Anyone else due August 2020?

[Jem9153]

How are you feeling if so? How far along are you?

I’m due 12th August, 21 weeks 1 day today, first baby and I’m having a boy!

I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed with this whole pandemic and the unknown of whether it’s going to be better by then! Fingers crossed for the best.

I also really want to start buying things but feel bad for shopping online given the current scenario, I just don’t want to leave it all til last minute and be really unprepared.

Would love to hear from you all

@Feelthefear01 this is what happened to me last time. Just so tired and I knew I wasn't doing great at work. So I think I went off at Xmas with everyone else, then when I was supposed to return doctor signed me off for a week (I think due to exhaustion) and I decided to just take mat leave from the week after as I couldn't bear the thought of returning. Once I realised I could sleep and nap as needed etc it was the best I'd felt in my pregnancy as I didn't have that stress hanging over me. I then had two weeks where I caught up on sleep and chilled. Then had energy to do things at my pace for sorting baby stuff at home.

I think what I am trying to say is listen to your body. Trust what it is saying.
Yes some women keep going for ages thats fine if they're able to but there's nothing wrong with needing to stop.

I'm working from home at the minute due to covid so have said all being well I want to start mat leave on the 14th August which is the Friday before my due date, so only a week but just going to play it by ear and see how I feel when the it's nearer the time. If I'm still WFH by then I'll be fine but if I'm back at the office I may ask to go sooner. Saving my AL cause I don't see the point in using it during lockdown but nearer the time I might use some up even on half days or something if pregnancy gets too hard and heavy but the idea of getting Stat maternity pay is already killer so want to hold of on full salary as long as possible.

@Oldestchild90s That's a shame your work place haven't supported you better really. Especially from week 28 it's definitely recommended to not be frontline etc if I remember correctly from RCOG guidelines.

I really struggled with breastfeeding last time and looking back now I think we just had a poor latch and I just put up with it. I am so glad I persisted and I ended up combi feeding till he was 1yr but it really messed with my mental health. So this time I'm definitely not going to put so much pressure on myself. I had a c section last time so I think that didn't help with getting into good positions and my milk took a bit longer to come in. I'm definitely going to try to have more skin to skin this time.
I really want to breast feed again but I have a breast pump, bottles, dummies, nipple shields all ready if I need them and I'm not going to beat myself up about using them because actually they enabled me to feed for much longer than I probably would have been able to without them.
I'm assuming my maternity leave starts when the baby is born as it falls in the summer hols? I got confirmation from my headteacher that today that I won't be expected back into school now which is such a relief as I was so anxious about going back with all the children.
I have my 25 week app this week and as far as I know it should be going ahead face to face with the midwife so looking forward to that.
Most of my friends went overdue but I still know of some that were early. Mine was born on his due date which is quite unusual. I'd really had enough by then!
Sorry only just caught up on here just now so I'm replying to quite a few different pp 🙈

I'm leaving on 31st July (due 12 Aug), but taking annual leave until my due date. I'm working from home and I'm really lucky, they're already planning my handover so come July my workload will be much lighter so I can rest (my manager's words)!!

Just had my first virtual NCT class, was really good and so nice to meet people. Anyone else started them/doing them soon?

My mat leave is starting I think three day before my due date - I’m a teacher too so it’s in the summer hols, due date is the 19th and I think I put the 16th on my form as it’s the Sunday closest - I’m sure my office manager told me mat leave has to start on a Sunday? So I went for the closest Sunday! In reality I will be doing very little school related work after July 17th when term ends. I’m not expecting to go back either, as we’re still classed as ‘clinically vulnerable’ and so should be working from home where possible.

@2020Aug we’ve signed up for NCT, our first session is at the start of June - exciting!

I feel like I'm being dramatic now. Although I am taking the whole 52 weeks off, so o suppose loosing 2 weeks at the end isn't going to make too much of a difference.

I'm working from home and not expecting to go back now before baby is here. I'm kind off hoping the restrictions remain in place for us until July then I'll take July off using annual leave and start maternity on 1st Aug ish (due 13th). That's the plan anyway.

