Due March 2023 - thread 2

[TeddyBeans]

Carry on thread for babies due March 2023!

Just spotted this @dmb91 thank you for the heads up! 😊

Maternity allowance chat, it's a little bit of a minefield so hopefully someone can give me some guidance!

Currently not working because its the summer holidays I'm looking after my children and the agency I work for is schools based, but I'm registered with an agency for work and have been since March 2022 and so far I've done 11 weeks of work via the agency. To be entitled to MA you need to have worked for 26 weeks or more, the weeks don't have to be together or with the same employer. I've only done 11 weeks and don't upto now have any other employment which is within my test period for qualifying for MA, so the way I understand this is that I need another 15 weeks of employment minimum to be entitled to MA 😬

I haven't told them my pregnancy news yet. I didn't want to say a word until I got offered another position incase they used pregnancy against me if that makes sense.

My test period dates going off my EDD are 28th Nov 2021 to 4th March 2023, so I still have time to make up the 15 weeks employment but it's just worrying me 😩😩

Sorry for the long post, maybe I should have made a new thread for this. Apologies!

@allthingssparkly it's such a worry isn't it!

Up until the start of this month I had been at home with my other children. I won't qualify for stat maternity with this Jo so I think I'll need to apply for maternity allowance too. That should be OK as like you said you need to work 26 weeks and I was only 6 weeks when I started so should easily fit that in before I'm due! Still a stress to get it sorted though, I've also not told my job I'm pregnant yet, going to wait until around 16 weeks I think

I think the UK statutory maternity pay is a joke anyways in comparison to other counties in Europe. I think it comes to 680£/month for the 39 weeks.

Maternity.money is a good site to plan it though and visualise cash flow especially if you’re getting paid by employer as well

Maternity pay is crazy! Some of my friends got such good packages, sadly I don't but hopefully will make it work! Glad it's not going to be a winter baby with the rises coming!

I just had my booking appointment, full on with questions isn't it! 🤣 sadly my first scan isn't until 13 weeks so another 4 to go, not sure we will be able to keep it hidden another month!

Just got my scan date through the post! Will be 11+5 so quite early I think! But less time to wait 😉🤣

Anyone know if iron levels being 107 is generic law (like iron tablets should easily fix) or very low? I struggled with low iron my whole last pregnancy and want to a feel for how low it is. I know they intervene below 110 but still don't have a good sense for it.

@EMcG3 I think Iron tablets would be ok for that level.

I had an iron infusion (a drip over a couple of hours) previously as mine was at 70

Yeah it's not a lot at all @havanamama however every little helps, especially when there are going to be alsorts of rising costs.

@Dreamingof3 I'm really hoping I manage to secure something else in order to qualify for MA, I could do without the worry but hopefully all works out, fingers crossed.

I’m lucky that I’ll get about 4 months of full salary, but the pay cut after that is massive! ☹️
my plan is to just save up the difference for the other 8 months, so I can maintain the same lifestyle as on my normal salary.

are you guys saving for maternity leave or did you do that already before getting pregnant?

Im self employed so i wont be able to take much time off i think ill do 2 months off and then gradually go back week by week. I was employed lasted time ans got MA it was based on what i had earnt in the previous weeks lowest i got was like 780. I also got paid all my holiday i didnt use the first month i took maternity so worth just talking to your employer i guess.

I had a chat with my manager today. I'm term time only so probably won't qualify for SMP but will get MA which is the same amount of money anyway. Looking at only going from end of January to September as maternity leave and starting the academic year as usual in 2023. Will have a chat with my mum about childcare when I go back to work. We had a plan that I'd pay her for childcare for DS so she could retire early from her job that she doesn't like anymore. That didn't come to fruition so hoping she'll still be up for something similar with Tiny

I'm self employed too. Its my second so I am literally taking two weeks off as I do most of my work in the evenings when my partner is home. First six months will be brutal but I know what I'm facing 🤣

@Babynum2 I can't see a nub on your scan but have a look at the skull theory. It might give you an idea

@Dreamingof3 - this is exactly what I wanted to know re: iron. Thank you!

I’m having a really rough time
dreadful MS all day everyday with no break preventing myself from being sick all day mentally at every minute of the day. Like constantly thinking I’m going to be sick at any second
i really don’t know how much more I can take
everything I ate yesterday came up just before bed and now today little bits of blood in my spit presumably I’ve torn something? Not great for someone with health anxiety my brain is going wild
I can’t even wash my own hair the smell of my bathroom makes me want to throw up

Booked a scan for this evening in a private place, I'm 11 weeks now and I'm quite anxious because all my symptoms abruptly stopped, although everyone is saying this is normal I just want to get everything checked. Only problem is my NHS dating scan is next week...so you think I should call and rearrange my NHS scan or still go to it? :)

@Jholli have you got any anti sickness meds at all? I can completely sympathise, I've felt the absolute worst this pregnancy, even with tablets I feel nauseous all day and am sick most days. Can't wait to get out of the first trimester (hopefully it gets better then!)

I have but found they made me feel more nauseous
I’m so upset I feel like rubbish

@Katlouise24 I wouldn't change your dating scan as it needs to be within a certain timeframe for the NT and combined screening (if you're having it) and they may not be able to offer you another appointment in the timeframe this close to the date.

Hope your scan goes well tonight

@hellosunshineagainx pros and cons ayy! I have a cleaning job so i need to take a bit of time off to get myself back together but i think as soon as i feel better ill do a few jobs a week. My partner is also self employed so its a bit tough in times like this. He works 12 hour shifts and mainly nights im worried im going to go into labour and he will be at work!

@Jholli im here with you very sick your not alone. I havent worked in over a month ive been in hosp.
Ask for different meds i started off on cyclizine that didnt help so i went onto bucca, cyclizine and metocloprimide that also didnt work so they put me on ondansetrone also didnt work!! After my last hospital trip i gor prescribed something called exonvea and its mildly helped im still sick everyday butt not all my food.

@Jholli I feel you, I'm so Ill, nothing worse than the constant feeling of nausea. I had to phone the docs this morning and they prescribed me tablets, really hope they help cos I'm not coping at all.

Sorry to hear you are feeling awful too. There is nothing worse than feeling on your own in this! Thank you for replying to my message I have a shirt bloods appointment tomorrow and will ask about more medication x