Due December 2022 (thread 4)

[Sdoubleyou]

Hi all, looks like we'll be filling up today or tomorrow. I wanted to create the thread early so we can have a link to the new one. Have a nice weekend!

@Tofu35 you should be able to start your mat leave earlier anyway if it’s needed so I wouldn’t worry too much about the date you give them. And If you are off sick after 36weeks it triggers your Mat leave to start anyway. I went off too early in my first pregnancy and went 2 weeks over too so I was really bored at home waiting. In my last 2 pregnancies I didn’t go off till end of 37th week beginning of 38weeks and had them at 39weeks. This one they plan to do a section at 37/38 weeks so I’ll probably go off a week before that. I like to work as long as possible so I get longer off with the baby afterwards although ive always found it very hard towards the end, was on crutches due to spd and having to go into hospital for iron infusions because of anaemia- should of gone off sick but didn’t which was silly thinking back x

@Tofu35 I went off on mat leave at 39 weeks with my daughter and this was enough for me! I went into labour at 40+1 so only had a week at home. I knew I'd get so bored of questioning whether that day could be the day I go into labour when most first babies are overdue anyway.

My friend went off on mat leave at 37 weeks twice but didn't give birth each time until 42 weeks. Second time was fine as she had her toddler to focus on but first time she was going stir crazy.

I am a stay at home parent now but if I wasn't, I wouldn't go off any earlier than 39 weeks again.

Anyone else feel absolutely enormous already? It’s not even obvious to others I’m pregnant yet so it’s not that I LOOK enormous already but I FEEL like a big fat whale 🤷‍♀️😩

I've ended up spending ages on the MAM website. Thank you so much for the recommendation! They look incredible!

I'm due 16th Dec and today said I plan to leave 30th November but will take approx 2 weeks holiday before that. Last time I aimed for month before due date and had to leave another month earlier due to pain I was in - which turned out to be pre eclampsia that wasn't diagnosed until the day before my due date when I got kicked by my pony!
I feel huge and some people have said like good god where has that come from, midwife told me to tell them to shove off 😂 others haven't noticed but its very obvious if I wear tighter clothing!

I'm due December 13th and planning on finishing November 18th. We're moving into our (hopefully by then) renovated place mid-October so I know I'll have a ton to do in the weeks before delivery. And I have a stressful job, so if I end up sitting around waiting for baby while watching tv, well that sounds glorious!!

I’m due 3rd December, just had it confirmed today that I can use my holiday allowance before starting mat leave (our holiday year starts in September) so I’m finishing at 33 weeks, using 6.5 weeks hols and will start maternity leave on 1st December (or when baby arrives if it’s before then!). My job’s very physical and I’m struggling with my hips already and I know from last time with DS it would have been really hard to work much longer (I finished at 34 weeks with him). I know I’m very fortunate to be able to use my holidays for this though.

I went on maternity at 37 weeks last time, stopped work on the Friday and she arrived on the Monday! Not write the calming few weeks I was hoping for but it meant I was able to be on maternity to after her 1st birthday. This time I'm going on maternity at 37 weeks again just in case, so Nov 18th for a Dec 7th due date.

We used MAM bottles with our first and they are brilliant. We didn't have a dishwasher so the self sterilisation was a godsend, just popped them all in the microwave before bed and they were ready to go for night feeds. Plus it was great when visiting people as you only needed to bring a couple and could wash and steralize as needed.

The perfect prep machine was also brilliant and we'll be getting it down from the attic with all the bottles to use again in December. We bought a bottle warmer but found that it didn't really work with the thick MAM bottle bases, plus our daughter didn't seem to care too much if milk was room temperature just as long as it wasn't straight from the fridge cold.

I haven't quite decided when to go on maternity leave, but the Midwife and dr have said if the baby doesn't come earlier, they will likely induce me in the 39th week. So I'm thinking to take off (maybe with a week or 2 of holiday first) from 37 weeks or maybe 36. I'm due 21 Dec, and I think partially they want me to have the baby before the Christmas staff shortages. Officially I'm higher risk of my placenta stopping working after 40ish weeks, due to my age.

Does anyone know if your allowed to use your holidays up until AND after the babies born and then go on Mat leave or once the babies here does it automatically start your mat leave regardless of if u have holidays left to take? Does that make sense?

