April 2015 Thread 11: The finish line is in sight as we get closer to maternity leave and our babies!

[BrixtonBunny]

Old thread getting full xx

cinnamon, my notes say the weight and +- 25% which is a MASSIVE difference.

yesterday at 33+5 my little tubs was 3kg +- 25%

Thanks ladies

Nothing in my notes about baby's size, only on the printed scan sheets with a little line and a diamond on it. The sonographer said that baby was normal as long as it was a diamond, it didn't have to be on the line. Ours was pretty much the middle of all, but that was at 20 weeks - who knows how much 12 weeks worth of growth will have changed it!

Thanks ladies

Nothing in my notes about baby's size, only on the printed scan sheets with a little line and a diamond on it. The sonographer said that baby was normal as long as it was a diamond, it didn't have to be on the line. Ours was pretty much the middle of all, but that was at 20 weeks - who knows how much 12 weeks worth of growth will have changed it!

Forgot pic, doh!!!

Hope everything is ok Firaffe fingers crossed for you.

Thanks RL I've had 2 growth scans and yesterday they wrote estimated weight approx 2400g but then +- 600g which as cinnamon said too is a massive variation so could mean anything!

Just got back from seeing the students they hardly had any patients turn up so I ended up seeing 6 different students! Baby has been well poked and prodded.

Hehe Boo and Lauren wanting your chastity belts! I'm starting to wonder whether some DTD might be an idea to try and make cervix more amenable to having baby. Although that would then involve effort!

Well I can't actually believe this - the replacement part for the faulty bit of snuzpod has been delivered - and it isn't faulty. But it is white, when the rest of the snuzpod is natural wood. Argh! Now expecting another replacement part tomorrow

siarie omg, I'm moving to where you live!! I want your surgery, it sounds like heaven!!

lauren DH isn't very good at giving cuddles that don't have strings attached

good luck fir!

I phoned up to get MA1 forms sent out to me today is immensely proud I phoned a stranger and didn't cry bloke had me phone the maternity allowance helpline and bloke there said to use the highest weeks I could find, so if I've worked it out right I'll actually end up getting marginally more on maternity leave than I currently earn, which is a bit useful!

My chart looks a bit like Cinnamons, Will dig it out!

I meant to post earlier PenguinPoser, my cervix was unfavourable and the midwife wasn't able to do a successful stretch and sweep but one pristine gel started my labour with ds1 so it doesn't mean a terrible outcome.

Just checking in to see how all you ladies are and can't believe how many threads and how chatting you lot are!

My baby has been moved back to our local hospital SCBU, and on Wednesday was moved out of the incubator and into a cot which seems like a huge step. She is gaining weight well so we are just waiting on her taking a bottle and then hopefully she can come home.

It's been the strangest three weeks ever. I'm no longer pregnant, but with her in the hospital still it has been hard to feel like a new mum too. I have spent a lot of time at home getting ready for her to come home, and spent a fortune on prem baby clothes and equipment we hadn't got around to getting before she arrived so early. I am dying to get her home so we can finally feel like she is part of the family properly.

The other children have all now managed to have a cuddle with her, which has been nice, although the oldest (who is 12) has shown some signs of being a bit resentful of the amount of time we are spending at the hospital. It's so hard because I cNnot be in two plAces at once. No matter how much i try!

Anyway, nice to see you are all getting on well x

Brixton I don't have anything on weight in my notes at all - not even a growth chart. All they have been doing is writing down the fundal height at each appointment. Maybe it's a SW London thing?

Thanks for posting the chart cinnamon, I'll have a look and see if I can work out where I might be.

Penguin so annoying about your replacement part, it's like they've done it on purpose as a joke!

Just went for a walk at lunchtime to meet a friend and found it much harder than usual - stitch-like pain in the side of my bump and the odd pain down below which I think must be baby's head - eek! Feel properly pregnant now. Then I dropped my card in Boots and had to bend awkwardly to pick it up off the floor. It's quite nice in a way to feel really pregnant! I've spent most of the pregnancy so far feeling like a bit of a fraud because you can't tell I've got a bump hiding under my coat.

Cross-posted dances - really glad to hear a happy update about Tiger-Rose, sounds like you're getting on great. I'm sure the other kids will be fine once you get her home.

Here's mine. DD was barely on the bottom line at 32 weeks by scan measurements, and by 36 weeks was under it, so we've got to wait and see how bump does at the 36 week scan.

penguin My cervix was a mile high when they induced me, midwife was full on grumbly about it and said that there was no way the pessary would do anything that day, I best get comfy and they'd give me something else the next day, my body chugged along nicely and they never did have a chance tog I've me anything else....

Dances!!!!! We've been wondering how you and Tiger-Rose are doing!! Glad she's doing well, and what fab news that she's been moved back closer to home!

