We're multitasking by crocheting and blood testing our way through pregnancy. We are waiting for our clutch of Christmas babies to hatch while our newbies are gearing up for scans, it's JS Grads 42!

[Hobbit19]

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 41st grads thread... celebrating the success of Just Shagging in getting us viroids upduffed!

For those that don't know, a 'viroid' is from the original JSing thread 1, where someone was trying to type ladies (in reference to all the JSing ladies), but their phone decided to call us all viroids instead!

The name stuck and we've been the JSing viroids ever since.

The 41sr grads thread is HERE

The thread we have graduated from is HERE in its 55th outing. WARNING: they're all a bit kerazy not to mention randy!

There is also a Just Mumming thread HERE
for once your babies come along, or to keep up with the graduated graduates!

There is also a private facebook group (so it doesn't give the game away in your news feed!)... if you want to join to see photos of new babies etc, just ask in-thread!

HERE is the stats list, please update your own spot with any updates. (Except it's not because I don't know how to link to the stats sheet!)

Yes, you were the other one I thought of honey!

I've decided the only acceptable alternative to my nice calm planned section is having a not-really-emergency one on the 29th - I'm with your DH on that!

talking od EDDs, stats and birth, i'm struggling to decide on mat leave date and i need to tell them asap...opinions please... EDD=29th March, thinking 14th as start of mat leave, was going to risk the 21st, but then if he does come early i wont have had much prep time. But if (like i was) he's nearly 2 weeks late I'll have had a month off and may be bored (and poorer for no good reason)

in other (also boring) news, i am wearing different maternity jeans today, but have realsied they are too big so will spend all day flashing bump and/or crack i fear!!

Morning :)

Back at work today, feeling much better, hopefully it lasts!! :)

5hell here's my two cents. I was all up for working until 37 weeks. Then I decided a few months back to finish at 36 weeks at that was New Years Eve and made sense.

Now I am not coming back after Xmas Eve. Honestly, i'm just so tired and heavy, I feel I could sleep. I guess commuting makes a difference, so if you don't have a long commute it's not as bad, but I would finish up long before 38/39 weeks.

There's a chance I'll leapfrog jelly, as I'm likely to be induced early and she's only 6 days ahead of me by EDD. But then equally any of us could pop early!

5hell if you're anything like me, you'll want mat leave asap because you'll be knackered and achy!

I took ML from around 36 weeks I think, and work reduced hours for a few weeks before that - I was a waitress though and my work was extremely physical. I was knackered! I also knew I wasn't going back, so it wasn't a case trying not to use it up on the wrong side of baby's arrival though, which makes it a bit different.

Glad to hear you're feeling better jelly, that day of rest did you good

5hell I'm due 9 days before you and finishing up on 26th February at 36+5 - I have 3 weeks of annual leave to burn first though and then have planned to officially start maternity leave at 40+1. I'm also shifting to early starts (7:30-8am) and finishes (4pm) after Christmas to make my commute easier.

5hell, I planned to work until 36 weeks but finished a couple of days early as I was just so tired. I am now 38 weeks and have basically gone into hibernation! I do know people who have worked until their due date though, I don't know how they did it. My DM and MIL were telling me that everyone used to finish at 29 weeks and they think everyone leaves it really late now!
I wouldn't worry too much about being bored as if you are like me you will be spending lots of time napping! I've also finished off a lot of DIY jobs, deep cleaned the house, batch cooked things for the freezer and now I am starting to do nice things like visit baby groups/finish crafting projects etc. Do you have any annual leave you can put on the beginning of your mat leave?

Feeling okay thanks Thursday, just a bit tired! No sign of anything yet but I'm not actually 'due' until next Sat and most first time mums go over by about 5/6 days so I am not expecting anything soon. That does take me to Xmas day/Boxing day though which I would rather avoid!

pud my nan's aunt said i shouldn't work past december lol! i love older peoples rules!!

pret i hope this baby comes a tad early!

ok, well against all wisdom i have gone for finishing at 38+3 as chatted to my boss and he'll be flexible anyway, so i can either use AL or shirk work from home if I do want to finish a bit earlier. If only babies came when they were 'supposed' to, it would make these things much easier to decide 3-4 months in advance!

Yet another reason to be delighted with elcs IMO

I'm sure you'll be fine 5hell, and TBH there's not much they can do if you're not up to working as long as you thought.

Thurs DS arrived at 40+1, so the race is on

5hell if you're finding being pg easy, then there's no reason you can't work up until quite late. Esp. if you have a desk job. You only need to give them 4 weeks notice iirc, so don't let them bully you!

5hell I've changed my mat leave (again) so I now finish when I'm 35+6. I have the benefit of shitloads of annual leave which I've bolted on either end of my mat leave.

I haven't picked that date cos my job is hard - in fact I'm on restricted maternity duties so it's an absolute doddle, plus I have almost no commute (15min walk or 5min drive) - but I study part time and I'm finding it hard to fit it around working and sleeping, so I'm hoping it'll help having a couple weeks at home to finish it off before the baby arrives.

I technically am finishing at 30+2 but that's because of the end of term. If I went back in holidays I would need to end a week or so later so no point.

