May 2015 - Thread 7 - As we enter the third trimester and count down to Maternity Leave!

[KittyVonCatsington]

Our journey continues!

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Leanne this has happened to me a few times. I phoned the midwife on each occasion and had to go in once because I had some bright red blood too. They checked everything out and said it just happens (got another sneaky scan too). Worth phoning just to log it.

Has anyone read Gina Ford or used her contented baby routines before? Reading just now and seems quite strict and confusing! I thought it would be good for me because I love structure and routine (oh how my sister with 3 kids laughs when I tell her that) but her approach seems like it might make the whole Bf thing more stressful although I'm sure my sis used it with her first and he was sleeping through at 6 weeks! Any thoughts?

Snooky, now I want hot cross buns! Need to do a food shop when DH gets back from the gym - they're definitely on the list!

I'm finishing work at just over 37 weeks - have a few days' annual leave and then ML starts at 38 weeks. Already have my maternity cover in the office (though she's doing another job at present so I don't feel I can delegate much just yet!) and i think the next 8 weeks will fly by.

Leanne, hope the spotting turns out to be nothing. And hope everyone else is doing well this morning

When (if you are choosing to do them) is everyone starting antenatal classes?! My midwife gave me some free classes taking place in a few weeks and we have signed up! I don't know what to expect!! :)

Thanks scottish Piglet Kitty and Apple i seem to get it quite a bit and triage just say to keep an eye on it and if it turns red just to give a call back. Its just like discharge but darker :/ I have been quite constipated recently and last time i had it i was having toilet troubles too! SOOO Glam ha!

leanne hope it turns out to be nothing.
Has anyone thought about what you will do once paternity leave is over and maternity leave really kicks in once babies are here? My son is in school so I'm imagining going to a couple of Surestart groups a week during school hours and just carrying on with normal life other than that like housework, cooking, taking son to his sports etc.
I don't think I want to make a load of friends who have babies the same age again. I made about 20 friends last time through NCT and other groups but didn't have much in common with most of them and I'm still trying to shake some of them off. None of my real friends are expecting.

I am quite lucky turquoise My best friend is pregnant with her second child and is 12 weeks behind me! So should be nice to go through it with her and BOTH my SILs are pregnant and there is only 4 weeks between us! I would like to make some friends in my area as i am at least a 45 minute drive from my friends and family, but i agree i can not force friendships if there is nothing clicking.

Where is everyone based? It would be nice if a few of us could meet up once the babies are here!

leanne963 - my first NCT class is on Monday! Eek! The NHS one is in mid March :)

I met my HV earlier on this week, who actually was really lovely (I was really worried after really the scare stories on MN!) and I've got my 31 week appointment with the midwife this week so I'm trying to get some sort of birth plan written down. My blood tests are showing low iron levels despite taking supplements :/ Anyone else had this?

Think I am now going to move my maternity leave forward to 38 weeks - not really worth the risk to me or the baby when I currently have a 2 hour daily commute! Even if they let me WFH, I think it will be nice to have some final child free time before the madness begins!

marking my place. absolutely knackered today, am going back to bed for a nap

Mine have always been borderline low plinky fully expecting my next lot of bloods to show them lower again. Going to start back on spatone. Can't face actual iron tablets.

I've signed up for NCT as most of my friends either don't have kids or have older kids. Starting in April, as its in the evenings DH can come too.

My maternity leave starts on 30th April, but I counted all of the days I have left (as I hate my job) and it's only 31, plus I have another two days holiday to take...getting v.excited.

Mark (husband) was asked by his work if he's like to take 2 weeks unpaid leave after paternity so he's getting a month off, which will be super! I was kind of dreading having three kids, school runs, packed lunches, etc, starting two weeks after my c-section, this will make a world of difference :)

I have also talked Mark around to the name I wanted, so I keep beaming with happiness about that as I feel really settled now she has a name.
Tomorrow is a teacher training day, so half term isn't over for me just yet and my whole house is upside down, but I am holed in my bedroom painting a picture for babies wall - I haven't painted a picture in years!

