Due August '07 - Part 4

[tokentotty]

Welcome all !!!!

PS - you have to scroll down quite a way to find the letter.
Hope it helps

That's really useful Jser, think i'll adapt that one too.

thanks very much JSer - had done a draft one myself, but that was much better so have adapted it slightly and will now go and present it to my boss.

they are still wavering back and forth on whether to take somebody else on while i'm away or not. wish they'd hurry up and decide cause i know its still 15 or so weeks to go, but thats not really all that long when you take into account that pretty much everyone will go off on holiday at some point in the summer. oh well - suppose its not really my problem but would just be nice to know.

Hello, on the theme of materntiy leave. Anyone who works for the NHS, and possibly other organisations too. If you are thinking of taking a year off, bear in mind that if you take less than a year, you still get the whole year's holiday entitlement too. If you take the full year the whole holiday entitlement is cancelled out. Eg. if you take 9 months maternity, you then take your holiday entitlement on each end and so you get paid for 4, 5 or 6 weeks holiday that you would otherwise miss out on and end up being off (in my case) for 10 and a half months anyway.

I had no idea about this til I went off last time and its certainly helped make my mind up about how long to have this time round.

Hi everyone. Hope you're all well. I had a migraine on Sunday and had to take yesterday off work as my head was still pounding when I woke up. It didn't help that I couldn't go to bed early cos dd has been messing about recently and not going to sleep til nearly 10pm. Her room's nearly finished though - yey!

Sounds like a lot of you have had bad scan experiences. I think I must be lucky. The ladies who have done my scans have all been really nice and very informative. I'm sure the quality of the pictures weren't very good but I've got nothing to compare them with so I'm ok with it. They've explained what everything is anyway.

I'm a bit envious of everyone who's had strong kicks. So far mine have only been gentle but I guess I'll be complaining about the strong kicks soon so perhaps I should think myself lucky. I'm feeling the movements mainly in the evening but I guess that's the only time I have to think about it.

I'm going to be writing my letter to my boss and HR on Friday as I'll be getting my MATB1 form on Thursday when I see the midwife. My company's maternity guidelines has an example of exactly what information they are looking for so I'll be copying that and filling in the dates and necessary information. I think they're mainly looking for when you're leaving and when you're coming back.

Hope to be able to chat at work tomorrow. Had so much to catch up with today having taken a day off.

Wow, I can't keep up with you all, such a chatty lot!! I've been trying for days to put a message on here (think I've only posted on this AN club once but I'm never on the pc long enough to even read everything!!!

Consequently i've only gone back as far as Kiteflyers post regarding the 20 week scan. I hope you get the comfort you need from your next scan, maybe some smiles and waves from baby too Unfortunately I've had a pretty poor experience too, I had mine last Thursday and due to the rude and downright ignorant person who did the scan, I've changed hospitals She also said that it 'looks like the outline of a boy', DS1 (aged 6) had decided in minutes to call him Luke

I'm also feeling a few movements, although nothing strong yet, feels more like bubbles bursing inside I love it! DH lays with his hand on my tummy but has yet to feel anything. I'm sure it was around this time with DS2 that he could feel the movements, so i think he's getting more excited now too.

Meant to add, GillL, hope you feel better soon xx

Hi everyone, I can't keep up with things on here these days either (especially when it comes to maternity leave discussions). My little DS and I have been making the most of the lovely weather so have been out and about quite a lot, rather than just festering indoors (with me sneakily on mumsnet )

......I didn't want you all to think I had forgotten about this wonderful virtual antenatal group though. Hopefully I will have chance to catch up on recent posts over the next couple of days!

Really useful letter about Mat Leave Jser, thanks.
Mine is a bit confusing because I'm a teacher and plan to work till the end of the academic year, and have therefore completed my contract so I understand that my mat leave won't start until 1st Sept whether I've had bambino or not. Does anyone have experience of this? I know its unusual circumstances.

Felt pumpkin kick with my hand on my belly for the 1st time last night, then told DP to put his hand there and nowt happeded for 5 mins! Typical.

my goodness - what a busy lot!

i've just handed in my mat b1 and completed the form (i work for the nhs so we have forms for everything!). fortunately at this point in time i don't need to be specific about when i want to return to work as long as i give 28 days notice i'll be fine.

it's such a shame that some of you have had bad experiences with the staff carrying out scans.

