Due March 2008 - meeting up for pies and cakes

[derah]

A nice new little thread for Skidoodle and anyone else who needs it.....

maternity leave- oh the luxury!! i don't get maternity leave, i am self employed so i either work or starve i will work until i drop, have bubs 1&2, then get back to real life asap! i have staff so its not like i'm going to be working hard- but i need to be in and out to check up on things, write cheques and answer insane questions!!

We have already measured up my office for a rocking nursing chair, changing unit and cotbed- it will be the twins home from home!! Our customers are great though- as they are going throught the whole pregnancy thing as well, people are very understanding and patient with me atm!! I have to say i would go round the bend if i stayed at home- thats dh's job!!

Morning!

As it's my first I'm also not entirely sure how I'll feel, but at the moment I'm thinking of working up to end of Feb - so two and a bit weeks before my due date. I'd like to have as much time off as possible once baby is here, and I can also work from home a couple of days a week and have an easy commute into the office, so am hoping that will work out. I do a lot of flying, short flights thankfully, but will be stopping that after Christmas when I get to the 28 week mark.

Our maternity pay is crap! I just get 6 weeks at 90% and then statutory mat pay. I'm still hoping to take 10 months though and go back Jan 2009, but we will be on beans and toast for the year!

Morning! I'm due at the end of March, so I'll probably stop in late Feb so I can enjoy my last opportunity to take things easy and rest as much as I like .

Hello, ladies. I have just come in to introduce myself. I have to confess I have been popping in for a while, but did not feel ready to join yet because of my worries.

As a bit of history, I have a dd aged 8.4 and a ds aged 5.8. I sadly had a missed miscarriage in January at 11 weeks. Hence my reluctance to join an antenatal thread until I felt a bit more confident! Anyway, I had a scan on Monday and am now 13+4, due 18th March, so am finally letting myself relax a little and accept the pregancy. I even went so far as buying a bundle of maternity clothes off ebay!!

Anyway, I really hope to get to know you all despite my late entry, as I know what a huge support these threads can be. Anyone else out there in North Surrey?

Hi feedmenow..I'm near Sutton, where are you?
Feeling much better today, taking it easy though.

hello to the newbies

after having enormous hastle trying to get a midwife app, i was told to see the midwife at 16wks, but they were all too busy and couldnt see me until 20 weeks, i finally phoned up the hospital and after speaking to five diff people including 2 midwives they agreed that the situation was riddiculous, ie not being able to get an app for 6 weeks.

they rang my surgery themselves and then phoned me back to say they would be lodging a complaint as my surgery was "extremely unhelpful and actually rude" i could have told them that. anway they arranged an app at another surgery but it is a good 30-40mins walk away and with my spd i cant do that, i explained and they have arranged a home visit i did say that i felt it was a bit riddiculous etc i only need a basic check and to hear the hearbeat etc, but they had my notes at the hospital and saw i have had 2 previous miscarriages and sevre spd so they said it was imp that i have regular appointments etc

other than that drama, life is ok, i am still a bit pukey but much better than it was, am waiting for my bump to appear now, 16 and abit weeks

Hi everyone, I've missed you all

welcome feedmenow, Jays3rd, picklewoo, and onemore, nice to have you all on board.

cricri, so sorry to hear your news. I hope you're doing OK and getting support on the MC threads.

iliketosleep, LOL @ your continuing Gordon Ramsey infatuation

I have been feeling GREAT all week. My energy is back, my nausea almost completely gone. I've been really busy at work but have enjoyed it. So that's why I've not been around the thread. It's too big for phones again. Seems you guys just get me when I'm feeling cranky and complainy

I'm so relieved to feel like a normal human again. DH and I even went out last night, just for the fun of it. We went to see Atonement and I was so excited to be out. It's the first time we've gone out just the two of us since the honeymoon/finding out I was pregnant.

I'm hoping to work until the end of Feb. I have a new job I really love and my contract only runs until next September, so I want to get a bunch of suff done before I leave. I also will probably go back as soon as my 18 weeks full pay is over as I want to make sure the project I'm working on is finished before my contract ends. Don't know if that will all pan out, but that's what I'm hoping.

best wishes all, catch up with you soon.

im a supply teacher so no maternity pay apart from the stautotory one. may stop at xmas as then 9 mths takes me to next september ready for the new school year. not sure yet though if i have regular days booked in i might go till i pop then claim my stat pay from then on. i think the majority of people take a mth before the birth, but its all down to how you feel i suppose.

