July 2015 - we are nearing the halfway point!

[Fattycow]

We are already nearing the halfway point! Some of us have already reached the 20 weeks, the rest will follow suit. Let the countdowns begin!

Here is the stats list, please update them with your scan dates and the sex of you baby (if you know it):
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p3idkH2TaQYAy22I_N73k1_-G6Ezq67lAdhQvDjQkU0/edit?pli=1#gid=0

Congrats Zampa, no stopping you now then eh.

Yep first timer here too. I'm a wk away from being 6months - time has flown by (madness!) and can't believe I've got by so far with relatively no symptoms. Never expected that!!

So had my 23wk apt earlier (wasn't sure what it was meant to be, 25wks or not) but that's what mine booked me in for anyway) - third different midwife for my 3 apts so far!

1st was pretty crap (actually was telling me wrong things/was v disorganised), 2nd was ok (better than first) And this 3rd one was v nice (she trains the midwives at my ML birthing centre in aromatherapy - says they all v nice ??). Did a General check through notes / all test results. Took bp & urine sample & listened to heartbeat - all perfect. Gave me my MATB1 cert. Asked her bout hols & any forms from them so she's booked another apt day before hols (at 27wks) to give general check / sign off all well as a kinda fit to fly note.

Said more bloods due bit later on, but will do them when back from hols.

Also She said they don't measure fundal height until about 26-27weeks odd (growth chart in notes start at 24wks but just cus that's when babies become viable but most would measure as under then). So no belly measuring yet!!!

Played with 11wks twins this afternoon, I will be greeting MrF with a little boy's baby sick in my hair when he gets home... He (and me) best get used to it!!!! X

Feeling a bit shitty today. Had a pain in my left side of my tummy all afternoon and now into evening, coupled with feeling horrid and nauseous. I just hope this pain is wind or something simple....

Get well soon broody.

Hope it eases of soon Broody, I know it's hard, try not to worry, 99% likely to be something simple x

Condolences to you Clstow Hope you have loads of support around you.

And big Congrats Zampa. 1st time as well, good on you :)

Great to hear your scan went well Lordy I think you were the last of our bunch to have your 20 week scan so we are all officially on the countdown

I'm still feeling great, no breathlessness or such, dreaded heartburn mind you. My energy levels are back to normal for me after the beginning when I was sluggish amongst everything else all the time. Long may it last. My skin is actually looking good too - surprise surprise - could this be the mystical pregnancy glow !?!

I'm looking forward to this NCT sale on Saturday I have held off buying stuff to check out whats available there first.

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...

Sorry for my horrible singing, just needed to get that out!

Condolences clstow

Glad your scan went well ohlordy
Hope you feel better soon broody, your spa day sounds lovely.

Congratulations zampa I love driving, definitely a great life skill to have, esp with a little one on the way.

I'm a first timer & not in the Facebook group. I'm not feeling out of breath as such, but generally feeling unfit & bloated Loving having a proper bump tho and feeling little bean kicking

dont worry fatty we dont mind.

feel horrible now. im on number 3 so you would think I would be used to thus by now! Unfortunately i don't have much RL support this time. my dad and friends barely bother with me, my mum has a lot of her own problems going on and I don't want to burden her with mine and I split with the ex just before finding out I was expecting this little man.

just feel generally crappy about stuff right now. sorry for bringing the mood down guys. Hopefully I will cheer up soon. will be better in the morning, need to look after the other two so cant be sad

fatty, I'm on dc2 and I don't have many RL friends either so I find this group useful. As I see it, you never stop learning and just because I've given birth before doesn't mean I know everything and the first timers could teach me something! Also, every pregnancy is different so again, although we've done it before, it's likely things are different this time

with DC1 I was climbing on window ledges at 8 months to clean the windows, this time I can barely walk so a big difference! l just get frustrated with it especially as this time im not sleeping

MrsF I had my 25 week appointment yesterday at 23 weeks too. That's just when I got booked in for, midwife was miffed about it

Listened to hb, got mat1b form and chatted about bloods, hip dysplasia and strep b. I had hip dysplasia so baby will have to be scanned at birth but it's more common in girls so hopefully he'll be ok. She said they don't measure bump til 25 weeks so she didn't.

