10/10 Babies - Rock and Rollin Pumpkins showing us their groovy moves.

[Hermya321]

Right then (brushes off sparkly dress) I'm here!

(cue groovy disco lights and an appropriate selection of tunes)

I also have alcohol free wine, and I'm sure theres a stash of mini eggs behind the bar (along with other some other things) and I'm dancing, whose going to join me??

Stats list here!!

Abfab Wow thats brilliant!!

Well, I hope they will work it that way, and not be awkward about things.

Hi Y'all,

Have been shopping today for clothes for me and was successful!

Anyone know London baby show date?

Hi, SilverSky

I sure do!

Earls Court: 22-24 October 2010
ExCel London: 18-20 February.

AbFab, just be aware I'm pretty certain maternity leave has to start the day the baby is born, and I don't know if you can leave it any later than the week of your due date anyway by law. So if you were thinking of being on holiday until mid-Nov for example you probably can't be if that's what you meant. Just so you don't end up losing any leave you should check it out. You can add leave at the end as long as your company lets you carry it over leave years but otherwise you might need to use some beforehand or risk losing it. I lost lots of leave because ds arrived so early and I took six months umpaid mat leave after the six months paid, and during the unpaid bit you lose leave you have accumulated before. So it was really shitty because I was planning four weeks off b4 my due date week and never got them, and I couldnt tack them on to the end of the six months paid leave and then go back on maternity leave unpaid, which would have been the fair thing (but that's employment for you, even the supposedly good ones). I got a little bit of it at the end, but not a lot.

But well done on your bargains!

This is my leave up until April I'm using. Then when I return in Sept next year will have to use some of next years leave up. Possibly tacked on the end or to start on 1/2 days a week. My boss likes you to use leave as you go along as it's too common in this job to end up off in March as people use it up.

Nymph in answer to your question I plan to leave work early probably at 29 weeks (early August). I work part-time and have a long train commute which I don't want to do in the heat. Really want to spend the summer with my DD before the new one arrives and I won't be going back to work afterwards so won't be losing out on time with the new baby.

Just been on the Direct Gov site and it says "You will build up all your entitlements to paid holiday through all of your Statutory Maternity Leave. This is even if your contract says you are entitled to more than the statutory minimum.

You can add holiday to the beginning or end of your Statutory Maternity Leave. You may not be able to carry over untaken holiday entitlement if your Statutory Maternity Leave goes over two holiday years. It is often best to take this at the beginning of your leave."

I am having a meeting with HR soon to work out how much leave I am entitled too. I find the Direct Giv site really useful - they have a calendar calculator - so you put in when you plan to start mat leave and it gices you the key dates

Sounds like everyone had good weekends - I found it a bit hot so spent time inside watching dvds!!

We have to tell work in July approx dates according to the directgov site (inc dh)

I am gutted I missed the baby show! Boo hoo!

Will probably be housebound heavily preggers or with a newborn by the October one.

Sorry if I have already asked this question but has anyone used the Mothercare Baby Plan and has anyone got any reco's for pushchairs. We quite like M'care my3.

Morning all. Got my scan this afternoon- I've forgotten my notes- does this matter?

Ref buying stuff- I have absolutely no idea and am comprehensively failing to get in the least bit interested in it. I went to M&P the other weekend and they blew my brain all over the wall behind me. The whole game is such a rip off! Ridiculous amounts of money for stuff, not helped by my lack of enthusiasm. I cannot get excited by prams, cots etc. I was reading some mumsnet reviews and I am the total opposite of one reviewer of the ICandy whatever its called (cherry?) who stated something along the lines of the pushchair being as important an accessory as a handbag. Perhaps my outlook is wrong as I don't get excited by handbags either.....now shoes. They are a different matter.

While I'm on shoes I was in Clarks the other day (full of shoes that look like they've already been worn, but useful for black work court shoes) and the children's shoes all looked hideous. No decent structure, all trainer like and yuck. Mind you I am one of those people who hate seeing kids in silly pumps or Ugg type boots where you can see the pronation and toe curling grip happening...

