The March-ers 2019 - #8 3rd Trimester

[Angelmiracle]

Thread 8!

Things are ramping up now mamas.

Get your hospital bags at the ready
👣👣👣🍼❤🤰🏻🤰🏽🤰🏼🤰🏿

Thread 7 link:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/3414226-The-March-ers-2019-7?pg=1&order=

@toastfiend Omg, congrats! He's gorgeous! Our group's first little one! It's all feeling very real now!

@toastfiend wow congratulations.. I'm just catching up on everyone's posts and did not expect a bundle just yet lol. I hope u are well after ur early delivery, he looks like he's a great size for being early. Hope u both get home soon and get to enjoy him properly xx

I hope everyone else is keeping well?!

There is so much for me to catch up on I'm sort of skim reading to catch up .

The countdown is on now for most of us I suppose, seeing @toastfiend pic is just really bringing reality into it now and how perfect they already are.

Think I'm all organised now as have everything ready (until I get another thought at 3am and impulses take me over)
It's so cold today I decided not to even risk going out on the ice so I'm having a day in batch cooking anything I can think of, have started with a chilli to warm us all later when kids are back from school 😊

How is everyone? X

@SharonO225 I agree with @toastfiend's photo bringing home how close we all actually are!

Has anyone started their mat leave yet? I've got 3 weeks left at work but it's dragging by! Does anyone know if you can bring forward your mat leave or use holidays before leaving? My boss has told me I can't use my holiday as I haven't accrued them yet. But s I'd be able to use them if I went abroad for two weeks for example so I don't see why I can't use them now?!

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever I would speak to HR directly and ask for a copy of the policy. As far as I can remember u can use ur holidays before u leave too. Legally they have to allow you to use them if u have already accrued them which can be either before or after the birth (if u haven't accrued them yet then how can u possibly use them to go abroad 🤔 sounds like ur boss isn't fully aware) u even accrue holidays whilst on maternity leave as u are still classed as in employment so still earn them. U are also entitled to bring your maternity leave forward but I think it's only for pregnancy related reasons and has to be within 4 weeks of your EDD.

I would say stick it out as long as you can @assumeitwassomethingclever - I know it's hard, but those precious last few weeks the other end were absolutely worth stopping work only a week before DS arrived. (Ultimately we made the decision not for me to go back but not until quite late in the process, but I know my friends who did go back had the same opinion about being glad they saved as much as they could)

@sharono225 I think staying in instead of risking slipping sounds very sensible. We have done a lot of batch cooking already and it is nice to feel like that bit is done. I feel way more prepared this time, but I guess that is down to not fit everything in around work.

The food situation sounds bad @wineandchoccy - hope it is a short stay!!!

@assumeitwaasomethingclever I started on maternity leave this week and moved mine forward just because I was completely exhausted, pelvic pain, throwing up, stressing out about all sorts and getting myself into a real state about work and all the things to do in the house etc. Spoke to my midwife and she made a very valid point of these are the last few weeks i have to myself to rest (first baby). You can take mat leave anytime 11 weeks before EDD. Speak to HR about the process for moving it forward. I just had to put it in writing that I was moving my maternity start date due to pregnancy related symptoms and they were fine with it. It's honestly the best decision I made as it has removed a huge stress for me and I can focus on myself and since stopping work my pains etc have improved ... yes I will lose 3 weeks the other end but it's just 3 weeks and it's made the world of difference to me. It's up to you and how you feel so try not to compare yourself to other people that have been able to work right up to due date.

Thanks everyone. I just can't understand how some colleagues are allowed to have 2 weeks off to go on holiday yet I can't use 1 week before my mat leave. Will speak to HR and see what they say.
It's not the work that's the problem as I have a desk job but I work 10 hours a day so sitting for that long is becoming a bit of a pain. It also leaves no time either side of the working day to get anything done at home. No matter how many breaks I take to get up and go for a little wander, my bum and hips really ache by the end of the day.

@toastfiend congratulations! I'm glad he's doing well and hope you're recovering nicely too.

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever given that you'll be on maternity I would argue that you're guaranteed to accrue the holiday time so why not. If not then you'll be able to take it into the end and take mat leave earlier instead, you just need mutual agreement about bringing the mat leave date forward.

Awww @toastfiend many congratulations on your beautiful baby boy with his lovely dark hair!! ❤ So glad to hear all is well with you both! Enjoy every minute with him.

Whoop whoop our first birth announcement 🎉

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever you can take holiday before - I'm taking annual leave from the 22nd Feb before mat leave on the 12th (my due date). Like others have said - you accrue whilst you're on mat leave so there's no reason why they shouldn't let you take it before hand

I've just been for my 34 week appointment - once again I am measuring BIG. They've referred me for a growth scan next Wednesday. I assume the outcomes of this are one of three.........1) I've just got a lot to fluid all is good and we proceed as normal 2) they monitor with another scan in a few weeks 3) they decide they'll induce or c section? Is that right?

@SharonO225 oo a chilli sounds like just the ticket for this weather! Don't blame you for not tackling the outdoors, the snow is bad enough but it's frozen on top and really quite hard to get round in.

