MSE Pregnancy Club 25

savageHK

martafdz wrote: »

I asked my mw about the birthing plan and she said I can just tell them when I go in what I want. I think I'll write something just in case!

You are so close now! how are you doing with the hypnobirth? I'm failing to listen the audio, and I have 2/3 of the book to read, but I'm positive that something is better than nothing! (I hope!)

I would write something. If the birth goes according to plan you'll be too busy concentrating on giving birth to have any sort of communication with the midwives, and it's best to have something in writing especially if there is anything you specifically do or don't want. I've done mine as a kind of 'wishlist' - I've got four columns - ideal, if needed, would like to avoid, and under no circumstances. I've also specified what I want to happen if I need an emergency caesar and so on.

I've read the book through but am still struggling to listen to the audio. With it getting dark so soon lately and with it putting me to sleep at the best of times I know I won't be able to finish it awake so am putting it off a bit. Must listen some more on the weekend!

chonorla

Hello ladies and enjoy the time off to those that have started maternity leave! :T

I agree with taking Maternity leave when you feel ready, that is why you get the choice of when to start it. I worked till different points with all of mine (38 weeks, 34 weeks and 39 weeks and 5 days with my middle one - not by choice on that one may I add! She was 2 days late so I did get a short rest before she made an appearance!) Obviously I am at home this time - started my maternity leave very early at 12 weeks as I went back to Uni. But my last assignment of the year is due the 20th April and baby is due 13th April - so will be interesting to see how that works out :eek:

4 sleeps till my 20 week scan - am very excited! We are going to ask the sex this time - I never did with my other 3, so it will be nice to buy colour appropriate clothes before baby arrives this time!!! I was in Asda shopping the morning after I had my daughter because I was so excited about the clothes I could buy :rotfl: Think this time I would like to have them ready..

Hope everyone is well xxxx

martafdz

chonorla, I am back at uni as well... but I also asked for maternity leave there, I actually asked for the whole year I am entitled to get, but I will just go back earlier if I see my brain starts working again! I do not need to go physically, I have done all the courses I needed for the PhD, from now on is just meeting deadlines and independent work, but I cannot really think of anything else but this baby at the moment, plus I cannot afford paying it whilst out of work!! I would recommend you to ask for an interruption due to maternity leave when you are close, even if it is just two-three months, so you can work on your essays and look after the baby. You can always cancel that maternity leave earlier and go back whenever you are ready. But I can tell you I still have work pending to submit (although it is "unofficial") and I am quite late because I cannot concentrate at all or make sense of anything I read at the moment. What before took me half an hour to read and summarize, now takes more than double or even four times!! Your marks will be the ones set on stone, once you get them you cannot change them and nobody will care if they were this or that because you had a baby at the same time, so it is better to take a break and make sure you can do your best than go with the flow and regret later not having allocated that much time/energy. I finished my MA dissertation whilst working full time, preparing my wedding and going on honeymoon... I very much regret it because the final result was not what I wanted, I just run out of time to type all the stuff I had, so even though I knew more than I submitted, it makes no difference now, nor do they take it into account!

Savage, I might copy your idea and do columns as well. I am prepared to have a complete different labour than planned, but at least I should try!

Rups, I will be taking probably a cheap dark beach-dress or nightie to be inside the tub. Something that can be opened a bit for the skin to skin contact, yet will cover me almost completely but be wide enough that it won't constrict any movement or position. Whatever you wear will probably get stains and be spoiled afterwards, so I am not taking anything I like or want to keep. I will take something similar or a long tshirt for when I get out of the bath, so I have something dry to put on immediately. I also count on bleeding a lot afterwards, so nothing pretty or valuable. All the nice stuff I will keep for home, for when I have everything under control. But for the hospital I will wear comfy, big, dark stuff that can be thrown away afterwards if needed. I also bought some cheap dark slippers I could put in the washing machine afterwards and throw away if they lose the shape. I do not want to take mine because I might take germs in... or get them back home! So I have new ones packed (£4 ones) and as soon as I get home they will go into the washing machine.

martafdz

I started my leave at 25 weeks, with the maternity allowance pay starting at about 30-32, I will have it until the end of June (so for 9 months). Somebody asked how much MA was, £135 per week, something like that. In some cases there is not much difference with SMP, it all depends of your contract, your hours, how much you get paid normally, etc.

