Due June 2022 (thread eight)

[Annabell1]

New Thread.

I'm working up until due date, which is the 26th, and then I'm off for 6 weeks, then 10 hours a week for the the following 6 weeks, then back full time! Phew. Does that make sense?
Not looking forward to it but I have no other option with DH not working at the mo. My contract ends in March 2023 so I'm hoping to become a stay at home mummy then as DH will be starting work again. It sounds and feels very messy, but with assisted reproduction planning a pregnancy for a more practical time was just impossible. I feel stressed about leaving baby with DH even for a few hours a day so young, it makes me want to cry so much. I'm also desperate to maintain breastfeeding when I go back (I'll be pumping at work!) - I fear it's going to be such a challenge getting baby to use bottle and breast.

Is anyone else going back to work quite soon?

@Vimto1991 check your works policy as my employer has enhanced policy. Statutory leave is 52 weeks but my employer allows 63 weeks: 11 weeks before birth and 52 weeks after birth. That means you could have more entitlement than you might think, if your employer has an enhanced policy.

@MrsNT Exciting isn’t it 🥰❤️

@pregnancydiaries so sorry to read about your fainting episode. Perhaps it would be an idea to check back in with your midwife or GP as fainting is obviously not ideal for you!

@EarlGreywithLemon ah wish I had 14 months! I’m doing shared parental leave with DH, so I’m sharing the 52 week pot. I’m having 8 months and DH having 4 months. However I have taken 4 weeks prior to birth (2 weeks may leave and 2 weeks holiday) plus hope to take a month holiday at the end of leave. So should still be a decent time off 🙂
To be fair I’d rather cut it shorter and have DH with me in the early months as I had PND with DS and I’m scared it might happen again. Support will be great, especially as our family live miles away.

@Rolledthedice I got belly button pain the other day and my innie has almost popped completely out. The pain has subsided now but sadly I think it’s a case of riding it out! Your baby is probably having a growth spurt.

@CurryandSnuggle my company aren’t paying me anything for maternity. An absolute joke considering how many females work there - all the top dogs are guys so explains a lot. If we chose to have a second I need to find a job that offers a maternity pay!

@Vimto1991 that’s awful, sorry to read that. Arseholes!! Are you entitled to statutory maternity pay though?

@CurryandSnuggle I am thankfully, I’ve been at this company for 5 years in August, and I’ve been saving money to subside the salary difference for when I go off on mat leave. One benefit is I do get paid a decent amount, just a shame it’s all gone into savings for the baby since they won’t pay me 🤦‍♀️

@EarlGreywithLemon 12 months is fabulous too! My 14 months is just because of the nhs annual leave and bank holidays you can add onto the mat leave..it's very generous! And as it's May, I have the full years leave to add on top!
@Littlemilomoo yayy that sounds like a great plan! I'm hoping to start my leave in the last week of May when I'll be 37 weeks. Going to do half days here and there before then to wind down. I totally agree about wanting to go. I like my job but I want to meet baby so much now that I'm desperate for June to get here!

Just seeing the messages about maternity leave which falls nicely with my melt down this morning about maternity pay. I get full pay for 8 weeks which then rapidly declines 😫. I've been trying to save what I can but the house renovation has wiped me out financially.

I actually had a little cry on the sofa about it before I put my big girl knickers on.

@Vimto1991 @MsBubbles85 thanks! I'm based in Ireland and I checked and I have to start my mat leave two weeks before my due date. In one hand I can't wait to start it but I'm also afraid baby will come later that expected and I will "waste" weeks off that would be very handy to use when the baby is actually here!!

Hey lovely ladies,

I was wondering if I can get your honest opinion on boy names. We had a huge list for girls but are struggling with boys.

With our first (DD) we didn't name her for 4 days as we just couldn't decided between 2 names and I was so emotional and just wanted her named so keen to have one ready for this one.

We have whittled it down to 3:

Otis
Reid
Hugo

Our girl is called Lyra so we like more unique names that aren't as common.

Honest opinions please on what you like/don't like or if you hate them all

@MrsM29 I think Reid goes best with Lyra and sounds a good name for a professional when he grows up. 😁

That was supposed to be a smiley face!

