Minster's side car bumping along- TTC graduates part 2

[Justanothercyster]

Here we go ladies, hope to see more OGs soon 🤞🏼👶🏽🌈✨💕🥰

@lucyrp hope you nip and get checked hun better to be safe.

@becarefuloutthere no we are having a surprise ☺️

@Kate105 I've had that recently and it makes me feel sick when they don't stop moving when they're rolling around in there 🤢🙈

@becarefuloutthere I know! Hope they hang on in there because I have my last hair appointment squeezed in for when I'm 37 weeks and nails will be 38🙈🤣 then if they could come out ASAP after that that would be great! Well I start AL on 1st August and then Mat leave starts on my due date ! I'm still at home ag the moment waiting to see what they do now once I've had some breakfast but think I'll probably end up popping in for piece of mind 🤞🏼

@Florence13 definitely

@lucyrp oh god now could t do separate rooms. Although he might opt for that choice because I seem to have started snoring for the first time in my life ever?! 😓
Definitely get checked out, I'm sure it's nothing at all and baby is just having a lazy one but better to stop yourself worrying. Let us know how you get on

@Kiwibabyjourney aww that's exciting about telling family, it's the best feeling

@Kirky658 ah I'm going to ask my MW about classes next time I see her, very keen

@becarefuloutthere exciting! Let us know how it goes x

@lucyrp how did you get on with the movements, all ok now I hope? X

@Kirky658 yeah I didn't end up going in as they were having w disco at one point so didn't want to waste their time. Think they're fine now they probably were just sleeping and I was awake earlier than usual 🙈x

The belly ring is out people, I just can't hack it anymore 😖 I'm just going to keep poking the bar through each day and hope that keeps it open!

@lucyrp glad they're ok x

@lucyrp glad all is well.

I've had to take off my wedding and engagement rings yesterday as my hands were swelling @justanothercyster so I feel you!

Aww @Justanothercyster how many weeks is that you made it to with it in 😅 yeah just keep poking it in and hopefully it won't heal!

Curious as to what you ladies are on to for maternity leave pay? I finally got around to checking my employers maternity leave policy and this is what they have listed (they advertise the company as offering enhanced maternity leave):

First 6 weeks: full pay
Following 14 weeks: half pay
Next 19 weeks: statutory pay

I'm guessing the remaining weeks of a year would be completely unpaid then if you decided to take the full year. Is this good compared to the rest of you or is the enhanced maternity a marketing ploy.

@Florence13 ah a surprise is so lovely!! I think we both want to find out but will wait until the 12 week scan to see if anything changes with that.
@lucyrp ha love that you've got all your appointments booked in, defo something I would do! Glad babas moving again 😌
@Justanothercyster all went well thanks, measuring exactly and just the one sac and embryo seen so no identical twins thank god lol! Saw the flickering of the heartbeat 💓
Gosh I took my belly ring out years ago, think it only lasted 3 years in the end as my Waitrose skirt kept catching on it 😂 I worked there at college so many moons ago now lol!
@2020mission my mat leave is utterly shocking!! We get 6 weeks at 90% pay and then the rest is statutory until you come bk, gonna be a right shock to the system and I'm so grateful they don't want us bk in the office 5 days a week! At least I can save on commuting costs.

@becarefuloutthere Aww that's a shame yours sounds like government minimum. The one good I'm taking from it is that I can find a new job while I'm on maternity and I won't have to worry about paying back much if anything - well have to budget well!

Great to hear your scan went well 😃 how many weeks are you along now? Oh also can you remember if your belly piercing healed soon after you took it out? We're all wondering if ours will heal up when we take it out for a few months during pregnancy 😅 I've had mines in for about 15 years so just assumed it wouldn't heal but I may be wrong!

@Kirky658 @Justanothercyster thanks girls 🥰

@2020mission I get as follows :

Enhanced maternity pay- 18 weeks
Statutory pay- 21 weeks
Unpaid- 13 weeks

As for belly bars mines healed over but I keep pushing the bar through which is painful🤢

@becarefuloutthere I hate that I don't know when they will be born as can't plan everything around them 😂

@2020mission I'm on statutory too so what they're offering you is so much better! Hoping that the child benefit of £100 a month ish will help too.

I've got carpal tunnel syndrome now which is delightful...

