January 2021 mums to be. The one with hospital bags and heartburn!

[Onekidnoclue]

Hello ladies. Bit more space on this thread! X

Hi everyone!
I'm a bit of a late joiner. I've been silently reading the other thread, but getting closer to due date and want to get involved with some other mummies.
I'm 33 weeks tomorrow, have been going in for serial scans cause my BMI is only 16 - it was supposed to be every 4 weeks, but 2 weeks ago they thought the baby's growth was slowing down so asked me to come back yesterday. False alarm luckily! Consultant is happy for my appointment in 2 weeks to be the last one until I'm 39 weeks.

When is a reasonable time to start packing my hospital bag and organising baby's clothes?

@xsxsxsxs I would start now as you're going to get more tired towards the end. I started by washing all the clothes and organising. Then I downloaded the NHS hospital bag checklist (not everything will be relevant) and ticked stuff off as I packed. I've been told to pack 3-4 vest 3-4 sleepsuits/babygrows, 2xmaternity packs. The other stuff I've kind of guessed

@MeganC104 Thank you! I have a spreadsheet with everything I need (I'm a bit extra lol, I've done this for all baby items), just need to start actually buying some of the bits and packing the actual bags.
Been told that hospital stays are a lot shorter at the moment - I wonder if I actually will need 3 bags (one for me, one for baby, one for DH)

@xsxsxsxs welcome to the board!

A spreadsheet? Very impressive! Pretty sure your DH won’t need anything. Here the men are booted out within a couple of hours of the birth.

@Onekidnoclue I am a bit extra - don't know if that's a good thing of bad

The birth centre I'm planning on going to has individual rooms post-birth and has said that DH can stay with me (including the night) as long as he isn't going in and out of the hospital. He has to come in with all his stuff when I reach 4cm, and just stay all the way until I'm discharged.

Welcome @xsxsxsxs ours is a brand new hospital and it sounds the same as yours. All individual rooms. Are you in South Wales?

I haven't picked anything but I've been squirrelling away items into two storage boxes so it's just a a case of washing everything and packing it.

Oh @footprintsintheslow just read about the shingles 😱 hoping you're feeling better soon how hideous!

I've had two lots of canesten and one course of oral antibiotics so far for various infections. Urine sample on Friday was sent off as they found more Leukocytes so may need another course of oral ones.

I'm totally the same re sex @Grumpy19. If not for all the antibiotics and the potential PPROM (water leak) I'd be driving my husband insane ☺️ as it is we are both a little frustrated right now but I can't risk it until the PPROM thing is bottomed out.

@footprintsintheslow Nope, I'm booked with a hospital in Romford (outskirts of London). As far as I'm aware, the majority of Birth Centres and Midwife Led Units in and around London have the same rulings. I don't believe the general hospital maternity wards have individual rooms, but the birth centres are brilliant for that if you have a low-risk pregnancy.

I hope you're feeling well despite the shingles!

Hi @xsxsxsxs, I have made a vag up for the baby. I've bought bits for me but it hasn't made it into a bag yet. She's bag is going to be the food/entertainment bag! Magazines, puzzle books, music and snacks. X

“ I have made a vag up for the baby.” ☝️🤣🤣🤣

Sorry. Very immature but this made me giggle!

We’re tier 3 (near Bristol) and they have said two hours post birth for DH. that’s a MLU 🤨 tbh we’ve got a 3 yo for him to get back to and he didn’t stay last time as I thought one of us should get a good nights sleep. Plus if I had an issue I’d be asking a MW not DH!

🤣🤣🤣🤣
Told you I was randy!!
My vag is definitely not 'made up' 😂

I have been told that if all goes well I'll have a six hour discharge and DH can stay. Otherwise baby and I will go onto the postnatal ward and DH will have to leave after a couple of hours.
I'm really hoping he can stop.

Vag 🤣

Also ladies remember tiers are reviewed every 3 weeks so on 16th we could all be in different tiers and it'll all change again 🤪

@pigletpie2177 it was caneston that cleared mine up I'm afraid. They do come in different strengths so maybe they could up your dose?

Just snorted at vag 😂

@footprintsintheslow I think I'm all sorted now on that front - i had one lot then got a text saying a prescription for the duo had been sent to my local pharmacy. Apparently the leukocytes would be bladder/kidney so oral antibiotics if needed. I'm in again for another growth&fluid scan on Friday so I guess I'll find out then.

@Grumpy19 similar situation here - DH can stay if I'm still on delivery ward. Fingers crossed for that!

Does anyone know what the rules are on take mat leave earlier than planned?
I'm really not coping. I have 5 days until I start taking my remaining holiday and then officially start maternity Christmas Eve but I'm feeling really unwell with stress and have zero energy now. I feel for the sake of me and the baby I may need to start asap

@MeganC104, could you get a sick note for the last 5 days?

I had a midwife appointment today and she thinks he might be breech now!! 😣

@onekidnoclue I am too in the circle of rage, at the stage of using crutches now too to get about due to spd, have an appointment tomorrow with the midwife was hoping she will say baby has dropped and was getting ready but can't see it with the amount of heartburn I am still getting 🙈 5 weeks to go and I can see me being a right grinch all over Christmas!

@MeganC104 I don't know if it's my company's policy or law, but if I go off sick in the 4 weeks before mat leave, they just start my mat leave early rather than sick pay then mat pay. But you can get signed off if you're struggling. If it's less than a week, you'd probably just be asked to self-certify rather than getting a doctors note.

@MeganC104 when are you due? If you go off sick for and it triggers the mat leave then you might want to check if you can carry over the holiday to stick on the end of the paid mat leave if that makes sense?

“ if you are off sick with a pregnancy-related illness in the last four weeks before your expected week of childbirth, your employer can start your maternity leave automatically”

Hope your hr are less shit than mine!!!

@PollyOaks is heartburn to do with the position of your baby? I've had horrendous heartburn and acid for weeks 

@MeganC104 my work make things massively overcomplicated with the amount of forms you have to fill in but did say I could change my dates if I wanted to. Given I said I would work til week 39 it may be taken out of my hands in any event! If you're struggling I'd like to think they would accommodate.

@Grumpy19 have they booked you in for a scan?

@pigletpie2177 I have a growth scan booked in for 36 weeks anyway (12 days time) so me said they could check then.

Makes sense - they did a scan with me last time at 37 weeks to confirm breech and then booked me an appointment with the consultant for later that week to discuss options. Didn't want to let them turn him so had a planned c at 39+5 which I sulked about but was fine. They still have a bit of time to turn though so fingers crossed they do it naturally and you don't have to worry about any of that x

Thanks @pigletpie2177. Can I ask why you refused to let them try to turn him?