Late December - Early January '17 Babies

[GerberaDaisy]

Hello,

So couldn't see a January baby post (probably because no one is mad enough to POAS as early as me!)

Anyway, I thought I would start one (waves). I am 28, this will be DC#2 making my 4 year old DS a big brother which he has been so excited about becoming (we haven't told him yet though as very early days!) I am roughly around 4 weeks and we're not planning on telling anyone for ages so thought I would start a thread so I have someone to get excited with!

Please come and say hello! Xx

lucy good to have another low Papp a person. I'm having extra scans too.

emz sorry the nausea has come back with a vengeance. Keep taking those pills! I am feeling a lot better but am still spontaneously vomming every couple of days.

admarks don't worry too much about weight. It seems like everyone gains at different rates. If you're a normal bmi & your baby is measuring ok then it's all good.

bella I only got weighed once for my last pregnancy at booking in to determine BMI and I understand this is standard practice. They don't do regular weigh ins. They only need it to give you relevant diet advice etc.
We are starting the process of redesigning and refurbishing our kitchen diner. The current one is relatively new left by the previous owners but the layout just doesn't work for us. Given the lead times on things (like worktops) I don't know whether it's foolhardy to be starting now!! So the last few weekends have been spent at kitchen showrooms and design appointments. Tsk tsk

Feeling lots of movements last 2 days. Maybe down to the tight work trousers I've been wearing (not intentionally! Just not gotten round to buying mat clothes)
Weather is a bit pants but very glad that it's the weekend. Can't believe I'll be halfway in less than 3wks!

Yay for feeling movements Lucy! How far along are you? I'm still waiting for my first flutters!!

We are fast approaching half way aren't we! I may work out how many more weeks at work I have to start a count down/rush to recruit my cover!!

So exciting lucy no movement here yet. admarks any ideas when you're going to start your mat leave? I'm going to send official notification to work after the 20week scan but have no idea what to tell them re when i want to start leave...

I'm planning on finishing work at 37 weeks (9th December), taking two weeks annual leave which takes me up to our Christmas shutdown period (which luckily doesn't count as AL), maternity leave will start on due date or 3rd Jan (which ever is first!).

I told work at 14 weeks as I have active job (lots of site visits etc) and so wanted them to be aware and let me adjust my calendars as needed.

My plan was to wait until after the 20 week scan to tell work too, but made it sense to tell work and family a bit earlier. Plus, i looks like I won't get my matB1 form till my 25 week appointment in September...

My EDD is 5Jan and planning to take mat leave from 1jan and the last 3wks of December as AL. That would take me to 36wks+ when I go on leave which I hope is plenty of time. With DD1 I planned to go at 38wks but my waters broke after work at 37wks. Didn't clear my desk or do a handover! Tsk tsk. It's good that this time if all is well baby is due around Christmas / new year as everyone at work is winding down anyway. I haven't told work yet, but plan to tell after 20wk scan with a rough idea of when mat leave will start and end so they can plan.

I survived the hen weekend (only just) - this level of tiredness today is making me realise I will need loads of rest in december, especially as Christmas is a busy time anyway so will probably take most of december off on annual leave before starting mat leave on due date. I love christmas so can't wait to watch christmas films and snuggle up with christmas lights and carols etc!

I'm extra excited about Christmas this year with a baby coming as well! I can't wait for the festive season. Although having GD means I'll be sulking about all the mince pies etc I can't eat!

Christmas will be exciting this year. I just hope this one avoids being born on Christmas Day. A friend struggles with her birthday on Christmas Day to do anything & celebrate. What will be will be. Iv reached 18 weeks & I feel exhausted again. I can't sleep passed 5am either. Anyone else finding sleep hard or feeling tired? Feeling nervous about scan in 2 weeks. How long does everyone else have to wait?

I'm not sure how I feel about Christmas this year - my EDD is 30/12 and so I will probably be willing the baby out early! OH has said that he will try and work to get some overtime in before taking January off. I I will probably head to my parents house (with hospital bags and pregnancy notes in tow) to put my feet up.

To anyone on their 2nd + pregnancy, am I being silly to assume I will be able to drive at 39 weeks pregnant (I'm 5'6 so could struggle with bump, pedals and steering wheel)?

My scan is 17th August, so 2 weeks tomorrow!! I'm getting nervous already!!

Christmas will be exciting!

I'm also wondering what to do about mat leave. Am tossing up whether to bank all my remaining annual leave and take it at the end or just start mat leave proper and have some holiday fun between now and then. How much annual leave do you guys get if you're taking all of December off?! Or do you just not take holidays during the year? Either way I think I'll aim to start at 38 weeks, and get my cover in 4 weeks before that.

emz I am sleeping horribly. Waking up at 4am every morning. Can't get comfortable - both hips are so sore. And to add insult to injury my vomiting & nausea has started again! Can't believe it! Hopefully it doesn't stick around too long.

Oh and my scan is not til 23rd - I'll be 21+3. Can't wait to see the little dude again!

