Due June 2020: thread 6

[AndddddHerewegoagain]

Hi everyone. Hope you don't mind me setting up the new thread didn't want to run out of space on the other one!

@babybird20 thanks for that link to the group with most useful things....had a read and slings seem to come up a big winner!!

@magpie21 I've also been reading The Positive Birth companies positive birth stories on Instagram..so nice to read and will try and keep these in mind!!

I think our little boy has moved down a little bit, indigestion has definitely reduced and breathing is easier 😂

Yesterday was the date my baby shower should have been... tried to be positive as me and my husband had agreed we were gonna have a nice day doing some baby bit (packing hospital bag & attempting something at home maternity photos) but little did I know my so sister, mum and husband had other ideas! While we'd gone to collect a clock & collect Tesco order my sister came and decorated our house, provided afternoon tea and left pressies as well as arranging video messages from everyone who would have been coming. I cried like a baby but had the most incredible afternoon. We also managed a few photos too...all credit to my husband and an editing app!

That is so lovely!! ^^

I had a growth scan on Friday. Very surreal at hospital anyway & didn't feel right on my own.
Baby grown ok. But is breech again. I have a bicornuate uterus so baby had better get a move on & turn otherwise there will be no room!!
Oh & they think I may have nitrates in my wee? Had to send it off.

@SerBrienneOfHouseTarth if the mattress in completely sealed in plastic I think I would use
It.

The surprise baby shower is lovely!

@sarahlounich that is so lovely! 🤩🤩 how beautiful it looks like you had a great time!

Great link @BabyBird20 this is very helpful.

@sarahlounich that is sooooo lovely of them! How cute!!

I'm hoping to get together with friends once we are allowed to socialise again, I guess it's an opportunity for them all to meet the baby!

34 weeks today!!

Hey, so going back to the chat we've previously had re starting mat leave, what are everyone's plans for mat leave? Given we likely can't go anywhere and do anything. I've done and organised the nursery and packed my bag so I'm thinking, amongst the obvious of relaxing and watching telly, and usual chores (there's only so much of that I can do)

I'm finishing at 37 weeks so could have 3-5 weeks of nothingness:

• batch cooking favourite, more complex or longer to make meals and freezing them
• bit of exercise
• daily walk to break the day up
• make more complex or delicious lunches rather than just sandwich or hummus and Pita which I'm having now during work
• weekly spa day, talking long soak, proper exfoliation, face mask, posh moisturiser, cuticle care, nail varnish, leave in conditioning treatment etc, play the spa music etc
• practise affirmations/listening to podcasts
• organise the bathroom for optimum access to maternity pads/baby bath stuff
• organise the linen closet to incorporate the baby's towels and extra bedding
• wash all the baby's clothes
• read a book or two outside whilst soaking up vitamin D (hopefully)
• repack probably repeatedly my hospital bag
• bake flapjacks
• face time family and friends regularly
• research baby classes online like sensory or fitness classes for when I'm up to it

Anyone else got other ideas/plans to keep us all occupied during Mat leave before baby?
(Obviously I am currently childless, I doubt those of you with little ones already will be worrying about being bored) haha

@sarahlounich Lovely Baby Shower! Lucky you

@MsMiaWallace I know what you mean about attending appointments on your own. I’ve had 3 appointments on my own and it’s makes me really emotional being in the waiting room and then appointment alone. Hopefully your bubba will wiggle into the right position soon!

@Ginfilledcats I love your list. I’ll have a good couple of weeks to myself. I’m looking forward to reading for fun (not birthing/babies!) and maybe doing some painting (watercolour). I also want to make a little scrap book for my baby and put in some scan pictures, pictures of me and hubby etc.

Has anyone started monitoring the temperature of their house (bedroom) ahead of bubba’s arrival? I live in a very warm apartment, so I bought an AC unit to get it down to the recommended temp. Just curious if anyone else has a particular hot house.

@UKtoSK glad you slept better - me too. Feel so much more alive today. x

I've just started packing my hospital bag. Preparing for 2 nights stays in hospital. not sure of good enough?

@Ginfilledcats you've got an amazing plan already! :) I'll work until baby pops! 🤪

33+1

@ginfilledcats I have always planned to start mat leave on 2/6 and baby is due on 7/6. I am a teacher and the week before that is half term so my last actual day in work would have been 22/5. However, I've been at home for 6 weeks now and although I'm working from home, the way it has worked out I have very little to do. I am in charge of year 11 planning but they aren't doing exams so don't need to do it. Colleagues plan for my other year groups but hardly any kids are doing any work so there's very little to mark. I still plan and mark my A level student's work but even he isn't doing much. The most I've had to do so far is a 2 hour video chat with my dept on Saturday to start working out what GCSE grades will be assigned to the kids. I really enjoyed the meeting because I miss my dept and I'm so bored!

