MSE Pregnancy Club XII

newmoneysaver_2

Lots of labour (quick and painless, off course!) vibes for you honeypop

pinkpig08

Ooh sending vibes honeypop! I don't think I would dare leave the house!

My bump has definitely dropped, my foof feels a bit swollen and like it's going to fall out sometimes! I went to see MW on Tuesday and she said the baby is 3/5ths engaged. TMI alert - I also feel very damp down there! Did anyone else have that?

Fitzio

Hi all,

I am really lucky like Aless in that I get 6 months full pay and then 3 months SMP, so I also plan to take 9 months off. I don't think you have to decide right now when you will return though do you? I thought you just had to give your leaving date. I think in my work you just have to let them know X weeks before your return to give them warning.

I definitely have to return to work after, but not sure whether it will be part time or full time. I fell out with my mother and we didn't speak for over 6 weeks recently as she basically said I was a bad person to ditch my child and that if I have a child it's my responsibility etc. We could downsize our house to save money, but it wouldn't sell in this climate so I need to work to pay the mortgage or we would be out on the streets. I don't think that would make a happier life for baby!

You have to do what is right for you. At the moment, I am planning on working 3 days P/T using a childminder (although my dad seems to think my mum would take baby once a week, but I can't rely on this). It still leaves us negative each month though! Other consideration was working compressed hours (5 days over 4), but due to travelling time to and from work, I feel that I would possibly be missing out on a lot (bed/bath etc). OH could do compressed hours too which would still mean childcare for 3 days but longer hours.

I just don't know what to do, and plan to wait until baby is here and how I am coping as I really don't know how I would feel. I used to think I would return to work no problem, but I haven't quite imagined the surge of love I will hopefully feel and how I would cope leaving baby all the time. But everyone is different.

Phew..sorry for the long post!

Glamazon

labour vibes to honey!

Oh's grandparents assumed I was giving up work completely and were shocked when I said I would be going back! How we are supposed to pay a mortgage of £1000 per month of wage I don't know!

workinmummy

Have just nipped out and lunch and picked this up from Argos. Reserved it yesterday, when i got the sale alert email.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3484496/c_1/2%7Ccategory_root%7CNursery%7C12109130/c_2/3%7Ccat_12109130%7CPlaymats+and+gyms%7C12109205.htm?Price+Cut=1

Baby due mid September. My plan is that it will be the babies Christmas present. Because what do you buy babies for christmas anyway? And as if they even know.

Also stopped into boots and finally picked up my free baby bag. Not opened it yet though. But a freebies a freeebie.

Hope MM is now with Dylan and sorry to hear you are being kept in hospital Tia.

Sugarspun, hope you are enjoying your first day of ML and Glam, you sound far, far too organised to me with your ML and baby savings.

Fitzio

Labour vibes to Honeypop!
Low blood pressure vibes to Tia! I would be climbing the walls too with nothing to do. At least at home I can sleep if I am bored!

jennynoo

I have no idea what I'm going to do for maternity leave! My plan is just to say I will take the full year then I only have to give one months notice if I want to return so will be able to decide later. Also I'm so confused about nurseries, I might go to four days a week (hopefully will be ok with boss but haven't checked yet) but OH works shifts so has odd days off - never the same day each week - so not sure how this would work with a nursery. Can anyone advise?

Went back to get babies head scanned this morning and everything was fine, even got a free photo Note to those going to St. Georges - twice I have paid for two photos and got three and this time I didn't pay at all and still got one!

Glamazon

Ftizio - I thought you had to tell them how long you plan to have off but can change your mind by giving them 8 weeks notice whilst you are off.
I used a template letter from a government website and it said, 'I plan to return to work on 14th June 2010 when my SMP runs out, however should this change I will provide you with 8 weeks notice. I will take the 7 accured bank holidays from Monday 14th June meaning my actual return to work will be 23rd June 2010.'

WM - presents? Thats what grandparents are for :rolleyes:

Fitzio

jennynoo wrote: »

I have no idea what I'm going to do for maternity leave! My plan is just to say I will take the full year then I only have to give one months notice if I want to return so will be able to decide later. Also I'm so confused about nurseries, I might go to four days a week (hopefully will be ok with boss but haven't checked yet) but OH works shifts so has odd days off - never the same day each week - so not sure how this would work with a nursery. Can anyone advise?

Went back to get babies head scanned this morning and everything was fine, even got a free photo Note to those going to St. Georges - twice I have paid for two photos and got three and this time I didn't pay at all and still got one!

Get those scan photos on Jenny!!

I don't know for sure how it works with nurseries, but I imagine you need to book a regular day, so if your OH was off and could keep your DD, you would still pay for the place. I don't think you could chop and change what days the nursery has her as they need to maximise their placings. My SIL will be in the same position - my brother is a supermarket manager and sometimes has 1-2 days off during the week, and sometimes has 0 days off at all so she can't rely on it.

pinkpig08

I am taking the full 39 weeks off, but I only work part time and SMP is only about £20 a week less than what I earn anyway so is not as much of a drop for me. My boss has also carried some annual leave over for me which gives me an extra 6 weeks off at the end too. I currently work 5 days (before ML anyway) 4.5 hours per day. I've thought about compressing this into 4 - it wouldn't save me any money on childcare as I have a childminder and no help from family as they work. Well - DH's mum and dad don't work but there's no way on earth I'd leave the baby with them! The only problem with compressing into 4 days is that it would affect me taking and fetching DS from school. I've got to look at it more closely to see if it could work but I've got plenty of time yet.