# Third Trimester - Pull up a chair



## Fallen Angel

Well, come on over ladies, pull up a comfy beanbag, I'm sure we can help each other up ;)

The tea's on, the chilled music is playing and we're heading towards giving birth and seeing our little diamonds enter the world :happydance::cloud9:

I'm excited and counting down already - so thought I'd start our own third trimester thread.

Come and share how are you feeling today :)


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## Kiki09

Am not quite there yet but can't wait to join you! :)


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## CatherineK

Not sure how chilled I can be right now, but I'll join the party! With full time work, school, a two year old, and a husband working opposite shifts, its more like rock music going on in my head


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## Fallen Angel

Sounds like you've certainly got your hands full Catherine - you need to pop in here to chill.

I'm a bit like that at the moment, working full time, running my own business and rennovating our house at the moment - hoping all the major key things are going to be finished in time for Banana's arrival - but trying not to stress - happy thoughs - :rofl:

Went for my GTT blood tests yesterday, have to call around lunchtime for the results, here's hoping they're all good :pray:

Starting to feel a little more tired again just now and hoping and praying it doesn't get quite as bad as first trimester as I've just got sooooo much to do! lol

Come on ladies, must be many more of you in third trimester!?


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## jcg0506

I'll be there in another week. Can you stockpile sleep? Because if you can, I think its what my body is trying to do.


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## CatherineK

I don't envy you and your house renovations! That's always stressful for me. 

I had my one hour glucose test today as well. I should get the results tomorrow. I hope I passes. I failed the one hour with my son, and had to take the three hour. A pain in the A$$! 
At 10 am tomorrow, I am off work for vacation until the 11th! I can't wait!
As for sleep, last pregnancy I could sleep 12 hours straight every night if I had the chance. This time I have insomnia, and am lucky to get a few hours a night...odd how its so different.


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## Fallen Angel

Not finding the renovations too stressful to be honest, I can just hear the clock ticking down to Banana's arrival every day and thinking, wow, are we going to be even nearly ready - my poor hubby is working so hard on it though.

Fingers crossed for your glucose test - are you in the UK? The reason I ask is that here in the UK they do a 2 hour one as standard. I got my results yesterday and all were normal :happydance:

Woohoo for your vacation too - are you going anywhere nice?

As for the insomnia - I can soooo relate to that, before being pregnant I could sleep anywhere at any time, not any more! lol

Hey JCG - see you in here for regular updates in a weeks time, but feel free to pop in now as you're almost there - how exciting?? :happydance::cloud9:


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## XKatX

Hi, I'm 36 and 32 weeks pregnant. I have my last day of work on Thursday!  I'm utterly shattered like the rest of you - working and a 2 year old!


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## CatherineK

Congrats on finishing up with work! I'm going to work until close to my due date with this one...to save up some extra so my husband cant take more time off. I'd like him to take a couple months off this time, too. He can take up to three months, he just only gets paid for two weeks.


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## Fallen Angel

Hey XKatX, congrats on finishing work, 8 weeks before due date too - bliss, absolute bliss, but a situation I can only dream of lol.

I'm the same as you Catherine, going to work until close to my due date as I can, to bring in a bit more £££ hubby and I both have our own businesses, so when we're off, we get no £££. I'll be happy if I can get hubby at home for 2 weeks solid when Banana comes - that'll do for starters :)


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## Kiki09

Well I can now join here as now in 3 Tri..woo hoo! 

I am the same re working right till birth as I have my own businesses and so no work = no pay, but I love what I do so can't complain!

How are you all feeling in 3rd Tri? I am hoping it whizzes by as I cannot wait to hold my long awaited for little man!


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## mrsaligee

Me too! am 27 weeks today!

I have less than 10 weeks left in work and although I enjoy what I do am looking forward to it. This time there will be maternity cover for me for six months. Eek! Will then do a better job than me?


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## Fallen Angel

Welcome (officially) MrsAligee and Kiki :)

I'm feeling pretty good in third tri, if it weren't for my hips and pelvic problems I'd say I'm feeling great :)

Hey Kiki - being a business woman yourself, can you help shed any light on this thread perchance? https://www.babyandbump.com/work-finance/669702-any-company-directors-uk-out-there.html


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## Kiki09

Hi, this is what I found, you might get Maternity Allowance (MA) if you:

are employed
are self-employed and pay Class 2 National Insurance (NI) contributions
have a Small Earnings Exception certificate
are not employed but have worked close to or during your pregnancy
The conditions are that you:

have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week your baby was due (a part week counts as a full week)
earned an average of £30 over any 13 of those 66 weeks
The standard rate of MA is £123.06 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings, whichever is less. MA is paid for up to 39 weeks; it is not liable to Income Tax or NI contributions.

