All ttc or expecting their BFPs welcome. Fingers crossed for a fantastically fertile February!

[MrsF2510]

For those who have jumped off the January bus. May need assistance for the wonderfully organised ladies who are so brilliant at keeping the stats up to date!

So to start the engine MrsF2510 ttc #1 cycle 2 BFP due 1st Feb x

missmrsmummy, I knew you were a teacher from your NN! I'm guessing y6 from the SATs comment? I'm y4, just gone p/t which is the best thing I've ever done!

You have to remember that if you burn out and struggle through, the kids won't be getting what they need either. It's bloody tough, you need to look after yourself and that often gets forgotten. Enjoy your DVDs and don't feel guilty. Un MN hugs and [tea] and

Ginger, good luck! Is it for a job you really want? I think not thinking about it is sometimes the best prep you can do

It's a job I've already been doing in officially for last yr. the main reason I need to get it is that my competition (who would be my boss) is a twat!

Oops, should be prep'ing. Can u take another pic of test, put it on window & it'll be clearer, exciting.........x

Un-officially....ffs!

Thanks English

Yes, year 6 Retro. I'm thinking part-time might work better for me too and probably supply after a baby. Can't imagine having marking and planning to do with a LO (little one, not learning objective lol)

How do you find year 4? I might push for a different year group for Sept. Think we should share the burden!

Share the burden as in rotate Y6 so it's not always the same teacher under pressure. My DH met someone in a school that rotates every 2 years, so at least you get to repeat planning etc for 1 year.

Ps Retro I have voted YES!

Missmrsm: try to enjoy yourself & relax, you've clearly earned a break. I love a good box set, the wire or greys anatomy are good depending on mood x

Retro: I'm a not sure vote.

Aw thank you Ginger . Such lovely people here! Xx

I've just splashed out on 36 Derwent colouring pencils and 12 metallic ones, a cupcake colouring book and a pretty patterns colouring book. Now I have to wait for them to be delivered! Will distract me during the 2ww!

Retro, I think you have a line there!! I can see it without enlarging and that bodes well in my opinion. Please POAS again so we can see another line ? I think there is a very good chance you are looking at your bfp!

Missmrs, I'm sorry you are feeling so eugh. You are doing the right thing and your head is totally right, you need to take all the time you need. You need to look after yourself before any job, as much as the guilt kicks in, especially with Y6s in the lead up to SATs. I know every job has it's ups and downs, but teaching is very very emotionally intensive, and you want to give your all, each and every day and you can't switch off. Stick with those DVDs and chocolate, and try not to worry about your class. Your health is the important thing and when you are ready, your kids will be waiting for you and so keen to see you! Are you full time? Is dropping a day or something similar an option to help with stress in the longer term?

I have to say, that like retro, I am thinking of attempting to go p/t with teaching fairly soon. We have no DC yet, and I already know I don't want to work f/t again for a good few years after they arrive, but even at this stage I am thinking that me going p/t, even if only dropping to 4 days a week, might be better for DH & I as a better balance.

Thanks all for the votes! I'm not sure either Ginger, don't want to get my hopes up then AF arrive. I'll try and get a better shot, but I'm using my phone so that's probably as good as it gets.

missmrsmummy, I had such an awful time during my NQT year that I went on supply the following year. The only thing I found (and maybe it was just my agency) was that they really pushed me to do long term posts of a half or full term. Might as well be f/t! I love teaching p/t, could never imagine working f/t with a baby certainly. Having no DCs yet, I do get the odd look from people who don't get why us work p/t. Funnily enough, none of those people have been teachers ! General response there is 'Good for you!' Y6 is tough, I've never done it, but my Dad does. He loves the kids but with a new line manager he's finding the workload is getting unbearable now.

missmrs, cross posting so I'm carrying on here. I think that rotating years as you say makes a huge difference. The school I am currently in (building up to f/t there at the moment, starting f/t after Feb half term and dreading it!) rotates teachers every 2 years due to that exactly, and the Y6 teachers say they are looking forward to changing.

In Scotland, it is less common to rotate as often, but as the curriculum has changed there, teachers and pupils are under much less pressure with exams etc as children do not sit any standardised tests or exams in primary there since that curriculum change (primary anyway, not secondary).

All these potential BFPs are pretty exciting.

I think i am 6/7 dpo. Just out of curiosity - what kind of symptoms should I be experiencing on the look out for? I know it is pretty early and I know that everyone is different - but I'm going a bit do-lally trying to figure out what is happening to my body.

Possible Symptom 1 - Spots on my face (Really??)
Possible Symptom 2 - Really warm in the night - DH had to take the duvet off me and I ended up sleeping with a blanket. I NEVER sleep without the duvet outside of Summer (maybe it wasn't that cold last night)
Possible Symptom 3 - Nipples are a little tender(although this could also be a by product of DTD. (tmi?)

I keep identifying fishing out symptoms and then finding a plausible excuse.... Does anyone else do this??

Who else is about 6/7dpo? For all the ladies who have blessed our Feb bus with BFPs so far, did you notice anything around this time?

HELP!!!

