February 2016 Halfway mark: Flutters into kicks into thwacks!

[haquoi123]

New thread, heeeeeeere we go!!

rufus any update? Thinking of you x

Oh no Rufus. Fingers crossed for you, really hope everything is OK. Hugs xx

Oh rufus, I'm thinking of you and hoping so much that you and baby are ok xxxxx

Thinking of you Rufus

Thanks for new thread Haquoi. When are people going off on Mat leave? I'm finishing at 30wks, but have 3 wks annual leave to take first, so my mat leave officially starts at 33wks. Prob having baby at 38 wks so I figure that's only 5 weeks before. At 44yrs old I need the rest beforehand! So, I only have 7 weeks left at work, yay!

Thinking of you rufus

Thinking of you Rufus - hope all is okay

Isla I'll be finishing work at 38 weeks all going well. I'm in Ireland and legally you have to finish by 38 weeks, which is a pain if you go overdue. I was fine working til then the last time but it's a bit more tiring this time around with a toddler to look after too! It leaves 13.5 weeks left for me to work but with a week off for Christmas towards the end which will help.

Oh no Rufus, hope everything's ok, thinking of you xx

I'm planning my last work day to be New Years Eve with w/c 4th Jan as leave so maternity leave will officially start on 11th Jan when I'll be 36 weeks and I should be having a planned c section at 39 weeks (due to 2 previous c sections)

Really hope you're OK rufus, that sounds terrifying.

I plan to do the same as with DS, as long as I'm physically up to it, so will work to around first week of Feb then have DC w/c 15th. Only issue at the moment is that sitting on a hard work chair sets off the sciatica, so cushions are needed!

Hoping all is well rufus

Hope you are ok Rufus

For those who were discussing maternity coats a while back, I got a Next maternity catalogue yesterday and they do a coat that you order in your usual size then you buy an extra panel that zips into it to make it fit your bump. No idea what it's like but maybe worth a try x

Thoughts with you Rufus

Re coats: I remember when I was pregnant with DD2 (mid March birth, due end of march) I didn't wear anything other than a light raincoat over jumpers with gloves and hats all winter. In the snow, with the pregnancy I just didn't get that cold. (I was even underweight at the start of the pregnancy). Just a thought. Don't go too heavy on a coat, layers are handy.

Sending love Rufus

Rufus, really hope everything's OK! Welcome Joleyn, it's JessieThom that's also having twins

Mat leave- my manager is hassling me for a date already, but I don't have a MATB1 form yet (and won't have one til mid-November) so can't 'officially' tell the company and thought I had another month to plan it all, so it's useful to hear everyone's thoughts! Planning to go at 39 or 40 weeks but take 2 weeks' annual leave beforehand, so probably working up to end of January. I work from home and it's spectacularly undemanding.

rufus Thinking of you.

I had bleeding with DD1 at 26 weeks, kept me in for 3 days and couldn't figure out what had caused the bleeding, sent me on my merry way. Its terrifying, I remember it well. It did happen again at 28 weeks (I woke up in an actual pool of blood ) We had various complications after that which I won't go into, but the upshot is she is now 7 and is laying in bed at the side of me half asleep

Chucked some fleece blankets and muslins in with my Tesco shop yesterday and have a friend bringing me a bunch of stuff on Friday, can't wait. Finally ordered my new bed, should arrive next Thursday. My current MALM bed is far too low, it hurts getting in and out.

Hoping the postie brings me Peri Natal Psych letter today, it's been 3 weeks since my Consultant sent them an urgent letter and I've not heard anything I'll be calling them directly this afternoon if nothing arrives.

rufus thinking of you xx

Hope all is ok rufus thinking of you

Had an embarrassing experience was at the stables last night mucking out, needed a wee but made the mistake of thinking I could hold it and go in a bit, the straw hit the back of my throat and I had a coughing fit and pee'd myself luckily I was only person there and dashed to the loo!!

Scan not till next Friday 16th, think I'm the last one to have mine on here, that's what happens when due date is 28 Feb I guess lol

Hey Mary I have my scan on Monday with the same due date as you!
Rufus thinking of you, I hope all is well xxx

Mat leave, I'm self employed and work in schools, so officially stopping at Christmas (I don't usually get paid in holidays so it'll be helpful to have the allowance starting then). I don't want to book in lessons and have people pay on advance if I then can't teach them and have to pay it all back! But depending on the allowance rules I might be able to do a bit of work on week by week basis. And then going back to work in the summer term :( otherwise I'd lose all my work. But we're looking into shared parental leave as it seems like I can go back to work in summer term and then back on mat leave on the summer hols, DH too... It's all very confusing though!

Thinking of you Rufus, fingers tightly crossed.

Isla - I think I'm going start my leave on Jan the 4th (34 weeks), because I have to take my Annual Leave before my Maternity Leave starts. So my actual Maternity Leave will start on Feb the 8th (39 weeks). What this means really is that my last day will be on the 23rd of Dec, just before Christmas (32 weeks). Our house is upside-down at the moment, because of all the building work we are doing, so I'm quite looking forward to having some time to sort it all out before February.

In a previous life I was a child minder (went on mat leave when pregnant with DD2, moved areas when she was 6 months old and never set up again) But I'll be setting up again soon. DSis is applying for a degree in Nursing for September 2016, so I'll be having DNeph before and after school, possibly overnight depending on her shifts when on placements. She won't hear of me doing it for free so I need to set up again. Fingers crossed she gets in this time, being a little older (she was 19 last time she applied, she's 24 now) and having a disabled DS, she is, IMO, a prime candidate for Paeds Nursling. Also means I'll be officially employed again but with no interruptions to family life.

My maternity leave officially starts from 1st Feb (due date 14th Feb) but I "have" to take all my annual leave beforehand so my last day in the office is 18th December @ 32 wks! Still not sure if this is good or bad (but I haven't had a holiday since April so I'm sure by then I'm going to be properly knackered).

I hope all is well with you Rufus

Baby is okay, I didn't get home till 2.30am. Thank you for all your messages.
Last night I called my obstetrician (I've paid for a full antenatal care package and c-section) fully expecting to be told to come in, for her instead to say that the private hospital wouldn't deal with me as I was before 24 weeks and needed to go to a NHS hospital. She could have easily done a scan her self and checked my cervix herself so I am really pissed off with her especially after what I was then put through with the NHS.
Arrived at the maternity assessment unit. There was a receptionist, 3 midwives and a completely empty ward and waiting room, they had nothing to do! I explained I was bleeding and how many weeks I was, I was then left for 30 mins with no questions as to how much I was bleeding, was I in pain or any comfort or bedside manner of any sort from anyone. I forgot my notes, who wouldn't when they are hysterically running out of the house crying. This apparently was a huge drama for the midwives, I was tutted at, told off, it was all a huge inconvenience to them. I was asked to give a urine sample and during that time DH said they were laughing and joking and being completely unprofessional (he was so angry and disgusted with their behaviour). Finally a midwife did my blood pressure and checked the baby's heart beat. Then we were just left in a room, it took 90mins for a Dr to come and check my cervix wasn't opening. The Dr was 1000% better then the midwives and was professional and caring. He couldn't see any blood up there and said my cervix was closed and had no idea where the blood had come from. They wouldn't give me a rehsus injection.
Right now I have an extremely low opinion of my Dr and the midwives at the Hospital. My mum wants me to change Dr so that I can change hospital but before this happened I really liked her and I've been under her care for 3 years already. I would have also expected the Dr to call me to check if I was Ok but she hasn't!
Going to spend the day on the sofa not doing anything and hope that I never have it happen again. It was the most horrifying and upsetting thing to experience.