Just sent HR my letter about ML. Haven't recieved MATB1 from midwife yet and i'm away next week so HR will accept notification in writing until i can forward form to them. I have decided to start ML 3 weeks before EDD. Would love to actually start it now. Maybe i'll feel better about work after my holiday. Can't wait to go shopping for baby bits with my mum. She hasn't seen the bump and i deliberately haven't sent her any photos so she will get a real shock when she sees me at the airport .

Glad you're feeling better GillL. Migraines are nasty, i used to suffer really badly with them but haven't had one since being PG funnily enough. Probably gone and jinxed myself now though.

i've told work that i want to finish on 20th july - so only a week and a half before the due date, but if it is necessary to leave before then, i can do. One I get back from holiday in May, I'll try and get as organised as possible, and start passing files on from then onwards. i hope.

dh has felt it kick quite a few times now, but the baby definately hides sometimes when its been kickign and he tries to feel it.

dh and i are back on the search for a buggy now - he is determined he doesnt want the silver cross 3d - now looking at the maclaren xt or xlr but there are some bad reviews about using them from birth. i know they all have plus and minuses and no one buggy will be perfect but its really hard to make a decision

Thanks Maddison and MrsShuvel. I am much better now. I do suffer with headaches daily and when I'm not pg I take Anadin Extra which normally sorts them out. Since being pg I've only taken paracetamol which does very little so I just have to lay down in a dark room.

I'm also starting my ML 3 weeks before my edd but that wasn't my choice. I was hoping to start it with 1 week to go but my mum (who looks after dd while I'm at work) is taking holiday for the first 2 weeks in August so I'll have to stay at home. I was really bored last time when I took a month off before the birth but at least this time I'll have dd for company and to keep me busy. I should also be able to go to a few mother and toddler groups locally.

Ugh Conkertree, the answer to this pram/buggy thing is a puzzle, wrapped up in a conundrum, bound within an enigma isn't it ? EVERYONE I speak to says something different. I thought I had it completely decided in my head (iCandy Cherry - in fudge) but have just had a mail from a friend telling me to look at Bebe confort Loola and the Quinny Buzz as they both have the features I want, which are a carrycot for the start and then a seat which can face towards me as well as away. Off I go to Google yet again !

I agree it's really difficult to choose a buggy you know you'll be happy with, especially if you've not used one before.

My dh was feeling my bump for movements for several days when he could first feel them but I think the novelty's worn off and he hasn't touched it for ages. I'm not that bothered though as he normally does it when we go to bed and it stops me from getting to sleep. I don't have the heart to tell him to get off.

Hi TT. I don't wish to add to your buggy conundrum but I would second getting one which can face backwards or forwards. DD used to make a lot of fuss when she was in the buggy as a baby and I'm sure if she had been facing me then she would have been a lot better. There was also a little girl on a program (I can't remember what it was called but the bloke could allegedly read babies' minds) who screamed every time she was put in the buggy but as soon as her mum bought one where she could turn her round to see her, she was fine.

Yes, the reversible seat was my main stipulation, along with a carrycot so Peanut can come out of the carseat and lie flat when we're out and about.

TT - I'm getting a Bugaboo as i want a buggie with carrycot and can face both ways too. I just have to pick a colour scheme. Was all settled on the dark grey and pink if a girl but since we're having a boy i just can't choose.

What I'm sure I want...(and a lot cheaper than the Bugaboo I think)
iCandy
I like the light coloured version, not the red/black one

Ooh i like that. Have you had a demo of one?

How about this one for a boy MrsShuvel ?

Nice huh?

TT,

your pram wish list is the same as mine virtually.

Looked so far at the Mamas and papas but people say the build quality is getting really bad and things break all the time.

have you looked at the silver cross linea sleepover - might just be up your street. I have considered the looula but is is quite heavy compared to the silver cross I think. Also had a look at the haulk infinity which is a bugaboo look a like (can't quite justify spending £600 on a pram I'll probably use for a year - intend switching at around 15 months or so to a Maclaren techno XT).

I'll definitely check out the icandy though.

It's the one thing that is driving me absolutely bonkers.

Cross posts Mrs S, no, not had a test drive yet but hope to very soon. Also, it's about £3/400 cheaper than a bugaboo I think as for the pram AND carrycot it's £299.

H - off to look at the silver cross....

Quite like the denim, yet another colour choice to add now lol.

Let us know how you get on with the iCandy if you get a demo. I won't be able to have anymore test drives until i get back from hoiliday now.