The PESH are waddling their way to Christmas & trying not to freak out!

[FrankelInFoal]

The ante-natal fred for BESH graduates.

Recent Grads (aka CRESH)

blonderthanred, boy, born 26th October 2012
FriendofDorothy, boy, born 14th December 2012
QueenRollo, boy, born 21st January 2013
LazyMachine (38) boy EDD 9/2/13 - need an actual arrival date!
CamelKnees (34) EDD 22/04/2013 - need actual arrival date!
HaveALittleFaith (31), Faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
fertilityFTW (34) arrival date needed!
pinkr, (33), girl born 25th August 2013
Jethro (36) boy born 23rd September 2013

Waiting to lay:
Noks - EDD 28/12/2013
Frankel - EDD 4/3/2014
Sinky - EDD 18/3/2014
Ginfox - EDD end April 2014
Kat - EDD needed
Drizz - EDD 7/6/2014
Draf - EDD 19/6/2014
Winks - EDD 29/6/2014

Apologies for any misinformation or omissions!

They're not obliged but it's a bit of a snub Frank. Like you say, they could give you more mat leave and still save money. Sometimes I should be more grateful for what the NHS gives me!

I've spoken to my boss and feel a bit better now. Managed not to cry which is something!

She said she was completely on my side and understood my disappointment as she had tried to push for them to give me a bit extra. But at the end of the day they decided that SMP was generous enough (ha!). She did say she'd relay my comments to them and hoped that they would at least understand how I feel. One thing she has sorted out is KIT days which she has insisted be paid at my usual daily rate. They've built 10 days into my mat leave to be used at any time, plus I'm keeping my full pension entitlement and will get any pay rise that is agreed whilst I am off.

HWHNN called me at work and I had a bit of a cry down the phone at him, he was very understanding and told me everything would be fine. Bless, he's a keeper!

Frank what they've given you is the legal minimum - exactly the same as where I work. The 10 paid KIT days are a legal requirement too. You're right to be miffed. SMP sucks. It's one of the reasons I'm thinking of going back at 6 months. I cannot cope without my 'own' money!

I hadn't realised the KIT day pay was a legal minimum

She also said she'll make sure that the holiday I've not used this year is paid to me. Normally we're not allowed to carry holiday over from one year to the next, but she's going to make an exception for me to make sure I get some extra money.

Anyway, HWHNN and I are going to crunch some numbers over the weekend so we can work out how it will pan out.

Thanks for listening to me whine, I know I sound like a right princess!

In Guernsey we have no legislation at all around maternity leave/pay etc. They are free to do what they want. Fortunately I work for a good employer but most people aren't so lucky.

The holiday thing is not a favour it is also the law! They can make you take it at the beginning or end of your leave rather than paying you for it, but everyone olis entitled to the leave they would have accrued whilst on maternity leave. I think they were going to try and pull a fast one on you until you complained and now they are pretending to be all generous when in fact you are just getting what you are entitled to.

that said, the majority of people in the private sector only get the minimum. Civil service is where differs need to be working!

Sorry Kat I should haven clearer, the holiday they're going to pay me extra for is from my 2013 holiday allocation. Normally we are not allowed to carry holiday over from one year to the next, it's a "use it or lose it" policy. My boss is going to get them to pay me for my unused 2013 days, as well as the few 2014 days I won't use up. I'm taking Feb off as holiday but that still leaves me with 8 days of unused holiday that they need to pay me for. I think I've got about 5/6 days from my 2013 allocation that I've not managed to fit in so it's those days that I'll get as an extra.

I'm lucky that I get a generous holiday allowance - 28 days plus bank holidays!

You're right though, we all need to go civil service!

Oh PESH. I was back at the midwives today.

I'm now 6cm too big. Scan on Wednesday.

My urine is clear, and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing at my booking they decided I don't need a GGT just because I'm PCOS. So they don't think I've got GD (but bloods being done next week and I'm going to get a random glucose at work tomorrow if I can)

20week scan was fine. All 50-75 centile. Liquor volm normal.

I'm worried.

What's GGT? The glucose test? Fingers crossed everything is fine - which is still more likely than anything else. My friend had gestational diabetes and it had no effect on the baby at all - she had to alter her diet during the pregnancy, but that was all. There are all sorts of reasons why the measurement could be different to expected, try not to panic :)

I've been trying to book my 16 week appt, but irritatingly I turn 16 weeks on 2nd Jan; the midwives are only in one Wednesday every fortnight, and won't be in on 1st Jan because of the bank holiday. The surgery has no clue whether she'll be in on 8th or 15th Jan, so I have to wait until next Weds (when she's in again) to see if they have any idea what's going on. I suppose it's the shortage of midwives rearing it's head.

