March 2016 Babies! Here's thread #5!!

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New one!!

I think I'm probably crazy but I'm going to try to work until a week before EDD- so that means my last day would be 3rd March. I am office based and already work from home for 2 of my 4 days each week. I can probably work from home for the last few weeks too.

I worked until due date with DS and was still bored waiting for his arrival for just 1 week.

I also work a desk job but I'm not planning on going back to work after baby is here so I'll be going earlier than a lot of you - most likely at the end of January around 34 weeks so I have all of February off. But I'll be taking most of February as annual leave so my actual mat leave won't kick in until March.

I commute to work on the tube and though it's only about a 30-40 minute journey I find it hellish already and I'm not even very big yet, so that's my reasoning!

With DS I finished at 38 weeks. I was 35 weeks at half term and did 2 weeks after and remember wishing I'd finished at 36 instead.

And knowing that makes my Plan A even more mental.

The last day of term before Easter I'll be 40+1. The week before is 'science week', so not normal teaching, more supervising a load of other activities - I could be paired up with someone else and not do much at all. Seems daft not to come in for that - easy pay (and usually a fantastic week). Then it's a 4 day week before the holidays.

Realistically, I've run this plan past the assistant head and she's happy for me to have that as plan A and then alter as necessary closer to the time.

If I finish at the end of science week and then return for the last two weeks of term in July (we start the new timetable - but no yr7 or yr12 so lighter than normal) then that would coincide with maternity pay dropping to SMP (can't pay the bills on that).

This is seeming more mental as time goes on!

I'm due 2nd March and planning for my first day of maternity leave to be the first day after half term, that way I get a sneaky free week. I'm an outreach worker in primary schools, so lots of driving around, so am planning to finish that by the end of Jan and have a couple of weeks in the office. Just got to get my manager's approval...!

I'm going to try and go to the 1st March (EDD 7th March) as I am only taking 9 months and really want the time afterwards, everyone keeps saying I should take more time off but our place shuts over Christmas so I think we will be ready (materially with the stuff anyway!) and in an amazing turn of generosity our HR have allowed me to roll over all remaining leave from this year (considerably more than is normally allowed) so I am going to work a 4 day week for most of Jan and Feb.. I mostly sit at my desk and I'm a 5 minute walk from home so hopefully I will get there..

I went for my fat people appointment this morning... should probably stop calling it that! I did tell her that the leaflet they sent out with the appointment letter was very rude but apart from that it was fine and she was very nice - all a little bit stating the obvious but gave me a chart to plot to make sure I don't put on "excessive" weight which, as I have so far only gained the weight of jeans and shoes on the scales (I really do regret putting my morning in a nightie weight on my booking in form and not doing it again fully clothed at the surgery 2 hours later!) I think it looks ok.. and a box ticked for the NHS so all good.

I did not come out and buy a starbucks on the way back to the office...

Hello Everybody,

I had my midwife appointment today, everything is absolutely perfect . Heard his little heartbeat, and I recorded it on my phone so I can listen to it when I want .

Hope everyone is well and any scans going on anytime soon ?

xx

I'm planning to go to 38 weeks this time, all annual leave until my due date. I worked until 39 weeks last time assuming he'd be late, but he came on his due date so it wasn't much time at all! I work in an office too and it's only a short drive, but like others I'll see how I feel closer to the time, I might book another week's holiday or do half days for the last bit.

I'm jealous of those of you with deak jobs. I'm definitely going to be looking for a nice 9-5 office job after mat leave - I don't think my poor knackered pelvis can cope wiwith more years of nursing! The patients I'm currently looking after have very very poor mobility and almost all have dementia or some confusion so the care is quite full-on. I'm having a full year off though and I'll be working over xmas and new year so it will be nice to have time to spend with ds and to get everything ready for the baby.

Oh right, I forgot to say I'm going back to work in September, which is roughly when my enhanced mat pay runs out, but also when DH will take over at home on shared parental leave till the full year's leave runs out. He did that with DS and it worked brilliantly for all of us. I was happy to get back to work and DH was happy to be at home. I BF'd for 6 months, then pumped/formula fed with a transition over about a month to FF. Best of all, I never got asked "where's ... ?" or "what do I feed him?" or crap like that. DH knew from the start that he'd be on his own for some months, so he made sure he learned on the job, just like me, and honestly he found some things that worked way better than anything I came up with. That man was the king of nappy changing and now he's the potty king.

I'm due 19th March and am planning to work up until Friday 4th March which is 37+6. My boss says I'm being optimistic and I should leave earlier. It's a factory job so depending on how un comfy I get I might be leaving earlier. I won't be returning after mat leave. I'll be looking for part time evening/weekend work as we can survive on oh salary and we have no one to look after dc.
Anomaly scan this Friday and I'm scared out my mind especially after the increased nuchal fold and bleeding I had

MShip my DH and I always wanted to do shared parental leave but he hasn't worked at his new company long enough... Damn that holiday between jobs.. . As I get nothing better than SMP so it wouldn't matter who was off and we liked the idea of like you of both doing it.