Snap Admarks my scans also on 17th. Hoping it goes well for us all. I was driving a few hours before my waters broke & found it a bit more of a challenge. It's mainly the looking around & any twisting that I found more difficult. Although I only made it to 35 weeks. I guess it must depend on bump & reaching the pedals. I'm only 5 ft 2. With my DS I originally wanted to finish at 38 weeks & then take 2 weeks annual leave & then start mat leave but I got to 30 weeks & was struggling with tiredness & working 8.30-6 most days as I was so busy & stressed that I brought it forward to 36 weeks. My boss had 2 premature babies so made me do an early handover so when I didn't turn up to work on my last Monday morning, they coped without me. So my mat leave automatically kicked in then. I'm working very flexibly for my husbands company so it'll be different this time. I'll probably have to still do some work after the baby is born & before but it won't be much. Plus we close for Christmas & i doubt I'll do much work in December. It's one of our quieter months (January is usually pretty busy!)

Admarks my DS was born at 38+3 but I was driving my little MX5 right up until the end. Someone parked to close to me at work once and I had to get my boss to reverse it out for me as my bump was too big but other than that I had no issues!

Yeah I think Christmas will be v exciting too whthr baby is here yet or not. I'm planning to go off from 10dec, last day 9th and hopefully baby comes later than that.
Sleep is a luxury here too. I'm waking earlier now to empty my bladder. Just last month it was around 4-5am and now it's 3-4am. And I always find it v difficult to fall back asleep after.
is anyone in mat clothes already? I had to take out my mat bras yesterday. my normal bras were starting to make me look like I've super wonderbras on. the last straw was last Friday when the builders down the road heckled me about my cleavage . I've not really put on much weight but they seem to have gone to my boobs

*stealth I'm pretty lucky that annual leave runs from 1st september-31st august so I will need to take all of my 28 days before mat leave starts as I'll be in a new leave year by the time I return. We shut on the 23rd so I only need to take 15 days for whole of december. I'll probably take a week in october and a week in november with the rest of my leave to try and take breaks as my tiredness seems to be back, especially as I'm peeing more often at night now and it will only increase as baby grows! Hips are sore too when I lie on my side for too long.

20week scan on the 12th! Not long to go! Can't wait to see baby again but starting to fret about things that may be flagged up as problems. Fingers crossed for good news for us all

Ah I see - so you're taking your leave in advance & won't have much accrued when you return. Makes sense! our year runs Jan - Dec which is actually pretty good (easy) in terms of accrual, a due date of 31 December is very neat! I am taking 6 months and so will accrue that plus all the bank hols which actually adds up to quite a lot on the back end.

Lucy I'm in mat clothes, I lost a lot of weight before I became pregnant and then a bit more in the first trimester, so all my pre pregnancy clothes are too big but my bump is getting too big to buy smaller clothes that would fit the rest of my body. So now I only have mat clothes!

I'm starting to wear maternity clothes, I find that some I've bought are just too big atm (from Next) and some seem a perfect fit now with no room for real growth (from H&M)! I've still got a handful of normal clothes which I can just about fit into and be comfortable all day. I'm just wondering how I will fare between now getting really big!

I'm not wanting to spend a fortune on new clothes for the next 4/5months as the frugal in me wants to either save the money for maternity leave or put it towards doing up the house ready for the arrival. I've mentally spent a lot on a new wardrobe even using eBay, supermarkets, high street stores and am wary of buying clothes in the next size up as I will need an incentive to get back to fit into my pre-baby clothes!

Is anyone else finding this an awkward stage for clothes?

Yes. I'm finding my mat clothes are too big & my normal clothes are too tight or just hang & I end up looking fat! Really struggling. I stayed quite small with DS so didn't buy that much in mat wear last time. Just bought some more half price in the next sale.

Yes v awkward. Think I'm a little behind you as pretty much all my clothes still fit, but my shape is changing - mostly my boobs, they have exploded! Also because I haven't told work I am having to only wear loose things so as not to draw attention to my (teeny but increasingly noticeable) stomach. I'm thinking I should make some anticipatory purchases whilst the sales are on, but I don't know what shape I'll be and also I don't really want to buy anything that I'll only wear for a couple of months...although equally I don't want to spend the next few months in clothes that don't fit!

It is tough! Have you looked at eBay for some mat clothes? I have been known to pick up some bargains from there. As you say, most people don't get a lot of wear out of it. Although with my son I did wear them for a while after the birth as loose clothing hid the tummy for a little while. I think I'm bigger earlier as its my second, at least I'm hoping that's the reason! I have put on a bit of weight but not as much as I expected. Seem to crave cake & chocolate this time, with my DS it was crisps & sausage rolls (when I can/could eat).

I'm the same too. I've bought 4-5 things to help me through this stage, a couple loose tops one size up, a mat dress and some work trousers one size up but found it difficult to find these items. Oh, and my favourite, harem trousers from matalan in 2 sizes too big so there's plenty of space for growth, they are soooo comfy, I was fed up of wearing pyjamas at 5pm to ease the pressure off my belly so these are fab! Wont wear them out of the house until much later when I really don't care what I look like! I just realised, we'll need a new winter coat and rain coat to fit our bumps and those don't come cheap! Argh! Also, anyone bought a mat dress and thought that it makes the bump look huge? I only look like a small bump in my normal clothes but the mat dress from mothercare makes me look 7months pregnant! I'm too to wear it out yet in case people ask how far along I am and I have to admit to only being 4 1/2 months!

No haven't looked on eBay yet - I think I'll wait until I actually start growing so I know what I'm looking for. bella I haven't bought anything maternity yet but have had a peek at the websites and it all looks so uninspiring and twee. I can well imagine the clothes are unflattering! Where do you buy cool mat clothes from?