Jan 2016 #5 - Scanxiety, sickness and sweet relief as we approach the second trimester!

[TeenieDeenie]

STATS

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12-46WHExOXbKsKon2nKyEth9RRyKw9paIw4V4SGTFE8/edit?usp=sharing

We're going in to discuss options tomorrow morning. Unfortunately our hospital only offers CVS or amnio, not the additonal blood test. But we are currently thinking we don't want to go for these more invasive options, with associated risks but round rather pay for Harmony. I also don't think I could wait 3 weeks for amnio, with the worry and all (I already suffer with anxiety disorder).

Fisher sorry you've had worrying news, fingers crossed for you.

Just had my scan which was all rather surreal - bean opened and closed its mouth a few times which was cute and we got a wave! We were in there a while though as it wouldn't move from its back so the sonographer couldn't get all the measurements for ages!

Due date now 22nd Jan - teenie, could you update my stats when you're next in the spreadsheet? Anomaly scan will be 15th Sep.

Teenie I've just opened the spreadsheet and noticed it's now in alphabetical order rather than sorted by due date... is that deliberate or has someone (possibly me ) done it in error?

My scan is next Wed so I'm on count down too! Also on count down till the end of term, however all of DD's toddler groups stop for the holiday so I need to think of some things to do with her! She's just spent half an hour cleaning her chair with some baby wipes- maybe she'll amuse herself!

fish sorry you've had worrying news. Fingers crossed that you get good news at the next stage.

lily lovely scan picture

teenie can you please update the stats with my new due date of 15 January, and 20 week scan on 21 August?

Fish - sorry for your worrying news, Many people get this news and go on to have completely healthy babies x
lily great scan picture x

Sorry to hear your news fish but hopefully it will turn out to be a false alarm. Thinking of you for tomorrow.

I'm also very jealous of all the maternity pay, sounds like you all work for excellent employers! I'll be on statutory maternity, I work for one of those companies that prefers to sit on nice big profits rather than look after their staff! Yet to decide when to start leave, with the odds of twins coming early, and apparently struggling more at the end I'll need to give it some proper thought.

Ready and Edgar I worked somewhere that only offered statutory and with my DH's low salary I decided to get a new job with better maternity benefits. So it's worked out well but I sympathise as it just wouldn't have been feasible on statutory (or rather it would have been but I wouldn't have wanted to go back after just a few weeks).

lily I live out in the sticks so had to prioritise getting a job that wasn't miles and miles away with a massive commute. Which I managed to do. Started trying in February when my probation period was over, BFP in April and here we are! I figured while the crappy basic maternity wasn't great, it's only for a year (well probably less!) while the 15 minutes commute twice a day is a benefit I'll get as long as I'm there, and will make the logistics of working, childcare etc. a lot better. The rest of the job is okay too. I really hated travelling for an hour for my old job. I constantly felt like I was working a 6th day for nothing.

fisher fx for you, as others have said it's still most likely baby is unaffected.

Also, I'm really not sure how one finds a job with better maternity benefits? Unless you work for the NHS or a large organisation like Virgin that's known for it, it's not something I've ever seen advertised in a job ad. Perhaps it's a public/private sector thing, I've always worked private sector, and I've never found a job which offered anything but statutory. Good for you ladies is all I can say. I still haven't told work. I think it will be fine, I'm just nervous about it. I'm secretly hoping someone will realise I've been browsing mumsnet and put 2 and 2 together!

So sorry for your worrying news fish. I hope the meeting tomorrow is helpful to you and put your mind at rest. I think we decided if our risk comes back high we'd opt for harmony rather than amnio even if it meant paying. From previous posts on here there does seem to be quite a variation in fees, so might be worth shopping around if you're able to travel, if that is the decision you make.

Nothing else ot report here. Felt sick all morning, and so tired. 13+3 now so was hoping that was all done dusted.

Ready I get a bit better than SMP, but only a few weeks - my employer is nowhere near as generous as some of these.

Fishers sorry to hear you have that worry. We decided that if we had a high risk result that we would go for harmony too, rather than the invasive tests. Hope you are one of the 89. Fx.

Lovely scan pic Lily!

We got our combined test results this morning, 1/29 000 so very relieved (I'm 39 so this has been a background worry).