@MrsM29
Otis is my favourite out of them x

@vimto1991 my work is a joke too. Statutory only and they tried to tell me that the first 6 weeks on 90% pay IS the enhanced element of their maternity policy.

Honestly I've given them so much time and hard work it feels like a massive insult especially when they offer enhanced paternity leave 100% for 2 weeks!!

Honestly I'm planning on looking for another job while on maternity and I may not go back. Worst thing is that they actually do need me! I'm one of the only experienced people in my team!

@BunBun221 oh god that’s so sexist I can’t believe that!! I’m so sorry it does truly suck, I can’t believe employers can do this to us considering the hard work we put in! I think I’ll be looking for a new job whilst off, too, I would like kids about two years apart so we may be already trying when I go back, and I want an employer that respects me as a woman and a mother!

@Vimto1991 thats our ideal plan too!

Thing is it just doesn't make sense from a company perspective. What I do is very very specific and niche and where I am in the country they will never find anyone to replace me if I leave! (They've been looking to replace a colleague who left last May with no avail!) So it's just a huge business risk for them. However I can't say that to them because it won't go down well and our HR department is run by the co-owner of the company...

@MrsM29 I feel you on struggling for boys names. I like Otis best! Not a fan of Hugo

I missed the last two threads, it's so exciting tonsee how far we've come from the 12 weeks scans... and now we're all approaching the third trimester!
Speaking of which... does anyone know when exactly the third trimester is starting? I have read different things depending on the source.

Hi @Unarosaes glad you've found us! I'm going with 28 weeks being 3rd trimester although if you divide 40 by 3 then third trimester starts half way through week 26!

@Unarosaes Some American sites say 27 weeks, but NHS says 28 weeks. I’m going with that but it’s weird as second trimester is the longest one if that’s the case.

@MrsM29 such lovely names! I think they are all good choices. My friend who is a midwife at Kings says they are getting a lot of baby boys called Otis at the moment though. Obviously that is a single hospital out of hundreds so probably depends where you live but wanted to flag as you said you wanted a more unusual name x

@beansprout55 we have the same due date! 26th :)

I have been doing some decluttering today and I lifted a couple of heavy boxes and felt some pain after, it didn't last long but I stopped, sat down feeling guilty. Then I felt some reassuring kicks and movements. Pregnancy is such an emotional rollercoaster!

Sounds like a really mixed bag with maternity leave! Crazy the difference between companies. I’ll only get maternity allowance because I’m overseas as a HM Forces spouse. I’m grateful for that though - and to not have to work full time right now. I’ve been sad about my dwindling career for a few years now though…

Thanks @Lostintranslatio and @PeeAche yes it was me! Turns out I have to go for a THIRD ultrasound attempt as they couldn’t see baby’s spine AGAIN. But apparently nothing to be alarmed about… 😬

And I’ve known since week 11 due to NIPT but they confirmed Baby Noodles is a GIRL ❤️

@MrsM29

Hey lovely ladies,

I was wondering if I can get your honest opinion on boy names. We had a huge list for girls but are struggling with boys.

With our first (DD) we didn't name her for 4 days as we just couldn't decided between 2 names and I was so emotional and just wanted her named so keen to have one ready for this one.

We have whittled it down to 3:

Otis
Reid
Hugo

Our girl is called Lyra so we like more unique names that aren't as common.

Honest opinions please on what you like/don't like or if you hate them all

Reid gets my vote 😊 It's on our list too, I'm finding it so hard to choose a boys name the 2nd time around.

On Saturday I walked around all day with DH and started to get pain in my lower belly what I Think is ligament pain, Sunday I cleaned up and didn’t really rest so it didn’t go away. Monday I decided to give myself a break and didn’t move all day and I didn’t notice the pain, and on Tuesday the midwife used the Doppler for about ten minutes and squished all my stomach about, so the past two days I keep getting a dull ache in my lower right hand side of my belly. No idea if I should ask the midwife or rest up and see if it improves.
Just wondering if anyone else experienced this, and if it is ligament - how do I prevent this? Do I need a support belt for my belly?

Reid gets my vote, also!