April 2015 thread 6: our Christmas puddings are half cooked, now bring on the glow!

[BrixtonBunny]

We were getting perilously close to being full up, hope no one minds!

My scan's the 9th January Brixton, I'm pretty sure I'm last. I'll be 24+4 when they do it.

My arm was achey for a few days BrixtonBunny! I'm surprised they weighed you, I had to have consultant led care with ds2 due to my weight but no one ever monitored it again which I found a bit weird! You can still remain fit and gain weight. Try to get out for a brisk walk at some point during the day and antenatal yoga helps maintain strength while still being safe.

I'm 24+2, not long before last trimester

Sorry missed your post at te top of the new page kismac, glad the consultant was happy hopefully now yor Dh and mil will be too.

Wow that's late stuntnun, you're very patient!

stuntnun is there a reason they are doing yours so late? Mine was because of my holiday.

Brixton my arm really ached after the flu jab, it's normal. And I thought 24 weeks was the right time for the next appointment? Mine's booked in for 24+0 to match the timeline of appointments outlined in my notes.

Glad you are able to carry on with the anti sickness meds kismac, I don't know how they can expect people with hyperemesis to do without them. Enjoy your doughnut!

Squatting I understand you feeling frustrated but it does sound like he's trying to do something nice! I'm the same though, I like getting things I need rather than random surprises as it saves me having to buy them later. My present from DH arrived today - a rocking chair for the nursery I'm more excited than I should be about a chair! I think it's that it's somewhere I will inevitably spend hours with our little one that makes it so special.

How frustrating Squattingneville!

Ds2 didn't want to go to school today once we got in the foyer as his friends baby sister was there, he was too busy playing with her and she kept smiling at him (born in October) and the teacher said come on in you go, he said no! Got him in with no tears but was lovely seeing him so interested in a baby. He said when mummy's baby comes I'll be really big! Ds1 has never been interested in babies and ignored ds2 until he moved so this has given a warm fuzzy feeling. I'm trying to think about the positives and worry about the negatives if and when they actually come along. I haven't been a good person to be around and it's not fair on dh, ds's or my minded kids (particularly the older ones I've been harsher on!). I feel in a better place mentally, just hoping nothing is worse on 30th as I don't know how much positivity I have in me. I got to the point where I felt him move, I'd be momentarily happy and then instantly sad for quite a while :(

I am very happy with my pushchair, but my mums wants to buy me a new one. I found a second hand one in a lovely blue colour on eBay for £120. Been to see it today and it's perfect and even has a pram bit which I didn't get with my other one. Will hopefully get £30-40 for my old one and then my mum won't have to spend as much :)

I understand completely Squatting. Despite knowing me for over 11 years DH still buys me bath tat and the chocolates I don't like. I give him a list of things to get me and he just says I can't get you that!

This year I asked for new kitchen scales, an apron, socks and pjs. He went shopping today so god knows what he's come home with. Rang me when he was done and said it doesn't look like a lot but I've spent loads. To which I replied you have 3 things I spent £60 including your stocking fillers. (I got 2 canvases made for the back room. not really a present just for him but oh well.) The other thing is a silly candy grabber that he and DD can fight over.

I'm desperate for a new table and sideboard for the back room so would rather get those if we could ever agree on the right ones.

Banana I thought it was 24 weeks but then looked through my notes and they said 25 weeks. My GP didn't care though. I think it must vary depending on which hospital you're under the care of?

very frustrating squatting my step mum had said she'd get me vouchers so i could buy clothes I wanted now or save them for after baby but my dad told her that was a rubbish idea and to get something else. Dispite both me and her thinking it was a good idea. I'm sure he'll treat you to something nice and probably just wants to surprise you.

Oh no Lauren 11 years and he's not cottoned on to the right chocolates, i guess it's too late to bring it up now :s

my appointment is also at 24+1 weeks but I think that's just because they are closed when i'll be 25 weeks and it's better to do it early rather than late maybe.

Good news on the meds kismac

We're in the process of buying our first house, plus we're saving for my maternity leave as I'm taking a year off, so have agreed to not spend much on each other this year - DP has bought me a narwhal necklace we saw together for £30 and I'll get him something for his bike probably, or new clothes, or a nice whisky.