If this does not apply then there is something called Employment and support allowance (SEA) instead.

I keep meaning to sort this out but as yet keep thinking I have ages to go lol but time is flying by so I best get on to this I think I will come under the SEA part, if any.

:)


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## Fallen Angel

Thanks Kiki, should be all sorted now though, got my accountant on the case yesterday and he has discovered that HMRC have told me the wrong information.

As a Director, I am entitled to SMP if paid as a salary (not dividends) over the minimum threshold, which I am, there is apparently no separate clause or payment terms for SMP for Directors, in fact, my accountant found from research that frequently, HMRC advise people in similar situation to apply for Maternity Allowance, but the JobCentre who run the Maternity Allowance say they don't qualify as they earn too much and they end up going back to HMRC and being sent round in circles.


As a small business (I think that quantifies if you pay less than £45k in NI per annum) HMRC will also pay your company the SMP in a lump sum, up from to the company, to fund the SMP plus 5%, so not all doom and gloom by the sounds of it.

For once in my life I feel like I'm actually getting something back from HMRC after 20 years of working full time and never having anything from them - feels quite good :D

I hope you have a good outcome also :)


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## Kiki09

I need to get my backside into gear! Will speak to my accountant later today, he is awesome, the best investment I ever made in taking my books to him! fingers crossed I will have a happy outcome too!

Being nosey, what business do you do? I have a recruitment agency and a professional dog training equiptment shop, we supply to MOD and Police etc, as well as deal with behavioural issues. Love it.


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## Fallen Angel

Yeah, we're lucky in that department, our account is equally fantastic. Always on top of HMRC changing legislation, tax issues, etc., etc.

Oooh, how interesting your businesses sound :)

I have a consultancy business and work on a contract basis with various clients setting up Project Management Offices. After baby comes I'm hoping to expand a bit into providing smaller businesses with satellite support.

Hubby has a plumbing business, but deals with lots of property management stuff such as painting and decorating and domestic electrical installations too.

I have a few buzzy ideas in my head which will hopefully mean once Banana's arrived, I can focus on setting these new business ventures up and spend a bit more time with Banana - that's the idea, but well, we'll see what happens eh? lol :)


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## Kiki09

Ooh pm's that is what I used to do lol do you supply pm contractors? I am looking for one to work for a client in Bristol but it's a perm position. 

I am the same re new ideas, my brain never seems to want to stop lol but at the same time I want to slow down and enjoy the little one as I have waited a long time for him!


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## Fallen Angel

Funny that, as I used to be a recruitment consultant back in 1999 - fancy that.

I don't supply contractors - at the moment - that's an area of expansion I'm looking to get into also. Bristol is only 30 miles from me, I'll have a think about contacts and friends I have though, may be one or two actively looking at the moment.

I know what you mean about slowing down, I've even considered finding a perm role after Banana is born, but realistically, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm too much of a control freak and get bored too easy :blush:


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## mrsaligee

Hi

Got excited yesterday that there were two people applying for my mat cover but apparently that is another post we have on the go. I really hope that they get someone in.

I feel like I could do with a holiday but need to keep some days back as I seem to have used so many this year with DD being kept back from nursery because she's ill. Just been down today as she had a high temp and am waiting to hear if it has come down. She was crying when I left.

Hope you're having a good day today, ladies


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## Fallen Angel

When are you planning finishing up Mrs Aligee? Do you need to wait till there's someone in your role? What do you do? Jeez, all the questions, sorry :blush:

Awww, your poor DD :( 

I'm grand today, although I thought it was Wednesday, losing the plot with my baby brain! lol 

My Banana appears to have a foot, leg, or something wedged under my rib and it's agony! But nice lol :cloud9:


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## Kiki09

Just wondered how everyone was doing? I think the weeks are flying by!


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## Fallen Angel

Hey Kiki

I'm doing grand thanks, or at least I would be if it wasn't for this silly pelvis of mine.

Struggling this week and in lots of pain and can't seem to get a physio apt either, grrr, just hoping it eases off, as it's been agony, but manageable all the way through, but this week I can barely walk.

Other than that, I'm grand, bump is growing and like you, I feel the weeks are flying by :)

Getting excited to meet our wee Banana in 8 weeks or so :)


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## Kiki09

:( that sounds painful, hope you manage to get a physio soon.. I am lucky I seem to be only suffering from major heartburn lol and lack of sleep as the little man thinks its party time when its my sleep time lol though I love it and know I will miss it..

