12 to 24 week pregnancy thread

2522laura

Glad to hear everything is going well Charlie :0) Cant offer any advice on drinks, I pretty much just drink water!!

Have you all done your letters outlining your intensiond for maternity leave? I am due 25th April and I think I will make my last day 13th April (ahh friday 13th!!) and go back on monday 15th October. As my other half works round the corner from me it is probably best for me to work as late as I can in case I go in to labor early. If it happens while he is at work it will take him 20 minutes to come and get me then 20 mins to get to hospital!! He is going to take the remaining 13 weeks of my paid leave so one of us will be there with baby until 13th January but we will still be able to keep the bills paid!!

Anyone got much planned for the weekend? I am off to Lakeside with my Mum and sister tomorrow so no doubt will come home with arm fulls of baby stuff x

Charli82

Ooo thankyou alizee, grape juice sounds lovely. I will have a look for that tomorrow.

Very tempted to get a doppler when I get paid too. Id love to be able to listen to baby at home with hubby

Charli82

Hi Laura, are you close to Lakeside then? I am in Chelmsford so not too far away. I havnt been able to face Lakeside on a weekend for a while though, its a bit too crowded for me and tires me out! Going to go down there again when they start the late night opening for Christmas as its normally a bit quieter then.

This weekend we are going to stay with my parents in Devon which will be lovely and relaxing. We'll just do some nice long walks with the dog and pop to the Christmas fair which is always lovely. Im starting to feel all festive so will probably drive hubby mad playing christmas songs all the way down there tonight!

As I am in HR it is normally me who sorts out everyone's maternity leave so I havnt got to do a letter to myself! lol Im due 15th April so thinking of working up to the 30th March at the moment, unless things change or I get too huge to get in the car!! Planning to go back after Christmas but if money gets tight I may go back sooner.

lisa26_2

2522laura wrote: »

Glad to hear everything is going well Charlie :0) Cant offer any advice on drinks, I pretty much just drink water!!

Have you all done your letters outlining your intensiond for maternity leave? I am due 25th April and I think I will make my last day 13th April (ahh friday 13th!!) and go back on monday 15th October. As my other half works round the corner from me it is probably best for me to work as late as I can in case I go in to labor early. If it happens while he is at work it will take him 20 minutes to come and get me then 20 mins to get to hospital!! He is going to take the remaining 13 weeks of my paid leave so one of us will be there with baby until 13th January but we will still be able to keep the bills paid!!

Anyone got much planned for the weekend? I am off to Lakeside with my Mum and sister tomorrow so no doubt will come home with arm fulls of baby stuff x

Laura, have you checked that your hubby can do that? I didn't think that it had been brought in yet where the 'maternity' leave could be split between mum and Dad, i thought it was still that Dad could have max. 2 weeks and only Mum could have the full paid leave. I could be wrong though, it does happen occasionally lol!!

I mainly drink tea (mostly decaff) or water but if I'm out I either have lime and soda or a slimline tonic. I've not been much of a drinker for a few years now so I don't miss it (alcohol I mean obviously).

I'm going shopping with my mum tomorrow, we're going to order the cot bed and I need a new coat. i see the dorothy perkins 30% off is instore now so I'm hoping to get a few bits there and maybe get some christmas shopping done too. Sunday will be a chillout day! DH is on nightshift this weekend so I won't be able to do much in the house incase it wakes him up so I'll probably do some knitting for the little squirt!

lisa26_2

Oh and maternity leave, I'm due 27th April and I plan to finish work on the 30th March which gives me 4 weeks off but I don't plan to come back so it doesn't matter if I finish a bit sooner! Plus I have a 60 mile round trip each day and I don't much fancy doing that up until the last minute. Apparently you don't have to give work your maternity leave dates until your MAT1B form is due which is at 25 weeks (15 weeks before your due date) so I haven't bothered yet.

Charli82

Hi Lisa,

Yes you are right re not having to state your planned maternity leave dates until 15 weeks before the due date.

The new laws about paternity leave came in this April (2011). More info here if I can post the link - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Paternityrightsintheworkplace/DG_190788

I have switched to decaf tea too, decaf earl grey is particularly lovely

2522laura

lisa26 wrote: »

Laura, have you checked that your hubby can do that? I didn't think that it had been brought in yet where the 'maternity' leave could be split between mum and Dad, i thought it was still that Dad could have max. 2 weeks and only Mum could have the full paid leave. I could be wrong though, it does happen occasionally lol!!

I mainly drink tea (mostly decaff) or water but if I'm out I either have lime and soda or a slimline tonic. I've not been much of a drinker for a few years now so I don't miss it (alcohol I mean obviously).

I'm going shopping with my mum tomorrow, we're going to order the cot bed and I need a new coat. i see the dorothy perkins 30% off is instore now so I'm hoping to get a few bits there and maybe get some christmas shopping done too. Sunday will be a chillout day! DH is on nightshift this weekend so I won't be able to do much in the house incase it wakes him up so I'll probably do some knitting for the little squirt!

I checked on the directgov website and it says that they can take an additional 26 weeks paternity leave after the mother has gone back to work, and if it falls with in the 39 weeks that are paid then they will get the same rate So i will do 26 weeks and he will do 13 so it is all paid

I think the TV ad for the 30% off at DP is only instore thursday and friday, but if you see stuff you like tomorrow you could order it on line and still get the 30% off.

Charlie, I am in Cambridgeshire but my sister got vouchers for Lakeside for her birthday so we are off there for a change. I haven't been for a few years but we are going early so should be ok traffic wise - I'm sure it will be a different story on the way home though Where abouts in Devon are your parents? I love the south west. My OH's sister and her husband live in Ivybridge. We are planning on taking baby down to Cornwall next year, we used to go every years as kids and had a fab time, its so beautiful

Charli82

They are near Exeter. It is a lovely area and I like to go home as often as I can. Cornwall is gorgeous too. Funnily enough we are going to St Ives next summer which had already been booked when we found out that we were expecting. We are hiring a cottage with my parents and sister for the week. Luckily there is a cot and plenty of room for bubba to come too. Im really looking forward to it and Mum and Dad are already talking about taking baby out for walks and generally getting excited bless them

Kira000

Charli82 wrote: »

Has anyone got any good suggestions for non alcoholic drinks? Im getting fed up of schloer as I find it quite sweet after a while. I didnt miss wine at all at first but the last couple of weeks I have really felt the need for a glass on a Friday evening - it must be something to do with work stress!

I get soooo thirsty these days (have been since mid 2nd tri, that i just want something very refreshing. Generally when i am out, this means a pint of lime and soda. Bliss....

alizee

i'm not sure about mat leave i think with my heart condition i might have to take it as soon as possible. Earliest i can take it is 20th of feb as i'm due on the 3rd of may. which is very early but if i'm off sick they would automatically put me on it anyway. might have to discuss this with my employer when i return to work and see how i get on with my amended duties.