January 2015 Thread #9 - Crossing legs and fingers for the final stretch!

[KateTheHuman]

Welcome to the third trimester ladies!

Stats here

Very impressed with swim madrigals !

I am wondering about trying t8 do more to find a rl pn group but put off by having to do it dutch. Unusually I am the only pg woman at school right now!

33w today and feeling it.

I am not as mother earthy as any of my friends. I have mentioned it previously, but I did not get a rush of love like some people say post birth. I did however feel fiercely protective and would have done anything for baby. Different people feel love in different ways. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to feel anything - it does all come

Wow 26lengths!
I bought 2 swimming costumes in august and haven't even got them out of the packet!!!
Might go swimming in December when on mat leave... Or maybe not!

'Know yourself' is excellent advice, Rum, and probably applicable to many baby-related quandries!

I think I'll stick with just my pg yoga for now. Once baby is here, I'll switch to baby yoga, and our borough is excellent for offering free groups and drop-in sessions and things, so I think I'll try some of those out if I'm feeling lonely. It's good to know NCT offer some things to non-members, as the price really puts me off their courses, though I wouldn't rule out post-natal NCT if I do end up feeling isolated.

We should soon have a car I can actually drive, which will mean seeing my mum and sister, as well as friend with a little one who lives a bit further away, will become much easier too.

To be honest, there's so much to get sorted before baby arrives that my post-baby social life is just not even really on my radar that much right now!

madrigals I'm glad baby has turned! I have to idea where mine is now though? Well I know where she is but not how. If she's transverse, it's not as much before, and I keep getting kicked under the ribs, sometimes with such force it takes my breath away!

26 lengths! I'm impressed! I'm like pesto , I get all geared up with good resolutions but I end up doing nothing as I'm too tired

Btw is anyone suffering from, um, night sweat? It's every other night for me it seems I can't keep up with the laundry! I've taken to put a flat sheet as well as a duvet cover so I wash that and the fitted sheet instead of the heavy duvet cover. But it's still a lot of work. And we don't have a tumble dryer so you can imagine the time it takes to dry it all... I guess it's another nice present from Mother Nature

Have a good day every one! 2 months (sometimes less!) left!

SK Having a car will change your life. I don't like driving much (especially where I don't know!) but I'm so grateful I have my car! I had to live a long time without one and it really makes daily life easier (even though it's expensive!).

bilbo I'm glad it's not just me suffering from sweatiness during the night. I don't feel particularly hot, just really soaked in sweat. I am sleeping with my head on an extra cushion as I hate lying on my side and feared I have ruined the cushion!

I'm sure there's still time for babies to move around. Mine is mostly diagonal but is going completly straight more often now but last week shifted itself totally transverse just while I was sat at work. A bit of walking around coaxed it back so they still have some wiggle room! My bump is really low down but whenecer I come to eat (always when I have something yummy that I just want to curl up on the sofa with) that baby seems to move up and squish my stomach so my food is cold by the time I get comfy!

Just catching up on the last week or two. Hope everyone is ok.

I have definitely been clumsier in the last few weeks. Especially when i'm leaning back on the sofa...when I bring a drink to my mouth my arm keeps hitting my bigger than usual boobs, resulting in me sloshing drink all over my face/chest

We've got our first baby class tomorrow (an NHS one) and the NCT classes start later this month. I'm really looking forward to them.

I dont have a car at the moment either and have been wondering whether we should re-prioritise money for next year and buy one for me again. I do live within easy walking distance to a small town, various local parks, cafes, library and other amenities so i'm not sure what to do and whether the money would be better spent elsewhere. I commute to work by train so will never need a car for work, and DH has a company car with free private petrol so we always use his at the weekend.

Is anyone else in an overly organised mode? I've almost finished all my Christmas shopping now and have even bought a few birthday presents for next year in advance! I have zillions of lists everywhere. Yesterday I started a Christmas food shopping list and also a packing list for when we go away for our wedding anniversary mini break before Christmas. Where has the laid back old version of me gone?!

28+6

I'm mega-organised too Emma. Christmas is going to be a scoosh this year! Which is just as well as I am planning on doing nothing at all over the festive period - eating, watching crappy movies and lying on the sofa mainly!

