Due March 2025 thread 2

[Zuzu2020]

Hi guys just making a new thread as the old one is nearly full :)

I've now just messaged my daughter's old nursery, just to get a sense of what the availability looks like ! I haven't got a sense of what the waiting lists are now that the free hours offering has changed.

I hadn't even thought about looking at nurseries (first one) should I be?! 😯

Would be good if I could take gripe water for the bloat/raging indigestion gaviscon etc are very hit and miss

I'm not sure, it depends on your area. With my first I didn't look until she was around four months old, it's just I will need full time this time round and with the free hours available now I wonder whether waiting lists are longer.

I just signed up - same one as my daughter goes to currently - and they said they had lots of applications so they’ll see?!

@PlumpHobbit it's our first too and I was quite shocked to hear from friends and colleagues that we should at least start enquiring!
We're in Edinburgh and the places we've spoken to are quite non committal about exactly how long the waiting lists are, but definitely full up to next summer. I just feel like I'd rather at least get our name down now, while I'm not also juggling the actual baby, than be stressed out trying to sort it all once they're here and I'm on a countdown to going back to work!
But I do feel like a fraud looking round with my barely a bump, and having to put TBC in the 'child's name/ birthday' info 🤣

We got DD into a nursery this year with very little notice after my childminder broke her ankle - of 6 nurseries visited, only one had a waiting list and the rest could take her the following week! I do think it will be very different this time around with the funding coming in, especially next September's 30 hours. I may put baby's "name" down soon just in case!!

Off the back of this thread I contacted a few locally to see what the waitlists were like. A lot said they don't have a waitlist 'yet' but are expecting a huge influx with the new hours coming in. Those that did have a waitlist were saying if we registered now, we'd be securing a space for May, so that's 8 months in advance! I think my aim is definitely going to be to have a space secured around January.

This is our first baby and it's crazy having to think about these things already!!!

I knew people around here who signed up at the same time they started ivf … absolutely mind boggling how hard it is to get a place here and that was before the ‘free’ hours

I haven’t started looking at nurseries yet! I know friends of mine said they found it hard for their October baby ( but they’re a slightly different area). I said I’d hold off until my 12 week scan (which is tomorrow) and I’m hoping that wasn’t a mistake. My parents might be willing to bridge a small gap between maternity ending and nursery starting if it comes to it - hopefully not though!

I was reading that you're supposed to be gaining roughly one pound a week but I've been the same weight for two weeks now, coming up to 16 weeks. Not actively trying to gain or lose, eating about as much as before, but the bump is definitely visible!

Has anyone got any information on the additional hours? Maybe because I’m in Scotland but can find anything about it.

@GlitteringCat I'm in Scotland too and might be wrong but I'm not sure anything is changing for us, with regards to additional hours, as Scotland was already offering 1140 free hours a year for 3 & 4 year olds. I don't think there's anything additional being added for 9 months plus, like in England.

Thanks, I’d been googling it and a bit confused! I wish we got free hours a bit younger.

How long is everyone taking maternity leave for?

I took 6 months with our first, then part time for a year (finances were TIGHT but it worked out in the end).

Don't think we will have any more kids after this one so thinking about potentially a full year to soak up the young years for the last time.... BUT I know how much first babe loved daycare from day dot and is now a really social butterfly. I'm naturally an introvert and there aren't many playgroups/etc near us anyway so maybe it's a good thing to start early for us. Hard decision!

So for my first, I worked for the police so I got 18 weeks full pay and then a further 10 weeks at 60% pay (which after the reduction in tax actually ended up being about 80% of my pay)

However this time I’m self employed so I would say I’ll treat myself to a week off and then back to work with baby in tow! (I’m a florist!)

Well after a battle with the GP, my midwife contacted them and I'm finally getting some anti sickness meds 🕺

I'm going to be off for just under 14 months in the end I think, by the time I use holiday before, a full year mat leave and then holiday after. I'm lucky to get really great enhanced mat pay with 6 weeks on full pay then 3 months on half, so want to make the most of it. I like my job fine, but I won't mind not being there for a year, so am already on countdown! 😆

I was off for a year but am a therapist so had regular CPD during the year - baby just came in the sling and is now on her way to being fully qualified 😂😂

Also does anyone know if it should be a full or empty (or half/half) bladder for a 16 week scan? We're having one tomorrow (just to check in, I was too impatient to wait the full 8 weeks from 12 to 20) and info online is conflicting. The sonographer at my 12 week told me empty for 20 week scan, but not sure about 16.

@lipgoss I went to mine with full bladder. Had to empty half way through but that was the 4d part of the scan. Just drink atleast 500ml before you go that's always enough for me. If you have to empty it's better than going with a bladder to empty

Getting cracking headaches the last few days especially (14 weeks)

I'm exceptionally headache prone at the best of times, syndol used to be my friend to allow me to function some days

Went to boots and the pharmacist put the wind up me and said it could be a sign of pre eclampsia so hastily called midwife. They said its v unlikely at this stage but to try and get Dr appointment tomorrow

I'm struggling with hay-fever and being bunged up, so I'm not sure if that's adding to my problems? My mum said about getting blood pressure checked at the GP

Lying on a hot water bottle usually helps, but I can't exactly do that in the office!!

I probably don't drink enough water, but I don't actually like the stuff. I drink tea...

@PlumpHobbit sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. Water is a massive thing - you have to drink a minimum of 3 litres a day when pregnant - could you maybe get some sugar free juice help with this? M&S do a wonderful range of nice cordials!

@PlumpHobbit I had terrible headaches for about 3 weeks in a row. It went away luckily and no pre eclampsia..hope it's the same for you

@PlumpHobbit sorry to hear that! Water is so key, down a glass of filtered or mineral water every time you feel a headache start to come on... and try to drink throughout the day.

For allergies/hayfever (same) I use a sinus rinse/neti pot, and olbas oil.

If you have a desk job/can sit down, def take the hot water bottle in! X

@PlumpHobbit i had terrible headaches the first time around, like you I was finding them debilitating at times, and I was found to be anaemic. Once I was put on iron tablets (which admittedly did bring some of their own issues but a vast improvement nonetheless) the headaches did definitely stop for the most part. Have you had your iron checked?