February 2014 - the one where we start to find out if we're team pink or blue!

[jazzcat28]

So I used the magic 1000th post in the last thread... ooops

Misskat - my manager did my risk assessment along with someone for hr. We're then supposed to have regular catch ups to check I'm ok.

Jazz - hope it all works out ok for your dh. X

MissKat, I mentioned the tennis ball trick over the weekend but I think it was missed. If you can't get at the painful bit sitting down, try doing it upright against a wall. That's really working for me at the moment.

Had such a heartwarming moment at work today. I've been trying to keep my baby news to myself until after tomorrow when I've had the 20 week scan. However, I did wonder if students and colleagues were guessing.
So I was teaching my nightmare Year 11s, who were being very good at the time, when one of the boys said 'so, Miss, will you be teaching us right until the end of Year 11?' and I said 'No'. Then the class erupted into 'Congratulations's and 'I knew it!'s and lots of questions about babies! It was so lovely!
After break I had Year 8, and the younger brother of one of the Year 11s entered the room calling 'Congratulations Miss! Are you really pregnant?', which resulted in lots of cheers, congrats and questions from Year 8.
Entering the staff room at lunch I was greeted with 'so you're the talk of the school'... so the cat is well and truly out of the bag - one day before the scan! But in the loveliest of ways. I think I'll remember that for a long time to come!

ch that's lovely, your kids sound lovely!

I'm wanting to eat all the filo doodahs on bake off, they look yummy.

Eeyore that must be so annoying that he hasnt done anything yet, grrrr!

Thanks jazzcat - ill go and see someone to try and sort it out tomorrow. I hope things work out okay for your DH - it must be so stressful for you both x

Sorry my phone app just did a weird repost! Thanks vix - just had a go with the tennis ball and I think it definitely helped. Was quite sore to do but that means its working I'm sure!

Ch - that's so sweet about your classes so happy they were all so lovely! Good luck at the scan tomorrow too.

Jealous of all the cakes in mugs. No microwave here!!

Ah i've got a tear in my eye catching up on the thread. Some lovely posts. Sorry some of you are feeling rough in different ways.
Champagne, yes I can't stand up for long without getting dizzy. I was stopped at work to be introduced to a new colleague last week and had to stop her mid introduction and just stopped myself fainting.
A first for me today - a colleague who definitely didn't know I was pregnant noticed my bump and asked me how many weeks I am.

I also spoke to payroll about childcare vouchers and they definitely will keep paying them when I'm on smp. I get 6 weeks 90% (smp), 12 weeks 50%+smp, 18 weeks smp. So they'll be deducted from my pay only in the 12 weeks that I'm on 50%. I've done some rough calculations and even taking into account that paying the vouchers takes my gross pay down I still should be better off by receiving the vouchers - particularly the longer I have off. so thanks for the advice.

I'd rather not reveal where I'm from if that's ok? I don't really want to attract stalkers.

Oh. Shit.

hahaha that was meant to say BUMP! :p embarrassed

Shropshire

South coast gal here so anywhere north of Reading considered ooop north...

Shropshire

Eeyore you must be due the same day as me, and our scans are the same day too

I'm from Lincoln...so the middle ish so if you all want to meet at my house with your cakes I don't mind trying them all for you. Tough job but someone has to do it.

vix we don't have a microwave either, it's currently creeping up the list of things to acquire and soon!

Hi champagne. Yes, sorry if I didn't explain myself. They will deduct them during the 12 weeks I'm on 50%+smp as the 50% part isn't smp. So for exams if I take 6 months mat leave they pay them for three months and
I pay them for three months therefore only just breaking even when i weigh it up against the lower gross pay. But if I took say 9 months then I still only pay myself for the three months I'm on 50% and they would pay six months therefore I'm making a profit ( in voucher form).

Apologies for a voucher bore!

Example

'apologies for being a voucher bore'
More haste less speed

wow I missed so much!! been working loads and by the time i'm done then commuted home im too tired! sorry to hear people are still not feeling great I thank my lucky stars every day that I've not had sickness, I had a colleague last year that was admitted to hospital over 10 time because of HG and still managed to work inbetween......I don't know how she did it!
ages ago someone put a link on here of how to measure for bras properly now I can't find it would you post again? my boobs just keep growing, they really didn't need to I had ample before!!! but thankfully not sore anymore, im going to try bravissimo this time as decided my old faithful M& are useless!! So how do I join the FB group?
litleen...your itchy bump (bum) really made me laugh I thought you were being very revelling!

