May 2017 #4

[WishIWasSleeping]

Oh, obviously I do know how!

Evening all. For those that know their stuff when it comes to HR, from profession or experience, do you have any advice on this please:

My maternity package is a little (not much) better than statutory only. Ideally I'd like some time off before due date (3rd May) but would prefer to work as long as poss (was initially thinking of about two weeks off all being well) to get more time afterwards. Our leave year runs from end of May for everyone. I have a week off at Christmas and another weeks holiday booked first week of Feb. After all that taken into account, I will still have 18.5 days holiday left until the end of May - came as a bit of a surprise when I checked. Usually we're allowed to carry over 5 days (which is why I have plenty this year). When I worked it backwards on calendar, if I took all my annual leave before due date, with Easter bank hols that means I'd finish around 4th April, and could plan to start mat leave on due date. However, I just found out today that apparently in maternity leave you can carry more than 5 days over so... Is it better to keep and carry over a chunk of annual leave rather than take it all in one go to have some extra in the bag, in addition to what I'll accrue on mat leave? Or would you advise that I take the annual leave and start mat leave as late as possible?

It looks like you have a year after return to work to use the additional accrued leave and then it's back to 5 days carry over max. Any thoughts very welcome thank you.

Unless anyone else knows I'll have a look into this tomorrow Dream

I work in HR but not something I've come up against if I'm honest. My employer has told me I need to take all of my Jan-Dec 2017 leave before I go on Mat Leave.

Thanks raspberry

I was also wondering about the annual leave thing. I was hoping to use most of mine at the end of my maternity leave.

Congrats on the CVS result littleem what a relief!

Just had my blood redrawn so fingers crossed it works this time.

Agree that double decker prams will be better than side by side prams on London transport. I sometimes even struggle to fit my single pram round the shops in Singapore, I love going to Tesco etc back home as the aisles are nice and wide! I love the look of the Mountain Buggy Duet but it would be totally impractical sadly.

According to the website I found a few weeks ago, you don't need to take all your annual leave before maternity leave. I haven't spoken to my HR yet to see what they say. (www.maternityaction.org.uk/advice-2/mums-dads-scenarios/pregnant/discrimination-during-maternity-leave-and-on-return-to-work/)

Streaky that's a handy website, thanks.

I'm sure most of the women in my work who've taken maternity leave have taken their annual leave accrued during it at the end.

Is anybody considering doing any shared parental leave with their partner? We want to, haven't ironed out the details yet.

We are going to Autumn. We did it last time too. 10m/2m. It worked really well. It meant I got to return to work without the juggle which is the nursery run and the inevitable time off for illness. Plus DH really loved being off with dd. It gave him a real insight into the reality of looking after a baby day in day out.

Oh and useful to accrue and carry over as much leave as possible. You can either use it to delay going back or take off one day a week to spend with little one.

Interesting discussion about accrued leave. In my company the policy says everyone can carry over only 5 days of leave to the next year so it looks like I will have plenty of holidays to take.

Can we make a list who will come to the London meetup? So far I've got:

newbie
PeachedIceTea
Rasperry

Please copy the list and add your name if you are planning to come over - the more the merrier

We are meeting on Thursday 24 Nov at 6.15 pm in Costa at Victoria station between platforms 7 and 8.

Very pleased to see I'm not the only one struggling a bit with breathlessness on stairs!

Counting down til January 9 and finding out baby's sex at my twenty week scan. DP won't discuss names until then :( it was hard enough naming the cat, I think we need those extra weeks!

Esme I had thought about it but hadn't looked into it properly - I assume that if DH tales those two months is he eligible for an SMP payment?

Taking all your leave before you go on mat leave is a bit of a pain. What if baby comes early? Then your mat leave has to start straight away, doesn't it?

In my case, I worked till the Friday before my due date last time, as I was almost certain baby'd be late (it was, more than 2 weeks...). I was bored after 2 weeks at home doing nothing. If you do take (say) 2 weeks off before your due date be aware you could be home a month. Conversely, you may feel like rubbish towards the end of your pregnancy and need the time off. It's hard to call this early on.

Harmony scan today. Nervous all over again. So worried of another mmc I can't bare it ! I feel so 'not' pregnant right now. No sickness, no tiredness, no real bump.

Keeping everything crossed for you Adventure - is this 12 weeks for you?

Hello all, I was away Saturday - Monday so just catching up with you all! So much to read. I definitely need to go back and look at all that sling advice again. I know that we want one, and a sling meet/library might be a good plan. There's a huuuge height difference between husband and I so we may even need two to be honest.

I'm meeting HR to chat about SPL shortly - trying to get hubby to talk to his HR people is proving harder!

No I had 12 weeks and all fine but I'm nervous all over again for next scan. I'm 15+2

We will def be getting a sling, DH says he doesn't want to faff about with a pram,although I've told him that sometimes it might be nice to go somewhere and have a break from having the baby velcroed to us! Eg pop into a coffee shop.

Pram wise I have decided that we will be getting either the bugaboo bee or icandy raspbery purely because our flat isn't huge (although thankfully ground floor) and I don't drive so rely on the bus and tube and they are both public transport friendly.

Finally, is it ok to eat brie cheese if it is hot/melted? I really want a ham and brie toastie for lunch after spotting some brie in the fridge.
I would make sure it is boiling hot and completely melted.

adventure sending lots of positive thoughts your way.

Good luck Adventure!

Missmoo, hot cheese is fine.... if you want it go for it. As an aside my midwife said that cold Brie is also fine if it comes from supermarket you keep it in the fridge and eat it within the use by date. Unfortunately I hate Brie straight out the fridge... much prefer it melting on the side for a couple of hours so I can't have everything I just have to be happy with the occasional runny egg!

Other question is anyone else feeling dizzy, was occasionally at the beginning but now it's even when I get up off the sofa.

Good luck Adventure. The lack of pregnancy symptoms in the 2nd trimester I remember all too well from the first time around, it's so much better once you feel the baby move :)

MrsJW - yes, you might need two. I need petite straps on mine to be comfy but the others aren't comfy with petite straps! Luckily a newborn stretchy wrap is one-size-fits-all.

MissMooMoo I would. But it's not recommended.

Thanks for the tights advice guys (a few pages back now!)

I had a listen in with my doppler yesterday . Was pretty cool.

I took my maternity leave 2 weeks before due date with DS and he came a week early, which was cool because I was getting bored!

I thought NHS advice was that melted brie is fine?

Love the idea of DH spending a bit of time as a SAHD but when it comes down to it I don't think I could let go! He's always earnt heaps more than me anyway. Despite me being the one with 5 more years of education. Nope, not bitter at all