Zampa well done!

I'm tired today and had reflux all night

touch I've found bribing the dog with gravey bones works a treat!

I've got a meeting with my boss today to discuss my flexible working request to come back part time after mat leave, so nervous! My boss was against it last I heard but the regional manager and other people above him have said that he needs to do everything he can to get me to come back after mat leave. There's just no way I can afford childcare and raise a baby when I work 55 hours per week. I'm just not paid enough to justify coming back full time. What are you ladies planning on doing workwise once your LO's have arrived?

Stinky any other time of day gravey bones work but in the morning only a carrot smeared with butter will cut it (I have a very odd dog! )

I'm self employed but work for one company. My boss wants me to work from home at least 1 day per week whilst on mat leave (which I'm really happy to do and can get help with baby during this time) I'd like to go back three of four days per week but do at least two of those from home. The company is expanding so I should be able to do this but my boss is very hard to pin down. It's difficult because we need to sort out nursery etc soon as waiting lists can be long. DH has a nursery attached to his work which offers term time only rates but he works and hour away and Is worrying about the journey. Not sure what to do really
Good luck for your chat with your boss.

Touch have you looked into the implications of how working one day a week during your maternity leave will affect your maternity pay? I think you can work as self-employed and it won't affect SMP but will affect MA. I know if you are employed you are only allowed 10 keeping in touch days before it automatically stops your maternity leave/pay.

Stinky good luck with your boss. Hope they approve your flexible working request.

I think my work are burying their head in the sand that I am going off. We only have one HR person and as it's appraisal time I think she is very busy. Been waiting about 6 weeks so far for a response to some questions and I haven't been sent any of the paper work I'll need to fill in yet. I'm not bothered really as I know it will all sort itself out.

I'll be going back to work full time, but using some annual leave to start back part time initially. I found it really hard coming back full time after having DD. Don't underestimate how big a change it will be and how exhausting it is! I was quite blasé about it all and it took me by surprise how difficult I found it.

We are really lucky that the inlaws look after our DD full time. They are going to do the same with this LO, but we will be putting DD1 into nursery for a few hours each afternoon so it isn't too much for them. We had planned on that anyway so she will start when she is 2. Going to visit the nursery on Friday and fill all the paper work in. We've not looked at any others though to be honest as this is at the same site as our nephew goes to school, and they will both finish at the same time so the inlaws will only have the one pick up to do. It's the primary school we want DD1 to go to as well so makes sense to start her off there.

Congrats on passing your driving test Zampa.

This is DC#2 for me but I'm having the same appointments as if it were my first. So I have my 25 week appointment this week too, but at 23.5 weeks. I think my MW got the dates mixed up a bit (as I had requested to have my anomaly scan a week early at 19.5 weeks) which is why it is early, can't think of any other reason, unless she is away for the next two weeks.

I'm still ill which sucks. Been two weeks with this cold/cough now. Woke up last night with the most horrendous sore throat so had to take some paracetamol. Not helped by DD1 waking up at 3am either!

nature I'm trying to work out if I can make the figures stack up. It's possible my boss will pay over the odds to keep me on and I won't need to claim SMP (because no one in the company can do that particular job and its a key time for the company) but if he won't then I won't do it. It really sucks for self employed people because we need to keep our business going but can't claim SMP if we do. I know so many women who have set up businesses and would have liked to work a day per week for the first few months but have to either go back straight away or let the business stagnate whilst they claim SMP.
I'll vote for whoever can solve that particular quandary in the next election
Sorry your still feeli ill. It certainly feels like the whole pregnancy thing is one long period of feeling rubbish in one way of another! Only 15 weeks left for me - I hope it flies by (though I've heard the third trimester consists of 490 months )

Thanks Nature I don't know if I would return to work if they don't approve me working part time, my DP is a self employed tradesman and said he could make up the loss by taking on a few extra private jobs but I don't want to lose my financial independence so will probably look for a part time job elsewhere which would be a shame as I genuinely enjoy my job and excell at it.

