MSE Pregnancy Club 28

Diamond_Orchid

I think my antenatal classes are classed as hypnotic thing. Teaches you breathing and relaxation techniques. To be honest I have found them more helpful than the NHS classes.

I will send back my new crib bumper I've ordered when it arrives then. Certainly makes you paranoid. I didn't have any trouble with my son when he had one in his cot, but he did used to move around a lot. The bumper was always securely tied though.

How is everyone getting on with Xmas shopping? I think I have all my presents now, need to start wrapping but couldn't be bothered today. Serious lack of energy. I need to wrap my mums before the weekend as seeing her Sunday so need to take presents with me then.

I must admit to being a bit scared when seeing my maternity pay breakdown. Not getting any money from September! Luckily waiting on an inheritance which will clear our debts, and should allow us to live on one wage until I return to work p/time.
If it weren't for the inheritence we could not have afforded another child!

laura_hoggle

Hi all, haven't had chance to pop in the last few days!

Diamond Orchid have you had the results from your sample yet, do you know if it's a UTI? It's so frustrating waiting for results isn't it! Were they waiting for the results before they gave you any antibiotics?

We still need to do a fair amount of Xmas shopping. DH & I have got each other's gifts, it's just our parents & siblings & nephews to get now. I managed to get a couple of the Mog soft toys in Sainsburys for my friends 2 little girls, quite pleased with that as they are all sold out now!

Sweetilemon that's fab about getting ID'd! I'm a few weeks off 32 & would actually quite like to be asked-although it's been a while since I've bought alcohol!

I've downloaded a hypnobirthing app on my phone, I've got a few other mindfulness/relaxation ones which I find really helpful (especially when I'm struggling to sleep!) so am going to play that later. We start our NCT course in 2 weeks which I'm quite looking forward to!

I finally managed to get my maternity leave sorted out with HR last week; I finish 8 weeks today, which is 6 weeks before I'm due. I'm a bit worried about whether or not I'll manage my 12 hour shifts (with about an hour journey each way) by then, but will just have to see! The first 3 weeks I'm off will be annual leave, so there's potentially the option that I could go in during those weeks to do some short bank shifts, but I need to double check with HR if I'm allowed. I'm going to end up taking around 14 months off as I'm taking the full 52 weeks maternity, and have annual leave tagged on each side. Mum & I worked out today what my maternity pay will be, and I was pleasantly surprised. As we've been saving as well, and I've opted to have my full/half pay spread out over 52 weeks, we won't be much worse off. I feel very lucky that the NHS offers a great maternity package!

Rambosmum

I've still not had confirmation of my mat leave. And I finish in 13 days!

We can only really afford for me to have the 39 paid weeks off, and I've saved, otherwise I would be able to take that. I've got leave on both ends as well so I get 10.5 months off in total which is ok. As long as I've done my maths right anyway! I got pregnant a month too early, otherwise I'd be £250 a month better off (occupational mat pay vs stat mat pay) and would have been able to take the whole year off because of that. Oh well, probably wouldn't have tried the next month had I not got pregnant the month we did, so it all works out for a reason.

devildolly5

Aaah! Just wrote a long post and lost it. !!!!!!!

In short then, Christmas shopping 90% done and wrapped. Phew.

Stuff for the hospital bag all ready for OH to pack next week. What sizes and how many of each type of baby grow are you all taking. So many conflicting answers I have no idea.

Is it standard that you get a breakdown of your maternity pay. I waiting for HR to get back to me for a few queries (including this one), but its getting close to when I will be leaving now.

12 hour shifts sound horrible Laura-hoggle.

Good to know re hypnobirthing Locky. I dont think I will be able to zone out 100%, but if it makes me calmer, then that has to be good.

Must get my freezer cook book out and think about filling the freezer up after Christmas.

Also, first Braxton-Hick yesterday. Unmistakeable. Getting real!!!!

snow_ball

No cot bumpers here either. And if I thought I had any chance of a normal labour I would be doing hypnobirthing/breathing exercises. A friend highly recommended it, said it really helped her cope with the pain and feel in control.

I was due to finish work on Monday, but work kindly let me leave yesterday instead so I am now officially on leave! 2 weeks hols before mat leave kicks in, though that may be earlier than 2 weeks if my consultant decides to deliver by 37 weeks. My section is provisionally booked for next Friday :eek: But think we all want to get to the following week if they are happy baby is getting everything he needs from me. All depends on next week's scans.

It's our first wedding anniversary this weekend so we have some lovely couple time organised, perfectly timed since it's going to be our last chance for quite some time I imagine!

Hope you ladies are all well today, happy Friday!! xx

snow_ball

Devildolly, I asked for a breakdown and they wouldn't give me one, think they were concerned they couldn't be 100% accurate and then I'd have some comeback?!

I've made an attempt at a monthly budget/forecast myself using approximate figures, it will be a struggle cos I'm on a good wage and am having to rely on SMP with savings top up but if I've calculated correctly (fingers crossed) we should manage ok.

I've done most of my Xmas shopping (all online!), but still have stuff for DHs family to sort, thankfully we have small families!

snow_ball

If anyone is considering bottle feeding, the tommee tippee perfect prep machine in black is on a lightning deal today with Amazon, £54.99 but not long left I don't think

pigpen

snow_ball wrote: »

If anyone is considering bottle feeding, the tommee tippee perfect prep machine in black is on a lightning deal today with Amazon, £54.99 but not long left I don't think

there's a red one too

Diamond_Orchid

No, still waiting on results and phoned doctors after waiting on hold for 10 minutes only to be told to call back after 12 :mad::mad: Honestly they do my head in, the reception staff at my doctors. On such a power trip.
I have diarrhoea now and the pain gets worse at night, plus being Friday, I wanted an appointment today to get antibiotics. Really doubt I will get one now :mad:

We have no savings As Martin Lewis says in not so many words, no point saving when you have debts So once we have debts cleared we can hopefully save once I start work again. Might actually be able to afford a holiday then!

Got my bumper set today but they have sent me the corned rather than the crib. I will send it back for a refund, but keep the mobile as its cute.

My HR dept are rubbish and still have the wrong date down on my letter. They say I started maternity last Friday, when I worked that day.

Saffagal

I've requested a breakdown of my pay which I should get in the next few weeks as it comes from payroll, not HR, but have done my own calculations. The bit I find most tricky is calculating the deductions as tax and ni go down as the pay goes down.

I've done all our Christmas shopping and wrapped about half. All of it was done online as I hate shopping at the best of times and browsing with a 2 year old in tow is not my idea of "fun day". OH has a MASSIVE family but for the past 3 years we've done a secret santa so only bought for one of his siblings rather than all of them. Saves a small fortune! Still get for parents/nieces and nephew.

Laura, don't see any issue with you doing bank work whilst on AL so long as you feel up to it. I have done that few times - taken AL then done a bank shift as sometimes just needed to use up AL hours.

I have 12 days of work left - only 1 of which is a normal length day. After Tuesday all my days are short days; so will use those afternoons to wrap the remaining gifts and sort things whilst LO is safely busy in nursery.

snowball, hope that the scans show you're still supporting baby enough for baby to have another week "inside". Fingers crossed!

Rambosmum, we also caught sooner than planned. As it took me 18 months to have our daughter, definitely did not expect to catch and stick the first month we tried this time! For us it means I am having to cut her nursery hours as I'll be on SMP only before she is eligible for 3yr old funding and that is an unnecessary expense.

Diamond Orchid, hope that you get to speak to someone soon - perhaps they can offer a phone consutation? My surgery do them if they have no appts left and its urgent.

Hope everyone is having a good Friday x