In better news, I got the Down's screening result today: low risk :)

GTT, not GGT, sorry! Glucose tolerance test. I know measuring uterine height is inaccurate, but it's harder to convince myself of that wen it's me ad my bump...

Glad downs screening was low risk draff. I've has similar problems. I'm 28 weeks on Christmas Eve. Up till now I'd been told I might have them delayed. I'm now booked in as an extra after today...

If its any consolation, provided you're feeling well, the 16 week appt is pretty pointless. A bit of "how are you?" They dip your wee/take your bp then check you have a anomaly scan date and off you go. But it is irritating, isn't it?

That point didn't make much sense... My 28 week bloods were going to be delayed, but now aren't.

Sheesh.

What a palaver... Sink, I have had two GD scares already and am trying to be calm... At 12+2 it measured 95%, my first blood test was slightly high for glucose, second was okay. Then I had glucose in my wee last Monday, but nice and low blood sugar, as I found out after the GP wipped me in. I thought I had a uti... I didn't! Anyhow, you're not alone!

sinks sorry for the stupid question, but if they're not too worried about gd, then what other problems does having a bigger than expected bump cause? Is it just that they think the baby might be a bit big? They surely can't be that worried or they'd be sending you for a growth scan surely? Maybe baby is just well stretched out. Sympathies, its bloody stressful.

Scan on wed winks. It's probably nothing really, just a big bump. But if its polyhydramnious (too much fluid) it can be a problem with baby/his bowel.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing... (Uni and prev paeds jobs..)

Oh Sinks I'm sorry you've had a scare. Could it be that baybee was in a funny position and made your bump larger than normal?

Had my 28wk appointment today, Glucose test came back fine but I've got to repeat the blood group/antibody test again as the nurse who took the bloods marked the sample up as incorrectly labelled - I said after the appointment that she was muttering about midwives not doing their paperwork properly! Today's midwife said the nurse was talking rubbish as all the midwives hand write their blood test requests. I sense a turf war between the nurses and midwives!

I'm starting to get a few painful twinges in my lower back and across my bum, hoping it's not a sign of anything like SPD.

Hey sinks I measured 30cm at 30 Weeks and 40 at 32! Got diagnosed with polyhydramnios after scan and they suspected the cause would be gd. I'd had fasting blood done at 27 week which was fine but the gtt at 34 Weeks showed gd. Apparently it's the most common cause of polyhydramnios but I worried myself silly about the baby kidneys bowel etc. I diet controlled as want diagnosed till 34 Weeks. If you have gd they will want to induce you...I was told if I needed insulin then they'd do it at 37 Weeks...if bloods were ok then due date which is what happened. Little pink needed done blood tests on the first 24 hours but all was fine. The gd was an unexpected thing...i'm not over weight, no risk factors etc bit just one of those things. We got growth scans...the predicted big, 9lb but she was 8lb 2.
I'm no expert but I was where you are not that long ago ..any questions let me know

Thanks Pinkr. Did you have glucose in your urine? I'd assumed all was well as my dips have all been totally clear, but now I'm wondering if I might have slightly high blood levels that just aren't high enough to appear in my urine (yet?)

I've no risk factors except pcos (and it seems that that, independently from weight, is debatable as a rf)

frank, sorry about the bloods! Blood group bloods are a nightmare to label though, have to be handwritten, no corrections and extra details we don't bother with for any other samples - mistakes galore! Unfort, not just awkward- I've had to go back for several measurements and I've gone from 3 to 4 to 6cm too big.

It's just taken the wind out of my sails a bit. A few days ago we were buying blackout curtains for the baby's room, we'd picked a cot and pram and we're off o test drive cars this weekend. And now I've been booked for an "abnormal growth scan"

But I'll get over myself now. PMA.

Infuriating, frank! As someone who has done tests on blood samples, though, handwritten labels are the worst. So far my midwife's handwriting has already failed - she filled out my prescription exemption form, I sent it off, then had to call and get them to redo it with the correct spelling of my name...

Try not to panic, sinks, they're only scanning to be safe rather than sorry. I can understand feeling anxious, though.

I had glucose once but the test came back negative and no more was said until I measured big Weeks later

Did an almost fasting/post swig of orange juice glucose at work this morning - 4.9. So hopefully GD isn't a problem.

Urgh. Just feel anxious. Must get sensible, none catastrophizing brain into action...

My fasting sugars were usually 3.5 first thing in morning. Could shot to 9 after some food but I usually kept in the zone. Had to test before each meal and keep my levels between 4 and 6,

er... I had a surprise BFP today. Random.

Yay Dor

Congratulations again :) sending fanjo glue for no scares this time and a stress free nine months

Thanks. Could do without any drama this time!