Am I abnormal for not finding the whole baby shopping thing in the remotest bit appealing?

Thanks abfab for the dates!

Ps anyone else had to bug clothes two dresses sizes bigger than your usual size? < hopes am not the only one emoticon>

I've just posted in employment re temporary workers and mat leave if any of you are experts!

Re permanant contract, you do not lose holiday. I even got a rather nice check as I left my job for holiday from the year before I hadn't taken due to mat leave. You should not lose any - the directgov website is very clear on these details!

re when I'm leaving my temp job, not sure. ds was 3 weeks early as I have rpeviously said, so am likely to want to finish end of aug, beginning of sept but I need as much money as possible! From my last pg experience I would certainly recommend finishing a month before due date to give yourself plenty of time to nest and look after yourself.

No shopping yet, I have most things from ds and the rest scares me to buy! I was getting freaked out by newborn baby grows in mothercare at the weekend so I think I cam not ready just yet!

Else123, no you are not alone!! Avoid mothercare and mama and papas - only go to test drive things. I can really recommend kiddicare.com - next day delivery and cheaper, john lewis do a good value range of cots, bedding etc (called value) and sainsburys/tesco etc are really good for big packs of baby grows etc. NCT sales for second hand stuff (including prams) and beg/borrow/steal from friends. eg a moses basket, they gorw out of within 3 months, so if you can borrow one it saves money.

Boo I'm back at work today - its gorgeous weather and I haven't got enough to get on with as boss out and I'm alone, inside looking at blue sky!!!
I want to be back on the beach! Bournemouth was packed yesterday but ds enjoyed the waves and even a dunk with dh

Oh dear, Elsa, Clark's shoes are generally reckoned to be about the best you can get for kids in terms of being good for their feet . Well, maybe much more expensive shops have good ones too, but you may be in trouble otherwise. I've only ever bought one pair of shoes and one pair of sandals for DS because he gets provided special shoes now, so I'd love the chance to go to shoe shops and buy different shoes for him .

Backagain if that info off DirectGov applied in 2007 too, then I think I should sue work for the holiday/pay I lost unfairly. They never told me I could go on leave first even after the baby was born. I could have had those first four weeks as annual leave rather than mat leave . I should have been on bloody sick leave not mat leave anyway until DS's due date, or at the very least until he came home, which took five weeks - having a 31-week old baby in hospital is NOT the same as having a full-term baby you take home with you. I met people in hospital whose children were four months early. Even if they got to leave on the child's due date, at that stage mat leave was still six months, so they would have had two months at home with effectively a newborn (usually with added complications) and then face having to leave the child at two months old adjusted age. Sorry, having a bit of a rant here as I'm totally on edge. I couldn't get to sleep then slept fitfully and the fear is well and truly back for the results. I'll go away and calm down.

Clarks shoes are awful. I am stuck atm cos I usually buy dd2 Dms or kickers but no kickers I like and DMs arent making much /any kids shoes now.

My sick pay thing is getting worse. I am fuming which won't be doing me any good. Am waiting for union to phone me back.

x-posts Seashells. No, you don't lose leave on ordinary maternity leave and accrue it, of course, but certainly at my place of work once you go onto unpaid maternity leave (ie if you take the extra three months now, or six months as it was when I had DS), then you stop accruing it, so in effect it eats into the leave you have for that year. If I'd taken it all before I went on leave though (or at the start of it ) I don't know what would have happened.

Time to go and meditate....

Thanks Seashells-I drove past kiddiecare the other day. No matter how cheap though- I'm still not interested! They do have a 50% off sale at the moment on line for those who care more than me .

If Clarks are best for children's feet then OMG. Most don't even require children to learn how to lace shoes...(yes I know I have no children and I'm sure its much easier to use velcro!) The best shoe structure in with a slight heel and most are just moulded soles and clunky looking.

