to straight to maternity leave!

Had managed to motivate myself slightly at work (hence not posting for a bit) but after having a disagreement with my boss on Monday (resulting in me crying and walking out of my review - not my most dignified moment!) am back to can't be arsed again .

I was looking at that chair earlier smitten - think I may be investing in one shortly. Didn't bother last time, but was frankly rubbish at staying awake during night feeds when in bed I'm going to give a chair a go this time.

Have to go out tonight and can't be bothered - although sunshine has just come out in West London so feeling slightly more motivated.

Trying to work up the energy to nest - you ladies are putting me to shame with your decorating, purchases and hospital bags!

Is anyone planning on a cheeky private scan in the last few months?

Far too many ! in my post - apologies