@lucyrp picking your brains now if you don't mind. As i understand it, baby should be dressed in a nappy, vest on top followed by clothes or baby grow. I know we need more baby grows but I'm unsure what size to get in case she's either really big or small?!

Hey everyone,

@lucyrp glad bubba is back wriggling as normal.

@2020mission my maternity pay is 2 weeks full pay, 4 weeks at 90% then 12 weeks at half pay plus statutory so all manageable for that 18 weeks...then the next18 weeks is just statutory (which takes you to 9 months) then the last few months are completely unpaid.

@Justanothercyster ha ha about the belly ring, I took mine out for my 20wk scan and never bothered to put it back; will just have to hope it goes back in-I have had it pierced for 20yrs (god I am so old) so 🤞🏻 it won't close up. Last time I used a maternity bar but kinda forgot this time!

@Kirky658 your antenatal classes sound really good, I've got my hypnobirthing stuff out from last time so gonna start reading that this week.

All good here, 38weeks tomorrow and because schools break up early here I'm on summer hols- so happy to have finished work and my mat leave officially starts on my due date or earlier if baby comes early.

Xx

So soon @lucyrp 😮 it sounds like it might be easier to get it re-pierced after the pregnancy! You really shouldn't have long to go now though 😃

Thanks ladies for sharing your maternity pay packages 👍 Seems like it's the norm for the last 3 months to be unpaid.

@Kiwibabyjourney I have a handful of newborn sizes and then 0-3 I can count once I'm home if you like. I have thought about buying some more newborn clothes but DS was in them for maybe a few weeks before we had to size up. I also haven't bought any more sleep suits in newborn as unsure what the weather will be like so if it is really hot they're more likely to be in rompers and as I don't know what baby is I'm going to wait until they're horn before buying any other clothes. I kept DS in sleepsuits for a few months then when I felt comfortable changed to outfits then I got sad as he looked so grown up so went back to sleepsuits 🤣

@Clairey844 have you started the motions to get them to come early or are you not doing any of those ? Xx

@2020mission yeah think I'm going to give up and let it do it's thing😂

@Kiwibabyjourney sorry meant to tag @Kirky658 !

On a side note sitting and driving are getting painful with a head wedged in my pelvis😩 I want to start doing things to get them moving already but I have a few things planned this week and hair etc in 2 weeks so they'll have to stay put 😩

@lucyrp such a minefield isn't it! We are erring on well it might still be warm in September so likely need more vests than sleepsuits... But we've only bought 3 sleepsuits so probably need some more.

@Kirky658 at a guess I have maybe 12 NB sleepsuits but will check once home, the rompers are great, have a look at those!

@lucyrp will do, ta lovely x

@2020mission ooh good plan!
I'm 7+6 so 8 tomorrow 😃
Erm I took mine out about 15 years ago 😂 but I think it healed quite quickly, not too sure tho. I reckon yours will take a while tho if it's been in that long.
@lucyrp when's your due date?
@Kirky658 ooh forgot about child benefit!
@Clairey844 yay to being on summer hols! You timed that perfectly 😉

@Kirky658 I'm getting close to that point too 😭 do you get foot swelling as well? Mines been awful! Sorry about the carpal tunnel, that sucks!

@2020mission haha 23+2! My belly button is officially an outtie now and not an innie 😖 it was getting red and sore so I had to make the call ☹️
In terms of mat pay, as a teacher I get 4 weeks full pay, 2 weeks 90%, 12 weeks half pay and then statutory for the rest of it. Apparently it's good but I used to work in the nhs and it's nothing compared to that!

@becarefuloutthere aww little heartbeat 💕 best thing to see! And yeah haha they can be a pain sometimes but I've had mine 12 years now and not willing to get rid yet 😂

Also, is anyone else's DHs obsessed with baby stuff? I need to stop mine from constantly looking at it! I thought it would be me that's the bad one haha

@justanothercyster thankfully no feet swelling yet or anywhere else aside from my fingers! Hopefully that will be all 🤞
My DH is getting obsessed with baby stuff now it's getting closer haha. We've done a list and bought everything on it but he's also worrying about the sizes of the clothes we've bought! X

@Kirky658 ah I'm glad it's not just mine then! What sizes did you go for? Have you bought any nappies yet? No clue what size to get as you never really know do you!