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.

Morning
Have just had my 25 week check up and all well. She is the right size with a good heart beat. Laura spoke to doc about placenta and she said they very often move as things grow. And Durk she agreed with you that it's good to know these things. And yes good to see a glimpse of baby at 32 weeks too!

Fabulous night last night.
Fast asleep at 9.30, to Ping! Wide awake at 3.30. Woke DH up ad we were just starting to enjoy ourselves when DD comes in "mummy I weed in my bed" agghhhh. Gone a passionate moment in exchange for changing a pee-soaked bed. The joys of small children!!!

I also wake up lots in the night with my hip in agony. I reckon I'm not getting more than a straight hour at the moment.

Not needing to get up for the loo at night at the moment - anyone else?

Baby is quiet - no proper kick sessions for a few days. Is that common for anyone else - a few quiet days in a row?

Whoput Argh, I know about the ninja cramps. I had a terrible one the other night and my calf is still so sensitive and it hurts to go down stairs. Stupid cramps.

I'm tired, slightly ill, I have a dirty house and I'm SO pissed off with my fucking neighbours' fucking pond filter system, which pours water from a hose into their pond from a height of about 2 feet 24/7 and is loud enough to hear through double glazing. I like to sleep with the window cracked and it drives me nuts - I can't believe the selfishness, the lack of consideration that would lead them to think it's ok to subject people who did not choose this noise to it relentlessly. I really.... the mind boggles. The equivalent would be me buying a clump of badly made wind chimes and sticking a fan on them 24/7 and going - it's a relaxing noise! How could you not like it! I'm sure they're alright people apart from that, but I HATE them a lot.

Littlest I am in awe - you woke up randomly at 3:30am, woke your DH up and DTD?! Wow, that's dedication. I fear our days of such romance won't return until sometime next spring/summer! Total pain about your DD wetting the bed though and ruining the moment. Thankfully potty training is a way off for us with DS (he's 20 months so hoping to tackle next summer/autumn) - doesn't sound like much fun!

Just thought I'd share a maternity/nursing bra recommendation for the small-of-boob. I'm normally pretty flat-chested but last time, as soon as my milk came in a few days after the birth I looked/felt like I'd had a ridiculous boob job and because of my continued over-supply issues, it stayed that way for many months. Anyway, I can highly recommend the Elle MacPherson maternity/nursing bras. Have already started wearing my two from last time around - they're so comfy and actually look attractive too, bonus. Just treated myself to a couple more from Figleaves and found a code for 10% off, plus one of them was only £14 in the sale so hope they fit.

I’ve just got back to work from my 24 week midwife appointment, all went well apart from the fact that she noticed I had some white blood cells in my wee but didn’t do anything about it because I have no other symptoms. Is this normal? Has it happened to anyone else? Now I’m going to be stressing out over my wee until my next appointment.

I got my dates wrong yesterday, I’ve been totally taken over by baby brain now. 25 weeks today!

Aargh - bloody colleague just annoyed me by sidling up and saying "so, when are you back next year?" It was a completely innocent question because he's got an idea for a September 2014 project which I guess he'd have liked me to be involved in but I just feel really sensitive about it and am determined to protect my right to have people assume I'll take the full year. Basically, I don't plan to work in 2014 AT ALL. That is a brilliant thought!

tinypolkadot I would try not to worry about the wee thing (easier said than done I know) - I'm sure if it was a real concern, your midwife would have sent it off to be analysed. Great to be 25 weeks - jealous. I'm still stuck at 22+5, want it to speed up!

champagne I need your advice re pension contributions and salary sacrifice benefits during maternity leave!

I will be getting an enhanced company maternity pay for weeks 1-26 then SMP for the final 13 wks.

I have asked my company HR and they have said in italics:

Pension deductions will continue whilst you still receive income from the company but will then cease. You will remain part of the scheme though and the deductions will start again on your return to work.

Q: Does this mean they will deduct employee contributions from SMP? If not, will they continue to make employer contributions?

With regards to the critical life assurance, the deductions will be made as normal whilst you are receiving an income, and then the company will continue with them.

Q: Again, does this mean my SMP will be subject to deductions for this cover?

I am trying to work out my finances and if they are going to deduct pension and CI cover from SMP then it could mean I need to return to work sooner!

Littlest I'm extremely impressed by your nocturnal activity levels, despite the interruptions!

Proper preggo rage moment this morning. MIL emailed to say she's got me a voucher for a specific treatment at the local beautician for a present. My first thought wasn't "how kind and thoughtful of her, I'm really lucky to have such a good MIL" it was "but I wanted to use it for a bikini wax!" and commenced sulking immediately. Not only am I a terrible person, I am expressing my rage in the manner of a 6 year old. And not.a very nice one at that

On the plus side, I appear to have more annual leave left than I thought so only have 10 working weeks left. Which is useful because I'm also directing preggo rage at my boss, colleagues and anyone else who suggests I might need to, you know, do some work aka the job im paid good money to do this week.

