Oh my, can't believe you ladies have to work until the end. Do you have no choice in the matter? Granted I finished work at 39 weeks this time but it's nice to at least have the option to go earlier.

I only get 12 weeks leave, so I COULD go out right now if I wanted to, but then that would mean that much less time after she comes. So that's why we work until the end, so every bit of leave will be spent with the little one. It's brutal!

I was actually denied my short term disability due to my ivf procedures which makes me sick to my stomach, trying to fight it...but I would have gotten 6 months partial paid mat. leave

Ladies in the US - I have seen a couple of ladies refer to the short term disability pay, do you all qualify for this when pregnant?

Yes, Sonia. But it isn't that great. This is how it works where I work: I get 6 weeks STD, but really it's only 5 weeks because you have to use a week of sick time before that can kick in and it counts towards STD... So, once that 6 weeks runs out we either go back to work or we can use our other paid time off, like vacation, personal days, etc. Once all the paid time runs out then we can go unpaid until we reach the 12 week mark. So I think this time I will go unpaid for 3 weeks at the end. Then I come back to work in April with no vacation or personal time left and with only 5 days of sick time for the rest of the year.

The only way you can get more leave is if there is something wrong and your doctor will sign you out. For how long I've been at my company, I think I have 26 weeks of STD to use, but it has to be signed off on by the doctor. So if I had some major complication and needed to go out now, all that would be covered. Or if something happens during the birth or after, then I can be signed out for that, too. But obviously we don't want that to happen! So yeah...it really sucks!

Wow that does suck, I thought ours was bad! So you always have to go back after 12 weeks or be signed off?

Ours isn't great, we get 90% pay for the first 6 weeks and then £130 odd a week thereafter for a further 33 weeks I think. We can have up to one year off on that pay, and if that's the case have to take 13 weeks as unpaid. The conditions to return to work are more favourable if you return before or at 6 / 9 months, same job, same pay, same terms etc. if a full year then they can change your role etc.

Some companies have private mat schemes and some of my friends have full pay for six months. In my old job I would have got something similar to that but moved to where I am now where I just get the basic as above.

Wow you guys in the US get it tough! We get 14 weeks paid parental leave which works out at around $800 a fortnight, or your salary (whichever is lower), then depending on how long you've been in your job you can top that up unpaid to 28 or 54 weeks. My work tops up the parental leave to our full wage for the first 14 weeks too.

This baby is behaving bady, I'm puking again, had to start maternity leave early due to contractions any time I do anything, and am so over pregnancy! I am never doing this again!!!!! And don't get me started on the cervix kicks!!!

Hope everyone is going well! xxxx

sorry you are not feeling well iow :/

Hi ladies

Hope everyone is ok?

Well been to see my consultant and she palpated and wasn't sure so got a presentation scan. Had to wait ages for it and in the end she got inpatient with the sonographers so look me up to delivery suite and scanned me herself. Glad to say delivery suite was very quite! I thought oh god no screamers pls!

Well baby has turned, is nicely head down and engaged. I actually wonder if he was breech to start with as he said is heartbeat is in line with my naval which may have confused my midwife, but definitely down and engaged. She didn't think he would turn now!

She said they wouldn't book c section based on his size as at last scan was in average range, albeit at the top of the range. I'm pleased as means I can at least try naturally

Sonia that is awesome!! Such great news! And I'm glad your mw won't induce based on size. Your body is totally capable of birthing a 'larger' baby! Here in the US they induce for that reason all the time and 9 times out of 10 its an average sized baby lol. I am a very tiny person and had an 8 pounder with no problem. So don't stress! So glad you get to have a go at natural birth. It's amazing and even fun believe it or not ;-)