I booked NCT classes earlier in the year for end of June/beginning July and have been debating asking for a refund now they're online. @2020Aug would you recommend the virtual classes then?

I've said to my employer that I'm planning to take mat leave from my due date (2nd August) as I'm also a teacher and thought it would be a bit of a waste to take it from any earlier with it being the summer holidays. However my headteacher hasn't said anything about me not going back when schools open yet (I'm on SLT but do still have a class too so not sure if they're still expecting me to go in) but we haven't yet had any discussions about reopening since Sunday's news. I do have a shielding letter that takes me up to the 12th June (no idea why I got it, I have mild asthma and rolling with a baby bump but no other health issues unless they're putting them both together and considering it a risk - however not going to argue with it!) we are an independent school so finish at the beginning of July anyway, so if it comes to it and they want me to go in I'm going to have to take maternity leave a month or so earlier- isn't ideal but there's no way I'm going in after reading the governments education plan last night, that social distancing isn't expected as they're too little so will be in going round together in groups of 15 plus a teacher and no ppe is allowed. I love my kiddies but I just can't take that risk.

I'm have requested my leave to start a week before my due date and will add in annual leave before that if I need. I'm hoping to stay wfh until the end because I was already struggling with the commute at 17 weeks when I got removed from the office.

Can I moan? My sickness seems to have returned, its worse either in the morning or about an hour after going to bed. I spent half the night being sick and the second half wide awake because I lost my sedating medication and I can't sleep without. I'm tired but also hyperalert. It is going to be a long day!!

My due date is 4th August and I've requested my maternity to start 4th August 😂🙈

I work from home and my job are really flexible so if I need to take it earlier they'll be fine about it. I only get stat pay so I wanted to work for as long as possible really and I'll probably have to return as soon as possible too, which I am absolutely gutted about.

Positives are I do work from home and my hours aren't tied. They have an attitude of "just get the work done and choose whatever hours suit you", so with help from OH, I should be ok going back early perhaps part time to begin with.

@l@Superscientist so sorry to hear that your sickness is back 🙁 couldn't think of anything worse than going back to those dark times of the first 12 weeks with your head over the toilet bowl. When's your next midwife appointment? Could you see if you could get some anti sickness medication?

@squashie34 I'm a teacher too and haven't heard anything from my head yet 🤞
Really hoping I don't have to go back, I work in a really small primary school where there isn't room to split the children apart into different classrooms etc and as you say, no way the little ones can do social distancing - not to mention all the toys and resources in reception that will be passed round between them all!

I've put 9th August for start of mat leave - even though I know I'll definitely be induced before then 🙈
I've no idea if my twins will come early, so I figured if I put a late due date then it would just automatically start when I have them! Then I get the most time with them after ☺️

@squashie34 thanks, I still have some cyclizine from earlier on, I have taken it a couple of times with the day time sickness but I didn't get enough of a heads up last night. :( I'll see how I go, I might have to take it just in case at night because no sleep and no meds are not going to improve my mood/mental health.

@Beth804 I also work in a small school- we do only have small class sizes being an independent (I have 13 for example) but the school is in an old converted house so my classroom is the size of your average living room and even though they have individual desks the 13 of them are squashed in there so no way 2m will happen. However, the education document listed yesterday stated that they know kids can't do the 2m distancing so that's why they are suggesting these 'bubbles' of 15 kids and one teacher, with the idea they will all mix but keep within their bubble of 15. And no ppe to be worn by teachers. That's just too much risk for me when I'm not even allowed to be closer than 2m to my mum so she can feel her grandchild kick. Its ludicrous. I have a feeling a lot of our parents won't send kids back so I'm hoping I can be responsible for the online learning and be able to stay at home! Although I'm not part of a union so I'm joining today 🙈

@Superscientist just take the meds the same as you did when the sickness was really bad. I've never come off my anti sickness meds, I reduced them for a while but in the last few weeks have had to increase them back up again.

