July 2019 (thread 7)

[RooKangaroo]

Sorry, can't think of a more exciting title!

Such a chatty bunch that we're racking up the threads now. Can anyone share the link for the Google Docs spreadsheet? The one I tried didn't work.

Thanks!

Ok. So. Maternity leave policy at work has been updated. It’s better than last time.

26 weeks off (unless otherwise agreed).
6 weeks at 100% pay
14 weeks at 90% pay
6 weeks unpaid.
Be back for 6 months and get the 10% withheld.
Also get the government maternity allowance for 26 weeks currently £240 ish a week.
And a grant of £684.79 (very specific) as a one off payment.
So that’s good.

Bear in mind that up until today it was 26 weeks off. 6 weeks paid.

Also I’m not mainland uk. So things work slightly doffeeently here.

Re paracetamol. I was told if needed take it properly. I remember when I was pg with ds I had a ridiculous headache. The only thing resembling paracetamol we had in the house was lemsip. Which contained a decongestant. Dh was away for two weeks in nz for his bros wedding (I was feeling too ill to fly)l so stayed home alone with my cat girl for company) so had no one useful to fetch me anything. I cried. Because I didn’t know what else to do. Then took the lemsip. And drunk a lot of water. 😀

Aagghh see this time, for the first time ever I'm pretty much sorted for the baby ... Car is big enough, house is decorated, we're married, nursery is done, most baby stuff is bought... I just want her here now!!!

16 weeks today and dared to tidy up the kitchen a bit, but I threw up FFS. When will this end?!

Definitely bigger than last week

I'm 15 weeks today and I feel like it's going quickly all of a sudden! I think probably because we've announced now plus had our date moved forward . I bet the next 2 weeks drag though while we wait for the gender scan !

I can't stop stuffing my face today 🙈 I've had so much junk but I'm just craving cake and stodgey stuff 🙈

Also had blood taken this morning for Quad testing. Fingers crossed it doesn't go missing this time 😂🙈

Had my 16 week appointment this morning, all good. Heart rate was 128bpm, according to an old wives tale under 140bpm means a boy. I am convinced it's a boy but we really can't decide on any boys names. Thank god we are finding out at the 20 week scan, the suspense is killing me!

This is baby number 4 and going to wait out to find out sex due date 11th July

God I just experienced some really awful stomach pains just out of no where ! Kept coming and going every few minutes and proper hurt, took my breath away ! No idea what it was but it's worried me 😣

@thedust at my 16 week appointment my LO heart rate was 150. So in theory a girl. Interested to see if that's right.

Anyone else under consultant care? I've got fibroids and my midwife says my uterus is larger than it should be because of that. Just wondering what to expect when I see the consultant next month. And what the fibroids might mean?

@ReginaPhalange89 I hope everything is okay. I've had some terrible pains recently. Embarrassingly turned out to be wind and constipation. Most horrendous pain. Woke me up at night and kept me awake all night.

Ladies can I join, I was on the original thread but lost track.
This is my first baby and due 16th July.
Have my 16 week appointment this Friday and then a private gender scan on the 9th Feb 💗💙

@regina hope it’s ok. I have a pattern of pain every few days, I think is growth. I noticed this morning my belly bump has moved up loads, little changes every day that make up big changes. Phone the midwife though if your not sure.

@fortheloveofdonuts I’m under consultant card but different reason. My friend had fibroids I think they just monitor to make sure it’s not getting in the way of baby as you’re sharing the space in your uterus. Expect they’ll give you extra scans?

Well I was wrong about this size 14 stretchy jeans lasting another couple of weeks. Struggling to sit with them done up. I’ve bought some dresses online in the Dorothy Perkins sale so hoping they might last a bit longer. One was only £10, bargain :)

Sorry to hear about the pains, Twistering and Regina. I've had some on and off too (17+1) and the MW didn't give any sort of satisfactory explanation, just said to rest. I think it's stuff stretching and growing, from what I've read online.