Welcome to the new ladies!!

Feedmenow - I'm in Woking, does that qualify as north Surrey? Where are you?

Glad to hear you're feeling better Skidoodle.

Here's a question to you ladies with children, are any of you managing to exercise? I've been telling myself that it's only the first-timers who are managing to get to the gym and stuff cos when you have a toddler to deal with and are exhausted anyway, finding time to exercise isn't a high priority!! Tell me I'm right, please?

Still tired, but not as bad. And can definitely feel Shosh (as baby has been temporarily nick-named) moving. Very cool!

Morning all!

Have just come back from a lovely holiday in Spain (north part, in the mountains!) and am having a cup of tea and trying to catch up this thread!

So sorry to hear the bad news, and v. exciting to hear the good.

I am feeling better most days, although as soon as I say that I seem to have a bad one again. Argh.

My cravings are for salty things right now. Sweets and chocolate leave me with the most horrible taste in my mouth, and then brushing my teeth makes me gag, etc... But cup a soups- YUM! And salt and vinegar crisps- FANTASTIC!

My best friend from Canada who now lives in Cambodia is coming to visit today! Last time I saw her was 2 years ago at my wedding.

Hope you all have a nice relaxing Sunday. x

Morining all, welcome back e14mum, your holiday sounds lovely. I'm afraid Tower Hamlets has not changed much, except that perhaps Whitechapel has been somewhat improved by the gorgeous September light we've been having recently.
I'm trying to stay positive as I think I have tonsilitis. Ow.
I'm on early shift (got up at 08.30, mind) as DD has a friend staying and I make the best pancakes but DP will be taking over as soon as said friend has gone and I can go back to bed. Not sure whether I should try and get a GP appt. I may even take a paracetamol later, if I really have to.
Hope everyone else is enjoying this lovely looking Sunday.

HolidaysQueen I do not think you are a control freak, we do have to think about finances. Our offices need to know by week 26 what our plans are. THis is my first, too, so I do not really know. I would like to work till I drop, but people warned me that this is very unlikely. I am very big already.
I asked my DH not to travel abroad within a month of my EDD, so I though maybe that is when I should stay at home.
Skidoodle My cointract runs out in April, so I am also worrying about this project which I was hoping to continue indefinitely . I am the project manager, i.i. I nag people.
Derah You ladies with other kids are real heroes. I cannot get any exercise and I can only blame myself. But will do my best next week.

Glam..hope you feel better soon. I didn't go last night as I was too tired. Remember that ice cream is VERY GOOD for sore throats!

OMG - Salt and vinegar crisps are my favourite snack right now. My taste buds must have been transplanted because I've always hated S&V flavoured snacks before.

hello! all better here after mid-weeks quite frightening collapse in health. my mum is out with ds, i'm off upstairs to sort out the stashed kids clothes, need to find some larger ones for him and check out what we've got already for number 2. i expect to get very smaltzy, fiddling with 0-3 mth old baby gros.

well i've 'popped' at 16 weeks: gone from generally flabby to looking about 6 mths pg.

erm, other stuff from looking at recent posts: with ds i had wanted to stop work at 36 weeks, as so many people advised that a serious rest before the 4th trimester is money in the bank. but i ended up going at 33 weeks as i was so wiped out. in retrospect, it was then that my thyroid stopped working, so i'm not a usual case.

derah, i'm exercising when ds first goes down for his 2 hour nap everyday. it is very nap dependent. i don't think i would want to do it/fit it in any other time of day. doing a davina dvd for 50 minutes. its VERY gentle but effective for tone, strenght and flexibility ++ . so far i've found that even if i'm knackered it perks me up! i also sing for 2 hours on monday nights which is suprisingly tiring and will be starting pg yoga on saturday mornings with dp babysitting. i may also try to find a quiet swim session that suits, one evening. Anything that stops me sitting in front of TV. but i think that just being out everyday and various rompings with a 2 year old are keeping me more active than in 1st pg. anyway, i'm very commited to this, as i've got to manage my weight gain really carefully from here on in.

