New Anyone Due in August 2004 Thread!

[Toothache]

Here we go, as promised...

Yes Dino, I am M2T. Not in disguise though, just got really bored of my name.

So this thread can be a record of the last half of our pregnancies. I'm going to print out the original as a nice log of the first 5 months of the pregnancy.

This is thread we'll all be posting on when we go into labour!! I'm all excited now.

Muriwai - I saw it thanks. I seem to be incredibly sensitive at the moment! Not my usual.... ask DH!

I think you're right. If more 1st timers new these things then they could go in with a clear of view of what they WANT and DON'T WANT to happen. Obviously things can be very unpredictable in labour though. When I was pregnant with ds I wondered why the medical professionals weren't falling over themselves to congratulate me and offer me all the advice/help I wanted. Afterall.... I was pregnant and THE most important person in the world! I got a rude awakening.... wish I'd been warned, then I wouldn't have felt so disappointed.

toothache - glad you're feeling better
oo - hope dd is fully recovered soon
DH commented last night that bump had dropped and am sure it has, baby also kicking in different place - hope he's not going to come too early.
Best news of the week they have changed rules yesterday and I can now transfer from very grotty hospital (have built new one so old and grotty but opening delayed until october) to private facility after birth. Wouldn't take me as am under specialist care and 'not routine' but midwives will now come and visit me there so will have my own room, with sofa bed if anybody wants to stay - they provide meals for nominal fee for visitors etc AND wait for it - the first 3 days are govt subsidised. Am so happy. Visited my friend there and is like a little hotel so am going to book in for 3 nights. Otherwise was going to discharge myself after 5 hours. Happy happy preggie lady today.

WOW Sibble!! How did you manage that?? Why are 3 days government subsidised?

Well Dinosaur, I've thought about going to Yoga home and doing antenatal yoga there, but to be honest that's about as far as I got with it! I swim quite a lot up at SUnstone (now that the bl00dy gym in Clissold Parks gone up the spout - don't get me started).

Not met anyone called Janet - but then I'm usually so keen to get out of there I never even register their names!

I'm glad you're feeling better Toothache.

Feeling well cheesed of with work. i've been with them for over a year now but on a contract and they have said all along I should get some kind of maternity pay but now they are trying to wiggle out of it. Only 4 weks left and I've not been given confirmation of my maternity deal, so i chased it only to be told that they are restructuring and say that whilst they want me back in 6 months they don't know in what capacity and I reckon they going to try to freeze my contract for 6 months and then re-start it to try and dodge paying me any money. there's a bit more to it that this and suffice to say I'm ready (and willing) to slap them with a discrimination claim if they try and do that. grrrrrrr.

Pennies - Were you pregnant before you started there or was it afterwards? I'm pretty sure that if you got pregnant after you started work for them then they must by law give you maternity pay and maternity leave for 26 weeks. But even if you were preg before you started you should still be entitled to Maternity Allowance which is about £100 per week paid through the benefits system. This is what I'm having to apply for because I wasn't in a permanent job when I got preg - was just freelancing and temping. HTH

Had my 34 week antenatal appt this morning. All well, baby is head down, but M/W was a bit concerned that I hadn't started doing any baby shopping yet - told me about a 1st time mum who gave birth while on holiday at 34 weeks . And here was me assuming that dd would be at least a week late in making an appearance!

Oops Pennies didn't read your post properly - if you've been with them over a year I'm sure they have no choice but to pay you. If they say not, they have to give you an SMP1 form explaining why they think they don't have to pay.

Oops Pennies didn't read your post properly - if you've been with them over a year I'm sure they have no choice but to pay you. If they say not, they have to give you an SMP1 form explaining why they think they don't have to pay.

How did that happen?

Pennies, how are you employed. Are you freelance or on a fixed term contract.
If freelance they may not have to pay you SMP but if you're on a ocntract they will have to pay you at least up the end of your contract, and if they're planning to take you back afterwards I don't think they can terminate your contract now and reinstate it after your leave without being guilty of discrimination.
Do you have an HR department? They're usually pretty hot on the legalities as they don't like being sued.

I'm was agency until the end of March this year but went onto fixed term from then (however my contract states that my date of continuous employment was from March '03 - so that means the service issue should be covered). The trouble is my contract expires on 31st August. They keep extending it by only a month or two, e.g. it went from March 04 - June 04 and was then extended to Aug 04 (to be fair they are doing the same for other fixed termers in my dept) because they don't know what the dept is going to look like after the restructure. Hedging their bets big time.

Sponge - I would go to HR but... I'm in the HR dept! I think they are aware that it might be a tad embarrasing if one of their own takes them to tribunal for something like this. To be honest I'm not a litigous (bad spelling sorry) person at all but having been told in my appraisal recently that I was a rising star and a rolemodel for the department (can my head fit through that very wide door??! ) I'm a tad peeved that they are being odd over this and I would be prepared to go to court I think.

Muriwai - still not bought ANYTHING?? How can you resist? Tho I appreciate that some don't want to until the baby's born if they are a bit superstitous.

On a brighter note, its my first wedding anniversary this weekend. Off to Oxford for as dirty a weekend as me and DH can manage with a large bump to contend with!!

That's awful pennies I don't know enough about it to advise but I'm sure you must at least be entitled to the £100 a week SMP I thought everyone was entitled to that.