MrsFaz great that you work in A&E. Hope your colleagues have checked out your minimal scarring stitching .

Oh and Teenie my next scan is 25 August for when you are next on the stats. Thanks.

For all asking about the stats sheet, it was requested a few weeks ago that the spreadsheet be made editable to all and it has been that way for over a week now. This means you can all go in and manage/change your own stats.

Juniper, yes someone has made the sheet now in alphabetical order instead of by due date which unfortunately cannot be undone.

ready one of my friends at work is expecting twins and had to reduce her hours at 28 weeks as she's really starting to struggle and we only have an office job

i work for one of the big energy companied and they are pretty caring for their staff tbh.. I've been off sick for just under 5 weeks on monday and I've got full pay.. im back in on monday don't know how im gong to cope i seem to have worst sickness now than ever!

Fish I had a 1/46 high result so I know how u feel and that phone call is horrendous! I was lucky enough to be offered a free harmony style test (called iona as its done in the uk) if I could get to a hospital in London and I'm still waiting for the results but I would have paid for it privately rather than risk cvs. Although if it comes back high risk I will go for the amnio to be sure. i hate the combined test and think there are a lot of people stressing over the result and people getting low risk but still having a baby with downs. Hugs xx

Thanks teenie, and sorry - must have missed that. Will update forthwith

Edgar you're right, I could look for better maternity pay as part of the application process so really just lucked out. But I moved from a (small, independent) retailer to a charity so odds were in my favour. First thing I checked when I started was the maternity policy! Will be looking for something more local after returning from mat leave though as my commute's about 1.5 hours each way on a good day, through London.

*couldn't look. Oops.

I'm very envious of all.you ladies and your maternity pay :( I won't get a penny, I'm on a zero hour contract, not by choice, and I'm almost certain I don't qualify for smp or ma :(

Hello everyone, just catching up after a weekend at mil's. Thought it was going to be he'll but wasn't too bad!

Sorry to all those with worrying news, keeping fingers crossed for you.

No mat leave for me, I'm a sahm! However, because I left work at the end of my maternity leave in April I think I qualify for some ma which would be handy, that's if it doesn't go in the next round of cuts (anyone else heard of things like smp and ma going?) we're not relying on it, but it would be useful so we'll see.

I wish to eat all of the things but must resist so I dont put on as much weight as last time.

Thanks ladies. Fx we still have a good chance. frozen how long did they say your results would take?
Actually, anyone that has had harmony tests, how long did the results take?
We're 2 hours from London so doubt we'd be offered Iona, but rather more likely to travel to Bristol for Harmony at St Michael's hospital. I don't think there's anywhere closer to Yeovil that does it. The more we think about it the more we'd want that over CVS or amnio. The post code lottery of where you do or don't have to pay for it doesn't seem very fair though does it! We all pay our taxes. I just want to no if mini fish is ok at the end of the day though. That's all that matters.

Brooke you and I can hang about in the no SMP club then lol. I earn about £5 a week too little to qualify because I only work 39 weeks a year but that wage is then spread over all 52 weeks.

brickie sad isn't it :( can you not qualify for ma either?

I think dp may have to take annual leave too as we couldn't manage on the money they pay for paternity pay

fish I was told our harmony results would take 14 days but they were back 7 days after the test, which was great.

I work for a large international company and the maternity leave policy is pretty generous - we get 13 weeks at full pay, 6 weeks at half pay, and a return to work bonus of 6 weeks at half pay. I think I'm going to then take SMP/holiday to take me up to September, leaving on Christmas eve, but not totally decided yet. Dh leaves his permanent job on Thursday to become a self employed contractor, so won't get any paternity leave - but we plan for him to have two weeks off after I'm out of hospital (I'll have a section so not really much point him being off whilst I'm in hospital as I'll have plenty of family visitors and I'd rather him be off when I get out).

Fish they said 5-7 working days for me but the harmony test is sent to America so usually 2 weeks. Apparently the free nhs tests are only on trials and u have to fit very specific criteria if that's not your normal hospital for you to be referred. I was lucky in some respects. But u don't get to find out gender so was a bit disappointed with that. The nhs will probably offer the test to all high risk patients by 2017 but a bit late for all of us. There are company's that will send u the bits in the post and u get someone to take your blood and send it back? I would get it done asap as the waiting is awful. Xxx