First Time Mom's - Due March/April 2013

[doggylover]

Oh ladies I am sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling so good over the last day or so.

Brittany I really hope this is not going to last and your ms makes itself scarce again. But just over a week until your scan! Concentrate on finding out what that little bean making you feel so awful is!! Also love that owl print, very adorable! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Lauren sorry to hear you're feeling crappy too. Hopefully the migraine disappears overnight and you are back to full strength tomorrow. Gutted that you couldn't even enjoy your day off, or see fireworks tonight. I imagine the noise of that would be horrible for you.

And Lindsey, that pain sounds horrific! But as long as you are feeling ok today, then I guess as you said it was just round ligament. Maybe it was just all the extra nibbles you had making themselves felt?! I eat all the time too...even when I'm not hungry. A whole pack of cookies yesterday. And I'm not even ashamed...ok maybe a little!

I can't wait for all the scans coming up! I'm looking forward to finding out who you ladies have in there!

Afm, a quick meeting with my headmaster today about my maternity leave. He seemed surprised I will only go two weeks before the birth, but tbh we need the money up until then as my job isn't certain to be there after August. I'm guaranteed maternity pay until December, but its not very much. Plus I want as much time after the birth with baby as possible in case I do get my job again next year. He asked me if I would be back in September if my job is renewed. Baby wouldn't even be 5 months!!! I don't think so!!

What are you ladies thinking in terms of maternity leave?

 

[Cherrybump]

i think for those dry skin on boobs you might need to get some nipple cream lol.

i was hoping to go on maternity leave start of march to give myself a month to prepare. but im not sure now as money is so tight. im hoping to take a year off but if money is so bad might go back bit sooner not that i wanna go bk at all lol wanna enjoy all my time with baby firsyxxx


hope you ladies feel better

 

[MrsHippo]

Well I have felt better today. Thank god!! After I sent my message yesterday my sickness became really bad... I would try and eat something and it would come back up while I was in the middle of eating managed to eat something this evening though, my stomach must have just been irritated :/

As for maternity, I am planning on leaving in first week of march (taking annual leave for a month then mat leave starts in April). I also wanted to give myself a month to get things ready ect.... Hopefully I will be in my new house by then!! *fingers and toes crossed*. I am planning on having a year off then should go back to work part time but it depends on cost of child care ect as it can be so expensive can't it??!! So I'd need to work out how much income and outcome will be then go from there.

Is anyone else starting to get excited about Christmas?? I am - booked the 3rd December off work and im going Xmas shopping with my sister. Really looking forward to it... Ooo and tree shopping. I am also excited about future Christmases when mini me will be here to enjoy it with us ) xx

 

[doggylover]

We aren't having a Christmas tree this year... My dh is from England so it's England's turn to have us for Christmas. We are heading to my in laws for a week over Christmas, and since we get a real tree and only put it up a week or ten days before christmas, we have decided there is no point this year as it'll only be up for a week, and with nobody to water it it will be dead when we get back. So...no tree. We'll put the other decorations up though.

But this will also be my first Christmas away from my family, AND I'm pregnant so I'm pretty sure I'll cry! It's fair as dh spent last Christmas here with my family...but I don't care! I want to be selfish and stay here!!

Lauren going part time would be great! you are very lucky! I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for part time teaching jobs, but there are so few jobs about I doubt it and I work an hour from where we live which sucks.

 

[MrsHippo]

Aww that's a shame about not spending it with your family. I have it quite good really as we have always spent it with my family. Adam's mum normally works Christmas day so he is happy to join me I'd be heart broken if I had to spend it with his family... I get along with them all and enjoy their company but they just arent like me and don't celebrate Xmas like my family do.

I'm sure you'll have a nice time though. I assume his family are still over here in the UK?

