Due September 2005 - Thread 6

[PiccadillyCircus]

Here is another new thread .

He hee VF, I'm a Virgo too - we're the best

VF, can you CAT me your RL name and mobile no. for the meetup?

I am just considering all my options re: the possibility of staying at home permanently post-baby...does anyone know if I take my maternity leave as normal and then 6 months' upaid, and then say I decide not to go back to work, how much of the maternity money will I have to pay back? or, alternatively, how long would I need to go back to work for to ensure I didn;t need to pay any money back?

Sorry if I haven't explained that very well!

OK I may have just answered my own question here, as just found this on Maternity Alliance website:

"I have decided not to go back to work. What should I do?
You should resign in the normal way, giving the notice required by your contract or the notice period that is normally given in your workplace. If you do not have a contract or nothing has been said you should give a week's notice. You can 'work' your notice on maternity leave, you do not have to actually go back to work.

Note: You do NOT have to repay any of the SMP you received (6 weeks at 90% and 20 weeks at £102.80)."

Lots to catch up on! Just got back from trip to SA. Flight not too bad but needed the aisle seat! No-one asked how far preg I was and I am definately showing.
My mum told me I was looking fat but got comliments from others. Wasnt a very relaxing week. Starting to worry she will continue to be critical when they come over to the UK in Sept. My hospital aims to discharge 6 hours post delivery and dont think I will cope with critism well when physically and mentally exhausted.

Andif - what a shock - glad its all ok.

Starting to feel very tired again. Not great as start job in new department tomorrow and want to make good impression! Still dont know when to go on leave though.

No thrush but heartburn started!

VirtualFairy - My 5.5 yr old is a virgo boy, and though I love him to bits.....to say he is fussy is an understatement. Even getting dressed in school uniform is a dilemna of accessories, which jumper goes with which shorts......which belt...the list is endless! I still can't quite bring myself to refer to this baby as a girl - it feels so weird!! I hope for (her?!) sake she is bossy, as it's the only way she will survive 2 big brothers...!!
Boompi, now I'm over the thrush, heartburn has reared its head! Last night I found eating almonds and drinking camomile tea helped loads. I suspect the excessive chocolate I am eating doesn't help...

first antenatal class last night........and as i thought they have started me early because they haven't adjusted my due date from the doctors first estimation. didn't say anything last night but will have a word at my midwife appt tomorrow to see if i can get shifted onto the course i'm supposed to be on. sitting there last night made me realise how awkward i'm going to feel if i have to stay and they all have their babies a month before me. and i felt tiny too......i'm small anyway but their bumps (understandably) were all considerably bigger than mine.

Hi everyone just been catching up. Am off work this week and am trying frantically to get the house straight before number 2 arrives hubby is not to impressed at the idea of another virgo in the house but ohh well i wasn't to impressed to find out that bump is due on my thirtieth Birthday , i can think of much better things to be doing on my birthday than swearing at a midwife to shut up and give me drugs just know i am going to be horrendous they tried to get me to do it naturally last time what a nightmare they finally let me have the eppidural after i had been in labour over 12 hours. Sorry to any first timers you don't need my horror story am sure it will all be much better this time round!!!!!! Have finally statred to feel as if i may actually be blooming I have more energy at any rate!!

andif- i certainly know whats its like to have a fussy virgo 5 year old lol, it must be really nice to be expecting a girl after 2 boys already

mummyhill- i had my dd on my 22nd birthday and it was - well rememberable lol. This baby is due 2 weeks after dd's and my birthday so dp is very worried that baby will come on my birthday.

Hi all - just got back from my 20 week scan and all looking good! Was amazing how much more detail you can see - little feet were sooo cute (soppy smile emotion). We have a real little wriggler on our hands though - it was moving around too much for the sonographer to get accurate head measurements, so I have to go back in a couple of weeks so they can try again. Didn't find out the sex - she didn't offer, but we didn't want to know this time anyway (might find out if we have number 2). Found out why I'm on the loo every 20 minutes - baby's head was constantly banging against my bladder .

Thankfully confirmed that there's only one in there, but the down side is that I don't really have a good excuse for the size of my bump

Seems like there's a few of us here who are Virgos . My birthday's 8th September and small one is due on 16th September. As DS was 11 days early, I am somewhat concerned that I may have to share my 30th birthday with someone else; I am asking him/her to not be 8 days early .

Thrush seems to have calmed down thank goodness. But I do need to by some maternity knickers. For some reason I got rid of loads of them in about November (feeling that a year after one baby was born was too long to still be wearing them) only to get pregnant in December .

Will go to Mothercare and buy DS vests and me pants. Exciting life I lead .

i'm a leo/Virgo cusp (23rd august).........and baby is due 4th Sept but am expecting i could have a bundle of joy arriving on my 30th birthday too!!!

When will this weather warm up?!!! I have now officially run out of clothes and am on to the pile of things people have lent me that I swore I wouldn't ever wear! Went shopping for new baby present for friends little girl and felt I was drowning in a sea of pink frills - I'd better adjust if this really is a baby girl!!!! Suddenly the boys stuff that I've always moaned about looked so appealing..... Monsoon is the only exception, but bank balance won't support a spending spree there!!!!

I know andif, I got very over-excited when buying maternity clothes thinking I would only need the summery stuff so now freezing and keep having to wear tights with the top rolled over. But off to Lisbon with work next week so hopefully will be warm there!