The maternity leave thing looks easily confusing doesn't it?! I have a mountain of leave to take. If all goes well at the scan this afternoon I plan to let my boss know tomorrow that I'm pregnant which will mean I can then go and sort out mat leave etc.

Silver- a lot of my clothes that are one size bigger than normal are fitting me fine (round the tummy and boobs) but are baggy round my bottom, legs and shoulders if that makes sense. I've upgraded to the next size skirt for work today and have another ready to go which is another size again. I am avoiding wearing maternity work clothes until I cannot get away with normal but bigger any longer as the mat clothes are foul and designed for tall people with nice broad shoulders (I am neither). Whats good at the moment though is many clothes in the shops seem to be being made with lots of bagginess around the middle. I have bought a shift dress in my normal size from Monsoon that had loads of room for manouvre.

I walked into my bedroom door handle in the early hours of saturday morning. It really hurt and I know have a bruise on my bump.

that would be now not know....

Thanks, floozie, I'll check. Thanks for the info, BackAgain. Maybe floozie can claim back what she is entitled to from last time, if that is the case. Worth a try!
SeaShells, that would also be good - to just get the money!
Nymph, try your union for sure, if you don't feel supported enough, maybe write to the lawyer I posted about yesterday? Good luck!

We just don't need this hassle, do we!

Waiting on Union. Bloke is in a meeting but explained twice to different people who both said WT? So hopefully thats a good sign!

VERY IMPORTANT ONE WOMAN CAMPAIGN I'M ON
Velcro shoes are crap, kids of 10 who cant do buckles and laces. How is this a good thing. And velcro doesnt last. Though my dd2 can wreck anything. Her record for longevity of shoes is 8 weeks for DMs and went through the TOES

2 woman campaign- I'm with you Nymph and am pleased you have the evidence to corroborate my hypothesis. I didn't want to say velcro was crap and be flamed by those more knowledgeable!!

Elsa I'm with you on the shopping - there is really too much choice and it sems to me impossible to know what options to go for when you have no experience of babys like me! I'm seriously thinking about not buying anything except the real basics like sheets, babygrows etc. until after our baby is born and then just getting things as I need them. Also went to M&P at the weekend and hated all their pushchairs - all so huge and heavy!

Kiddicare is about 60 miles from me so considering a trip when I can muster the enthusiasm.

Well done on your bargains Abfab would you like to be my personal baby shopper?

On another note... do you have to have a full bladder again for the 20 week scan???

Good luck, Nymph.
I'm with you too!

Ivy, ha! Hm. Well, I am quite willing to pass on all the research I have done so far, and what we've decided to buy. This is also my first and I have no real experience of babies, but I do like researching what's what, and then I generally order online, rather than face the real shops! I just knew there were good bargains to be had at the Baby Show, and it was actually quite enjoyable once I got into it. When we first arrived though, I turned to DH and just said I feel so overwhelmed with this place - it was manic. But he took us methodically round, I found the main bargain I wanted, and then relaxed.

I had a half-full bladder for my scan, seemed to be fine!

Sympathise with the shopping. For me, it's not so much that I don't want to do it but that there are just TOO MANY THINGS to think about!

Luckily not having to do too much choosing as SIL has just got her DD4 out of the cot/baby stuff and we are getting it all. Woohoo!

The travel system (didn't they just used to be called prams?) is the only thing I really have to contend with, but my poor preghead just can't cope with weighing up the benefits of parent facing pushchair/better car seat/cupholder/matching changing bag... !

Nymph just been sat here having a think about your sick thing, do you think that they've counted the days you would normally have off as sick days as well? Thats the only thing I could think of that would push your sickness up that high. I don't know if they're allowed to do that or not.

hermya Turns out its more complicated.full story but basically they haven't counted me as back at work from 10/3. Back to work form has been sent twice & I've asked supervisor to resend. Problem is now it will affect my maternity pay unless they pull their finger out. Still waiting for the union to call me. AM and look like too which probably isnt good for me .