As for part time work, we will definitely notice the fall in pay but both me and Adam would prefer me to be at home as we aren't happy about putting our baby in to nursery at such a young age. I guess we will just have to adapt to the new income

 

[doggylover]

You will definitely adapt, and probably wonder what you did with all the money beforehand! (Maybe not!) Plus if you had to pay for nursery etc it would probably be equivalent to what you will lose out on by working part time, so definitely the better option. Luckily, we have the daycare centre of granny and grandad to rely on. They've already split the week up between them!!

I love Simons family, but like you they are very different to me and my family, and celebrate very differently (eg they get up at 7am...for a walk on the beach. E get up at 9am to rip presents open ) but it has to be done, and I'm sure I'll enjoy the different slant on Christmas.

 

[MrsHippo]

Aww I'm sure you'll have a lovely time when I've spent Xmas morning with Adam and his mum (when I lived there) we got up late... Well I was awake at the crack of dorn.. Then I got all excited about opening presents and my family have always taken it in turns to open a present so we can see what each other had... But they don't do it like that. About 10 minutes from being up I ended up running to the toilet crying my eyes out!! I don't want another Christmas like that.

Some exciting news - I think I just felt full on movements!! Not flutters!!! Is it too early for that?? It felt as what I can only describe as little kicks. It totally caught my attention and I ended up pulling up my top and staring at my stomach!! I felt it about four times but the last one seemed quite powerful!! I tried poking that area to see if I could feel it again but nothing happened. I felt a couple of things yesterday and the day before but nothing this strong. I feel all strange now lol...

 

[linzylou]

That's so exciting, Lauren!!! I definitely don't think it's too early for kicks and punches! My baby stops moving when I poke her, too - she seems to know that she has an audience. Stubborn little girl!

I'm getting excited for Christmas. Both of our families live close by so we'll probably do what we did last year - a Christmas Eve gift exchange and devotional with OH's family (his grandpa sings Silent Night at the church every year), Christmas morning by ourselves, lunch and presents at my family's, and dinner with his family. A busy day but it's nice to share the holiday with everyone. I think next Christmas will be even more fun with our LO!

 

[I Love Lucy]

My MS has still been lingering but it's been improving so I'm not stuck with 24/7 nausea like I was before. Hopefully it's gone by this weekend since DH and I have Thanksgiving with the in-laws. We usually celebrate with the in-laws a week or two early since it works out better for everyone.

I'm also looking forward to Christmas. December is such a fun month since I have my birthday on the 21st and then DH and I have our New Year's party to look forward to. I'm a little disappointed I won't be able to drink with everyone but I do think it'll be funny watching everyone else getting drunk and being silly.

MrsHippo, I've started noticing more movements too that definitely felt more like kicks rather then flutters. They startle me sometimes since some of them are quite strong and definitely not expected. I still can't feel anything from the outside though but I keep trying. I can't wait for DH to be able to feel the movements too.

Tuesday DH and I find out if our baby is a he or a she. I'm trying not to think about it but it's so hard not getting a little impatient.

 

[doggylover]

Oh ladies I am jealous, my movements seem to be decreasing if anything! Lovely strong ones must feel great! Won't be long before all your oh can feel them too!

Brittany, glad to hear you are getting some relief from the Ms this time round.

Lindsey that is one super busy Christmas you have! But the best sort is with family, so I'm sure it's great!

Lauren, oh my family are like your oh's family - we all rip into the presents without a thought about everyone else lol!

 

[LiverpoolLass]

Oooh so close to gender scans now! How exciting! I can't wait to hear the news!

Brittany I have my next scan (the 20 week one) on Tuesday now too - I'm hoping they confirm its a boy as I've bought sooo many little outfits!!! lol!

Lauren - thats great about your movements!!!

I had been getting worried about movements as its been ages since I felt anything, but this morning I was laying in bed and I felt a sudden really strong *something* - sort of between my belly button and my pubic bone...is that the right place?! It felt like a very strong sudden "pop"!

Then for the rest of the day I've kept feeling little flutters and pops, but I'm not sure if its baby or not as I have a very upset tummy....sorry TMI!!