I hope you are feeling better soon

I don't work my ex never wanted me to and it caused a lot of arguments. I will be looking for work once baby is born. im hoping to go into childcare. I have my level 2 CYPW (children and young peoples workforce, qualified to work with children from birth to 19 years) already and it would be free for an employer to put me through my level 3. hopefully I can find someone to give me a chance

I'm self employed and will be taking at least nine months off. Yes it's a worry that I will probably need to start from scratch all over again in terms of finding new clients (I can't expect them to put everything on hold until I'm back at work, no matter how good a job I do for them now!) but to me and my family, those first months of baby's life are so precious and time I'd never get back. I don't want - or need - to rush back to work... money, the material things I could buy with my wages or my client's satisfaction will never replace the time I'll have spent with baby during those first few years. However, I do know I'm in a privileged position to be able to take that time off and everyone has different reasons or circumstances for going back sooner. Also, as it's my second dc this time, Im more aware of how sleep deprivation through baby's teething, illness and generally getting to grips with life outside the womb can take it's toll on me - thank goodness I work from home when I do work, it's not a pretty sight seeing me horrendously knackered

Is anyone planning on changing career path or finishing work completely after this or subsequent dc? My long term plan is to start up a mama baby bliss franchise (baby yoga and massage classes) when our dc have started school.

I don't work at the moment, but I would like to find something once the baby is here.

Hi all

Had my 23 week appt today (in Scotland so it's different I guess). Anyway I'm only 21+1 but see my consultant at 23 weeks so guess they are just spreading things out. All was well, Heartbeat strong and quick, they did indeed measure me and it was on target, BP still very low, urine analysis fine. Don't see MW until 28 weeks now but as above have consultant in the intervening period. So basically all seems well, got given a DVD about breastfeeding and a leaflet to read up on whooping cough.

Re work, my current plan will be to go back to work FT for financial reasons, but also for career development. I don't know how much mat leave I'll be able to afford to take, but I can at least use my holidays as well. Maybe 7 or 8 months. We shall see. Luckily I can do a phased return to work on full pay, so can start at say 2 days a week and gradually build up . I think this will be very useful!

Slowly slowly things are starting to feel more real here. Movement is quite obvious now, which has done wonders for calming me. I might even consider buying something soon. Probably just a tub of sudocrem or something though

Thanks again to everyone for the good wishes. I've been window shopping for cars already!

I'm hoping to go back to work for 4 days a week, with one day working from home as and when it suits my diary. I'll also try and take the 4 weeks a year of unpaid parental leave if we can afford it. It's just frustrating that nurseries charge for 52 weeks of the year, regardless if you use them for 52, 43 or any other number of weeks.

Do you all get childcare vouchers through work? I'm tempted to start paying into them now.

Zampa yes we can, but I have a feeling I'm not allowed to start before the baby arrives. However, the rules are changing from next month to be a straight 20% contribution to childcare, which will work out better for us.

I forgot about the working from home part. Ironically as I'm doing that today! Won't change childcare arrangements but will give me a bit extra time a couple of days a week. For this reason we will be looking for childcare as close to home as possible. There is a nursery at my work but it's expensive, has a long wait list, and would completely negate the benefit of working at home. It would also put me on 100% drop off/collection duty which is not the way I'm planning it at all. Hoping that DH will do all night shifts .

zampa unfortunately I don't think you can join a voucher scheme until your LO is here. Be aware that the government is bringing in a new system of paying for childcare in the autumn and you will need to weigh up if you are better in the old or new system. If you are in the old system you can opt to stay in it but if you join after the switch you will be in the new system without any choice. Worth a read up on it to determine which is better for you and if it's the current system make sure you join as soon as you can when LO is here so you don't miss the cut off.

Nature you are right it's Autumn, I had it in my head it was April (start of tax year).

useful link

Hi all
I am already working 4 days a week but would really like 3 when I go back with 2 little ones but I think we will have to see closer to the time. I'm surprised that some of you are having to make decisions now. We are already in a childcare scheme for dd1 so hopefully we can extend to 2 when it comes along.

Still struggling with food here and still being sick which is really getting me down now. I seem to get upset all the time these days and feel like I am really struggling in general. Maybe I just need some time off

We had a wider team meeting today with people I don't usually see and the only reason anybody guessed I was pregnant was because apparently I kept putting my hand on my tummy. So still not really showing I guess.