Feb 2019 Thread 5: 12 week scans and the start of the second trimester.

[maxiflump1]

New thread ladies: number 5 already!!

@Baby160P
It sure is our jobs as I think we are more attached in a way coz it's only the mum/dad and then us we work with isn't it rather than a group so you do feel extra guilt coz it's like there's no one else!!

That's a good idea and I am sure they cannot get rid of you coz you say about being pregnant hun.
Yes I am sure they use nanny paye I get half the pay in the vouchers too I am sure

We get maternity pay thou don't we

@AliceRR
Have you got a home bargains near you? They do them there :) they are so nice

And that's good about telling your boss already and then you can tel the other one at a later stage can't you

@Alicejj8x we get 6 weeks pay at 90% then statutory down to £145 per week up until 33 weeks.

I called NannyPaye to check and basically they get the money in advance from the government and a cheque is sent to our work to cover the time we have off so they aren't out of pocket. That's a positive. The pay isn't that great for us though.

@Baby160P
Yes my friend said about them applying for the grant then the parents aren't out of pocket your right

Ahh ok so as soon as we go on maternity the first 6 weeks are 90% of our wage? Xx

Maternity pay is 90% for the first six weeks, then £145.18 or 90% of your average weekly wage, (whichever is lower).

The first six weeks is based on average too, so if your income fluctuates due to school holidays (if you do childcare etc) then this may affect it.

@Alicejj8x yes we do. I’ll have a look 👀

Ahh thank you
My wage is a set wage each month from work which works well so it'll be easier to work out how much maternity pay I get

@Alicejj8x that's right. I think I'm going to hold out until the start of February.

Hard to know when you want to be off from in advance!

Same here my wage is pro rata thankfully.

On that note people who know or have had babies before....

How early have you taken maternity before your due date?

@Baby160P i was due to finish at 37w take 2w annual leave and then start mat leave at 39w with my 1st but she arrived unexpectedly at 35w so it started then! I walked out the office on Friday and was like see you Monday, I had her Monday morning!

I finished at 34w with my DS partly given history and partly as I hated my job! Took 4w annual leave and then started mat leave at 38w. DS arrived at 39w so probably wasn't any need to have finished so early but I felt cheated on missing out on the time off without a baby 1st time around so it was nice to have a month or so putting my feet up & chilling out whilst DD was at nursery!

@Baby160P
If you go on the direct gov website you can put it to the maternity calculator all your info and it works out when you can go on mat leave. Mine was 2nd December if I wanted too :/

Think I'll defo hold out like you till the start of Feb

Last time I went off at 35 weeks. I was doing a super stressful operational management role and I made myself ill. I had mostly annual leave until 11th Jan and she was due 25th. This time I will go as late as possible. Section will be at 39 weeks. I’d like to work till 37 if poss. But because of Christmas I’ll have a break, then back for 3 weeks then off on annual leave for 2 and start mat leave as late as poss. This is all in theory! If I swell up as badly this time I may have to go off earlier and just suck it up. I get 100% for 8 weeks and then 1/2 pay for 18/16. Can’t remember which! Then stat. By the way, anyone paying childcare vouchers - your employer has to continue to pay them once you’re on stat or zero pay. They can’t take it out of stat. So worthwhile keeping the contributions!

I was quite lucky last time as my DS was due in the middle of the summer holidays so I finished work 3 weeks before I started my official leave. This time I am leaving at Christmas as I am actually leaving my job rather than just going on mat leave. Be nice to have a good month at home before baby comes, especially if it comes early like the last one did!

Thank you.

Yes @Alicejj8x mine said roughly the same as you.

I'm away over Christmas so off work until 9th January. My OH just said don't go back from then but I'd rather have more time the other end with the baby.

The children are all at school so term time I work 6 hour days and will definitely be off by the February half term so I think I'll try and push it as I can nap in the days!

@Baby160P

Ah yeah I don't blame you better to have more time when babies here I think isn't it :)

Yeah that's the good thing when there at school atleast your be able to rest up and that :) and then gives up abit of extra ££ too doesn't it.

Last time I finished work at 38 weeks and dd was born at 41 weeks. I appreciated the time to kick back a bit but was a grumpy mess because I'd expected dd to be early and was fed up of waiting. I wanted plenty of time still on mat leave when she was here too. This time I think I'll probably finish at 39 weeks. Dd is in nursery two days a week and I only work three days now anyway. I want to try to do as much with her as I can before she has to share me and her dad. Dh won't get much time off this time because of his job. We were lucky that dd was born in the summer so quieter work time for him.

Hope everyone's doing well?

Has my scan on Tuesday and bang on 12w. Baby was in the perfect position so it was all over far too quickly, it was lovely seeing the little one waving at us.

Had already told my manager and family, but have now told all and sundry at work and all our mates, feels good to be "out".

I thought I'd done rather well with not putting on too much Wright/ showing, but I seem to have visibly popped in the last couple of days, although I'm sure that's just me not worrying about it now.

How do I get in the Facebook group? Is there someone I should message?

Does anyone know if we can use anything for a coldsore? X

Unfinished work at 37 weeks with DS, and then he came at 39 weeks exactly so I'm glad I finished when I did. He was born on Boxing Day so annoyingly my official mat leave started that day even though Christmas week is shut down for our office, so I essentially lost a week of Mat leave. I still had plenty of time off though.

I'll aim to finish at 37 weeks again this time round.

I mean I finish work and take a couple of weeks annual leave, I don't start my actual mat leave until the day the baby's due/born!

I've told my team leader already (I had to as I've had time off sick plus it's been hard to hide how ill I've been), plus she's already had to put a bid in to replace me as I'm in the public sector and even temporary recruitments have to go through an investment board etc.

@Yakadee anything topical like Zovirax is fine, I use the boots cold sore potion too - like a rubbing alcohol type solution. Ice it if it’s swollen. Cold sores are so annoying, hate the bastard things.

How amazing is the Scotland baby box for new families?! I wish England did one!
www.mygov.scot/baby-box/

I'm so excited about getting mine. There's SO MUCH in it!