So, I feel like I'm already on mat leave and I am really struggling with boredom. Baby's room is done, bags are mostly done, I've washed everything, I am onto my 2nd 1000 piece jigsaw, I've knitted a newborn cardi, a huge teddy bear, and currently working my way through a set of nursery animals. Every day there's just no pressing need to so anything! At least I can keep getting full pay up to a few days before baby is due as I definitely won't be starting mat leave early unless baby decides to make an early escape!

34+1

I'm the same as @APD1981 been on leave essentially 6 weeks now I can't work from home as my job is not work at home friendly.
I have spent my time decorating the spare room, washing baby clothes, building all the furniture, sort of organising my hospital bag but I am useless at packing so no doubt I'll leave it to last minute.
I'd love to pamper myself and have nice baths but I can not get in and out any more without causing myself an injury 🙁 showers are fine but not the same.
I spend my days now cleaning, baking and pottering around, it's fair to say I get very bored. I can't stand up for long either as my feet and ankles swell up badly so I watch a lot of box sets. I'm sure I'm turning in to the definition of a couch potato a very big potato 🙈

34+3

@APD1981 can't believe how different our lockdown teaching experiences are! We are teaching all of our lessons through Teams, all staff meetings/line mgmt meetings happen as usual via video. Basically the only thing that has changed is that we have to do it all from home, in my case while caring for DD!

Had a 2 hour video call earlier and when I tried to stand up pretty much every muscle had gone into spasm!

@Ginfilledcats yes all of that you listed is a good idea. I'm on leave from 15th May so not long to go. I recently bought a kindle paper white to read outside and it's lovely. Really helps to escape the reality at this time and really enjoy being pregnant. I must admit I was doing well with this isolation thing up until recently. Some days are hard but I remember to read my bible, watch some online services and it really sets me back on track.

@pegase as bored animals am I have to admit I don't envy you! The problem with my school is that it's in a deprived area with 70%+ on FSM and so loads of kids don't have the tech for home learning. I think a lot also don't have the right sort of environment for it either. We create lessons and resources and upload them onto Google Classroom but very few of the kids I teach have done anything, particularly the bottom sets. School also sends out hard copies for those who request it but, so far, nothing has come back for marking. It's very weird. I keep a check on my emails but there really isn't much to do and I don't really want to shout about that! Haha

Bored animals?! Wtf?! I got a new phone yesterday which I clearly need more practice typing on!🤣

@sarahlounich your family did such a lovely job surprising you like that! What gifts did you get?

@Ginfilledcats I’ve been off work since last week of Feb when my contract ended and my at home tutoring got suspended because of the virus. I try to get at least one task done a day, and either read a pregnancy/birth book or watch the videos from the positive birth company. I find the days go really quickly, especially with an afternoon nap!

@Pegase I'm teaching from home too at the moment and am busier than ever it feels! I have to plan and set new work on the website every Sunday and Wednesday and parents have to email me evidence twice a week to comment and feedback on! Absolute nightmare replying to 20 odd parents (not all engage with it!) who send hundreds of photos of work their kids have done! Takes me all day twice a week! I've started getting the swollen ankles and sore coccyx from sitting at my laptop for too many hours each day! Cannot wait for maternity leave to start, officially 1st June but have the half term the week before!

On a much more positive note I've finally got round to clearing out the bath tub (it's been a laundry drying place for months as we have a nice shower!) and just had my first bath of the pregnancy! OMG my new favourite thing! Feeling so nice and relaxed now 🥰🥰

@BabyBird20 I'm also starting officially 1 June but with HT the week before. So tired today I don't think I could go on any later even WFH. I have been taking baths instead of showers for months now. Really helps me for some reason even though time consuming!

@Ginfilledcats I took two extra weeks off with DC1 before my mat leave giving me 4 weeks to relax in the sun with a lovely pile of books...... the little bugger arrived 4 weeks early on my first day off! 

I've done the same this time. I'm still WFH but finish in 3 weeks so 4 weeks before I'm due. We're moving house this weekend though so there will be plenty to keep me busy as long as DC2 stays put longer than his/her older brother did!

@Pegase I'm the same re tiredness. Don't think I could manage at work much longer either. Also love a bath! We don't have one here but new house does, I can't wait! :)

@Pegase thank goodness for the half term or I would be finishing early I think! Am exhausted already!

@SerBrienneOfHouseTarth that's so exciting you're moving house! We were literally about to put ours on the market when all this happened so have had to postpone!!

Just had another awful calf cramp awakening giving me a right panic with the pain in my other leg this time. Bearing in mind I still can't walk properly from the ongoing pain the last one caused I think I'll be hobbling like an 80yr old for the foreseeable!!

Well its 5am & i am yet to even have any sleep 😊 birds are tweetin its getting light.
Oh dear!

Midwife appointment this morning! Baby's head is down and is favouring the right hand side probably why I need to pee every 5 mins!
Midwife thinks she will be early and in May but is measuring spot on she gave a me an approximate weight of 7.10 so we will see how good and accurate she is at predictions 🤔