I'm bloody knackered. Have been told that I have an iron deficiency - haemoglobin level is 9.1 and ferritin level is 5 so have been put on iron tablets, increased folic acid and vit C. Can't wait for them to kick in as everything is such a struggle just now!

Hope everyone else is good!

30+1

We have a car but 1) I hate driving manuals esp in London and 2) it's held together with more tape and shoelaces than I'd like.

I wasn't too fussed - I'm happy on public transport - but DH says he'll worry if I don't have something I can drive if needed. And it would make visiting my family easier during the week while he's at work and I'm on mat leave. So he's agreed we can replace it with an automatic and something just a tad bigger to better accommodate baby paraphernalia.

I'm usually a super-organised person and at the moment I'm organiser insofar as I have multiple lists. Unfortunately this time of year is social engagement overkill and on top of that I'm more exhausted than I've been throughout pregnancy (and exhaustion is one of only two or three symptoms I've really had throughout!) so I'm not actually getting much done. One day of Xmas shopping was a start but trying to shop online I keep getting distracted by baby stuff Hopefully I don't need to organise Xmas food shopping as - all being well - baby will still be 3-4 weeks away so we can spend it with family as usual - it's a bit of driving in Xmas day between families but not too far and the last year we'll do it this way probably so would like to. And if an hour or so in the car means a week of other people cooking and looking after me, I'll take it!!

I think I'm deferring lots of the house organisation till the end of the month. We have a decorator coming in then so it feels like a good line beyond which I can get the nursery and spare rooms sorted, and then early December Xmas decorations can go up. But you guys are inspiring me to recover my natural organisation so this Friday (I'm working from home but am doing some long days this week to try and clear most of Friday) I'm going to try and sort hospital bag, do more Xmas shopping online, and order some of the small outstanding baby bits (changing mat, cellular blankets, baby monitor etc). If I can tick some of those things off my list I will feel productive!

Thanks for the inadvertent pep talk ladies and have a wonderful day

Ness Sorry to hear you're iron deficient. At least the supplements should give you a bit of energy again soon but it must be a real pain having that on top of normal pregnancy fatigue and heaviness and stuff. I'm awaiting the results of my test - I'm so exhausted it wouldn't surprise me if I was too but I felt the same earlier in pregnancy and my iron levels were really high so I think perhaps my body just doesn't work quite right and isn't using that iron properly to keep me feeling more awake and energetic! Hope it all kicks in soon anyway and you feel a bit more like yourself.

That's interesting about iron levels, Ness. They obviously measure them differently where we are as I was measured at 119. Acceptable levels are 119-149 so I am right at the bottom, and have dropped since last time. I only know this because I checked. They just said 'iron is fine' and I asked for the numbers.

I mentioned I took a pregnancy vitamin with iron every morning with orange juice to help absorb it, so should I do anything to boost my levels as I was tired. Doc just said, 'you're in the acceptable range, keep taking the vitamins with fruit juice'.

Helpful. Your lot seem more on the ball!

woohoo! 33 weeks today! Only 7 weeks until baby is due! How exciting! High Five to Kate!
I hope everyone is doing Ok.
I keep getting aches in my lower abdomen like baby is pressing my pelvis... Think s/he is getting comfy for the final stretch! Really staying to struggle as well with general day to day tasks as bump gets heavier. Only 12 days left in work which will make life easier (I hope)!

Yay! High Fives Cheshire :) :) :)

I'm struggling when I get up after lying down. Pelvis hurts so much! Damn you gravity! haha

Kate, snap!
I've had pelvis problems for ages, and I had to have it manipulated by a physio a few times before I got pregnant. It's bothered me on and off throughout the pregnancy, but as my back has also started to ache these past couple of weeks it's getting harder and harder to stay on my feet. Still have 4 weeks left at work, and I don't get much respite there: I basically spend entire days on my feet, doing fairly manual work! I'm also still going to the gym 2-3 times a week, still lifting weights, and have a fairly busy social life. Now that I'm 31+3 and sleeping is becoming more problematic I think I might have to start slowing down...
Today's a good day. No commitments at work apart from writing a presentation, which I am currently doing sitting on a couch with my feet up. I've been so busy that I've barely had a chance to feel baby moving, so it's lovely and reassuring to feel him/her kicking away above my belly button

