January 2014 (Thread 11) - We demand answers like what to pack in our bags and who stole our energy?

[Toothfairy78]

OK before we start... SQUEEEZE!

And begin!

Sorry not caught up properly but Frizz sorry you're having such a problem with work. I've finally managed to pin my boss down with a plan because I warned him that whilst I plan to stay tiil Christmas there is talk about inducing me if a problem is detected at any of these scans so may suddenly disappear! That freaked him a little. Cockwomble colleague was surprised when I said I only have 7 weeks left, he thought I was staying till mid-January even though that is my due date!!!

Space glad you now have a date. Wishing you all the best with the plans. I hope the PM has answered your questions.

madrat how are you feeling this morning? Hope you slept well.
space, you are amazing! Hope the time until the funeral passes peacefully and you are able to relax and get some me time, or me and DH time!
tarka thanks for the excellent BFing advice... I think you are going to be our guru!
frizz my mat cover has messed itself up too (i say messed itself, that's probably being too easy on cockwomble boss). The person who was going to do the majority of my cover has got a new job. We were also offering my assistant some of the hours as a promotion to give him the opportunity to develop, but now the bosses have decided to cut his hours as my assistant so it's debatable whether he'll want to stay just for the hours within my role. We are restructuring, and my boss's job is more vulnerable than mine, so I think she's going to try and steal all the interesting parts of my job while I'm off. I know my job is guaranteed while I'm off but that doesn't stop her nicking the most interesting bits as long as I come back on the same salary/ responsibilities etc. On top of the no mat policy, no RA, messing up my annual leave and general lack of acknowledgement of me being pregnant it pretty much sucks and it's hard not to let it stress me out. On the plus side, I've negotiated not to take on any new projects before I go, so I just have some ends to tie up, events to run, and then hopefully plenty of time to write a comprehensive handover, even if there's no one to hand it to apart from cockwomble boss.
Sorry for the boring rant guys...
Hope you all have good days...
X

I need some very trivial advice. Was planning on buying my pram today (uppababy vista) and was going to get it in red because that was the colour I preferred in Kiddicare. I can save £60 on the red, but I've now seen it in green which I prefer more but i can't get a discount on that colour. Is it silly paying more because of the colour?? Trivial I know!!!

Some of your bosses sound like nightmares! I hope they all pull their fingers out soon and everything gets sorted so the last few months are stress free :)

I'm another one who thinks you're amazing space! Will be thinking of you next week, I hope you have lots of support and someone to tell your MIL where to go if she tries to make it about her!

Today I'm completely exhausted. My only plan is to make Halloween biscuits for DH and his work mates (most of whom are big kids!)

nature I have the same problem! The pram I like is on sale in most colours except the one I want! I think if you can easily afford the colour you love then get it, if money's a bit tight it might be best to get the cheaper one.

nature, Winstanley Pramworld has both colours here for the same price. Our Stokke was cheaper from here than anywhere else, with really fast free delivery.

nature we bought the car seat in the colour we preferred but was more expensive. It won't make a difference but you will use it a lot and I'd rather have something I like :)

Also, the green is lovely, IMO.

I woke with calf cramp last night - oweeee - has anyone else been suffering all along with this? First time for me and I hope not the start of things to come...

I also officially look massive. Had a committee meeting last night and everyone's jaw pretty much hit the floor when they saw me. Another 11 weeks to go...I just can't see where the baby is going to fit.

I have a consultant appt tomorrow instead of the 28 midwife check - and they'll do bloods and jags. So that's all ok. Only problem will be having a 3 yr old and a 4.5 yr old in the room with me...

Frizz and MrsA sounds as though you are having a similar day to mine! Just found out my bosses are even more Cuntpuffiny that I ever thought possible! The main person who is covering me, who I spent all last week training and will continue to suppport until I go off, while still tieing up a million and one loose ends and working shitty hours to get it all done, told me this morning that they have basically said to her they expect her to make significant changes to the way things are currently run and if she doesn't they won't be happy! When they advertised the job, they didn't say any of this (and it's the first I am frickin hearing of it too - as far as I was aware they were very happy with the way I run things, as when I have had appraisals that is what they have told me every time!). I am sooooo pissed off also because I have pulled them out of the shit on so many occasions I have lost count, including working all the hours physically possible and not claiming them back (which I wish I bloody had now!!!)

