April 2019 part 3!

[Treaclepie19]

Hi all, thought I'd make us another :)

Hi everyone! 20 week scan here today as well and we found out we’re team pink! Excited to share with you all anonymously because we’re not sharing with anyone else until New Years eve! All looked good with our little one, huge relief. Baby scans should not be allowed to coincide with payday though...DH is not going to be best impressed when he gets home, but I’m sure a couple of “Daddy’s little girl” onesies will soften him! x

Have you kept it a secret @Albagirl8? I look massively pregnant

@sheratheallpowerful Nooo the pregnancy is very obvious! I’ve been too unwell to keep it a secret anyway! 🤮 But the gender is just a little secret for me and DH (and you lovely lot) at the moment! Planning a confetti’s popper reveal at the stroke of the bells on Hogmanay! :)

Lovely news AlbaGirl8 :)

We've told family and friends but not any further than that so weddings and groups I've been to I've just not mentioned anything (until we've had our amnio results) and nobody has outright asked.
It's obvious to me but I told my neighbour yesterday and she looked at my stomach puzzled so maybe I just look chubby :p

We had our scan last Monday, all was well which was lovely, but baby was disco dancing so was being a bit tricky to get measurements, but the lovely lady got there in the end! We haven't found out the sex so team yellow over here.
I've also started feeling baby lots more (i'm 21+2 now) and DH even got to feel a kick the other day (at 21 weeks on the dot!) which was lovely and much earlier than with DS.
We've also brought a couple of bits now, we don't need a lot but have brought a blanket and a sleeping bag to match the nursery theme and a sleep suit only because it had bunny ears on the feet and I couldn't help myself! We also brought a toy soft bunny at the weekend but DS has tried to claim it (despite having numerous soft toys including 4 soft bunnies already!) so I'm not sure the baby will actually get it!
Hope everyone is doing ok!

Hi ladies, hope you're all doing ok! Has anyone booked into antenatal classes yet? I've looked at NCT after recommendations from friends but might have left it a bit late! I'm due 5th April and the early April due dates class is already full. They've said I can join the late April babies but it's 10th-24th March so leaving it quite close and if baby comes early we'll be screwed!! Has anyone else had anything similar? Midwife hasn't mentioned it yet but I'm going to call her tomorrow to see what nhs provision is like in my area

Yes, I booked mine last week - my midwife warned me at my booking in that they get booked up really early and that I'd probably need to do it around 20 weeks. Not gone for NCT, chose a local group based on recommendations. Bit worried about the timings because the last class is at my 33wk mark, but as it's twins there's a fair chance I could already have given birth by then; like you I left it too late to get on an earlier class though, so jut got to cross my fingers!

I'm not sure what to do regarding ante-natal classes! I'm currently in Cornwall and midwife hasn't mentioned them at all, but I am moving back to Bristol at the beginning of January, and I am due April 2nd!

I booked classes at about 14weeja. The NHS up here run a series which I've signed up for.

I didn't like the sound of NCT so hadn't gone with them.

Hi, am booked on NCT based on the dates they recommend in the website for my due date, so weekly evenings starting in Feb when I'll be 32 weeks and finishing when I'll be 37 weeks. I do hope I make that last one! 😂 Also doing an all day nhs one when I'll be 32 wks. (I have no idea what am doing and want all the info!) Jellybean I would get something booked in Bristol for when you move if you can? Do you know what hospital you will be using yet? If there is NCT or similar in your new area, and you want to do that, then you should be able to get that booked at least?
20 week scan this week and all looked good, another wriggler here! Chocolatechip all your bunny things sound lovely, I am trying so hard to focus on Xmas present shopping first as more urgent but the temptation to look for baby things is high! 😁

Do you all live in larger towns/cities?

We haven't even discussed antenatal classes here yet. And we didn't need to book them until late 20 weeks with DS1.

I don't the NHS ones. We had the choice to do them over one long day, or three evenings. We chose the three evenings and I found them really helpful, because if I thought of any questions afterwards, I could write them down and ask the following week

@jellybeann I'm in Bristol - in my area there are free classes through the community midwife, rather than through the hospital (I'm booked in to St Michaels - might be different for Southmead).

I've booked to do NCT starting the end of January, when I'll be around 31/32 weeks.

SPR no in my case I am in a small town, but our hospital and in fact, NCT, both cover a wide area and so things get booked up if not careful! Advice to get booked in early was more from friends than mw really, tho to be fair mw gave me the nhs class leaflets at my 8 week booking in appt. Only option for nhs class is all day Saturday or 2 half days mid week here, but do see your point about being able to go back with Qs!

I'm booked into NCT I'm Feb. (Due 3rd April). I booked at 14 weeks as was told they fill early.
Did the same with hypnobirthing (it's free on NHS here) but was already fully booked! I've now got in due to a cancellation, but it's Feb rather than December that they recommend.
Had my 23 week midwife appointment yesterday. Wish I hadn't bothered. She said I was way ahead with this appointment (the notes say 23-25 weeks and I couldn't do the time they had at 24weeks). I was not ahead at all. Didn't get the MATB1 form that said in the notes I'd get. Work are being really difficult too, so really could have done with it.
She checked BP and that was literally it. It's so much hassle getting time off work to go (work are currently telling me I have to make up the time). Really wish I hadn't bothered.

Hypnobirthing on NHS...definitely enquiring about that!

With DS1, I downloaded some podcasts and just listened to it at home from about 20 weeks, and I'm certain it was what kept me calm and at home until 5cm.

I'm booked in to do NCT. Bit of a strange one as it's my second baby but I've moved to a completely different area and know no one so just doing it in the hope of making friends! Worked well for that with the first.

Course starts in January for 6 weeks. I booked it about 16 weeks I think. It's all booked up now.

I'm definitely doing hypnobirthing again. I'm not a calm person but managed to stay at home until 5cm and fool a midwife into thinking i was in early labour when fully dilated and had been pushing for ages :p

Not got anything booked yet though. Waiting to see what happens with baby. I think I'm in denial about how quickly the weeks are going by.

@griffer surely work can't be making you work back the time for appointments to do with your maternity? I'm sure you have to be given time off for any that are related to baby, scans, midwife etc, without leave it lieu.

@Griffer - do not let them make you make up the time. Paid time off for antenatal care is a legal right. Stand your ground.

www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

Sorry on for a moan. Got a cough a cold and a toddler as well. Who is neatly over this cold. Hope everyone is doing good.

Please do not work back time for your maternity appointments that ain't on

It's actually illegal for them to try to make me, but you can only do as they say, or sue them. Noone wins with litegation. It'll affect my employability I'm the future.
They often do illegal stuff, but it's far easier for them to get away with it than you might think. It's always the victim that has to sacrifice everything to take them to court.

@griffer can you not just refuse to make the time up. Or simply forget to do it? If they query show them the legalities of it.

Make a stand and don't let them get away. They will only continue to do it to other women after you.

Can you speak to the CAB @Griffer? What is it that you do?

The CAB advice is that you need to take them to court.
There are currently 3 of us pregnant and many before us.