Hi Ladies,
Just a quick question, I need your thoughts.

The lady I sit next to in the office (our desks are joined so very close proximity) was off last week with "a virus". She is insisting that she is still very ill, but had to come in because she doesn't want to let everyone down. (We were fine without her!) I haven't had a flu jab yet and expressed my concerns to her this morning.. I really don't think she should be back at work especially sitting next to me!!

What do you think? Am I overreacting? I've read lots of horror stories about how the flu can cause complications in pregnancy such as miscarriage, and although I'm sure that is highly unlikely, I'm really annoyed that she's back at work when she claims to be "soooooo ill" ...

Feeling a bit worried

Hope - I'm the same. When I was pregnant with dd one of my colleagues came into work full of flu because he claimed he couldn't risk taking too much sick leave. I went mad with him and told him how selfish it was to bring his germs to work particularly when he knew I was preg! He quickly went home again. Hope the germ heads home otherwise just keep your distance - maybe request to work from home if possible. X

Thanks Champagne for the advice on CCV. I won't say anything to my employer just yet.
Welcome to all the newbies, hope you are settled in well, to be honest this is the most friendliest forum I have ever come across.
February fever rock on

Hope you are right to be worried. Your colleagues apparent martyrdom is very selfish. She probably has a cold rather than flu (I hate when people say they have flu when it's a cold!) but it's entirely miserable having a cold when pg. can you talk to someone senior and ask to work from home if your colleague insists on staying? Or move desks at least?

Thanks Sassy, the germ said she went to the doctor on Thursday and was diagnosed with this "virus" so I'm going to ask a few more questions about which virus she has and if she says its Flu I'm going to request that either she is sent home or I am!!

I know this is a little bit OTT but it's pretty selfish. If she admits that it's just a cold I'll stop being such a nag

Hi Libee :) thanks for the welcome

*it's

Damn, even if she admitted it was it a cold I'd still be donning a gas mask and hissing at her to back off, but then I really really suffered with my last cold! Completely floored me as I had zero sleep without decongestants and so just couldn't function.

You're not overreacting, Hope. You should definitely tell your boss that either she stays home or you work from home, that it's a health and safety thing etc.

hope I would be fuming, if she is tht ill it's irresponsible to be in the office... tiny i would just watch how you feel and if you gey symptoms at all then go bk fpr testing and if nec make them send it off for culturing. Very much of the opinion that we're preggo so can be demanding

Julietee bean went quiet last week, which was horrible. She's back on party form now and had me up at five this morning gr

Thanks Winter :)

Julietee I had a bit of a wobble about Bean's activity levels after I had the flu jab, so started making a note every time I felt anything, and was pleasantly surprised to find way more smaller movements than I'd previously consciously noted. Also the RCOG recommends lying down on your left hand side and counting the kicks for 2 hours - any number over 10 is a healthy and happy number. Below is a link to the whole pdf which is useful, not too scary to read and from a good source!

www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/Your%20Baby's%20Movements%20in%20Pregnancy_0.pdf

Got the best news ever today (well after my bfp obvs) - my parents have accepted an offer on their house and are hoping to move near me just after christmas, which means that they will be here before dc2 arrives. I know it may sound hugely selfish but I am so excited to have someone to palm ds off to and some help with dc2 on the days that dh has to work away. Its part of the reason why my parents are moving, plus a career change for dm. Off now to stalk rightmove...

Just marking my place on here and trying to catch up with all the news.

Got my 25 wk mw appt tomorrow and hoping all is ok. Feeling low with a horrible cold and not much sleep. Glad I work from home but it is one of the downsides that it's much easier to drag yourself to your desk when you're ill!

24 + 6 today
31 working days to go
2 much chocolate

Thanks everyone; I took your advice and went to HR. I get on really well with my HR director and she's constantly banging on about how I need to have a risk assessment done so that gave me the perfect opportunity to address the first risk: ILL COLLEAGUE!
My initial approach was "genuine concern for The Germ's wellbeing" then I laid it on really thick about the dangers of flu and viruses to pregnant women.
Everyone must be rolling their eyes at me but I honestly don't care.

Thanks for your support

pettyprudence that's fantastic news about your parents - how far away do they currently live? I wish mine were nearer. They're about a 1hr20min drive away and are super keen to be involved but in reality they're too far to help for the odd hour or two, or at short notice. It'll be such a great help when you have two little ones.

Hope good work speaking to HR - what did they say about The Germ?

Right, seeing as everyone else here is counting down, I've just totted it up: 39 working days to go. Wow - that sounds like nothing! Yay!

thanks lovestobake and winter I'm sure it'll be fine, I'll just keep an eye on it and drink plenty of fluids. I've read white blood cells increase in your wee when you're pregnant anyway, so maybe that's what it is.

Anyone else getting a really numb bum when sat for too long? It won't be long before I'll be bringing the cushions in!

Thanks for the link gnitting I've been wondering about how to measure movement, and mw said I should be feeling something daily so this is good to have something to refer to!