Hellobee Boards

@Pepper: @rahlyrah: I haven't really thought about when to put the crib sheets on.... I guess I will put one on just so I can see the finished look and then I will take it off and wash it when the baby is ready to move into her room!

I'm going to do my washing when I'm off on maternity leave. Mind, I'm only having three weeks off before the baby is due so I may have to wash a few bits earlier in case she comes ahead of schedule!

@Pepper: Oh no!! That's awful!! We can go off on maternity leave any time after the 11th week before the baby is due - but bearing in mind that you still only get the same number of weeks of of pay/leave, most people choose to work right up until the date they are due to maximise time off after baby.

You are allowed to take up to to a year. BUT not all of that is paid. Government funded maternity pay for people who work is 90% of your wages (whatever that may be) for the first six weeks, then £135 per week statutory maternity pay for the next 33 weeks. The last 13 weeks are not paid at all.

My company, however, pays enhanced maternity pay which is full pay for the first 13 weeks, half pay for the next 13 weeks, then it goes down to the statutory £135pw for the next 13 weeks - and the last 13 weeks is unpaid.

I wont be able to afford to take the full year off because we need my income to pay the bills. I am hoping to be able to take about 8 months off - the 3 at full pay, the 3 at half pay and, if we can afford it, 2 of the statutory pay months.

@Cherrybee: That is awesome! Most companies in the U.S. only allow 6-8 weeks maternity leave (depending on whether you have a c-section or not). In most cases, you will never get full pay on maternity leave. We have to use a combination of vacation leave, sick leave, short-term disability, and/or unpaid leave. The amount of your salary covered by short-term disability varies from state to state.

Personally, I will be starting a new teaching career so I won't have any paid maternity leave. The timing worked out in my favor, because I will have 5-6 weeks between the baby's birth and when the school year starts (unless he is late).

I guess you don't have paid time off for all pregnancy related appointments including ante-natal classes guaranteed by the government either? I'm starting to feel guilty for moaning about how little full pay I get (it was 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay at my last company).

@rahlyrah: **hangs head in shame**

@Anagram: Yep

I assume that legally I would have the option to do FMLA as well. However, I don't have a job lined up yet (our districts don't usually start hiring until June-August after all the budget details have been hashed out) and I am terrified that I will be discriminated against if I say that I wouldn't be able to start the new year right away. I feel like I have no other choice but to go back early.

@Foodnerd81: That's hilarious! I guess there wasn't much else for people to do.

I actually found out I was pregnant during Hurricane Sandy.

@rahlyrah: @Cherrybee: I was also in northern NJ, in an area where a lot of people were without power and homebound, basically, but not in immediate danger. So perfect time to make a baby.

That's exciting you bought the baby furniture. I think I have the crib narrowed down and my mom has offered to give me a low dresser that I had growing up for the baby's dresser/changing table, so I'm hoping to finalize that this week and maybe buy a glider (given the long order time apparently!). I don't think being excited about a new set of drawers is sad at all! I was very excited to bring back my sister's car seat even though I obviously won't have anyone to put in it for a while!

So my friend who's also due in July texted me the other day saying Happy Third Trimester and I nearly fainted! It's here already!?!

How's everyone doing? I think my appointments start to become more frequent now-- I had just been going every 6 weeks.

Baby Girl is kicking like a champ. Some nights she keeps me awake! I went to acupuncture today so hopefully I'll get some goooood sleep tonight Take care, ladies!

@Cherrybee So cute! It's not sad at all! I used to do the same thing when I was pregnant with my first. Friends gave me a ton and a half of hand-me-down clothes and gear and I would spend so much time sorting folding clothes and imagining what a baby would be like. I think it's a process we go through during pregnancy so that when the baby arrives it's not a total shock! Your furniture is cute... Ikea, right? I have the same drawer organizers for my clothes

I wouldn't worry too much about movement. My son barely kicked and my SIL who was pregnant with her first the same time used to complain about hers kicking so much. At the time I thought she must just be exaggerating, but now I think it's just different with every kid. They really are born with personalities already.

Also, you might notice that when you are more physically active she moves less because the rocking puts her to sleep.

@glimmersnaps: Yay 3rd trimester! Her due date seems SO close now! My appts are 2 weeks apart now, which has been interesting trying to schedule around work I stopped having DH come, but I think starting 30-32 weeks I'll make him tag along again. Eek, less than 12 weeks to go!!!

@Cherrybee: Haha we have the SAME furniture, just in black!! I love it so far, the crib is so sturdy and the dresser looks great! We even have the drawer organizers, too, which have come in handy so far!

As for movement, I'm *just* now feeling her move on a regular basis, and by regular I mean more than 3 times a day. She actually makes my stomach move now, and I'm pretty sure she's been sideways (!!!) for the last few days, because I can feel her butt (or head, who knows) on one upper side and her feet on the other upper side kicking me! Eeek. I hope she starts rotating soon!

@Cherrybee it's called nesting, love! I totally did it last time but just don't have the energy now. I have urges to get rid of clutter and unused stuff, though. I don't know for sure about the kicking... My son wasn't a big kicker but he's a pretty active guy-- he's easygoing but was always way ahead in his gross motor skills.

