The November 2015 bus is back on the road, chugging through beautiful scan pic landscapes, picking up plenty of Dairyleas, muffins and whathaveyous on it's way!

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Did the last November bus crash without a new thread? Worry not, here we are again! Toot toot!

Hurray Coffee!

mrswishy you can come and be my part time nanny when I go back to work if you live in SW London, we're due on the same day so I'm sure the babies will get on :grin:

I'm going to attempt to give hypno-birthing a whirl. Whatever works eh!! my sister is a midwife so I'll ask her advice on all that jazz.

Fab news coffee

I'm sitting here laughing to myself about sausage softies

I can feel a little bit rounder above my pubic bone and in the evenings I'm bloated but definitely no bump. I got to 17 weeks the last time and wasn't showing either but my tummy had changed shape a bit.

I have, however, just discovered harem pants! I know they're not everyone's taste but it sure is more comfy than having to open my top button in the evenings! I see a lot of harem pants in my future.

Splendid pic Coffee!

Had my booking in appointment this morning at 9+2. It took an hour and forty minutes although I suspect that was just me waffling on. Felt quite fradulent as was feeling completely normal at the time but it's so nice to be able to talk about being pregnant with another human being. Just started feeling rubbish in the last half hour so back on with the sickness bands. I think they have really helped although I was put off by the yin and yang stuff on the box but reached the point of wanting th try anything to reduce the nausea.

Afternoon all. Came home to my scan letter - hooray! May 6th, it feels like an age away.

Good news on all the lovely scan pics. All beginning to feel quite real now!

So a sausage softie is a sausage bap? Well I never

I'm a vegetarian so I don't have that temptation!

Now - do I make a nice salad tonight or should we get an curry, or pizza takeaway? I know what we SHOULD do, but... you know. The devil on my shoulder and all that.

Some lovely scans here! Wonderful.

I've got my scan and test date now, which is April 30th, so just counting that down now - still half convinced I'm imagining it all.

On the subject of harem pants - a big YES! I managed to get to a H&M the other day and bought three cheap pairs of patterned, loose, drawstring trousers and I think they're going to tide me over nicely on bump-hiding duty for the next while.

Has anyone had a smear test while pregnant? I got my 'invitation' for one the other day.

Cunt I don't think you're supposed to have a smear during pregnancy.

You're nickname made that sentence very enjoyable

Lovely Coffee!

God I could really do with a sausage bap now. We're having dinner with some friends who are perpetually dieting so pretty much guaranteed to be sausageless...

Tomorrow I am going shopping for a bridesmaids dress so unless she happens to choose something very forgiving with an empire line I will have to come clean to the bride to be! Will look out for some harem pants at the same time

I've just had my maternity notes through from the midwife. There's a note saying 'refer to anc', anyone know what this stands for?

Hello all! In terms of time off work... last time I didn't qualify for enhanced mat pay, so I went back after 6 months with a view to only being there a year before starting another mat leave. Very luckily I can now take a year off with my two babies and I cannot wait!
1st midwife appt on Monday, no symptoms except a huge appetite!

Hahah! Yes, it is a bit appropriate, Guybrush Thanks, I will give them a call on Monday so, and put them off.

In good news, today I had my six-month probation review (I have a one-year probation period) and it was absolutely glowing and had the magic words about recommending me for permanency. Obviously they don't know I'm duffed, but it is another piece of the puzzle as regards my life. I would have a very good legal/union case if they refuse to make me permanent in September, which is really important (assuming I don't fuck up pretty spectacularly before my August review...)

Has anyone here had their 12 week scan without having their partner or a friend present? My OH won't be available and I'm obviously anxious about that, but I will have a bit of a trek to and from it (45 mins bus, then taxi), and with the history of abnormalities in my family, it's a bit nervewracking. I don't have any friends to take as I haven't been in this country long enough to meet anyone I don't work with!

Maybe it is that, annbag. I don't know if I'm midwife or consultant led, I'd rather be midwife led as none of the consultants I met last time were very helpful

Ninja we are scan date buddies yea a sausage softie is a sausage bap! I've just had 3 BIL and SIL had a BBQ!

Ninja and crying me too for 6 may! :) I'll only be 11 +5 then. Assume thats ok and not too early?!

Great news and pic Coffee!

We're scan date twins ninja, mine's on 6th May too. I'll be 12+3.

Bowies curry! gone on, you know you want to! I'm just so envious as I'd love to love a curry right now iyswim.

Hareem pants sound great! The weather here has suddenly gone from snow to 77 degrees so i need to get to the ships this weekend as my new mat jeans (over the bump hence rather warm) and thermal boots are not a good option any more!

CC I always understood it was best to put off the smear until after the baby is born and you've had your 6 weeks check (that's what I was told in my first pg anyway). However, I know in some countries they routinely smear when pg. Maybe call your surgery and tell them you've had your letter but are pg and see what they say. Mine wouldn't book me in.

I might also have to go to my 12 weeks scan alone CC. Theoretically I may have a 50:50 risk of genetic abnormalities (I say theoretically as its all educated guesswork on the part of the geneticists as there is no test they can do). It hasn't shown up in DC1 or DC2 and I can't decide whether this makes me feel more confident that this pg will be fine or that I've got away with it twice already so I'm 'due' a problem (I know it doesn't work like that, but you know what I mean).

My scan is 6th May too. Fingers crossed for lots of lovely healthy scan pics that day

I've had a closer look at my notes annbag and they say midwife led on the front but the referral to anc is at the bottom of the section on previous births so I think you're right, they probably want to review what happened at dd's birth.

Those who asked about maternity leave, I took the full year last time. We have a decent maternity scheme and I found I really loved being off with dd. I didn't really want to go back at all but couldn't afford not to.

ANC stands for antenatal clinic in my area but it might differ.

cunt well done on the review!

Are you near London? I'll come to the scan with you

Annbag I was facing the same problem with my dd and asked my midwife at booking and she said not to say anything to the hospital and just to turn up with the baby. My scan letter does say no children over preschool age in the scan room so I'd imagine you'd be fine at yours. Its just incase it's bad news, but our babies are so young that they wouldn't know what's happening anyway.