Due March 2008-New trimester, new thread

[turtle23]

I'll start one!

Under the big clock is very easy to meet. it's just next to WH Smiths. Let me know what time.

Doing jeans for genes at work today, it's nice to wear casual clothes and my maternity skirt is very confy.

On the weight issue, I was already overweight when I got pregnant and have gained around 4kg so far. Haven't been told off by the doctor or midwife and in fact the doctor's scales said I had only put on 2 kg, but I think that was wrong. When I saw the mw she didn't bother to weight me though.

Hello everyone

New to this forum so wanted to say hello. I am a first timer due in March 2008 and getting a bit long in the tooth (38)!

Moop

Hello Moop! When in March are you due?

CL - ouch - that must have hurt and really shaken you. Big hug!!! Like Glammama I think you should go home and give yourself some TLC right away. Take care.

I have a question for people who've been through this once before about when to start mat leave. My DH's boss is due in 3.5 weeks and was planning to work until 2 weeks before but just got signed off work this week because she is so tired from working so late into her pregnancy and the dr is now worried about complications. So this has got me panicking.

So my question is - Is there a big difference in how knackered you feel between say 28-30 weeks (which is the latest I would need to tell them as I have to give 8 weeks notice) and say 36-38 weeks pregnant? So if I'm feeling good then can I assume that I'll be okay to continue working, or actually is how you feel at 28 weeks no indication of how you'll be closer to the birth? It's tricky because I want as long as possible off after the birth but equally don't want to exhaust myself in advance. I was thinking of finishing 4-5 weeks before but as it will be February and wet and cold, I don't want to find I feel fine and hate being cooped up, especially as this baby could easily be late and I could end up being off work for 7 weeks in the middle of winter without a baby to look after!

HQ - this may be a silly question since you like your holidays so much, but will you have any annual leave left when you start mat leave? If so you can add that on and start a bit earlier. Most people stop work 2-4 weeks before baby is due. You can tell HR you can for 2 weeks, but you're perfectly entitled to change your mind if you're not coping, and I'm sure the mw/doc would be happy to sign you off if HR get sniffy about it.

I'll have at least 4 weeks leave left over (my leave year starts in Jan) so I'm going to stop work 4 weeks before (or maybe even 6!!) and then start proper maternity leave once baby is here.

With DD I went on maternity leave quite early and regretted it afterwards cos I had to go back to work when DD was only 4 months old. Definitely save as uch leave for afterwards as you can.

Welcome Moop!

CL - sorry to hear about your fall; we'll miss you tomorrow. Get lots of rest and I hope you feel better.

Brazillianmum - right, I'll be under the clock at 1:30-ish tomorrow; my train arrives at 1:27. How will be recognise each other? The confused expression as we stare at every stranger going by and the bump?

Anyone else meeting under the clock?

That's tell HR you plan, not can! Took me a minute to work out what I was trying to say!

Hope everybody else is having a glorious day. I have just had a tour of the boiler house (don't ask), and was given some lovely plants by estates people. Now just have to convince my DH to get another one

CL Hope you can have some rest, it sounds horrific.

Preggers Hope your DH is feeling better. I feel similarly insecure and sleepless when DH is away. This week I had the most wonderful naps while he was lying next to me being very sick. I mean I looked after him, but when he did not need anything, I just slept. Which apparently gave him a sense of normality. (Don't know about that one)

I do not dare weigh myself, but I also eat for triplets Turtle. Or at least I look like somebody heavily pregnant.

Have a lovely weekend

Thanks for the hugs ladies! Just been to see the posh GP on Harley Street (courtesy of my company) and he thinks I have fractured either my vertebrae or top of my pelvis. I don't really understand He just said that I can't really have an x-ray and sent me packing with some co-codamol. Suggested going to A&E if it gets any worse, I'm so sick of rubbish doctors, it's like a game of pass the buck!

I want to work as late as I can too, it's the commute that bothers me more than the being here at work! Definitely going to try the saving annual leave thing. Is everyone taking six months off? Or more?

CL, check these notes in xray in PG. If you have damaged vertabra(e) or pelvic girdle, I'd think an xray very neccessary to help you and your carers support you through getting it better and managing later PG and labour.

How horrible for you those huge deep northern lines stations are a 'mare

Hi CL - that sounds awful - take care of yourself, it sounds very painful x

I'm planning to stop 2 weeks before EDD, but I can work from home, which makes things much easier if I am starting to struggle later on. Then planning on taking 9 months plus 5-6 weeks holiday entitlement so I go back beginning of Jan '09.

Oh CL how awfull. Hope you feel better.

Derah I'll aim to be at the clock for 1.30. In case you can't spot the bump, I have shoulder length straight hair with fringe. Anyway, if can't spot the bump the big boobs will give me away in any case.

CL I hope to take 6 months off, which brings me up to September, then start part-time like 1-2-3 days a week. But I can work from home as well. So probably would only come in 1 day a week, anyway. Take care

CL - sounds awful hun, hope your feeling ok.

i dont work in kg, can never figure it out. ive put on 3/4 lbs which i can tell as things are puffing out a bit. i always seem to put the brunt of it on after 20 nweeks though. would be nice to only put a stone on but dont think id manage it. i am being good though and limiting the amount of shit i eat.

enjoy tomorrows meet up

CL i would think that any suspicion of fractures need looking properly at esp as your pelvis neds to expand to give birth!!

