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

Oh and I'm only planning on taking 4/5 months Maternity leave. I only recently started my job and so don't qualify for SMP, and as the higher earner we really can't afford for me to be out of work for too long, my OH might take a months paternity leave though when I go back as I don't like the idea of putting a child under 6 months in nursery.

Cloey You might qualify for Child Tax Credits while you're on Maternity Allowance x

I need to try and work out what we qualify for to be honest. Is there a someone who can work it out for you? ( I mean for free not an accountant!)

Yes you can ask Citizens Advice (either in person or over the phone) to do a benefits check for you. There are also online benefit calculators like www.entitledto.co.uk

Thanks. I know we qualify for nothing normally but think maybe we will next year as being on MA will significantly lower our annual income for 2017 + having an extra human in the family

The threshold for child tax credits is about £28k if I remember rightly... If you'd like any more info feel free to PM me (I do work in this area!)

Sorry for spamming thread - this is my last post, promise! The threshold for CTC is about £26k but they don't count Maternity Allowance. More info at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/children-and-young-people/child-tax-credit-overview/

Thanks Name, I will try and work it out but may end up PMing you if I struggle 😄

Namechange30 please could you add me to the spreadsheet? Loving the stats!
Age 35, DC1, due date 12/3/17. 20 week scan 25/10/16. x

Good morning everyone! I slept like a baby last night and I feel like a new woman! A baby who got up to wee 5 times in the night but let's ignore that bit! DH gave me a nice neck and shoulder massage which really helped relax me, he's my favourite person ever today. I hope Septembers hottest day yet isn't too awful for you all, especially those of you who are still feeling queasy.

Wow you lot have been chatty since the last i read this thread! I've got to have my meeting with hr today to discuss maternity policy etc. I wanted to take all my holiday entitlement from jan 3rd then take mat leave when that runs out. That means I'll be off from about 6 weeks from when ill be 38 weeks which is the latest ill deliver. If they come earlier than 32 weeks my carefully laid plans to make sure all my holiday is used will be scuppered. I want to make sure my leave extends over the babies first christmas but also depends when they come and whether we can afford for me to have the three months unpaid. I've got my sexing scan on saturday trying not to think about it too much or i just get to excited

Becca The spreadsheet is editable so you can add yourself... It's easier on a desktop (on a phone I think you need the Google Sheets app). Anyway let me know if you have issues but it should be easy x

I'll be taking 2 weeks holiday before a start mat leave but I'm not sure when to start it. last time I took the 2 weeks annual leave from 34 weeks then started mat leave at 36 weeks. I don't feel like I wasted my time or was bored as my job is quite hard so I was ready to finish. Had bp problems later on so like someone else said it was good to be off to go for appointments etc. However since I did that which was the norm where I work, now a few people have worked to 36 weeks and taken 2 weeks annual leave from then so now I'm not sure what to do. I suppose I can always change it if I'm struggling.

With maternity leave you can say when u want to start but at any point that you deliver it will start the next day if it's not started yet.

Also if u go off sick don't try to let managers pressure you into starting maternity mega early like 28 weeks, it can be sick leave until 36 weeks where it will then has to kick in by law if off for pregnancy related sickness. But any earlier will just be sickness.

Meeting with manager went well, agreed to my plan so so happy now

Just added myself to the spreadsheet - Namechange, thank you for doing that! So handy and would never have thought of it myself (I'm ancient, so the grey matter has degraded somewhat, esp with DD2 making matters worse!)

And I'm now the oldest on the stats sheet.

Hi everyone, added myself to the spreadsheet :-)

Everything going well so far, first baby. I'm 14 weeks (100 days today!).
Felt 'hungover' for last few weeks and have had headaches this week but other than that OK - have also lost 2kg. I'm told this is normal and should start to put weight on now we're in 2nd trimester.

Anyone else from Manchester way?

Yay another Manchester mum! Was all by my lonesome up here

Sorry bit too excited then lol, very giddy today

Don't worry zanashar I am 39 (as of last weekend) but can't add myself onto the sheet even though I tried downloading the spreadsheet thingy.

rbucz and pumpkin How did your scans go today?

Carol Glad your meeting went well

GVW Hello and welcome!

Becca and Clarity If you're having problems I can add you when I get a moment - just let me know your details: age, due date, scan dates, whether it's your 1st/2nd/etc child, and where you're based.

I had my 16 week appointment with the midwife today. She was nice but it was boring. I was hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat but she said they don't do it any more (New guidelines apparently?!) DH came with me to hear the heartbeat so he was disappointed and I regret going with him because he was quite opinionated about everything (the heartbeat, the vaccinations they recommend) and it has annoyed me. I'm possibly being a bit harsh but I feel quite strongly that it's my body, my pregnancy, and he should take my lead on it.

My scan went well thanks name, saw the little fingers and toes and all measurements were normal. Seemed to grow so much in the past 6 days (had scan due to bleeding at 11 wks too). No one I spoke to seemed worried about the spotting, so I'm assuming it's just one of those things that happens for some people.

rbucz That's fantastic news, I'm so happy and relieved for you! Hope you have no more spotting or bleeding from now on x

Scan all good too, it was having a bit of a sleep so sonographer had to jab me to make it move a bit! But saw the heart beat pounding away, plus 2 legs, 2 arms and a head. Edd moved 1 day earlier to 29th March. Seems much more real now, and we have just told the future grandparents who were very excited!

Congrats for happy healthy scans!

I had a slight nesting style panic today as I have no idea what we need to get for the baby. I am a researcher so being unprepared is not a comfortable feeling for me!

Anyone know of a good list of what you need to get (that isn't silly)?