Need to apply for SMA! The form is so long. Oh well. A job for the weekend maybe.

I'm done Thursday just so ready to have this baby here! In a lot of pain and exhausted! But still another two and a half weeks to go til ELCS! Think it doesn't help that my mood is really very low at the moment, if I wasn't this pregnant I'd be asking to go back on anti-depressants. As it is I'm not quite sure how to make it through til due date but going to have to I suppose

Sorry that was very gloomy, perhaps I'll feel better after a sleep. If someone could have a word with DS...! We went to a toddler class Christmas oarty this morning so hopefully he'll conk out soon after a dreadful night!

Hopefully you will be fine up to then 5hell, if not I think they are supposed to be flexible with you wanting to bring your date forward.

Had a bit of a funny 5 minutes earlier. I had breakfast at 8 and then went out and about and forgot to eat until 1. (This is most unusual for me!) I had the shakes big time when I got home but feeling better now that I have had lunch. The moral of the story is: more biscuits.

Lots of catching up to do.....

Thanks for all the love and rage on my behalf yesterday re: lost £2k/front door viroids - had a proper cry last night when I was over tired. Feel a bit better now. Other people FUMING on my behalf has lightened the load of my own anger!

Just caught the mat leave conversation....I've already told my director what I want - taking 4 weeks of annual leave (I get decent annual leave) from 35+6 and maternity leave is due to start on my due date (which is a saturday, so not sure how they'll calculate that).

My family have a habit of having early babies and the idea of trawling my bump through the London rush hour when heavily pregnant terrifies me! I also have a habit of getting over invested and over involved in work, so I will need time to switch off and transition between finishing work and doing my baby.

Back to catching up....

Ooop Pud pregnancy definitely requires more food than normal to be eaten at five minute intervals!

Hope you are feeling better and the spotting stopped Ill, don't worry, sounds like it's nothing sinister. Nice to know there is a heartbeat!

Feathered I am sad for the loss of your door –the massive thieving door turds! Hope you get some of your cash back.

May I moan ... takes deep breath and moans freely without waiting for a response

Some friends asked us to join them doing a Christmas themed activity that doesn't involve drinking, it's an interactive performance thing in a historic building. I think it sounds quite cool. DH just said he isn't interested in it but will meet us for drinks after.

I feel like saying fuck off, you aren't invited to any of it now. He's been on loads of Christmas nights out and I'm starting to feel a bit fed up he's been so hungover/miserable (always is after a big night out, sure he secretly drinks gin or something). His works do was last weekend and he's been a right misery pants since mahoosive hangover on Sunday.

Obviously I'm thankful to be pregnant and not able to drink but would like it if he made more of an effort to do some stuff that was entertaining for me too.

And finally, pregnancy hormones are definitely making me go from happy and calm to RARRR! I HATE YOU, in a matter of seconds over the slightest thing.

X post Feathered! Sorry I don't think I caught up with everyone before posting that – for anyone who needs it or is in a mood.

Ha pee sounds like preggo rage to me! Quite unfair of your DH though I guess if he's going to be a misery guts during the event maybe you don't want him there anyway? He could try and paste on a smile though!

Ill - big relief your bleeding has stopped and the cause identified. I literally started shaking when I had my bleed a couple of weeks ago. Really glad you got the reassurance of seeing a little heart beat going like that clappers!

Pud and Molly and anyone else who is uncomfy and can't sleep...may you find a comfy position very very soon.

Pee - thieving door turds [grins] love it! I would be really cross with DH if that was me. The first tri is shit and the fact you can't drink at Christmas is also annoying. I would expect all DH's to demonstrate some enthusiasm for pregnant friendly activities!

My DH also has loads of work related Christmas parties - main one tonight and two next week! I'm really jealous. Trying not to be mardy, but I did have a bit of a mood when he rebuffed my suggestion of going ice skating because "WHAT IF I FELL OVER???" I told him to suggest a fun alternative....he didn't have one. I quietly seethed at him. Ah, marital bliss.

Pregnancy rage, ha ha! I've definitely had it a few times to day – also called up Fetch (the John Lewis pet online site) to complain about one of their grooming brushes giving my dog a rash. I had a good rant and it felt good. A £10 voucher did little to calm the rage.

Going to silently seethe over my dog's rash and my DHs lack of consideration for my festive entertainment. Don't cross me, I'm hormonal. (Suppose you are right Molly, I'd just be annoyed on the actual night because he looked unimpressed about being dragged to see Father Christmas leap from behind a pillar in the basement of the Town Hall!)

Urgh! There's literally nothing festive it's safe to do. Now ice skating has been taken from us Feathered.

flings paté and blue cheese at the wall and curses anyone who can enjoy mulled wine

Do you know, I actually feel thankful for the fact that I don't drink (for over 2 years now) - it's been great for not giving the game away and I (now) don't miss the whole "bugger, I cant drink at Christmas/new year/birthdays/weddings etc"

It's about the only thing i do feel thankful for today though....

Pee, Stilton is in! Get scoffing!

Attempting to put up the Xmas decorations. The cats think THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER and are taking baubles off the tree faster than I can put them on. FFS.