Cross posted ginger good luck for Friday, but I'm sure it will be fine.

When I had DD, DP took 3 months paternity leave - I don't think it was called shared parental leave back then (2 years ago), as it was slightly different - we couldn't be both off at the same time, but I essentially "gave" him my left over leave when I went back to work at 6 months. He loved it. I worked from home a couple of days a week and DP would bring her to me for a feed, and the rest of the week I would pump at work. It worked really well for us and DP has always been a very hands on dad and takes his fair share of the parental responsibility concerning child care! I'd love to do shared parental leave this time round but DP is on a fixed term contract now - basically he needed to change jobs for us to be able to afford to have another baby, and the only job he could get was fixed term. So it doesn't work for us to do shared parental leave this time

I'm going onto reduced hours from 36 weeks, the 2 weeks annual leave until due date when mat leave will start. I'm only taking 5 months off as I'm the main breadwinner in our house so will be going back to work in August, and DH will give up work to sta at home with DC.

I had no idea there was such a thing as shared parental leave, will look into it.

Trinpy I can't imagine how that will be for you doing such a demanding and intense job, you have my full respect! (and I'm worried about chasing kids around...!)

toni glad the midwife appointment went well.

ginger I had early bleeding too, so scary. Will keep my fingers crossed for your scan.

I'd love to do shared leave with DH - maybe I'll be able to convince him if I can convince him to go for DC #2.

Just back from my 20 week appt with the GP. I love her - she is totally no nonsense. She said "er...Rach...why are you here?" I said "the midwife said I had to come and see you!"

Checked me over and then said to me "don't come back and see me without that baby, and book a long appointment so I can have a cuddle!"

Work - am finishing on 5th Feb! My induction is going to be 21st ish of Feb but official due date is 6th March. I worked out that DH and I had two (2!!!!!!!) weekends together where we've got no plans before Baby Paper arrives. That's scary.

It's all seeming very soon now isn't it!

Just noticed how many posts closer to the end of the thread we've got today, should we make a new one?

I'd be keen for DH to take shared parental leave too but he's not so keen. Not because he doesn't want to be hands on, he does, but more because he's worried about how it will affect his job (lol - like we ladies don't have to worry about that!)

Well volunteered Suz

We'll be on thread 75 by the time these babies arrive and thread 750000 by the time they go to school

Me - there's no way my DH would take leave. I guess his boss wouldn't be happy. Oohh new thread time! Are we still "just breeding"? :)

Oof, the pressure! Yep, still just breeding over here...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/2496134-March-2016-6-were-just-breeding-here

Not very good at doing clicky links, hopefully it's useable!

I like 'just breeding' .

I think shared parental leave is a great idea. Its nice for dads to get some bonding time too and to understand how hard it can be being at home with the baby all day! My dh is self employed though so its not an option for us.

Whoop whoop

suz it does seem very soon, I was thinking that earlier, with Christmas half way to the finish line it's all creeping up on me quickly.. We don't have that many free weekends left this year...

Well dd is coping surprisingly well with the clocks changing. Goes straight back to sleep when she tries to get up with dh at 6 and I tell her it's not 7 yet. On the other hand, it's making me very grouchy, my body clock hasn't adapted: so where I used to wake up briefly at 4 and when dh got up fro work; I'm now up at 3 for about an hour unable to go back to sleep and again at 5! Grateful I can just potter around in my pjs at home rather than go out to work. Only got dressed today to take dd out for her flu vaccination and out for tea as a treat for being good.

Gathering quite a collection of stuff for bump. Half a suitcase full! Need to get down dd's stuff as I think quite a bit was unisex for newborn and 0-3. Need to direct people to buy bigger sizes of boys clothes as she lived in tights and dresses from quite early on! My dad brought me back a beautiful carrier from Uganda, I can't wait to try it out in March. may well go into my hospital bag. DD would probably fit in it on my back but I can hardly lift her, let alone get her on my back at the moment. Her toys are enjoying the odd ride in it.

Rather relaxing not having to worry about maternity leave this time around. I finished with dd at 38+4 and actually wanted to go on rather than start maternity leave. Had c-section at 39 weeks. Planned to have 6 months off, then 9 months, finally 12 months, due to her needing some medical treatment, then dh's working hours changed and I ended up staying at home as the antisocial hours childcare hours we'd have needed to cover both our jobs would have virtually wiped out my wage. Dh needs to work for his sanity where as I'm quite happy at home and doing dd friendly groups and volunteering.