@sel2223 I really enjoyed it, clearly not the same as meeting people face to face but so nice to speak to people in the same position. Also learnt loads about birth that I didn't know! The zoom sessions are good, they showed a PowerPoint via a shared screen, we could all add notes to a screen during one bit when we were all asked to share ideas and they also split us into smaller groups to discuss then come back into the full group. It was more interactive than I expected.

Oh no @Superscientist, my morning nausea has also returned the last few days too. So long as I get up and quickly eat a banana I've managed to not be sick yet. Hope yours improves soon.

@squashie34 Good idea about joining the union!
Yes I've just read that full document this morning, it does say we should still work from home where possible so nothing has actually changed for us! So fingers crossed we're not expected in 😬

It also says about any teachers working from home taking on the remote learning for the kids that aren't in. Not sure how I'd take the online classes with my 3 year old in tow 🤷‍♀️ We'll see!

@2020Aug thanks for that lovely it's good to hear that the nct online sessions are still useful! Ours begin at the start of June and wasn't sure what to expect.

The zoom NCT course sounds useful ours starts next month too. I feel like an odd one and was actually happier with the idea of the being virtual than in person. I'm much more comfortable around people remotely.

@Feelthefear01 I think I will now, I've just take one as I was still feeling nauseous not sure if that's the pregnancy or med withdrawal. Previously my sickness was restricted to daytime so took it first thing (although I can take it up to 3times).

Sorry your nausea is back too @2020Aug it's awful. I hope yours settles down.

It picked up a few weeks ago when I was having bad acid reflux but omperazole settled it down, I wonder if I need to take that more frequently. I feel like such a fuss having to result to take medication for everything, which I know is ridiculous!

Ah i've just cancelled our Zoom NCT, neither of us fancied it, particularly as we spend our entire workdays on Teams/Webex/Skype video calls these days. It would have felt too much like work! I will try to do an online bf course tho as I'm totally clueless!

On the upside of lockdown, i've cancelled so much stuff this week that with refunds we'll have about £500 extra to put in mat leave savings this month.

I've requested my leave start on 17th Aug - I'm due the 15th but that's a Saturday, like others I thought if I picked the latest date possible then I get more time paid with the baby, and if I go into labour early they'll just start it early. My work asks for the week of EDD rather than the exact date, so I don't know if they'll make me move it earlier but we'll see.

Planning to save my AL as I'm allowed to carry it over to after my mat leave, so going to do that to add to next year's leave and extend paid leave at the end - I'm lucky, I'll go off mat and onto AL in May and won't have to return to work til August.

Is anyone using SPL? We were going to as DH is eligible for enhanced pay, but he decided it was more important to have the baby out of nursery for as long as possible, and because SPL reduces my number of paid weeks, I'd have been off at the same time anyway using AL and then back at work June/July rather than August. I'm quite sad we won't be using it.

No, just the standard 2 weeks with some annual leave here and there. He was hoping to add a week or so annual leave to the 2 weeks paternity leave but cv19 has changed that. He has lost too much lab time as it is and he's on a fixed term contract so his work is already time limited. It's unfortunate but we knew at the start that it's difficult for him to take any prolonged breaks off and that was before 9+ weeks of lockdown!

I was very nervous joining the class last night via video link. I would've been nervous meeting people as well, but it felt even more nerve wracking being over video. I worried how I would come across on video 😆. It was fine though, a few awkward times when everyone goes to talk at once but I'm sure everyone feels the same way. The 90 mins class went really fast, then some of is carried on chatting for another 30 mins which was nice as they left the meeting on zoom open after the class finished.

The only issue I had was needing the toilet and didn't want to interrupt and say sorry need a wee 😂, I snuck off when we were doing some group work though as couldn't wait any longer.

Came off it really pleased we had decided to keep the classes so hopefully the rest of the classes are as good.

So sorry those whose sickness has returned! I'm definitely nauseous again and noticed certain foods being off bounds, making me feel ill just smelling them. I threw up a couple of weeks ago but trying to make sure I'm eating little and often. I really don't want to go back to being sick regularly.