Due February 2022 (thread 3)

[Winterfellismyhome]

Our other thread about to max out so welcome to thread 3! How is everyone doing?

I'm joining the insomnia club! I've slept terribly the last week or so
And my nearly 3 year old has been having night terrors so I've been sleeping on his floor while he goes back to sleep, he had to hold mummy's hand 🥺
But it feels like my pelvis & hips are about to break and then I'm in pain all day
Trying to roll about in silence to sneak out of his room must look hilarious.. sort of like a turtle stuck on its back 😂

Btw for anyone interested The Nappy Lady has a pre Black Friday sale on - I've gone a bit nuts on some gorgeous patterns. Some nappies 40% off and Baba and Boo wet bags starting from about £3.

Also Natural Baby Shower has a pretty Black Friday sale, including 20% off Mori. Have bought quite a bit from here also.

If anyone sees any other bargains can they let me know?

Tommee tippee have 40% off sterilisers atm

@Winterfellismyhome thank you! I don't have a steriliser yet so that's great

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 no problem! I got the UV one so excited for that to arrive

@Winterfellismyhome
I also ordered the uv one last night. I hope it's good 🤞 xx

Oh awesome its the UV one I'm looking at too!

@Rmw99 same! Hoping it fits the mam bottles

I bought the UV tommee tippie Steriliser a while back and you can adjust the racks inside so you should be able to fit mam bottles inside!

Ah perfect. Thanks! @Candyfloss22

Maternity leave - am I being naive thinking I can work until my due date?

I work in an office type job, I can work from home.

But I am the only person who knows my role well and therefore will need to train my maternity cover person. This will mean going into the office and sitting next to them for at least a week.

I had planned to just "work from home" in those last two weeks...but now I will need to be in the office I think maybe I should bring my leave forward two weeks to give me some time at home before baby comes.

I had wanted to continue to work to keep busy and keep the anxiety at bay...

@PrettyPlatapus I’m in a very similar position to you, except I’m still expecting to be able to train my maternity cover remotely. I think if I was in your shoes I would be reluctant to go in so late to be honest for a few reasons:

1. What if labour starts early?
2. Covid

Both my husband and I are planning to isolate from week 36 as much as possible because we don’t want to risk him catching covid and not being able to come to the birth.

So in your shoes if wfh wasn’t possible then I would choose to bring my leave forward :) as it stands though I’ve opted to work (from home) as late as possible and just take week 39 as holiday then maternity leave from my due date (obviously this will change is baby comes early though).

If anyone is interested, this is how the mam bottles fit into the UV steriliser. You can probably fit 6 in there. They are the bigger bottles too

@glasspaw

I spoke with my line manager and the process has started already...
He said I could work from home and train remotely if needs be .... I was planning on "working from home" not actually working from home!

He hinted that they might not actually be trained by me at all, but promised I wouldn't come back to a big mess..so that reassuring...

I think I will still try to bring my leave forward a bit. I just don't want to be pacing around at home waiting for baby.

Really good point about isolating before the birth. It hadn't occured to me that my partner might not be able to do it all with me...

@PrettyPlatapus yeah we were told that certainly in our local area the birth partner has to have a negative covid test to be able to join. The idea of being alone is just awful so it seems like a small sacrifice to avoid being in that position :)

Is anyone else concerned that pregnant people don't appear to be being offered a covid booster jab this winter?
I am worried my first 2 jabs are going to be wearing off just as I reach the highest risk time of pregnancy...

I had my first Covid jab when my age group was announced, so will be eligible for the booster jab beginning of January, if it gets recommended for under 40 as well.
I haven't quite decided whether I am taking it or not so close to giving birth (I did struggle with side effects from the second Moderna jab).

Flu jab tomorrow.
Need to make an appointment for the whooping cough one as they can't do it on the same day.

Perhaps things will change before January and they will start offering them to under 40s but it seems pregnant people are not being prioritised yet again when we all know how risky catching covid is in 3rd trimester.

@SouthwestSis this concerns me too. I should be due the Covid booster next month. I asked the midwife if she recommended getting it and she said yes, but it hadn’t even occurred to me that we might not be included!

@Peachi82
I had my flu and whooping on the same day, one in each arm! Had to sleep sitting up but got it out the way!

@PrettyPlatapus with my first I worked till 38 weeks (office based but at that time I could do 2 days a week from home which I did). I wanted to maximise the time I had off after birth so pushed it as late as I thought sensible (I knew i would be induced at 39weeks due to GD). I’m glad I didn’t try to work any longer as my daughter arrived at 38+5 naturally. I only had 3 days off work in the end which wasn’t quite what I’d hoped for in terms of banking some sleep.

This time round I’m working till just before 38 weeks in the hope of getting at least a week to myself. I’ll also be able to WFH almost fully (it’s the travel which really takes it out of you).

@PrettyPlatapus
I've asked if I can have the whopping cough vaccine on the same day but they said no as it is a special flu vaccine clinic. Ah well.
Will try and make an appointment with the receptionist when I'm there tomorrow.

I sleep sitting up anyway as my heartburn is currently horrendous.

@PrettyPlatapus last time I was working largely office-based and driving but had to stop at 37+1 when I was driving through central London and having painful contractions every 10 mins or so. They continued on and off until baby was born at 38+6.

This time, I'm working a bit more physically, but I am at home from 33 weeks between courses, exams and accrued annual leave; I'm stopping completely at 37+0. I am really tired and I would like to decorate the baby's room!

I similarly will be on leave from 37 weeks. I can work from home completely (at the moment I go in once a week for some normality) so really wouldn’t need to stop until close to my due date, but the uncertainty of arranging things last minute should I go into labour a week or two early is enough to stop me from working right up to my due date. I also would like at least a week to gather myself before baby arrives. Now I have said all this, I am sure I’ll be overdue and impatiently waiting.

I have already partly mentally checked out of work to be honest and I know that’s going to be even worse in those few weeks after Christmas.

OK so apparently some GPs are allowing pregnant people who are >6 months after 2nd covid jab to book in their booster, as they are considering pregnant people (especially in 3rd trimester) as "at risk" in the same way that we qualify for a flu jab.

So hopefully we will all be able to get decent protection this winter in our 3rd trimester!