WRT mat leave, with ds1 i left at 29 weeks.I worked in retail-v v busy and stressful (ralph lauren and hooch) and even though i moved to a quieter section (dkny) i was still KNACKERED by the end of the day and often fell asleep on the bus. luckily my stop is at the terminus!!

With ds2 i asked to leave at 29 weeks (still worked in retail but management at diff ocmpany) but it was delayed until 32 weeks and i was exhausted to the point that i would get home and fall asleep until ds1 was going to bed

it really depends on you and what your job is. i had no intentions of returning to eiher job afterwards so time afterwards was never an issue with me

weight wise...when iw as weighed this week i was less than my home scales said i was ----hooorayyyyyy i won't be weighed again now( i have weight issues and was only weighed as they need an official weight to go on record)

I am very lucky in that I'm stopping at Christmas. I look after other people's small children working 10.5-11.5 hour days. I know I'll want to go by 28 weeks. That and I have some hols to use up! Wishing everyone a fab weekend and looking forward to cakes tomorrow!
xx

Don't forget ladies that you get 9 months maternity allowance now, so when your SMP runs out after 6 months you still get 100-odd quid a week from the government up to 9 months.

I'm not actually planning to go back to work since childcare for 2 would cost more than I earn. But I'm hoping to start a business from home, and I can take a 5-year career break from work so at least a job will still be waiting for me if my other plans don't work out!

See you under the clock, Brazillianmum. I'm short with shoulder-length blonde hair and a fat tum (OK, let's call it a bump!)

I've started to think of my belly as a little (?!) magic lamp. I rub it in the morning when I get in the train and a sit magically appears.

I'm planning on starting ML 2 wks before EDD, then be off for 6 months adding holiday to the end of it. Don't want to be on stat pay for too long and it will be nice to have my holiday at the end because I will then get full sal which will balance the month I have to be on stat pay. My ML is not great here, 12wks full, 4 wks 75% and 4wks 50% then stat pay.

That's meant to be seat btw

gawd, my internet connection is up and down today. am gently stewing over poor CL and her fall and her numpty work GP, who was wet paper bag useful...

have just done loads of housework in advance of having tomorrow basically off from the family (yoga am, you lot in the afternoon, local girlfriends in the evening!). also had a break to look at OK mag which succumbed to because charlie churches baby pics got my hormones handling my purse. very cute and all, but it was worth the money spent when i clocked the rihanna 'how i stay in shape article: erm, you are 19 years old. how hard can it be?? made me laugh.

CL - I second everyone who says you definitely need to get it sorted as your pelvis and back are going to be very very important over the next few months and they need to be in tiptop condition. Get yourself down to A&E and don't take no for an answer. Many hugs.

Thanks for all mat leave advice - as I suspected there isn't a magical formula, although I was rather hoping there was...

derah - you're right about annual leave - I will be able to use it and my boss has tentatively agreed that I can use it to step down to 4 day weeks from Jan so I think I will do that and then use the rest to finish 5 weeks before - original plan, but my DH's boss's story just got me a bit freaked out about whether I'll cope that long! I'm desk-based so it's mainly the commute that worries me.

MoM/Turtle - I completely sympathise with you finishing much earlier. I worked as a Saturday girl in Dorothy Perkins when I was at school/uni and it was the most knackering job I have ever done, and I help out at Brownies now and am always exhausted after just 1.5 hours with them!

Ok - I'm off to A&E! Thanks girls, my GP just made me feel like I was being silly but it's not getting any better, painkillers are useless and I can barely walk/stand/sit without being in pain. I was lying in my directors office on the floor using my laptop! I'm officially being crazy and that's a sure sign I head off.

Baby isn't going to give me any points for being dedicated at work, so me first, not work!

Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow, make sure you eat loads of cake on my behalf. Catch up soon xx

Good luck CL! Let us know how you get on.

hope you're having good luck CL at A&E. there's few jobs need that level of dedication to them!

Everyone, thank you very much for the advice about weight, I feel much much better.

CL, good luck with the A&E, in terms of the commuting, can't you try to ask your boss to slightly change your hours? I have done so, I now start at 10/10:30 am and it really makes a big difference, well I have not felt like killing anybody for a while and improvement indeed...

Have a lots cakes for me too, I never would have thought that I would be disapointed by not being there to see a nappy demonstration.
I am going on holidays for a week and finally going to spend time with DP, and make sure that he gets to suffer some of the pregancy symptons, which he is lucky to avoid since he is not based in the uk..grrrrr
This will also give some peace to my staff...they are very supportive but they are all men, so it is a bit difficult for them to understand some of my moodswing at times....I blame it on nationality and hormones

Have great weekend and week.

Since April 01 this year, SMP is now 39 weeks. link here

Are most of you going back full time? I have asked to come back 2 days/week as I don't think I could cope otherwise. I'm really looking forward being with LO.

CL- let us know how you are!