Feeling very fat today. Really must stop eating for two.

Maternity pants, are they good? i have never worn them but my pants are becoming so uncomfortable and causing a indent in my lovely round bump. do maternity pants sit really low as i hate things that sit too low as my cesearean scar gets irritated as its still numb. but dont really want to wear huge granny pants what a pants problem, i would not wear any at all but need something to catch my pregnancy increased juicage sorry too much info

Nothing to add about "pants" but wondering if you guys could help me with a travel insurance problem. My British hub, Kiwi me and 16 month old need one-way travel insurance (luggage/cancellation etc) for our flight from Cairo to New Zealand. Having no luck with all the biggy agencies as none will insure a one-way trip originating outside the UK. Any ideas??

midwife appt this morning and all is well with myself and bump. midwife agreed i'd been invited to antenatal too early and has moved me into the sept group, which she is taking (i'm glad, she is really nice). she said i was fine to stay in the one i went to but agreed the social aspect was very important and it would be better to be with women at same stage of pg as me. lol she asked me if i enjoyed the class and i said it was a bit like repeating a lesson at school, i've read most of the literature and found it a bit tedious....she said she'll try not to come across as a teacher and to make it interesting!!!

hope everyone is feeling well......

Hi everyone.

I'm intrigued as to what a little Virgo baby might be like Sounds like it could be a complete contrast to the whirlwind, messy Sagittarian DD I am now used to.

Can you believe how far along we are now? People are already due in December!!

I too thought I'd be able to get away with all summery maternity clothes and I'm now grateful for all the hand-me-downs from friends which include winter trousers and long sleeved tops. I find I need more this time around since I rarely get to the end of the day without DD's mucky hands or snot stained across the front of it

Well, I don't have much of importance to report. I'm feeling quite a lot of anxiety during this pregnancy. Not about the pregnancy but about other 'uncontrollable' things in life - such as dreadful news stories/state of the country, that kind of thing.

We're hoping our house sale and purchase is going to go through smoothly so we can move in June. The first signs of stress are creeping in as we get pressure from the top end of the chain for a quick purchase and as our buyers dally over surveys and changing mortgage lenders midway through.

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday and she couldn't get a clear reading of the heartbeat. I wasn't worried since the baby protested with some mighty kicks. My placenta is currently anterior so that was blocking the baby. My BP was a bit high but still in the realms of normal.

Hmmm, what else? I'm just starting to make purchases for the new baby. I'm on the look out ofr a new changing bag. I'm being very fussy this time round and looking for something more interesting than the standard black or Navy but something that is still practical. Anyone got some ideas?

Beatie OiOi Baby has some nice messenger style change bags in different fabrics. Can't remember who stocks them, but if you google Oi Oi Baby they should come up.

KiwiCath - have you tried Amex? Or does your DH's work use a company for their corportate travel? Egyptians must get travel insurance when they travel - have you tried a local company? Sorry if you've already tried all of these options...

Beatie - know what you mean about how far we are - it's going amazingly quickly! Can't believe I really look pregnant now - it's quite a novelty at the moment! Betting on a long hot summer though! There is actually a due in Jan thread now!! I'm going to treat myself to a nice big Orla Kiely bag as a changing bag. I've been trying to justify buying one for ages, and this is the perfect excuse...haven't broken news to dh yet though..maybe I'll get a bargain on eBay.
Have bought a cot now and it's actually put together in the babyroom (along with the laundry and all our junk..) as I wanted to check all the bits were there (an ebay bargain!) Haven't quite got the heart to take it apart now as it looks so cute..! Looking out for a mountain buggy too, but other than that hope to track down some of my old stuff that i had passed on to others, and borrow the rest!
Kiwicath, for travel insurance try the guardian site - we've always found it very useful.

Due in January! Of course - we're in May already aren't we.

I really love the Oi Oi bags - one of the first things I spotted when surfing baby sites on the web!

Went into a huge Mothercare on way home from work. First real baby shopping and got very excited! Had to hold back. Think I will save the shopping for August as I am worried I will be bored staying at home alone on mat leave.

Oh yes - did you all hear the government issued 'heatwave' warnings for July/Aug today!

All my mat clothes are from when i had dd and as she was a winter baby i am managing just fine will need to go spending though if this hot summer they keep promising finally arrives. It was much hotter this time last year we had the paddling pool out and all sorts. DD is driving me up the wall, she has suddenly become really clingy again and i can't even go for a pee in peace any ideas as to why and what i can do to get 5 mins peace?

Its my scan today - i am soooo excited and a bit anxious about averything being ok. i am going to find out the sex if the babys cooperates fingers crossed.
has anyone done the chinese lunar predictor and found it to be right? gender prediction

good luck VF - your gender prediction chart works for me if the scan is right - although I don't like the fact that my Chinese age seems to be 2 years older than my actual age!!!!

Had letter from hosp today giving results of swab they took when I had that bleed. It seems that I am carrying Strep B. Although I know a couple of people that have had this, the leaflet they send obviously gives you worst case scenarios, one of which is Meningitis and Septacaemia in the baby - wonderful, just what I need to spend the next 4 months worrrying about. It also means I will be on intravenous antibiotics throughout labour, so the waterbirth I wanted is presumably out of the question