My baby stuff is ok and not ravaged by mice! Dd and I both very excited. Dh laughing at us cooing over the tiny sleep suits. Might need a couple more sleeping bags and blankets depending on how they come up in the wash but I have LOADS of clothes. Someone obviously went a bit mad last time (looking at you mil). Just need to work out how to reassemble pram and strip wash the reusable nappies.

On mat leave I am going to go to children's centre, movers and shakers, nct coffee mornings and baby swimming. Those are the things I enjoyed most last time. I will have a few friends on overlapping mat leave so not after making lots of new close friends (though I did last time - 2 of whom will be on mat leave) but some company would be nice. Having local people to meet up with during the day was invaluable.

Aha my council does a voucher for money towards resuable nappies. Can buy all new inserts and sack off the stripwashing. Bonus!

Leanne glad you got some advice re the discharge :) re antenatal classes we are doing the free nhs one - which is an all day one arghhhh but atleast as is weekend DH can come with me just hope we remember everything...would it be weird to take a notebook??

Scottish I was going to look into that Gina Ford book (just to get ideas really!!) and maybe get it on eBay or Kindle version so can read on my phone (plus won't take up extra space!! But downside is won't be able to pass on/sell on when done with it - so may have a look in charity shops as ive bought some 'like new' and 'good' from eBay before and they have been terrible. Is there just one version of the book with new cover or something as the date published online says 2006 but lots of different covers!

Am having a lazy ish day today as INSET day tomorrow and not in mood for school stuff today. Although am feeling guilty that am not doing anything!!

This seems mad that it's all coming to an end "soon".

Although not really soon for me as only 27+1 and 9 weeks until mat leave. Am literally counting down the days in my work diary!

Oh me and dh are going to mamas and papas outlet tomorrow as we are visiting il's in Huddersfield - hopefully we will find some bargains!

smiley I got the 'new' contented baby book through blink books cos they had a £5 free voucher for signing up so it was free. Reading reviews on Amazon most people say don't try to stick totally rigidly to the routines but lots of good tips.

On subject of mat leave my OH is also a teacher so he'll get 2 weeks pat leave then be back at work for max 3 weeks and then have another 6 weeks off. So lucky I think cos he'll have such a long time with baba at the start - most fathers don't have that option and I'm hoping by the time he goes back I'll be much more confident and less overwhelmed by it all!

Plinky I had a call from my GP on Friday saying my iron levels were too low and I had to pick some high strength tablets up tomorrow. The iron in the Pregnacare isn't enough apparently.

I did NCT classes first time round but found the 7 other couples to be mostly very different to me. I'm a Geordie and quite down to earth but they (except one lady from NZ) all seemed to have very high powered jobs for example a local TV news presenter, a professor of Theology etc and I didn't have a lot in common with them. I didn't learn enough to justify the expense. I met more normal people at Surestart and NHS classes.

oh god turquoise I am gonna have no chance then, a student and a boyfriend with tattoos :O lol Luckily these NHS classes are only for an hour and a half, for two weeks! Only short classes!

Thanks for the new thread, Kitty.
We had our NHS birth class yesterday. I was really impressed and quite surprised by the approach they took. It was very much focused on empowering the mum-to-be, and totally encouraged us to go with our instincts, ask questions, ask for more information / research before making decisions. No NCT classes here but one of the midwives runs a hypnobirthing class that we're going to go to.

YY to 3rd trimester insomnia and tiredness - it's rubbish but on the plus side a lot of my other symptoms have eased off. This is actually the best I've felt in this pregnancy.

6 weeks till Easter Hols then I'm going back to work for one day to see off my exam classes. I'll be 38 +1 then so no doubt keen to be on ML!

Hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday.

scottish am sure that is the book my Aunty has had success with, she said some parts she ignores because if followed religiously she would never get anything else done, but she has picked up some great techniques from it and both her little girls are in a great routine

Evening ladies

I'm starting mat leave from 38wks but I have annual leave to use up beforehand so I'm actually leaving work on 7th April and I cannot wait! I'm getting so uncomfortable at my desk!

leanne I agree with all the other ladies best to let your midwife know just so they can log it on your notes!

