12-24 weeks pregnant (part 4)

Bosscout

I've no idea when I want to go on maternity leave... luckily my firm is very small and my boss is so reliant on me I can sort of dictate whatever I want. (I'm hoping to go back in phases, so I won't be full time straight away, which I think he'll agree to) But I still have no idea what to even begin to plan for!

Great tips on getting comfy at night. It's my shoulder that goes to sleep!

afoolandhermoney

Lavender - that sucks that they took your space, especially as they knew you were pregnant (bad enough if had been a total stranger with no idea - even the lady who parked next to me in the supermarket before I got out last night, after I'd deliberately found a space with one next to it, got a glare for making it more difficult)

Bosscout - its so hard to know when to go on leave isn't it? I've spent months debating it but have finally committed to officially starting the week before my due date (cutting it fine I know) and using up my leave in the weeks before. If baby's early I'll have to start before then and carry my leave over to next year, but if baby's late I don't want to feel like I've "wasted" a load of maternity leave on sitting around waiting if you see what I mean.
Have you looked at the Shared Parental Leave scheme - we (well I) am thinking about it as by "sacrificing" some of my maternity leave I can then go back in short blocks between leave, making a return to work easier without needing to find childcare as early (hubby doesn't qualify for leave because he's self employed but as long as his earnings up to September meet the threshold it means I can qualify). Worth also looking at whether your boss would be happy for you to use Keeping In Touch days for a phased return (they don't have to be full days and you get up to 10 of them before your statutory maternity leave ends)

Toots14

With DD I started my maternity leave the day she was born. She was born 38+3 on a Sunday and I had planned my maternity leave to start the Monday so was perfect timing although I regret only having 1 week off work before she was born. (used holidays).


This time I plan to start maternity leave on 5th November with my due date being the 23rd November. I think with having DD who will be 2.5 years old by then, I will be knackered and I hate driving in the winter! I will be taking the whole year off again like last time although I won't be going back to work as 2 in nursery will cost more than my monthly wage! I will do my 10 Keep In Touch days throughout the year to allow my 2 colleagues in my department to take some holidays at the same time as they both have weddings the same week in July.

afoolandhermoney

Toots - don't blame you for starting a bit earlier to avoid some winter driving, and also with a toddler to run after (who was a bit early herself as you say). And using your KIT days to let your colleagues go to weddings is so nice of you.

I slept so much better last night too, especially as it was a bit cooler here too.

Bosscout

Thanks Toots and Afool! I think I might officially go for 1 or 2 weeks before the date... I'm planning on taking pretty much a year, I think. We've been saving up for all this!

Luckily my OH runs his own diary for work, so he can 'work from home' on days I go in when it's close to returning time, and even when I go back I'll probably go back part-time at first, and he can work from home those days - my boss is very flexible. Although I'm the only female employee, and in 30+ years he's never had to deal with maternity leave before! But with the paternity leave he's always told the guys that if they don't want 2 weeks in one block they're welcome to take the equivalent in whatever way they want - so, a week, and then a couple of days a week, or whatever suits them. So I'm sure he'll be fairly flexible with me, too. I'm paid by the minute, not salary, so it's easy to figure out what he owes me!

Had our 20wk scan today - Sproglet stayed true to form, and was completely unco-operative throughout. We got through 2 sonographers and a consultant, took an hour and 20mins, had a drink, had a wee, ran up and down the corridor, did star jumps...and all it did was get into a worse position than how we started! So I have to go back in 2 weeks - I don't mind at all though, I'm happy to see it again. Also made me late for the anaesthetist appointment, so spent over 3 hrs in the hospital today... But we did find out we're expecting a little boy. The only thing that was on show the whole time was his privates! I couldn't have avoided finding out if I'd wanted to, I don't think

afoolandhermoney

:rotfl: bosscout - you've got a little exhibitionist on your hands there! Mine was really "camera" shy and just kept curling up tighter every time the sonographer tried to get a better view.
was suffering from a probable water infection on Thursday, so on anitbiotics over the weekend, slept most of Friday, and having been out on Saturday am still completely drained despite sleeping most of yesterday too. Hoping Dr says I can stop the antibiotics today as they've been giving me a really bad headache

Bosscout

Oh no, I hope you feel better soon Afoolandhermoney! That's all you need on top of being preggo and the warmer weather.

As much as I'll enjoy seeing him again for another scan I hope he behaves! We go on holiday at 5am the next morning...don't want to be worrying about anything. It is absolutely amazing what they can see on the scans though. Hard to remember when their heart is up on a huge monitor just how tiny it really is.

afoolandhermoney

thanks Bosscout, been getting a little more sleep and symptoms clearing up so feeling better today. Brief worry earlier on as I'd not felt baby move yet (it normally starts wriggling after breakfast) but its having a good shuffle about now - clearly just fancied a "lie-in" today. Fingers crossed for your scan, I'm sure it'll all be ok. I've been using the Ovia app and wish I'd got a screen shot of the first time it showed how tiny baby's hands a feet were - they are still diddy (about the size of the tip of my thumb) but growing so fast each week!

LavenderBee

Sorry, I'm interrupting again - if you download the Bounty app there is a gadget on there which shows you how big baby's feet (probably) are each week.

(I'm just shy of 40 weeks now so they take up most of the phone screen :eek: I always thought on the scans that they looked disproportionately big compared to the rest of them, and judging by the size of them when they stick out the side of my tummy I do wonder if I've got a little clown in there!)

Bosscout

I have the Ovia app too! Sproglet is the size of an axolotl... And what an excellent tip, I've just screenshotted the hands and feet

I'm just having a lie down myself, trying to get some movement going. I can't really feel it when I'm up and about yet, and last night he was surprisingly quiet. Probably just facing my back again.

Lavenderbee - interrupt away! And good luck, 40 weeks seems a very long way away and frighteningly close, all at once...