February 2014. The cake mix is in the mug, the microwave is on, it's slowly rising and we'll be pinging in three more months!

[Shropshiremummy2B]

Sadly my cake mix is rising too much and resulting in a serious muffin top.

Eeyore deffo get signed off. Legally there's nothing your employer can do if you are signed off by a doctor, whereas they could ask you to cancel annual leave. Also if you're signed off now (think you have more than 11wks until EDD?) then they can't start your ML early. Champagne may correct me but I think I'd you're signed off 11wks or less before EDD they can automatically start paying SMP?

Omg the pics of newborns on FB had me shedding tears of joy/happiness/fear/excitement/anticipation just now! I wish I could fast fwd the next 15wks now, cannot wait to meet my little baby and finally know who she/he is

Just found out another friend is expecting so that makes 4 of us on mat leave at the same time but with 3ish mths between each. Sounds like 2014 will involve much tea and cake!

Am confused about those of you also having anti D injections mentioning blood tests beforehand? All I know is I turn up have the injection then go. Why the need for more blood? Haven't the vampires had enough already?! I think mine is booked for when I'm 30wks so presume I will have more blood taken at 28wk midwife appt?

Totally agree with the others Eeyorish if hr don't help get signed off. Hope tomorrow goes ok. X

Thanks all, you lot are fab

Will talk to hr tmw. I really want to stick at work a few more weeks but I'm not prepared to put baby at risk by getting too stressed.

Yo jazzcat I just get routine bloods at 28 week app, my anti D happens to be later that day just because that I show is booked them.

Hopefully they don't need to be on the system first as no doubt they won't be!

Is it a shoulder injection? Mine is at 4 and I have prego yoga at 7, so I am concerned I might not be in full working order.

I'msorry about the work troubles. Your hr will probs be alarmed when they hear the nonsense your boss is spouting.

Braxton Hicks in the evening are doing my head in. I am averaging 4 a hour with no change on intensity but it still puts me on edge.

Definitely don't blame yourself gnitting, it can happen to anyone. I hope the specialists can put your mind at ease.
eeyore, I would also get signed off if I was struggling with work or the commute. It's not worth the health implications. I have found myself quite bored since I lowered my "work" (just voluntary) load but my SPD symptoms have massively reduced. Good luck with it.
Just heard a story on the BBC from a woman who was left labouring in a normal ward overnight without her partner or medical help. She had to quietly have contractions. How awful. I dread that happening which is why I wanted to go to a birthing unit like I did with ds2 but I can't because of previous seizures. Hopefully that story was just a one off or at least an unusual experience.

Thisis I have quite a lot of Braxton hicks too. They freak me out! I'm convinced I'm going into labour every time.

Jazz I have my 28 week appt at the same time as my anti D so routine bloods unfortunately

Going back to the pregnancy vitamins thing, I wanted to share that this is the brand I was recommended by a nutritionist I saw:
www.amazon.co.uk/Natures-Own-Optimum-Pregnancy-Tablets/dp/B001AGY11C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383898929&sr=8-1&keywords=nature%27s+own+optimum

Thanks julietee for the vitamin reminder!

In return - pelvic floors ladies

Good luck with hr today eeyore.

Midwife this morning. Dh has sternly told me i'm not to use the kitchen measuring jug to decant pee into ridiculously designed narrow topped reused pee pot. Wee covered hands it is... Yeugh.

Ladies who don't have a sample pot - why don't you just ask the receptionist for one when you get to your appointment and produce your sample there?

No reception for the midwives bit at our community hospital - just guess which bit of corridor to sit in and hope for the best!! Have a sample tube all of my own though (nhs luxury!) - might keep the next plastic container we use up though to smooth the process...

Well I had a tiny bit of bleeding this morning, so went to pregnancy assessment unit at hospital. Had internal (yuck) and they can't see where blood came from, some discharge though and wee sample had white blood cells in it, so it's being sent off to lab but said that could be because of the discharge... Had blood sample and they are calling me later today to go back for anti-d because they don't keep anti-d on site, so need to send blood sample to main hospital to process and they will send anti-d back so I don't have to travel to main hospital!

Feel relieved though that I've been checked out!

cubano sorry to hear you've had a bleed. I hope it's nothing serious, do report back on the anti d for us!

First conversation with hr done. Can bring ML forward, and get paid the leave I can't take for work reasons. Both need my boss's signature, so now I'm waiting a call back about what happens if he doesn't play ball. I think I'll plan to start ML on 20 December, which will be 4 weeks earlier than planned at 34 weeks, and get excess annual leave paid. That gives my boss a clear ask from me, that it would be unreasonable to refuse, I think. Then if the commute/stress becomes unbearable before then I can get sick leave.

My midwife has been giving me my sample pots at each appointment to take home in readiness for the next appointment.... I also pee into my TTC wee pot (an old GU pudding pot) to then make pouring into the sample easier...

cubano sorry to hear you've had a crazy morning. Hopefully all ok though - sounds like they aren't too worried? Sympathies for the internal exam... I'm wondering when they start to become normal check ups? I'm dreading my first one - can't see my fanjo to tidy it up at the moment so it's a bit wild down there

Working from home today has so far resulted in extensive MN-ing, online grocery order, Christmas present ordering and I'm still in my pjs. Ooops..

Hope you're ok after your stressful morning cubano

Glad hr were on the ball eeyore and that your boss realises he's got to start meeting your needs as well as his own/the team's for a while. 20th december sounds wonderfully soon now

I didn't expect the internal so was not 'prepared' - luckily had a shower this morning! I had also epilated the upper sides last week, as I can just see there but hadn't been able to tame the rest of the forest - was going to have a wax in the next couple of weeks...

It was just like a smear but faster until right at the end when it hurt a touch - suppose midwives do it a lot more often than nurses do smears so have more practice at doing it faster!

Eeyore glad to hear HR discussion went ok. I still think it's bloody unfair you can't take paid leave but at least you are getting some benefit from it by having pay for what you can't take in time. Careful on the signing off on sick - if you are signed off any time after 29wks then they can automatically start your ML.... so if you are 34wks on 20/12 then that means you can basically only be signed off between today and next Friday (as I think you will be 29wks on 15th Nov?) Champagne am I right?

In my workplace the automatic start to ML when off sick starts at 36 weeks, which is good.

champs I've just sent you a message

Hey everyone,

Gnitting sorry to hear about the GD but at least you know now and it can be monitored so you and baby stay well.

cubano how scary, I hope you are feeling much better now you have had reassurance from hospital. My midwife was really lovely yesterday. She said if anything worries you or you think something is wrong just go straight to the maternity assessment unit. There are so many things we worry about during pregnancy and the midwives are there to make sure all is safe and sound.

misskat I can't believe you are leaking like that. Looks like you will have jugs of milk at the ready for baby. I think I am going to have to write a list of things I will need such as breast pads and nappies etc. I should starte stocking up. How many packs of the first size nappies have people bought? I can't even remember how fast my two grew out of the first size.

Sorry to hear about your stressful morning Cubana. Same checks as I got when had bleeding earlier in pregnancy and all was fine.

Eeyorish - glad hr have some sense. Let's hope your manager goes along with it - I'm sure they'll guide him to make the right decision!