Hi ladies,

Can anyone help me with a maternity leave query please? I'm confirming mat leave dates with HR at the moment and a colleague (who had a baby a few years ago) has just really confused me with something. I'm planning on taking 45 weeks leave starting on Monday 19th Jan, followed by a number of weeks holiday/bank holidays owed, taking me to 52 weeks in total. However, she's told me that my maternity pay doesn't kick in until the day I have the baby and i'll need to let HR know that date after i've left. Any days taken before the baby is born will have to be classed as holiday rather than maternity leave. That's the first i've heard of that, HR certainly haven't mentioned it to me. Is that right? I'm quite confused now. I thought maternity leave and maternity pay started on the same date??

I will speak to HR separately but wanted to check if this was a normal proceedure elsewhere first.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend planned? Chinese take away for us tonight followed by watching a band in a local pub for a few hours. The rest of the weekend will be filled with shopping, possibly a walk somewhere if it's nice and a family birthday party on Saturday night. Doubt i'll make it much past 11pm though!

29+2

The way I think it works is that if you are taking annual leave at the start your Mat leave HAS to start on the day baby arrives if not earlier. e.g. I am off on annual leave from 1 - 12 Dec and Mat leave starts 15 Dec. If baby arrives early I have to tell my work who have to start Mat leave from that date and any left over holidays get carried over to next year. If you're not on holiday before hand and just starting Mat leave then it starts there and then.

Weekend plans... Tonight will be dinner and bath and Children in Need on TV
Tomorrow my parents are coming over (again!) to help sort things out in the house - just finishing off decorating things - DH is useless at DIY so Dad comes to the rescue! I think the plan is me & mum will go shopping while Dad does DIY.
Sunday - lazy day hopefully and then I'll be going to a singing rehearsal on Sunday evening.

Thanks Cheshire. That makes sense.

I was confused as I dont want to take any holiday at the beginning, I want it all at the end but my colleague was adamant that I would have to take any day before the baby is born as holiday rather than mat leave. Better speak to HR!

Enjoy your weekend. My husband isn't great at DIY either (putting up the odd shelf and a bit of painting being his limit).

Gosh work days have a habit of dragging at the moment. Roll on 4.30 for a poets

Mat leave starts when you say it does...if you have any leave left over from this year you can add it to the beginning.

Holiday from next year can be added to the end (I think)

She may have it backwards: if the baby comes early, mat leave kicks in early.

I agree - your colleague seems to have it confused. Mat pay and mat leave start when you want them to, up to the date the baby is born. So if you wanted to take holiday first but baby came early, mat leave would start earlier than you intended. But if you are intending to start mat leave earlier anyway that won't apply. You might be able to roll over any holiday leftover this year till after mat leave but that depends on your company policy, and then you'll accrue holiday while on mat leave so that's what you'll be taking after mat leave to get you to your 52 weeks from what you've said.

My DH and I spent ages working this our from my policy and then after a discussion with my HR advisor. It can be complicated! But you definitely get mat pay from the date you want your mat leave to start.

Up until this week everything had been bumbling along tickety-boo however have gone slightly down hill!

Ironically, I was moaning to my midwife at the appointment yesterday about how people keep commenting on how small my bump is which is irritating me when she confirmed that they are in fact correct and I'm measuring under. At my 29 week appointment it was 29cm and now (32 weeks) it's 28cm. I know from reading/midwife advice it could be something out of nothing however as always,

REALLY hard not to worry until everything is checked out. I'm just waiting now to hear from hospital about growth scan and doppler test etc.

This came the day after I had my first public pregnancy breakdown (had a couple at the beginning with DP) at work due to broken lift, pelvic pain and extra demands on me at work due to under-staffing plus no support or apparent awareness that I am 32 weeks pregnant. Hate feeling pathetic but it had all got too much.

Hope next week is better!