I'm not doing antenatal classes or anything but will prob take baby to mother and baby group one day a week or something like I did with dd..

kitty did you know they did a special edition of the jolly postman at Christmas? I got it for my dd as she loves that book ( it was mine but kept it!) it's awesome!!

On routine thing, it really depends what suits you. Some people love the predictability of a routine, some people feel very constrained by it. I did a bit of both - made the most of a lack of routine in the early days when I took dd everywhere with me. Later when she settled into her own routine I was quite strict with it as it made my life easier, but once it's established you can flex it a bit or ignore it for a day and then settle back into it. I might be more routine based earlier this time because my day is already quite structured around dd's wake up and bedtime and will have nursery run to factor in. Waking a sleeping baby goes against every bone in my body though!

Marking my place, thankyou for new thread...wow they are flying :)

I dont have any mat leave to look forward to with being a SAHM, but my college courses and private courses run until early june with exams being in early june, so still got to contend with those 4x a week until after baby is born, but then im off college from mid june until early sep, but have some voluntary work to do in that time, just bits and bats.

Leanne hope the brown discharge has settled. The NHS ante natal classes I did with ds2 was great I found, I never did them with ds1 but because I had a bad birth I wanted to try them out with my second and I found them fab, the one I was on lasted 5 week. I didnt do them with ds3 or hav'nt signed up this time as it would prob be no use now. But would defo recommend them if they are anything like the ones I went on.

Plinky, I got put on iron tablets at 24 week due to level dropping, was advised to take 2 tabs a day (but its always been 3 in my other 3 pregnancys) and im pretty sure mine are not increasing as I still feel exhausted, got next bloods on thursday so find out then.

Got a house full of 3 poorly children last few days, nights have been terrible, bless them! Hence why i've only just checked in.

Hope everyone had a great weekend x

Hello ladies! I have been following this thread for some time now, so useful to read about similar situations. You all seem like a really supportive group of woman too. I am due 30/5 with baby #1 for me and I am a teacher at a secondary school.

I am just posting now for some advice/support/guidance really. Back to school tomorrow and have those usual Sunday night blues! Feels so much worse this time round though due to various situations. Firstly, being 26 weeks pregnant. Secondly, suffering with severe spd/pgp pain (have physio appt in a week). It has been so much worse this week but not sure if it's because I've been doing too much or if it's just getting worse. Also have 3 parents evenings starting tomorrow for 3 weeks on the bounce. Then due to staff shortages I will be teaching 2 year 7 classes together and 2 year 8 classes together from now on. I was asked and told I would be financially rewarded (?) and will have another adult (cover) in the room with me but dreading this! Plus the room is upstairs (ouch stairs = pain) and not my usual classroom. I am also doing a masters which I will be postponing but have done assignments/online lessons and final observation to do before maternity leave. Oh and have 2 weekends away on the bounce for family weddings/birthdays so no weekend work time. I have a very supportive husband but unfortunately he works long days and is not home until 9 so most home stuff falls on me too. Also have my ups application going through before maternity leave and have a 3 day scheduled possible observation coming up. Plus a year 12 and 2 year 12 exam classes for core subject.

Current maternity leave not due to start till May half term at 39 weeks. Feel too guilty to go any earlier due to previously mentioned staff shortages...,.am I crazy!?

Wow, even just writing that all down has made me feel a bit better! Time to face it all.

I'm so behind on this thread- been in France over half term which was lovely, 20 hour car journey home not so lovely! Sorry if I've missed any big news, just a weeks' worth if thread is hard to catch up on! Love the title of this thread; 9 weeks until Mat leave but only 7 of these at work thanks Easter holidays and 12 weeks until due date ahhhhh I'm too excited!

Oh mrsryan I have so much respect for you! Being a teacher is hard at the best of times! When do you have easter break! I would take a deep breath and look at the hols as light at the end of the tunnel! Do you have a support belt you can wear to work? A lot of mums will say don't worry about the housework as much from now on, cause specially when the baby is here it will be the least of your worries! You need to get your rest so the hoovering can wait another day ?? I am a first time mum too and studying towards my final year of my degree so I understand those pressures! Big hug!! We are all here for you!!!