Muri - wow I'm a complete shopaholic and have got nearly everything apart from the pram and crib. Cannot stop myself buying cute little clothes. Must stop soon though.

hi toothache, am not sure why the govt subsidises it. we are having to pay towards it, about $250NZ (£70/night) but the price shoots up after the third night. So you could say it's not cheap but it is pretty amazing for what you get. All baby bits e.g. nappies, clothes, cotton wool etc are free, your toiletries, 3 course groumet food with wine, unlimited access to family visitors who can also stay in your room etc. All I have to hope is that there is not too many births when I am due to go in, although you book, dates obviously change and it's first come first served. Oh and they send an amublance to transfer you DH and DS want to come in the ambulance!!!

Sibble can I come too?

Sounds fantawtic Sibble!

Morning all,
I've been having bad period pains since last night. I'm sitting at work just now considering taking some cocodamol. It's too early for labour so I'm just hoping it's my cervix dilating to 1-2cm in preparation for the real thing in 2 or 3 wks time. I remember I was 1-2cm dilated for at least a week before I went into labour with ds. So fingers-crossed, But I'm only 34+3 today so I need to get to 37 wks!

OUCH! ...and a little..

Oh and it's my last day at work tomorrow.

Oh the pains are getting worse! I'm getting quite frightened now. The baby is leaping about fine though I'm glad to say.
I also developed a pain yesterday right under my lowest left rib. Feels very bruised and hurts when I cough/sneeze/laugh/shout... ANYTHING!

Anyone else had that?

I'm wondering if the period-type crampy pains I'm getting are yet another UTI! I really hope not, I don't fancy another overnight stay in hospital at this late stage. I'm off to get a big glass of water and hopefully I can flush it out my system over the course of today. But if these pains carry on I really think I'm going to have a trip to the hospital.

Poor you Toothache . Can you call your midwife and ask her advice? Although a pain (literally )I suppose a UTI would be better than labour - 35 weeks is still a bit early isn't it!? Fingers crossed that it's neither and you'll be able to enjoy a few weeks off work before db puts in an appearance.

Thanks Muriwai - I've just started a thread asking for advice on this. I suppose I should phone my midwife. It's so hard in this place. The only phone is at the desk of the Project Manager and he doesn't even move out the way when I go to use it! I end up getting really self-conscious talking about such private stuff whilst leaning over his desk with him sitting there.

Poor old you toothache.
Glad to hear it's subsiding a bit.
At least only one more day and then you can worry in peace at home and use the phone at your leisure.It could well be bad BH if you're getting very tight at the same time. Also if it's thrashing about some of that can be quite painful once they get this big.
The under the rib pain is very common. I was in agony with that last time and have had it a bit again this time and most people I've spoken to also complained of it. I think it's just the stretching of the rib-cage combined with little feet kicking you up there.

I've got a scan later today to check out my placenta which was low lying at my 20 week scan. I was a bit concerned over the weekend as wasn't getting much movement but he's back in action today. Still will be nice to see him again, check out what position he's in etc.
Fingers crossed - don't want a c-section.

Thanks Sponge - I'm going to time them for an hour just to make sure!

Fingers-crossed the placenta has moved around. What time is your scan?

5pm so I'll let you know later.

I hope it all slows down for you. I know we've all been wishing for early deliveries but I'm not ready just yet.
Another 3 weeks would be nice.

Sponge - I'll tune in tomorrow to find out your news. 3 Weeks would be perfect.

Incidentally TOMORROW IS MY LAST DAY AT WORK!!!

I've got SOOOOOOO much to do, but can't concentrate at all. Oh well...

wow toothache keep us posted, can't believe it's your last day at work bet you are soooooo happy I'm so not ready need to pack my bag and hire my TENS machine yet.

Good luck sponge keep us posted also. Would be lovely to see bubs at this late stage though.

Backache getting worse though, seems to be worse if I've been sitting lying down for a while, when I got to get up I'm all stiff but 5 mins of walking about it loosens up, very strange!

Yeah SK! It's come around so quickly.

I am SO stiff when I get up too. I think I've got the ligaments of an 80 yr old. And my BH contractions are so tight I can't straigten up at first.

I've been timing the pains and they are very irregular and aren't getting any worse, so I'll carry on with the assumption that its a UTI and keep drinking loads of water (and peeing all day!!).

SK - GET YOUR BAG PACKED!

I feel like an old woman too - especially when I get out of bed. My hips are particularly bad - can't lie on my side for too long because I get terrible shooting pains. So I end up sleeping on my back propped up with loads of pillows - and then I end up with a stiff neck - end of moan.
On a plus note only one more week of work and we're going to Paris for the day on Saturday as a last pre-baby treat .
Still haven't done any shopping - that'll have to wait till next week and I guess I'll pack my hosp bag then too. Should I buy newborn or 0-3 sized clothes?

I'd buy a little bit of newborn stuff. We were advised to buy 0-3 but dd was absolutely swamped in it and ended up having to buy tiny baby, not even newborn, in a panic once we' got her home.

I'm very stiff too, especially when I've been sitting at my desk without moving for a while - takes ages to creak back into action.

Also done no shopping and haven't even thought about bag packing. Might do a bit of internet shopping today - so much more relaxing .
Daft I know but I don't want to tempt fate by being ready too early as we're going to a wedding in France this weekend and I really don't want to give birth in the French Alps.