Kentishgal so sorry to hear the lurgie clings on! I've had no more than a mild cold this last week and ita been absolutely miserable. Olbas (sp?) isn't conclusively proven as harmful or safe, which is why people say to avoid it. DH stunk our whole home with it before Christmas and I massively freaked out, but tbh from what I've read online, incl on their website, it's all fine. I think in later stages it (or any oils) can be associated with early labour. Basically I wouldn't worry about it. Hope you've got a repeat visit to the GP in the diary and lots of hugs.xx

Stopped by John Lewis today and had a look at all the teeny tiny baby things. For a newbie like me, really made it quite real!

@ForTheLoveOfDoughnuts
I’m under consultant care for a few reasons, have my first appointment Friday so I’ll let you know how it goes so at least you might have some idea on what to expect, I’m nervous to be fair for it but I’m sure I’ll all be fine I hope xx

Ofsted in at work today so feeling very stressed and tired xx

ForTheLoveOfDoughnuts sorry forgot to answer about consulnat. Also under consulnat care, though not for fibroids. Had one appointment and it was just a chat about my condition and birth options. Also wanted to know if it had any questions or worries. He was lovely.

Thank you stargazydrifter - hopefully the olbas hasn't done any harm - I just wasn't thinking! Feel a bit of an idiot about going to the gp with a bit of a chest infection - but he was lovely about it last week - hope I get to see the same one! Also seeing consultant (not because of fibroids but because of previous difficulties) - hopefully we'll just go through the birth etc. I've been getting pains and aches - two midwives have said that it could be because of endometriosis tissue and scarring, and from op, which is being stretched - endometriosis is obviously really common though so not sure if that's a factor for any of you to explain why you're getting pains.

Kentishgal don't give the GP's time a second thought under these circumstances! Go, go, go. Hard enough being pregnant, without the chest thing weighing down on your immune system. You must be exhausted, and that in itself is no good. Plus your tiny co-resident could do without it. Honestly half the people there will go for less like my DH and his mishapen finger

I happen to know that I don't have endometriosis (yet!), they checked when I had my ectopic in June because the doctor on duty was doing a study and very kindly looked/explained.

I'm consultant led too @ForTheLoveOfDoughnuts, and was with my DS.

No experience with fibroids but I imagine they will maybe scan you more.

Btw, for all dinosaur fans, John Lewis has loads of boy, girl and gender neutral dinosaur stuff for babies. 💜

I keep getting the odd pain/twinge but mine seem to be just below my boob! Today they’ve been on the left hand side. Last for a few mins then go again!

We went into JoJo Maman Bebe at the weekend and they’ve got some gorgeous sleepsuits including Dino for boy and girl

Thank you stargazydrifter...Although that just leads me to ponder the misshapen finger...can't you sneak a photo?! Your poor DH!

I like the way you say "yet" because that's exactly how it was for me! After I had my daughter, I had a tiny bit of pain and they found a cyst - they left it for a couple of years and then last year I went to the gp for something totally unrelated and she said "we haven't checked your cyst in a while I'll just arrange a scan to monitor" - from which they found my tube was blocked and so did a laparoscopy and found really extreme endometriosis - all my organs were stuck together and they had to remove my tube - but honestly I barely had any pain really (in comparison to how some people suffer) - so it just made me wonder how many other women go undiagnosed.

For those of you talking about cramps and pains you’ve been having, just keep in mind it could be a UTI. I had quite severe cramps and shooting pains where I would usually get period pain so I really panicked but it turned out to be a UTI. I hadn’t really noticed needing the toilet more because that’s normal in pregnancy and I didn’t have any pain when I went for a wee. It was just the cramping pains.

I’m going to be overseen by a consultant. I have my first appointment tomorrow afternoon. That’s because of my anxiety disorder though. I’ll be interested to see what they actually say tomorrow, I’ve seen many a doctor over the years and gotten very little useful advice. They’ve always just medicated me which helps but I can’t take my meds during pregnancy so it has been quite the rollercoaster so far.

Kentishgal haha his finger is absolutely fine! He had an infected insect bite over the summer in the heatwave and got a sore just above his nail. The infection is long, long, since gone but it's left a sort of bump. It's all the same colour and not painful. And it's not like he's a hand model! But he's very keen to get it checked by the GP again. 🙄

The endo stuff sounds so tough, you must have been through so many appointments with it! Good that you got decent care. The doctor said similar to me, to watch the single spot of it she thought she'd found, check again in a couple of years etc. It's really quite shocking how under-developed female medicine is in places, in comparison to other fields.