i'd already gained 9lbs eating plain starches while having MS: i'm only supposed to gain another 5 overall according to my dietician (as am clinically obese to begin with). think i will be OK for 2nd trimester, as now have laods of energy and an appetie for good food again. i do want to take the weight gain easy or my knees will start to hurt. can't do that in a 3 storey house ew, look at me yack yack, i'll shut up now.

hi all, have dropped in and out, i had my scan and saw wriggling baby. it was magical. My hospital is chelsea and westminster which is fab - anyone else there?
I'm v interested to know when y'all are going to go on maternity leave. I told my boss last week and she's acting as if I've gone already which I am sure is kind of illegal. I am due 22nd March and was going to try to work into March, do you think it's feasible?

I am going on maternity leave on the 4th of Jan or so, as I am in the lucky position of not going back to work...ever. I am assuming that if I am not going back I need to pretend I am for a bit to receive SMP?(Only the standard 90% for 6 weeks then the SMP) Does anybody know? I don't want to miss out on this money because I am too honest, but don't want to leave them in a difficult situation. Hmm.

By the way girls, if you want an excuse to shop for diddy clothes or maternity stuff...
20% off at Gap

Hello Feedmenow! We're EDD buddies, as I'm also due the 18th March

Turtle - this site is quite helpful for questions re SMP, I'm sure I read that even if you don't go back to work you are still entitled to it: www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/statutory_maternity_pay.asp

I've just come back from my pilates class and the gym. I'm finding pilates is very relaxing, and is hopefully doing good things for pelvic floors etc. I'm having to remind myself that I'm pg when in the gym though,as I'm used to doing lots of running and pushing myself so I almost feel like I'm cheating now because I'm taking it easy.

Looking forward to having a bump, but still no sign of it although in the last week or so I've definitely felt a bit more 'podgy'!

It's an absolutely horrible day here - torrential rain and about 13 degrees....summer is definitely over Hope all of you further south are enjoying the sun

Hi everyone.

Derah, my ds is 2yr+7mo and he gets SO BORED at home coz mummy is always poorly (lying on the settee). I'm managing to cobble together an evening meal, and wash our clothes, and that's it. I feel completely debilitated, couldn't even consider exercise! To be honest, though, I have struggled with fatigue ever since I had ME 19 years ago, so I think my pregnancy lethargy is compounded. So, what with me at one extreme and merryberry at the energetic end of the spectrum, you're doing just fine in the middle!

When I had ds, I had annual leave to use up, so I finished working at 28 weeks! I was spoiled! I work part time for a small business and I'm hoping my boss will let me keep working until I decide to stop coz it's hard to know in advance isn't it. Last time I said I didn't know if I'd be going back to work or be a SAHM but after 6 months, ds decided to stop breastfeeding and I really NEEDED to go back to work for my sanity! My days at work are much easier than my days at home with ds, lovely though he is!

I've got my 12 week scan tomorrow - am I the last scannee?

Best wishes to you all.

monthymayhem...Thanks for that, you were right. I no longer need to lose sleep over it! Will gleefully tell them I'm not coming back(but maybe not for a bit as I don't want to create a difficult atmosphere!) Oh that has really brightened my day!

Thanks for the welcome ladies! I live in Englefield Green. Derah, you're pretty close to me then....where are you planning to go for the birth?

Hi Feednenow - I'm planning to stay home for this one. I had dd at St Peters in Chertsey, but am booked in with Frimley Park this time in case I need to go in cos it's more convenient for the midwife, and I don't mind since I'm not planning to go there anyway! Where are you booked in?

Just looked you up on Google maps, Feedmenow - we really are quite close!

morning all - hope every one had a good weekend and is feeling better. I@m very excited as off to see the midwife today for the first time - am really hoping i might hear a heart beat. have managed to pick up filthy cold so hoping she might also be able to tell me if there is anything i can take for raging headache and stuff.
ANyone got a scan this week or is everyone through that 12 week stage - must nearly be?
Welcome to all the newbies and welcome back to all those who are now feeling human again!
good days to all