Barmy, drop to 4 days! It makes a massive difference! I've done 4 on one supply contract, it was ace. 3.5 now and I'm finding I can pick up the odd half day of supply without feeling totally overwhelmed. DH works long hours during the week, and it's been amazing to be able to chill out at the weekend without having to stress about planning and marking. It's worked wonders for our relationship.

retro, sorry I am happily joining in your conversation with missmrs here re. p/t teaching, I hope you don't mind! But I'm wondering - are you now doing supply p/t, or are you in a longer term role p/t? How are you finding it?

I know what you mean with the looks about p/t without any DC. When I started my NQT year, a teacher there worked 2 1/2 days a week in Y2 with no DC of her own. I didn't understand why at the time, within 6 months I did and greatly admired her for it! She then took a 2 year career break as she was struggling to get pregnant and had been trying for years... Within 2 months of going on career break, she was pregnant and went on to have a healthy DS later that year. I can't say they are linked, but I do wonder.

missmrsmummy have you seen this ?

Free, downloadable and printable. Fill in the time while you wait for your books to be delivered?

Hop in barmy, more than welcome

I'm now in a temp contract, job share till end of August. When I took the contract I was told they didn't know what my job share partner was doing, so there was a possibility the contract could be extended. Now, down to circumstances out of my control, I may end up facing a f/t contract if I want to stay . Really hoping this is a bfp, then if all goes well I'd only be f/t for a bit before going off.

I did consider the etiquette of getting pg as soon as I started a new job, but I figured if they didn't extend the contract, I'd have put it off for nothing and would be in the same position, but a year older. It's time to put my family first.

Retro, you answered my questions before I posted them . Thanks, that is interesting to hear how you have done it. Annoyingly, I actually left a 3.5 day contract in Scotland about a month ago (although I was doing full time as I was on long term supply at the same school in another class for 2 years). In fairly similar circumstances here in that DH works horrendous hours, and is frequently away with work, and to be honest we have been struggling the last few weeks since he started back after our move, and I have been doing 3-4 days a week at school, so I am dreading going back f/t in 2 weeks.

I am currently on a year long mat contract though, so I would feel very guilty about trying to drop a day etc as it would mean leaving that long term post and finding another role. DH and I were discussing this the other night though, and we've half come to the conclusion that provided I hopefully get pregnant in the next few months, I'll try to stick with this role until the summer hols, and then leave and do supply until the baby arrived. I'm not sure if I can bring myself to do that though as it seems rather unprofessional.

Why unprofessional? When does your year long contract end? Provided you can cope financially, I'd say go p/t. DHs eyes lit up at the thought of me going f/t, but really it's the security of a perm contract that appeals. I am a little apprehensive at the thought of coming back off mat leave with no job , so I'd suck up a term f/t to know I had that if you get me?

Gosh it's complicated! Good that you're talking it over with DH and have his support. Hopefully you'll come to the right decision soon.

missmrs your colouring order sounds brilliant! Have fun . It's amazing how relaxing it can be.

retro, you are making me feel a lot better about what I am thinking about this post I'm in at the moment to be honest, thank you!

Would the school consider letting you continue on a job share basis with someone else potentially if you are going to be heading off on mat leave at some point anyway I wonder? It might be worth asking once you have your bfp confirmed. As you say, family is more important!

Hi MrBsMrsB - I'm about the same as you - got my solid smiley on Fri 24 so reckon I'm 9 dpo today. Basically zero symptoms but as I normally have lots of phantom symptoms followed by no BFP I've convinced myself that no symptoms is a good thing...

Retro I voted yes - looked like a real, if faint, line to me. And would be faint as quite early?

Was trying to keep off MN so I didn't go crazy symptom spotting and reading back have missed some good news - so congrats to people with likely BFPs! - and commiserations to everyone that AF got.

mama what a drag it can all be sometimes! this sodding manuka honey might not be doing anything except making us feel sick! xxx

The contract ends in Dec, so I would be leaving mid contract basically. It's that bit that feels unprofessional. I also think the school have been pretty good to take a chance on me given it's my first teaching post in England and I'm not familiar with the curriculum although I've taught for a number of years in Scotland and I feel bad telling them I'm not loving it. But if I end up with a bfp in Feb or March, I would be leaving before then to have the baby anyway. It just feels like I've bitten off more than I can chew with this one perhaps. Coupled with 2 hours of commuting each day, it is going to be hard going. I'm torn really!

Complicated is the word, isn't it! I was saying to DH only the other day in some ways I wish all of this was mapped out and I didn't need to get my head around plans!

I can understand why you are thinking it makes sense to go f/t for that term to have a job to go back to after mat leave. Would you hope to go p/t on your return?

Financially, we are ok if I go p/t. Due to DHs job, we will also be moving again in Dec/Jan so worrying about a perm contract is off the cards for me for a year or so (thankfully in some ways!). After getting a bfp in Dec which would have left me due in Aug, we had decided I would just do supply for a few months and finish up in June to then stay home with baby for 18 months or so until we had settled in a new place. It's amazing the plans you can make within a week of a bfp when you are moving house/jobs. Sadly, that was a chem preg followed by another one in Jan so I ended up with a job somehow that I hadn't really planned for and everything is not quite as I imagined it would be.

Just noticed that we need a new thread. Link to new thread is here -

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1986703-BFPs-for-the-month-of-love-The-February-bus-is-on-the-way