Pregnant and panicking

[basgetti]

Hi all, I started a thread in chat the other day whilst in a bit of denial about the 6 positive pregnancy tests I had!

I have now accepted that I am pregnant and had arranged to have some counselling with Marie Stopes but have decided now that I will be continuing with the pregnancy.

But to say I'm panicking is an understatement. I had horrendous hyperemesis with my DS, now 5 and also developed gestational diabetes. How likely is it that these things will recur this time? I was led to believe last time that getting GD again was almost certain in any future pregnancy. I am also studying a degree with the OU and had taken on double the credits prior to this news in order to graduate sooner. And I have an interview for my dream job this week which I believed I had a good chance of getting. Given that I'm about 3 weeks pregnant max do I have to declare this at the interview? Do I even go?

Sorry for the rambling but I feel like my world has turned upside down and I'm just trying to make sense of it all. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Firstly, congratulations!

Regarding the job, definitely don't say anything yet. Most people (not all) don't tell their employer that they are pregnant until at least 12 weeks as the risk of miscarriage drops significantly then. You don't have to tell your employer until 25 weeks, so although technically they can't discriminate against you for being pregnant it's not a risk is take until you have started the job. Definitely still have the interview!!

Re hyperemesis, I've not suffered personally but although you are more likely to suffer due to having had it before, there's no guarantees. My morning sickness has been very different in each pregnancy (awful once, none at all once, manageable nausea this time) but don't be afraid to go to the dr for medication if you're suffering too badly.

GD - again, more likely, however if you get your diet under control early on then you can delay or even prevent it developing so personally I'd suggest starting now!

OU - are your current credits starting in Oct, finishing around June? Call them if you're struggling, but otherwise try to carry on if you can - this academic year should be finished before you're due and it'll be easier to study pregnant than with a newborn :)

Hi thanks so much for your response. I don't have a massive amount of real life support (or rather I'm scared of my family's disapproval!) so it's good to be able to vent on here. Yes my current modules started last week and end in June so I will try to keep them up.

That is reassuring about the law surrounding employment, I will definitely attend the interview. It was specifically chosen because the hours can fit around my study and it is also related to my degree subject so it would be a shame not to at least try.

And all of this comes on top of a potential house move in the next few weeks. Hopefully life will get easier soon!

you should qualify for statutory maternity pay too since u will have worked there for 26 weeks prior to going on maternity, check their staff/company handbook for confirmation if u r successful, good luck with the interview

Thanks for your reply.

I can't stop crying today, and wondering if I've made the right decision. I feel distraught and don't feel I can talk to anyone in real life.

Just a quick note - you wouldn't get SMP but you would qualify for Maternity Allowance.