I am like you, I cannot wait to meet him, 10 weeks time he will be in my arms! I am so excited, seems to be so real now! 

Hopefully going to get the nursery started on this weekend!


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## Fallen Angel

It is bloody sore hon, mixture of SPD and my old broken pelvis and then doing silly labour positions at antenatal class at the weekend, that I find out when I spoke to my physio yesterday that I shouldn't have been doing. :blush: :doh:

What's your due date again hon? You're just a week or so after me aren't you (I'm 18th Sept)

Nursery???? Sheesh, ours is still a store room whilst the rest of the house rennovations carry on, but we are getting there!! :blush: but can't start on the nursery really till we have ceilings downstairs lol.


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## Kiki09

At my ante natal classes the mw had the men doing the birthing positions :rofl: she said we have to do it for real and it is only fair they get to demonstrate them to us, it was v v funny to see and did actually give the men a bit of an understanding! 

My due date is 6/10 but they have me booked in for a C-section on the 29/9 due to my history etc although I was not overly happy at first I have now come to terms with it and I want what is best for the baby not for me... plus it means I know 100% come the 29/9 he will be here!


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## Fallen Angel

:rofl: that tickled me - I'd have loved to have seen their faces.

Which antenatal classes did you do Kiki? We're doing the NCT ones, as our NHS ones are at the most stupidist times.

She did get the men interacting well from a supporting role though, particularly with massage.

So, on 29/9 you meet your little man - wow.

Can I be nosey and ask why their giving you a c-section?

I'm hoping to gawd I get away with having a natural birth. I have a heart condition as well as a dodgy pelvis and at first they said, adamantly, it would be c-section. But at my last appointment, my obstetrician says she thinks she's happy for me to try a vaginal delivery, but that she'll make a definitive decision on our next apt at 35 weeks once she has the x-rays back from my old pelvic breaks.

She is referring me to the anaesthetist though, because there is the possibility if my heart goes wonky, that they'll give me a general to deliver the baby as there may not be enough time to administer an epidural for regular c-section.

I really don't want either of them, I'm determined to have my baby the right way - if I can.


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## Kiki09

I did the NHS ones as they were on a saturday morning which fitted in perfectly with work etc for both me and Steve..I found them really good, but then I know the mw, she is also a good friend of mine (we became friends when I lost my angel at 15 weeks) 

I will pm you the reasons re c section :)

I was the same as you initially but having been through what i have been through I am happy with their decision... I went to hell and back...


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## Fallen Angel

That's good you've got such a good mw hon.

Hey, don't feel obliged to tell me, I am just being nosey hunny, regardless, everything is going swell this time and I'm enjoying following your progress and getting excited for you :D


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## Kiki09

I dont mind sharing with you, just not keen on posting it on here as its not really a happy story and people dont need that... 

Same here, good that we are so close together, will be exciting as the time gets closer! do you know what you are having? or have you stayed team yellow?


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## Fallen Angel

Okay hon, totally understandable.

We're staying team yellow, but have been calling Banana 'him' since day dot as we hate 'it' bleurgh :(

Although, I actually think we're having a little girl now as I've been having girl dreams :) Not fussed either way to be honest, as long as our little Banana is healthy that's all that matters :)


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## Bambers

Hello lovely third tri ladies. x x Hope you don't mind me joining. :)

I am 32 weeks today and I am looking forward to really having this little bubs now and getting rid of the 24/7 acid indigestion and achey hips. 

Hope you are all having a great day.

Bams x x


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## Kiki09

:hi: Bambers, nice to see another 3rd Tri in here, we seem to have gone quiet lol,

I seem to be feeling very tired again, like in 1st Tri! hope this will not last as got too much I still need to get done!


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## Bambers

I think we have gone quiet because we are all too tired to type lol. Can't wait to get my own body back and get some energy but most of all I can't wait until I can have my first cuddle with bubs...I really can't wait to see her.

I hope all you third tri ladies are in fine fettle. x x


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## Fallen Angel

Hey Ladies

Think you're right, think most of us are too tired to type lol

I'm nearly 35 weeks though and for the last week I seem to have gained some energy back, might be because I'm actually managing to sleep for blocks of between 4-6 hours just now rather than the 1.5-2hours :) Feels great :)

How are you all doing?

I'm doing grand, at midwife yesterday Banana was 1/5th engaged and other than feeling like I have a spikey pinapple stuck in my punani :rofl: (sorry tmi) I feel fab :)

Like you Bambers, can't wait to meet Banana :) x


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