Christmas babies thread 4!

[Rnic1x]

Seen as though it's nearly full... I've started thread 4. I wonder how many threads we get up to ❤️

Do public holidays not count against Mat leave?!?! I hadn't even considered that they might not...

@Bumble84 I think my work insist that mat leave starts the day you give birth at the latest.

Cross your legs for a week? 😂

My due date is the 21st and I'm hoping to be able to work until the 16th.
As far as I'm aware the holidays that we don't take this holiday year (and as long as you go on maternity before the holiday year ends) will be transferred for next year when you get back to work. So I'm planning to use my holidays of this year when I am meant to go back to work as that way I'll have more time to be with the baby

@Bumble84 could you take your holidays until say the week before/of your due date and then go on Mat leave?

I'm planning on finishing in November, about a month before my due date, but I'm in a school so I have no holidays to use, and I think I'll be struggling with the tiny chairs by then!

I could use my holidays up to my due date yes but it’s more the over xmas and new year. We only need 2.5 days annual leave to get 2 full weeks off at Christmas and I’d rather use them than using 2 weeks of Mat leave if that makes sense. Maybe I’m overthinking it. I’ll maybe ask HR and see what they say

Hi everyone, I've been a lurker, due 26th December with baby number 2. Got an 18 month old too who's birthday is the 10th Jan, so potentially going to have two birthday close together. Loving second trimester and just on the countdown to the 20 week scan! Can't wait to get another glimpse in there!

I saw @bumble84 message about using holiday and thought I'd message. I think each employer is different with annual leave and I'm not sure if you would need to be on mat leave by your due date, but I know I rolled over 5 days (standard policy at my work) into the next leave year last time. I then used it with all the holiday I'd accrued that year at the end of mat leave to get a nice paid chunk at the end. It was so nice getting back to full pay a month before I went back to work.

In terms of bank holidays you should be paid these 100% as if you were normally in work. When I got back from this mat leave I hadn't been paid for 5 bank holidays, so my work back paid me once I was back, so just make sure you don't miss out on them. You should get all the things you would normally get if you were working :)

Aah I see @Bumble84. Mat leave is more to do with when you get the mat pay though (I think) so you could probably start it officially in the new year/once your leave is used, but HR is probably your best bet then.

@raffat89 thank you, that makes things a bit clearer. And welcome to the group! Hope you are keeping well?

I’m due the 15th so thinking of starting mat leave from 1st December and using this year’s annual leave to go off at 37 weeks.

I’ll probably use most leave next year to return in 2021, and take December off, and roll over some to 2021 hols too.

I took December 2019 off for a massive 4 week hol, so they are going to think I’m just allergic to working in December

@MaverickDanger I did the same in december last year, already had a joke about avoiding the christmas party and I've only told 2 colleagues! 😂

I think I'm going to speak to HR about what's possible in terms of rolling holiday over etc as I haven't been at my job long so I'm not entitled to much pay! Need to be smart about how I plan it I think. But as other people have said I thought that government guidance is mat leave has to start at the latest from the day you give birth!

Ahh I'm jealous of your maternity leave discussion... I'm self employed and Christmas is my busiest time... so I'm due 25th.. if I don't have a c section.. I think I'll have to work as close to as poss.. then I think I can get statutory maternity pay for self employed but it's only for 6 months (my accountant has told me but I can't quite remember the details)
I'm having a salon built at home thoigh so I'll go back on stages I think dependant on how I feel 😬

@djmbaker there’s also something called maternity allowance that you can get if you haven’t been in post very long. I don’t know much about it but might be worth looking at. Sounds great to be getting a salon in your back garden though!

I’m also just trying to be cute about it and make the most of my paid time and getting most of it with bubba if I can.

I'm planning on going off early I think. Going to start my mat leave at 35 weeks and take a rest. I dont fancy co ordination a busy ward and resus situations in late pregnancy at all. Then with annual leave roll overs and next years I will go back in January 2022. My manager actually sat down with me and helped me work out how early I could go off and still get two christmases off. Plus before the baby will be the last time it will ever be just me and my husband and I want to make the most of it.

I was planning this early. I'm planning on officially starting mat leave on 21st December, with my due date being 26th December. I am going to take 5 days of annual leave the week before so I finish a bit earlier.

As has been previously said you are entitled to all your annual leave next year plus the bank holidays you would have been paid for if you weren't on Mat leave. I guess it depends on the employer as to whether they pay you during mat leave for the BH or you can take them as holiday / get paid for them at the end.

My plan is to take mat leave right up until around the 20th November 21, then use my entire annual leave for 2021 to have the whole of December off, then go back in January....think they would prefer that than me carrying over 27 days to 2022, on top of my usual entitlement cx

Scan day today ladies...send us some positive thoughts. Hope you all have a good day. If everything goes well we are telling my brother and sister today and tomorrow. Eeeekkkk.

Good luck @Nic2908 hope it all goes well 🙏🏻 how many weeks are you?
It's so nice when you start to tell people. We announced it on Sunday and the reactions from everyone have been lovely 💓

So I ended up having a scan yesterday due to some spotting, everything is fine and they think it may be down to sex as no damage to baby or anything and cervix was fine 🙈 partner seemed strangly delighted and somewhat proud 😂 never happened before though so Dr said it's probably a one off and no swinging from light shades ... Not that I do anything of the sort 😂 anyway it was so lovely to see baby again even tho we have scan booked for this weekend. Look at the difference from 9 weeks 12 weeks to 15 weeks ❤️❤️❤️

Hope everyone is doing well xx

Oh wow thats such a massive difference!! Glad everything was okay and good luck to everyone having scans this week 😀

@elsacc isn't it a huge difference I didnt even realize. Yeah baby was fine felt silly calling in the end as there was no problem but they were so lovely and said to always call. Xx

Glad everything's ok @Rnic1x wow yours is growing really nicely!
Good luck @Nic2908 is this your 12 week scan?
Just booked a gender scan for 17/07. So excited! Brought some scratch cards that we'll then post out to close family so we can have mini reveals with them over video calls 😊

@Natt99 oooh my gender scan is the 19th!! 🎉 I'm so excited. But baby was NOT playing for the camera on Sunday so they've given me a list of things to do beforehand to make sure it's not face down and it's ready to show 😂😂

@Rnic1x that's incredible! Such a nice experience for you. Can't believe the difference in such a short time x

@Natt99 @djmbaker mines on the 18th 👻
It feels so close but so far away.

Is anyone starting to nest a little? We starting to put plans in place to declutter and. redecorate the bedrooms by mid September 😬

Good luck today @Nic2908 ❤️

@Rnic1x lovely to see your scan progression pics!

It feels like not that long ago was doing pregnancy test line progression pics and now it's scan progression! So lovely.

My nausea has made a reappearance at 14 weeks! No sickness as yet just an underlying nauseated feeling. Not amused.

@djmbaker so glad to hear you've enjoyed telling people.

So guys I've seen a cot and drawers set that I think is good value, is it too early to buy big things?! They are on sale and exactly the style I like