@Bookworm wow 2 weeks apart! I get so annoyed every time I have to go. DH hasn't gone to any of my check ups this time around, but I'm going to start making him keep DS since he threw a monster fit at my last appointment.

Have you all scheduled your birthing classes and booked a doula? How's the time to start thinking about the not-so-fun part lol

Also you may be having a test for Group B Strep coming up. At my mw practice they let us do our own vaginal swab but I think most places they would do it themselves. I've heard that eating lots of garlic and drinking cranberry juice can help clear things out and help you not test positive. Not sure if it is true, but hey it can't hurt!! (If you test positive then it's likely you will need to have antibiotics during labor and at some practices you might be on like a 24 hour clock once your water breaks. It depends so just ask about what interventions are necessary if you test positive.)

@glimmersnaps: No doula here, unfortunately :[ It ended up not being in our budget. I'm still on the fence whether or not I'm going to take a childbirth class. The only one that fits our schedule is unfortunately not until late June, like the 28th or something....and I don't know if that's cutting it too close! I know my SIL told me that she didn't find hers too useful, but I also know she didn't want to attempt a natural birth, sooo I dunno!

I think I'm going to wait to sign up until late May, when I have a better idea of whether the doctor thinks I will need a c-section or not. She's already measuring so big, and with DH's family history of 10lb+ babies....I'm not optimistic

Hello ladies! I feel so far behind you all on the nursery-- we finally picked out a crib, and we are getting my old dresser from my parents' house, so the furniture is decided upon but not there yet. I have been picking out sheets and such online but haven't ordered anything yet, and we still have boxes that we haven't unpacked yet in the nursery.

We have booked our childbirth class-- they have a specific one at our hospital, Preparing for Childbirth with a Midwife, that I knew I wanted to take (since midwives aren't necessarily the standard here), so that's mid June. I haven't totally decided about infant care, first aid/CPR, and breastfeeding classes. All are offered somewhat frequently, but the one infant care one that I'd most want to take is only offered once, the day after the childbirth one. Might be information overload. No doula for us-- I thought about it, but I really didn't feel strongly one way or the other, neither did DH, and since we are already having a midwife assisted birth in a birthing center (within a hospital) I'm not that worried about needing an advocate for natural birthing preferences, if that long sentence makes sense.

I have the GD test at my next appt so I'm hoping it goes well. I don't think I have any risk factors or symptoms, but what do I know??

That's about it over here. I'm feeling really over work and it's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning. I feel like I'm awake so much during the night-- not necessarily uncomfortable, just not sleeping. It's so annoying!

@Bookworm: I am just surprised this no sleep thing is starting so early-- I'm not that big yet, no heartburn really, and we just bought the most comfortable bed in the world. Yet, there I am, up every hour like you. I guess our bodies are prepping to get used to being up at all hours? I'd say I wish I could nap through out the day now, as if that will be realistic when LO gets here

also...about the GD test. My doctor had basically told me I was definitely going to be a high risk for GD, just because I've gained a lot of weight (it doesn't run in my family at all), and so I was verrry nervous about the test.

I took it last week, and the doctor told me anything over 130 would mean I'd have to take the longer 3-hour test. I was a 79!

That's when I decided that doctor can suck it!

@glimmersnaps: I read the book (months ago now!) and, well, it seemed pretty common sense to me - although I never would have thought of it myself! There were a lot of relaxation techniques and visualisations which you are meant to practice beforehand. I couldn't practice the techniques at home on my own, though - I'd find myself rushing through them or getting distracted. I think I would need to attend a class to get the benefit of the techniques - but the concept was pretty good, trying to relax through contractions. I might try to read the book again now it's getting a little closer!

@glimmersnaps: Hmm... good point. I'll check with the midwife at my next appt.

@Bookworm: Yes, but not so much for the money part of it (not that that's not an issue too!) but just when am I going to do all this stuff, when should I order this or that, etc. We are really lucky in that we have received a lot of hand me downs (of things that I want/need!) so I remind myself of that when the money stresses me out. But DH has a really big exam he is preparing for on June 1 and really can't devote much time or thought to anything baby related until then, then I know he is going to need a little down time to unwind before jumping full on into planning stuff, so I'm kind of doing a lot of it on my own. For some things, it's a bit annoying but at least I get what I want since I'm deciding-- like, I picked out a crib and he said, sure. For other things, it's fine because really, doesn't matter which diaper pail we get or whatever. But there are just a few things that I really do need his opinion or help with and it's frustrating that he can't just focus on the few things I need him for with this stuff.... so, I guess I just went on my own tangent instead of answering your question, but the short answer is yes, I'm stressing a little about everything to buy too

@Foodnerd81: Eek, that is hard! DH has been having a heckuva time at work lately and has been pretty meh about the baby stuff because he's so stressed, so I feel ya. It's rough!

@Cherrybee: Ah, the maternity leave savings. Yep, stressful city. We could definitely buy all the baby stuff we needed if I tapped into that fund, but I already have to cover 3 weeks unpaid and it looks like I'm going back to work at 8 weeks instead of 10. Same deal here, car needed brakes, my dad is getting married in Vegas so we have to save for that trip, etc. Life should really have a pause button when you get pregnant so we have better chances to save our moola!!