Cinnamon that's lovely about your DS2. So hope it's good news for new year

squatting Hopefully everything will work out and MrSquatting and MiL will have got you things you need! I managed to get DH to buy me a new changing bag for xmas but I keep reading out the list of things that we need to buy in the hope that something will stick and he'll be able to give people ideas of things I actually need. Had we been having a boy mum was going to convince my side of the family to buy me teeny tiny shirts for xmas, now I'm mostly just hoping people will get me baby shop vouchers, our family (14 people and counting) has a £5 per person limit for presents, but I'd rather get a £5 voucher that I can put towards something I want than £5 of tat... especially as the limit was imposed over 10 years ago now and what you can buy for that much has drastically decreased in that time...

Oh my god my bottom ribs hurt and my back hurts and my bump feels tight and horrible :( If I could be put into a medically induced coma for the next 3 months I would be more than grateful...

My next appointment is at 24+3 which I think is earlier than it should be but I think with all of the various complications they just want to keep a closer eye.

squatting I actually lol'd at your post about the hormones and choc oranges haha

I've worked out today that if I take the 37 weeks parental leave +4 weeks holiday I'd acrue for the year I could leave in march, that feels scarily close. Still not got mat1b form yet so ill think about that in Jan :/ anyone else thinking about when to leave? And does anyone know how much notice you generally need to arrange childcare ? I'll be relying completely on paid childcare and not sure what's involved

Hiding at the moment I'm planning to finish at 37+2 on 1st April as work closes on the Thursday and Tuesday around Easter, so that would take me up to the Easter break. Haven't got my MAT1B form either yet, going to ask for one at my 24 week appointment.

I'm not sure on notice with childcare as my lovely mum has offered to do it for us when I go back to work.

Banana - my mum looks after DD two days a week when I'm at work. It's wonderful. She doesn't want to do it all over again with a newborn esp as Pa retiring which is fair enough.

I'm hoping my last day will be 17th March with holiday leave taking me through until end March (I'm only part time) and mat leave proper starting 1st April.

Asked our finance chappie (small biz) about the mat b1 and he wasn't too worried about having it at the 25 week mark, if it happens to be a week or two late I don't think he's going to care. He said it's only so he can pass it onto our payroll peeps with reasonable notice.

I'm going out in a minute but I'll post later about childcare Hidingthefear, the sooner the better but lots of places will charge you a retainer, or at least a month up front. It will depend on your area, how in demand childcare is and if you're going for a nursery or childminder.

hiding dd's nursery suggested we put our ds-to-be down already - we want him to start at around 16 months. That is a waiting list that extends to September 2016 at the moment!!! It is a very popular nursery... I'm sure they aren't all like that but you can expect at least 6 months to a year for most in our area.

I think I will take mat leave as Kate as possible and use up any leave I have first and stick the accrued leave over the next year on the end. Sadly I think this time I would be more sensible to go back after 9 months so I don't drop to zero pay. With leave I can probably make it about 10 months. So I want to leave as late as possible, but consultant suggested 34 weeks which is pretty early So maybe I'll do annual leave from 36 weeks (end ate 13th March) and take mat leave when this year's annual leave runs out. I think it will only give me an extra week or something. At least that means 20th March to 20th December plus annual leave to take me to January. Perhaps I'll restart January 2016. Last time I felt dd was ok to be left with family when I went back on April 15th, she was just shy of 12 months. This time he'd be 9 months and I do worry I know plenty of people go baack earlier and I'm sure their kids grow up well adjusted, it just feels such a wrench, and I remember last time feeling I couldn't have left dd that early.

If I have a huge melt down I'll spend no money and just take the extra three months at no pay and deal with the conseuences later. I'm sure dh would come round to it if I cried enough...

So get this for surprise MATB1 news.

I popped into local GP surgery today (I'm 22 wks exactly), filled in the form and have just had a call saying doctor has signed it and you can pick it up tomorrow!

Had some small clots when I got home from work still got a very active baby in there but I'm beginning to think I'm having braxton hicks as well. This baby better stay put I'm not at viability yet. Might give delivery suit a ring in the morning if it's not stopped/calmed down.