Morning all,

The childcare vouchers thing confuses me - a teacher friend said I could get them paid throughout my mat leave but it must depend on mat pay entitlement, as I only get the standard 6 weeks at 90% and then SMP, hers will be more generous. Too confusing.

I watched Midwives last night - with my nearly 3 yr old DD! She's normally a great sleeper but just wouldn't get to sleep last night, so I told her to come downstairs with me to watch it until Daddy got home from work. She was excited to watch the 'babies coming out of mummies tummies' programme. Then I realised it would be a bit gory and I probably shouldn't let her watch it! So I just flicked over to football when they did the sections! But she wasn't squeamish at all and was fascinated that the babies came out 'messy'. I was so emotional watching it though, the poor baby that needed an operation straight away. Then when DD saw the baby having a cuddle with her mummy she said 'Babies like to be with their mummies, they don't like it when they're at work' - cue me bursting into tears but trying not to make DD upset! Can I blame the hormones? I then explained to her why mummy and daddy have to work for money blah blah and she said she wasn't sad when we're at work. She doesn't see herself as a baby anymore. Anyway it was lovely to watch it with her as it got us talking her little brother or sister in my tummy And we both had a nice lie in this morning.

Durk - you should be able to find a thread on Style and Beauty about bras, there's always one running. Essentially you measure around your ribcage under your boobs and that's your back size measurement, no adding anything. If it's an odd number you may want to try sizes below and above. then you dangle over and measure around the fullest bit of your boobs. Then you work out the difference between that and your back size, each inch is a cup size. So 1 inch diff is an A, 2" is a B and so on. It's a starting point for sizes as each brand can be a bit different, but Bravissimo should fit you much better than old fashioned M&S!

LittlePanda I now have tears in my eyes from reading your post about watching Midwives with your DD - so cute! My 18mo DS is obsessed with tummies in general (is prone to showing his off in public and then insisting in seeing mine so he can poke my tummy button, not the best!) so I've been encouraging to give my bump a kiss and say 'baby' which is pretty cute. I appreciate he has no clue what it means but makes me smile!

So it seems that bump day is also puke day. I've gone my longest ever without being sick in the morning - a whole week, them randomly puked violently as soon as I got up this morning. Hey ho, at least it's way less frequent.

Is this the link you're looking for?

thebetterbracampaign.blogspot.co.uk/p/fitting-advice.html?m=1

Champagne/any others still being sick at night - inspired by all the hot chocolate love I've been drinking hot choc (made with milk) just before going to bed some nights. Out of last 3 nights, the 2 I had the drink I didn't puke during the night, t'other one I did. Completely anecdotal but I was wondering if perhaps having a big protein fix just before sleep helps blood sugar regulate overnight and reduces nausea? Maybe worth a try if you can stomach it?

LittlePanda that's so sweet! I love reading everyone's stories of their DCs - makes me so excited to have these kinds of chats :)

Seeing the doctor today about pukey blood, it's a different one to usual so hope s/he is sympathetic...

I'm norther than north - Scotland! Also without microwave and that syrup sponge pud in a mug looked bloody divine.

thank you thats it and thank you littlepanda too. looking forward to getting something that actually fits and might flatter rather than the uncomfortable boulder holders I'm currently in!!!
sorry I'm so far behind all of the chats going on it my seem random the bits I start adding!! Also love the bake off...how hard are custard tarts to make!! we're having a bake off at work in Oct judged by last years real winner!! what shall I make??
just off to watch Allan Carr chatty man being filmed...hopefully will be fun!

Just caught up on my Wednesday morning ritual of Bake Off followed by Midwives... I think I'm going to reverse them next time though so I can dry my eyes thinking about cakes.

Speaking of which, another London based person here - thinking less about (eating) cake and more about the savouries, as apparently I'm a hot ticket for gestational diabetes and all I'm craving is a freshly fried, warm doughnut. (wonders if a doughnut, cut into slices and eaten over two days, would be a problem?)

Anyone else getting really pink cheeks? It's not all the time, or when I'm active, or relating to food, and I've already changed my toiletries to "hyper sensitive" so I don't think it's my moisturiser. I spent a couple of days at Mum's, and she kept saying "ooh you've got lovely rosy cheeks, you're glowing" but I'm not sure it's a good thing! I know it isn't rosacea, or high blood pressure, but am now fretting. It seems to be one of those absolutely normal symptoms that could also be something awful...(and in the grand scheme of things far less debilitating or uncomfortable than what a lot of you ladies are going through, so that's meant to be a very small complaint, not a huge moan!)