I'm feeling soooo tired and run down today Just can't be bothered with anything, and we only have 10 days until we move to Liverpool so there is SO much packing to do! :/

I have my baby shower on Sunday too - I'm really excited about it but its more to do!

 

[Laura91]

Hi ladies

Re: Maternity Leave..
I'm taking statutory maternity leave from 5/3/13 - 29/8/13, then additional maternity leave till 28/11/13 (until maternity pay runs out ), then my accrued holidays till 26/12/13 then 6 days unpaid which means i'll return to work on 6/1/14 - So overall will have 10 months off

Re: Christmas..
We're spending xmas eve at OH's dads house, probably stay over. Xmas day with my family, we all go over to my nanas - the whole family . Boxing day with OH's mum - sorted



My half way point bump!

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=510729&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1352368029https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=510731&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1352368034

And my reality check moment.. I didn’t think I’d grown that much overall…

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=510739&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1352368548

Ps. it's my scan tomorrow! x

 

[I Love Lucy]

Definitely the right place, Hayley. I believe when I was at the ob/gyn for my 15 week appointment she was telling me that my uterus will be just under my belly button for the 20 week appointment. 4 more days until our 20 week appointments! I can't wait to find out what I'm having and I really hope you can get the gender confirmed.

Laura, I'm so excited for your appointment tomorrow. Any feelings on what you're having? Your bump looks great too! I can definitely see a difference.

 

[Laura91]

Thanks Brittany I keep thinking it's a girl so i've been trying to imagine it being a boy too to even things up x

 

[I Love Lucy]

You and I are doing the same thing. Though every time I try to tell myself it's a boy I feel like I'm trying to convince myself of something false.

 

[Laura91]

I'm glad i'm not the only one I bet after all this it turns out i'm having a boy x

 

[MrsHippo]

Your bump is looking good I have grown more this week. I think I'll take a photo sometime next week and post it.

I defo think it is baby Hayley since my strong movements the other day my little bean hasn't stopped. I have felt movement all day today (only when sitting down though). It moves around too, I'll feel movement on my right side then a few hours later it will be the left. The strong ones I felt the other day were about 2/3cm under my belly button to the right slightly.

I am very excited about all these scans coming up mine is on the 19th and it still feels ages away

 

[linzylou]

You have such a cute bump, Laura! I love the 14/20 comparison pictures. I feel huge some days and other days I feel like I haven't grown that much. I'm so excited for your scan tomorrow! I'm gonna guess that it's a girl.

Brittany, I'm guessing girl for you too! Aside from a dream or two, I didn't really have any boy vibes about our baby, either.

Lauren, the 19th will be here before you know it! So exciting! That's so cool that your baby has been moving a lot more lately.

We bought our travel system, diapers, wipes, and another sleeper that OH picked out himself. I also got an exercise ball, a body pillow (a lifesaver!!), and two books - The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I've only started reading the first one but so far so good. I'm currently without health insurance so I'd like to pay for as little medical intervention as possible, among other reasons.

 

[MrsHippo]

Lindsey, I don't know too much about health insurance over there. What happens when you go in to labour without insurance, do you get an invoice or something? And what about when your LO is here? Do you have to take insurance out for them as soon as they are born?

I'm quite looking forward to buying all my bits like nappies, bedding, clothes ect will be going shopping with my mum in January so hope I still have money left over from Christmas lol x

 

[I Love Lucy]

Lindsey, I've had it in my head that the baby is a girl but then I'm trying to tell myself that gender predictor stuff probably influenced that and get used to the idea that I could be having a boy. I did have a dream recently about being told the baby was a girl but then my mom said something about the gender in my dream and suddenly I didn't know what I was having. I can't wait to know so I can start buying stuff.

I also think it's great that you're planning for a natural childbirth. I want to be as natural as possible with my baby, cloth diapers, breastfeeding/pumping, making my own baby food, etc. but I just can't do natural childbirth. I have no pain tolerance.

I forgot to say, my baby shower will be Feb 9th so I'll be shopping like crazy after that since then I'll have an idea of what I actually need.