Boo our partners sounds similar - there's never any cuddles unless it's going to lead to something else!
I wish I had been told to send in higher wage slips! I do remember them saying it can be from any month between April and now (I think) but I can't actually remember which ones I sent off.
Feeling really nervous about waiting for my letter to see what I'm entitled to
Money is taking over my mind today. Why is the cost of living so much?!
I had 2 text messages from DWP this morning. One saying that for me to be paid maternity allowance, they are going to have to cancel my income support claim, and will let me know when they have done so. More waiting. (Which might I add is a measly £5 something per week - which is paid fortnightly so I have only had one payment of it so far, £11 something!) as I only made the claim a few weeks ago.
The other text message was saying that I'll receive a letter within 10 days with a decision about the SureStart Maternity Grant claim I put in, which is a one-off tax free payment of £500 for your first child if you are claiming a certain benefit from their list.
Income Support was on the list but now that's being discontinued I don't know what the outcome will be for the grant or wether maternity allowance is classed as a benefit, I really don't know.
Just feel like I'm living off fresh air at the minute. Since losing the other part-time job I had before Christmas, I just feel like we have no spare money at all. EVERYTHING is going on bills and food. And I really ration the food shopping cost at the best of times.
Sorry to go on so much. Just hate waiting for outcomes and not knowing what financial situation I'm actually in

That's really good to hear cinnamon and Boo will keep my fingers crossed for a similar experience

So pleased you and your DD are doing well dances hope she is home soon!

And Penguin yes that is rather a large 'give or take' weight estimate!
On my 20 week scan it says estimated weight was 11ozs, and on my scan from yesterday it says his estimated weight is 4lbs 5ozs. I don't know how accurate their readings are but I think that sounded ok. 32+4

Dances I missed your post sorry!
(Also sorry everyone for the triple post, I can't keep up properly).
Glad you and baby are doing well! Wow 3 weeks! Love baby's name too it's gorgeous.
Wishing you both well and hope you are home very soon when she is ready. I'm sure when she's at home your eldest will adjust better, it must be hard and hospital must seem like home from home for you at the minute

cinnamon your chart looks near on identical to mine. Bump measured on the 50th centile until my last appt where he had shot up. Next appt is on the 11th March so fingers crossed he's not shot off the scale!

Lovely to hear from you dances, fingers crossed you get to take her home soon!

I finally got my entitlement letter yesterday RL so it took almost 3 weeks to come back in total. Hope yours arrives soon it's horrible being in limbo especially where finances are concerned as it's such an important thing!

rl we ended up claiming the sure start grant after DD came and we started getting child benefit, as we didn't qualify before that point, which is an entirely stupid system, at the end of the day by the time the baby is here you've in theory made all the big purchases that the £500 would have been bloody useful for anyway, we ended up spending ours on water babies classes for DD, wish now I'd put it into a savings account to use to buy stuff for bump :/ and for the MA it's 66 weeks before your due date, so that's round about the end of December 2013 to the end of January 2014 through to your due date. One of the payslips in my pile to use is a bit iffy though, pretty sure one or two of the weeks are outside of the qualifying 66 but the pay date is within it, but it's my highest payslip from the lot and makes a huge difference, so I'm tempted to try my luck, and see if they'll include it... Money sucks grumbles

It's lovely to hear that Tiger-Rose is doing well Dances

I've just got my notes out, I'm measuring on the 90th centile line at 31weeks estimated weight was 2100g next midwife appt is on Tuesday so will see what the measurement is then.

Hope you are ok Firaffe

Sorry to hear about your money situation RL

Why can't maternit notes be on USB sticks, would make so much more sense. Obviously with a master copy on the midwife system but gosh more people would carry them around, you could have your scan pictures on it and it would make sense.

RL when did you post your grant papers?

They received mine on Monday and not had a text or anything.

Thanks all.

Squatting - a back rub? What's one of those? Lol I wish.
Yes I heard about child benefit and tax credits although I think it's unclear what you're actually entitled to until baby is here and you can do the online calculator properly. I might be wrong though. When I went to citizens advice in January, they just ended up giving me the contact numbers for each benefit, which I could have got online anyway.

Penguin glad you heard back, yes it is horrible being in a financial limbo. As I've nearly always worked and don't have any other children, the benefits system is alien to me and I can't believe how confusing it is. I don't know how these benefits cheats get away with what they do! When I rang Maternity Allowance earlier after the text message, they explained they will cancel my income support to avoid "overlapping benefits"! I mean, I don't know what they think I would do with that £11 income support every fortnight, I'm hardly scamming the system and taking holidays abroad with it!
If you don't mind me asking, is your MA entitlement much different to your current wages? Obviously I'm not asking for you figures, though!

Boo yes I remember reading that you can claim up to baby being 3 months old I think. So that's what I'll do if I can't claim it now. But yes I totally get you. Could have done with it a while back, we managed to buy the pushchair travel system as my partner had been paid his holiday hours which were owed from his previous job. I've just been buying clothes each month as and when I've been able to afford it. We got a Moses basket from Asda on sale in the baby event, and a Moses basket stand from a charity shop! So we've been buying things gradually, when it's been affordable.
I was hoping to buy the Isofix base for my car with the grant, as it's the last big thing we need. The rest I would have just put away into another account or in cash somewhere, as "just incase" money. Which would obviously end up getting spent on baby when he is here unless my financial situation drama tacitly changes

Skyra, I posted the grant papers about a week ago now. Last Wednesday or Thursday I think. And hadn't heard anything up until this morning with the text. How do you know that they received them?