@Jaaxe maternity leave automatically starts when your baby is born whether or not you have used up your annual leave. Also if you are off sick because of a pregnancy related condition in the last 4 weeks before your baby is due your employer can automatically start your mat leave even if you wouldn't have chosen that. It's quite tricky. My employers say I have to use all my annual leave for this year (ending April) before I go off or I will lose it but doing my job well with so many days off is not easy! I've planned a week of annual leave at 37 weeks then start mat leave at 38. It's exactly what I did last time and I have to say I was bored witless last time as baby didn't come til 41+5. I figure this time I'll have my toddler to occupy me, plus we'll just have moved to a new house so loads to do there and want to stock the freezer full of bulk cooking so there'll be healthy stuff to eat with little effort after the baby comes.

Thanks @TradedAtlanta the consultant wants to section me at 37/38 weeks but I don’t know which week yet and won’t really know until towards the end so I’m a bit like I’ll work as long as possible then take annual leave until it runs out then start my mat leave but obviously if they want to section me earlier I don’t want to lose my annual leave either. Mines like yours and runs to April. I think they would let me carry it over though as it’s extenuating circumstances but not really sure, don’t know if I should risk it. x

@TradedAtlanta @Jaaxe You can’t lose your statutory leave entitlement just because you’re unable to take it due to being on maternity: it’s unlawful. They must let you either take it or roll it over to the next year: pregnantthenscrewed.com/advice-page-holiday-while-on-maternity-leave/

I’ve just applied for my mat, I’m going off the day before my EDD but I have. 5 and half weeks annual leave I have to use. I reckon I will get proper bored so will just try to catch Cook etc

I'm starting my mat leave at 36 weeks. Already having a crap time at work and had to reduce to part time working. (They weren't very happy about this). So 11 weeks left of work 😁. Unlike most I'm not worried about being bored. I'm a homebody anyway and any excuse to stay home, watch TV and nap I'm there! 😂 I also work in a factory and worry about how big I will get. Plan on spending time nesting and relaxing before it all goes mad!

Anyone had/is having a GTT test soon? Going for mine next week. Wonder how I'll survive not eating from the night before until end of morning the next day. I'm so hungry all the time at the moment. What do you do during those 2.5 hours at the hospital?

Happy Friday everyone!
How do you deal with the hormones/emotions? I either cry or worry 🤦‍♀️ currently I am home after covid,so not many distractions. What's your secret?

@Loute02 ive had it in previous pregnancy, the drinks disgusting and they make you sit there and do nothing. I’d bring some magazines or something to occupy u for it. Think you get results same day once bloods are done, I didn’t have gestational diabetes but I’m having to have the test again this time too. In about 2/3 weeks x

@Tofu35 I rang Morrison’s customer service regarding pasteurised cheese as soon as I was pregnant 🤣 I can’t last long without cheese! They said that by law, unpasteurised products have to be labelled as such, but pasteurised products won’t necessarily say they are pasteurised. So, if it just says ‘milk’ - it is pasteurised milk. According to the nice lady at Morrison's!

@stuntbubbles thank you, that’s so helpful! My DH has 5 days to take and will lose them if not taken by the end of the year. I wonder if the same rules apply to paternity leave?

Hi everyone, haven't been on here in a while cause it was so hard to keep up with all the messages but I just wanted to see if anyone else is having daily stomach tightening - possibly braxton hicks - and is it normal?? I'm 23+3 and have been having the tightening every so often for a few weeks but this week it's been every day sometimes more than once, mainly when I'm lying in bed! Hoping it's nothing to worry about but I always worry anyways😂

@Loute02 I've had it in both my previous ones and will be having it again this time. My advice is to be there about 15 minutes before your appointment. If your hospital is anything like mine, they have multiple people in at the same time and will see you in the order you arrive. Your 2 hours start from when your first bloods are taken so if you're the first one in, you'll be the first one out, and thus be able to eat sooner than everyone else! Definitely take something to keep you occupied, I suggest a movie or something downloaded onto your phone or tablet with headphones. It's a boring time without a distraction!

Is anyone else still getting dizzy spells? Have just had to sit down at work as I felt like is was gonna pass out 🤦‍♀️

Yes! I haven't gotten up quickly in weeks! And this Saturday we went to a wedding and I couldn't stand up in church. It was so hot and stuffy I was getting faint. So I just sat in the pew the whole time.