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever you'll definitely accrue the holidays while you are off so don't see why you couldn't take them before maternity, especially as you say, you would be able to take the time to go on holiday. I'm starting maternity on my due date but using most of my hols before so I'm finishing next Friday. I also get the bank holidays I didn't take this year added on to next year's allowance. I also have a desk job but the commute is really taking it out of me. I'm up at 5 each day and just exhausted with it. Definitely worth speaking to HR about it

@WhatALearningCurve interested to see what replies you have on this one as my little one has jumped from 50-75 to way over the 90th (similar t to your last measurement) so have a scan tomorrow. I'll ask them and let you know if I get any info that you might find useful

@melissa112 thank you! I'm not a panicker so I'm not worrying but I am a planner so I would like to know if I need to adjust my current plans ha

@WhatALearningCurve & @melissa112 with my DS2 I was measuring big and it turned out to be polyhydromanos (extra fluids/thicker fluids) I was told that if I carried on getting bigger that I would possibly be induced before 40wks and that if there was any sign of labour I should get to the hosp ASAP and not to wait around at home. If waters break they could cause placental abruption due to the force and the amount of times they broke (u wouldn't believe the amount of water I had, it practically refilled every time it broke & each time it went with a dramatic splash) they did monitor me with frequent appointments with the midwife to measure me and growth scans. My bump was very very tight and had no give whatsoever, midwives were unable to tell which position baby was in without scans each time. I ended up going naturally at 38wks exactly so didn't need induced and he was born very quickly at 7lbs 11oz

@SharonO225 thank you - I assumed extra fluid would just mean more fluid and that was that - I didn't realise it could have its own issues. I've been umming and ahhing about whether to finish work earlier - I feel like next Wednesday may make that decision for me ha

@WhatALearningCurve even with the extra waters, my pregnancy really didn't feel that different to any of the others but I did get very uncomfortable sitting up straight or sitting too far back, if I bent down to empty dishwasher or washing machine I actually passed out on a few occasions when the tightness caused the baby to press on my main artery and cut off the blood flow.. that was scary but all in all I felt well myself. I was told to take it easy and luckily I wasn't working at that time as I had just relocated. I think if I had I'd been working I would have struggled a lot more with the tightness and passing out.i hope all goes well with your follow ups x

I keep looking at @toastfiend's pic and thinking I can't believe that something that cute is inside my belly right now, wriggling around! Even though I've had a baby before!!!! I do remember finding it very hard to equate DS to what had been inside my bump - it just seemed so surreal. I guess it's even less real this time as I don't know if it's a girl or a boy.

Lots of big babies / bumps on this thread it seems! Mine was just over 50th centile at my 31 week appointment - I have my 34 week on Monday so will be interested to see if it changes. The personalised growth chart seems to have made everything much more accurate this time round - last time I was referred two or three times because of a 'small' bump. (Baby was nearly 9lbs!!!!)

I’ve started maternity but I’m self employed and hadn’t booked any work. Just makes sense for me to start it earlier. I’m working in October that much is planned as OH is taking it off work as shared parental leave. But even then it won’t be like going back to a ‘job’.

I am enjoying the chance to relax, cook, buy things and meet friends, etc. Already noticed a bit of a weird shift with me and OH but maybe that’s me! I also will never likely work ‘full time’ (it’s feast or famine for me!) so can’t comment on what it’s like to go back to work.

@assumeitwassomethingclever that’s the stuff they didn’t talk about! But I have a midwife coming round at 36 weeks to talk about everything in an hour long appointment!

@partridgejoan Kondo has a lot to answer for!

@cardboard33 I swear my baby moves up and down! Also my tidying is very random! I can’t say I have urges just to do housework.

No oops moments although an extra dribble when I have a wee. Discharge and constipation akimbo hurrah. Are constipation and piles preparation for childbirth?! My main purchases today were maternity pads and gaviscon. The glamour!

Agree an actual baby in the group feels like it’s all getting very real.

@AssumeItWasSomethingClever
I took 3 weeks annual leave before my mat leave started. So I’ve finished at 34/40, instead of 37/40 as was my original plan. The three weeks A/L I’ve used was incurred March 2018-2019. The 7 weeks I’ll incur March 2019-2020 I’ll be using at the end of mat leave. If I didn’t use it, my employer had to role it over to next period, so she was keen for me to get it booked in. Do you have any left from this period? Or would it be taking it from the next period (ours runs with the tax year)?

@WhatALearningCurve
I wouldn’t worry/over plan too much until the scan. Fundal height measurements are useful to an extent, they’re a referral tool more than anything (it can’t factor in fetal position, fluid, placental size, fetal size or any maternal weight gain). You may find your scan is just completely normal.

Equally it could be big baby or increased fluid (polyhydramnios).

Some hospitals will induce for a big baby, although the currently national guideline isn’t to do so. A section would only be offered if it’s an exceptionally large baby (rare). They may or may not offer you a glucose tolerance test in case it’s related to gestational diabetes (not all hospitals will do this though).

Some hospitals will also induce for polyhydramnios. If it is poly they will do some additional tests (TORCH screen) screening to see if there is a reason for poly. And give you some general advice re safety. The main risk with poly is that baby either gets in an awkward/less than ideal position because they’ve so much room to move, or doesn’t get ‘fixed’ in the pelvis which means when your waters go, there is a risk of cord prolapse. This risk is rare (generally) but increased compared to someone without poly (IYGWIM). They would advice you to attend the hospital if you think you might be in labour or your waters have gone because of this.

@BadBadBeans I’m the same, having had a baby before and yet still look at that photo and think OMG there’s one of those inside me, and coming out relatively soon!!!

@babycatcher411 you are incredibly helpful to have in this group and your advice is alway very appreciated. Luckily (I think it's luckily anyway) baby has been head down for quite a while, and I'm fairly certain she said heads engaged today so hopefully that will be a tick in the positive box ha. I've also already had the GTT because I was overweight when I got pregnant and that came back negative

My midwife measured me 28+3 and had baby on the 90th percentile. Consultant done growth scan 3 days after and got baby on the 50th! Hopefully baby's not as big.

@WhatALearningCurve

^^ tagging you as above 😂