Due April 2009 - Festive bumps explode into crimbo, April mums wait in limbo

[BabyCRIMBOlat]

New thread here (I hope!!)

Oh Nutty that doesn't sound good, have had a quick internet search and so far I have come up with growing pains or simply baby is kicking lots and bruising / cracking ribs! It might be worth just giving your midwife a call - can't hurt (unlike the current pain!)

My appointment was fine, was in there for hours tho - everything fine, bubs is normal size (although right at the top of the 28 week size chart so may be on the bigger size!!)
only bad thing is they found blood and protein in my urine and my bp is slightly high so they sent it off for more tests - hopefully just a kidney infection but they wanted to check for anything more serious!

Kitty - what paperwork???!!! I got my MATB1 form today - I was just planning on giving my boss a copy!

MATB1 - I was wondering about this too, do I ask for it at the GPs (where I am having my 25 check tomorrow)? I won't see the MW for a bit so I hope the GP can do the bureau-magic required.
Does anyone know how to apply for the Health in Pregnancy money? That sounds pretty exciting - an excuse not to go solely for the BOGOFs and the Reduced-to-Clears. (what I am having for dinner is pretty much the only excitement I am due.)

Freezing meals in advance - I love stuff like this but the problem is my freezer is the size of one of those little evening bags that doesn't even have a strap. (The fridge is about the size of a lunchbox.) I wish there were such a thing as a weather-proof chest freezer, I would stick it in the garden just outside the back door and fill the current fridge / freezer space with a nice big fridge.

Hi BB - good luck with the tests, these things are horrible but at least it shows they are checking stuff out.

Nutty - good luck with the mw about the pains - nothing worse than being awake wondering at night.

As you can see I am making a VERY serious effort to catch up on 2 weeks work!

Gingersarah - my GP couldn't give me mine so had to wait for MW, but they can send them to you so if you can call one they can pop it in the post!

Hi everyone - hope you're all having a good day so far!

I'm off work today as I've managed to come down with that horrible cold/fluey/lurgy thing. Hoping it won't get any worse and will just be a cold rather than the flu.

I'm having a bit of a stress over my maternity leave paperwork too. At my last MW appointment she gave me the document that confirms my pregnancy and due date etc. I then had to fill in a form for my employer and one for the social security office. I decided to leave them until I got back home after christmas but have just read the small print on the employer's form and it says that I should inform them at least 2 months before stopping work - oops - that means I should have had it sorted at the end of december....(my maternity leave starts on 28 Feb). I've sent the form to our personnel office, but haven't heard anything back yet. I also need them to give me a letter confirming my maternity leave dates so I can send it to the government, which funds my position. All very complicated and I'm quite worried that I've left it too late...

Ho hum.

...also, said forms are in 2 different languages, which I'm not exactly fluent in....

...why do they make us do these things when pregnancy brain has kicked in bigtime??

Poor you NuttyTaff - she sounds like a right monster!

I'll keep my fingers crossed that she got out of bed on the good, caring and compassionate side this morning!

Nutty - P45 is a great suggestion! Thanks! and good luck with nasty doc today... give her a good kick from all of us...

I'm off to stand in the queue with the other unemployed folks at the Job Centre now... maybe I'll bump into Jenson Button while I'm there! who would have thought that being made redundant last Nov could have such sweet side effects?? I'll let you all know how I got on with the paperwork.

Gingersarah - we also have a handbag sized fridge that DOESN'T have the freezer bit at all! I'm desperate to get a bigger one (of both!) so will be popping past Argos after to see what I can find for cheap... Ours will have to stand in our lounge as our kitchen is tiny, so will have to be a reasonably good looking machine... I'll let you know if I come across anything decent.

Have a great afternoon y'all!

Oh Nutty! Nightmare - still you might be really lucky and she will be in a good mood and anyone will see how much pain your in when you hobble through! Maybe try not to call her DragonDraws tho!! OOh what did you shout at her for (see I am such a gossip!!)

Have you tried pandering to her (I know this sounds really silly but I once had a horrible dr and the only way to get him to check me out was to pander to his expert opinion (as in, am sure it's nothing but thought it was worth getting checked out by a professional just in case) seriously almost vommed every time I had to see him all the sucking up I had to do!!!

I have already had enough at work and it is only 2 and I am working from home - that can't be good!!!

Re fridge . freezers - I got a matching set from Currys about 6 months ago (Zanussi) for £150 each and they are brilliant - wanted a combined tall one but wont fit in my stupidly designed kitchen!

Oooh forgot to tell you the dr called me special today - apparently I am one of those very rare people whose vaccines don't last for life so despite having my MMR and BCG etc - none of them have lasted so have to have a whole heap of immunisations when bubs is born and keep away from potential sick people (could I use that as a reason not to go to work do you think.... hmmmm....)

Eugh Nutty you have my sympathy, I cannot bear these doctors who won't listen when you know they have got the wrong end of the stick. Good luck! Channel the forces of the hardcore mn-ers if you feel tempted to weaken and be fobbed off.

I have to go through all this - I have a mysterious chest thing which is a recurrence of something I had about 2 years ago - very debilitating. I was sent to a dermatologist (the GP made the assumption I had eczema and asthma and prioritised the "eczema" although that wasn't stopping me breathing). I had no choice, after begging to see a chest or respiratory person and being told to shut up, but to play ball, so I went to the (very nice) dermatologist and after 2 appointments, some lab tests, and several months, she said the chest thing and the skin thing were unrelated and the skin thing was a very trivial, easily treated infection. As I was girding my loins to demand another referral about the breathing, I woke up one morning better - coughing up loads of hideous crap and definitely getting better, breating easier by the hour. Now I have the same thing again (I think) and will be starting from scratch.

KittyCrackers and BabyBolat - I looked into the outdoor freezer thing and they do exist - for only 4 or 5 thousand $$$! So it looks like I will be putting something more affordable in another room. Or living with the handbag-freezer. Or digging a cooling pit in the garden.

Currys have those table top freezers that you can slot in places or cover and used as side tables etc for £70 - god I sound like a currys advert (when in fact is dislike them a lot as I had a row with them over my washing cooker but ho hum!!!)

washing cooker???? Dear lord!!! I meant washing machine!!

Oh I like the asthma test - am rubbish at it!!!

Good luck nutty will have chocolates ready in case there are any more tears...