The way they have gone about finding my cover has also been very calculated and I am also thinking that if I do go back after a year full time (which I am not sure I will yet), that they will keep the current person in my post and find me something else or make me redundant.... (They have done this before).... If I want to go back part-time there will probably be very few options also. I was dreading going back before I knew all of this, but now the thought fills me with absolute dread! A big part of me thinks "great, make me redundant - give me a big frickin pay out and let me go....!"

I am absolutely fuming - they are sooooo frickin ungrateful for everything I have been through and done for them and this is the thanks I get. I obviously can't say anything to them either as my colleague told me this in confidence! Fuckers!

Sorry ladies - rant over! Now, where did I put my giant stash of chocolate???

Thanks ladies. The cheaper online price makes it £33 difference which is better. I do prefer it as the red isn't really me. I did buy the car seat in red (which I know doesn't matter) but wondering whether to swop it for the black! I think I'll pay the extra for the green. I was happy with the red until I saw the green! So much more me and would be suitable for girl or boy (thinking to the future!)

How much is it from Kiddicare, nature?

it's £629.99 but I should be able to get 10% off so £566.99.

Bargain!

I think my issue is it is way more than I was anticipating paying for a pram (but we both loved it) so just trying to keep the cost as low as possible. But if I buy it in a colour I'm not happy with for the sake of £30 I know I'll regret it!

nature do it! First child gets everything brand new, spanky clean, in the best colours. Second makes do. By the time you have a third, everything is broken so you buy complete tat second hand to 'get on by'. Once upon a time I had a Bugaboo. Now I have a £5 no rain cover, no basket, no brake, no reclining seat, shit, push chair. But it.will.do.

I've had most other stuff second (third/fourth) hand so this is really the only new thing we are buying so I suppose I shouldn't quibble! Tempted to change the colour of the car seat now as well! Dh is going to think I'm mental haha!

Really feel for you all with cuntpuffin bosses. I remember counting down the hours til maternity leave with dd. This time my boss is a dictatorial toddler so no maternity leave as such but at least I get a lunchtime nap (sometimes).

Mythree I've been getting cramp in my feet and legs. It's normally when dh steals all the duvet. I've started wearing bed socks which helps a bit but I think sleeping with socks on makes me have more anxiety dreams as I overheat so debating bringing the spare duvet up so we have one each.

My boss was once a dictatorial toddler too. In the form of a mid-50s woman :o

Oh sultana that's very sucky. I've been amazed at how many of us have had crappy experiences with our employers. Maybe I'll care less once baby comes but my career is really important to me, and even just going on leave and having to sort child care disadvantages us without all the other crap. Sigh.

Hi everyone, just found this thread!

Am due 11th January and don't know anyone around me who is having a baby as well, really nice to just read throught the posts & see what symptoms people have been having, struggles at work trying to sort out Mat leave & generally feeling knackered!

Has everyone sorted out ante-natal classes?
Am feeling v disorganised!
Me & OH are planning to attend the hospital ones late November...am still dithering about doing NCT!

Most women have said to me it's more about making friends with people in the same position as you, kind of like paying for mates...but I'm thinking that the £200 or more could be put to much better use!

mrsa and sultana can't believe your bosses either!!!
Sometimes you really want to just tell them where to shove it and that you won't be wasting your time coming back but then you know you have to be nice to try and get the best deal on your return if you do come back.

nature you should go for it if you can afford it. I kinda wish we had been able to go out and enjoy picking a pram, but maybe we'll be the ones buying new for our second instead of our first. And to be honest its really not that much price difference for the colour you want. In the grand scheme of baby spending it is a drop in the ocean!

Frizz, MrsA and Sultana FFS your cuntdonkey bosses are ridiculous. They really need massive kicks up their collective behinds. I am VERY good at kicking - could work on a pro bono basis, if you like?

To be fair to mine (cuntdonkey boss), he was great the past few days, promised to cover everything if I couldn't make my Friday deadline (I can, phew) and told me to stay with DH as long as I needed. I guess all bastards have a heart!

nature get the colour you like. You have to push it around, every day for up to two years, maybe longer. It's worth it - work out the per day cost

welcome and congrats amandine

I have gone to NCT classes and am really enjoying them. It is a lot of money and to be honest I went to make friends and although everyone is lovely, people don't seem to be keen on meeting afterwards just yet. There is still time though. I am quite shy and think maybe others will meet up and it's just that I am not putting myself out there enough.
Its great to meet people in RL who are going through the same things as you. It can be a bit of a giggle and I am still glad that we have gone for them as our NHS ones don't start until November and if they arent good itll be too late to go to any others.