I think it is important to get some "me-time" and rest before the baby arrives if you are a first time mum. If you are not, I guess you still have a fair share of work even at home with another child around! Lol But if it is your first, I think being able to rest, do a bit of what you like, have naps at random times and generally do what you enjoy, helps to keep you relaxed and gives a break between the stresses from work and the stresses from a newborn. In my opinion, I guess everybody is different and some people really like the adrenalin rush of work. But not me!!

chonorla

martafdz - I am studying for my MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice and its based on-line with one workshop every 8 weeks so am hoping I can sort everything around it! They are aware I am pregnant and my (ill-planned due date ) And they know me well as I did my BA with them, so they have said they will sort something out when the time comes! My brain is already allover the place - have been trying to do an essay plan for 2 days and just keep getting distracted!!! I will be returning to work in my 3rd year, which is when my dissertation is due to be written because of financial reasons (Career development loan due to start repayments) - so baby will go into nursery, 2 middle ones will be in primary school full-time and my eldest will have just finished his GCSE's - so hopefully will be at college or doing something??? That is my plan anyway

I know what you mean about not having the time to do as well as you would like - hence why I gave up work. I have 3 children (soon to be 4!) and my husband had just started a much better paid job (I was originally the high earner) so we made the decision that I would leave work and concentrate everything on the MA. It is a big commitment to make and I left a good job to follow this path. So I feel I owe it to all of my family to make it work And I am really enjoying it!

Its a shame you have regrets because I know what hard work it is
I was a single full time working parent when I did my BA and had to leave work in my final year because I so desperately wanted to do well. Luckily I did really well but can understand your frustrations when life just throws everything at you at once :eek:

PHD - wow!!! Me and DH have discussed that next step, but just trying to get through the MA first!!! Hope you manage it, sounds like you deserve it

Thanks for your advice and will speak to my lecturers when I am in tomorrow and see how the deadlines will work for me.

I did a birth plan for my first baby - but nothing went to plan! I have never bothered with the others, I just go with the flow and will do the same for number 4. These babies like to keep us on our toes, even till the minute they arrive Keep open minded, if things don't go to plan, don't blame yourself - I had a friend who got very depressed because she did not get what was on her birth plan and made herself quite ill. But I kept reminding her that she and her beautiful baby boy were here and safe and that is all that mattered.

xxxxxxxxx

savageHK

martafdz wrote: »

Rups, I will be taking probably a cheap dark beach-dress or nightie to be inside the tub. Something that can be opened a bit for the skin to skin contact, yet will cover me almost completely but be wide enough that it won't constrict any movement or position. Whatever you wear will probably get stains and be spoiled afterwards, so I am not taking anything I like or want to keep. I will take something similar or a long tshirt for when I get out of the bath, so I have something dry to put on immediately. I also count on bleeding a lot afterwards, so nothing pretty or valuable. All the nice stuff I will keep for home, for when I have everything under control. But for the hospital I will wear comfy, big, dark stuff that can be thrown away afterwards if needed. I also bought some cheap dark slippers I could put in the washing machine afterwards and throw away if they lose the shape. I do not want to take mine because I might take germs in... or get them back home! So I have new ones packed (£4 ones) and as soon as I get home they will go into the washing machine.

I knew I forgot something - for wearing in the pool if you are in hospital remember that you are supposed to get out to empty your bladder often (as it's getting so squished) so you want something that's not going to be freezing cold when you get out. If you are going to be in and out a lot bear that in mind.
No real point in bikini bottoms as MW is going to want to check how things are going I'd have thought. As I'm hoping to labour at home I expect I'll be nude from the waist down although I do have a bikini skirt thingy I could wear if I felt I needed it. If you're in the water it's not as if it's easy to see anyway, so not too much difference between a bikini and a bikini top only!

Bamama

They couldn't fit me in so I'm getting a call back later. Possibly from the midwife. Going to have a nap. If I don't get a call by the time I wake up then I'll phone the midwife myself

Night ladies xxx

Bamama

Scratch that. Dr phoned, they'll squash me in with the nurse at half 5

morocha

I am doing some languages courses with the OU, have to submit my first TMA's on the 29th this month and i am freaking out, well not really, my brain does not want to work !!.. I am 30 weeks pregnant, dd is as school and i am home yet i manage to waste time doing nothing.....

Rups32

bamama good luck with the appointment.

back from my leaving lunch. was just sat there all tired. lol. listened to the girls making jokes and just laughed. the team got me such a lovely baby grow and some bath toys for bubba and a teething toy. bless them. kind of feels surreal but im sure tomorrow iwill so happy that i am leaving. half my team wont be in so i wonder if i can leave early? hehehehehehe

hmm i didnt thnk about the birthing pool at all. i have a maternity tankini from next so could take that but also have 2 t-shirt nighties so could use one of them if i change my mind? the thought of coming in out of the pool doesnt appeal but like savage said, we have to empty our bladder. as it is i cant stop weeing.

i am sleepy now as have some spinach and ricotta tortellini. was yum. then had a kitkat when back. now i want to go home. we have nct class today yay!: )