Due in March 2017 - thread #4

[NameChange30]

New thread for the March 2017 club!

We have a stats spreadsheet - please add yourself if you're new or update your info if you have a new EDD or a scan date!

Previous threads:
Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3

Thanks for the reassuring words everyone, I'm trying to be logical about it, but it's tough! Pregnancy really is an emotional roller coaster!

Good luck with your scan tomorrow pumpkin, hope all goes well

Best of luck rbucz - so much goes on down there during pregnancy that I have every faith it's probably nothing. Good luck for the scan

I feel like my hormones are all over the place, I keep crying my eyes out for tiny reasons. Feeling tired too! Maybe I'm not getting enough of something?

Can anyone help decipher my nuchal scan results? It says low and then all the below which I don't understand at all

Background risk - is the best estimate of your risk before any testing, so mainly based on your age. That's low to begin with.

Adjusted risk - is your chance of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality when they also add in the 3 test results. Now it's super low.

Is that any help? Trisomy 21 is Down's syndrome, trisomy 13 is patau syndrome, trisomy 18 is Edwards syndrome

Charlybs you got a lot more detail on you letter, all I got was one sentence saying that I am low risk, I didn't get any actual data, which having a science background I found kinda annoying I would have like to see the actual numbers

Thanks rbucz that's super helpful. I was slightly bamboozled by all the data!

My brain is fried today, Having meeting with my manager at 3. Just been working out MAT Leave plus 5 week holidays and how I can take them.

Hope they don't object to my proposal fx

I haven't even been able to tell my manager yet, she's been on leave for 3 weeks and is now off sick! I'm nervous to tell her as I only started in July, I just want to get it over with!

How soon before due date are people planning on going on mat leave?

Alpha I'm planning on leaving it as long as possible - I have a desk job so I don't do anything physically strenuous.

My boss and my colleagues with kids said they would much rather have as much time as poss at the other end!

About 6 weeks beforehand, my job is pretty physically exhausting.

rbucz Hopefully the spotting is nothing to worry about. Good luck to you and Pumpkin for your scans tomorrow!

alpha I'm the same as charly, I have a desk job (part time) and I'd like to leave it as late as possible before going on maternity leave. I'm not sure how it works if the baby is early - presumably you can just start mat leave straight away if even you'd planned to start later? In which case I'm wondering if I can get away with waiting until I'm 38 or even 39 weeks...

Is anyone planning to make a general announcement at work? I've told my boss and a few colleagues that I chat to... I don't want to keep my pregnancy a secret as such, but I'm feeling a bit shy about making a big announcement. Would it be ok to send a group email, do you think? I would probably do it after my 20 week scan unless my bump is huge before that (I think it's pretty noticeable already but people are too polite to stare!)

I did a group email today for people I see the most. (Also sorry everyone I'm bored today so all over this like a rash)

I feel the same that I'd rather leave it as long as possible so I have more time at the other end, but because it's my first I don't know how I'm going to feel. I do visits out and about but my job's not physically demanding. I figured maybe 2 weeks before due date (plus I'll probably have another 1-2 weeks of annual leave to use up). Is that normal/reasonable?

My understanding is that if baby is early, or even if you have to go on pregnancy related sick leave a certain number of weeks before due date, your maternity leave starts then.

I'm not planning on making a big announcement at work, but it's a small office (only about 15 permanent staff) so I'm sure word will get round quickly!

It's in my contract that I have to go a minimum of 2 weeks before my due date, will probably end up going 4-6 weeks before as my job is quite physically demanding

I left work at 36 weeks last time, but used annual leave until officially starting mat leave the week of my EDD. I thought that might be too early, but by that point I had SPD, gestational diabetes and the commute was killing me. I also had a million hospital appointments because of the GD, so, frankly, I was very relieved to go off when I did. I was induced at 40+0 so I knew I wouldn't be waiting around for long after my due date either.

This time, if all goes well, I will probably be induced/have an elcs at 37 weeks because it's twins. They advise starting mat leave around 28 weeks with twins but that seems really early! I can work from home, so I'm hoping I can do that full time from 28 weeks (or earlier if I need to), and wait a bit longer to start mat leave, maybe in mid-Jan. But a lot will depend on my health and the babies' health, so it's a lot less predictable.

Good luck to everyone with scans tomorrow!

I did a group email, we have a few offices up and down the country. Leaving it as long as I can fit behind my steering wheel, I have a desk job so as long as I can physically get in I'll be there, worked out with my manager I'll do half days for 6 weeks before MAT leave so I'll use 3 weeks worth of hols then the same at the other end

I went to 38 with a desk job and an easy pregnancy and it was fine. I gave birth at 39 weeks. It was ideal timing!

I did initially plan to work til at least 38 weeks but I just don't think it's going to he doable. My boss has already said how much they'll miss me!

Some interesting stats* from our stats spreadsheet:

There are 40 of us on the list
The average age is 30, the oldest person is 37 and the youngest person is 22
2 people (5%) are having twins
For more than 2/3 of us, it's the first child, for just under 1/4 it's the second, for 2 people it's the third, and 2 people are having DC#6!

*Yes I'm a bit of a geek

name i like stats as well, as I'm 32 I thought I left in a bit late, it's nice to see I didn't

Ooh name I love stats! Thanks!

Phew, glad I'm not the only one!

I planned to finish work 10 days before my due date with DD in a fully one office job close to home at the time. I was going to use holiday up to my due date, rather than start mat leave. What actually happened was I worked from home at 37+3 and my waters broke when I took a walk from my sofa to the kitchen at 6.30pm! I had no other signs or anything - labour progressed from about 11pm that day (I was very bemused for the few hours in between and went to my antenatal class and didn't tell anyone!). This time I'll finish the Friday before Feb half term, which is going to be about 37 weeks I think. I'll probably use holiday again. I still have a desk job and now it's part time but A bigger commute into London as my office moved. Mat leaves kicks in straight away if you deliver early with my company. I think it's pretty standard. I can't wait to stop work!

I'm planning to finish at the end of January when I'll be 36 weeks, using 4 weeks holiday leave then starting maternity leave from my due date. Depending on how I feel when I'm further along I will have the option to finish at Christmas though as I do quite a physical job. I've been promised that I can move onto light duties/office based work when I need to though so hopefully I'll make it to the end of Jan.

I am only in the office 7 days a month anyway and the rest I work from home so I'm hoping to go up to 39 weeks. My boss has already told me if I want to do less days in the physical office over the next few months (it's a 1.5hr drive) she's ok with it so I think I'll keep going in as long as I can and try and spend most of February working from home.