Mid-May buddies!

[arturia]

Gratz to all those who had their 20 week scans and found the sex!

I've had an OK Christmas season. Had a week off work. MIL embarrassed all her kids by telling us it would be a 'no present' Christmas and then buying her kids tons of gifts. Now we're all embarrassed we didn't get her anything. Because, you know, she told us not to. Liar.

I have another UTI. Blood was involved but luckily just last night. When I looked that up it turns out it was only an emerg if I had a fever/chills too, though it still indicates I need to start treatment ASAP. Unfortunately the OB/gyn nurse is out today so I had to go to a walk-in to give my pee. Thankfully the walk-in has a fast track system for issues like UTIs since no matter what you tell the doc, he/she's just going to say 'pee in a cup and we'll dip this stick in and it'll tell us if you have a UTI.' and if pos, just write up a prescription based on a Q/A, so a nurse can do it.

 

[SonnyH]

Oh no, sorry about the UTI Arturia they are so uncomfortable! Hope the antibio's kick in really quickly for you!

My tooth pain turned out to be an infected abscess in my gum. It was dreadful. I had to have it drained which hurt like nothing I've ever experienced (some preparation for labour I guess) and then I've been on antibiotics for a week. What a joy. Then the dentist told me to use Corsydl mouthwash and I had an allergic reaction to it and my tongue swelled up! Thankfully, I now seem to be recovered just in time to go back to work..! Woo!

When is everyone planning on going on Mat Leave? I imagine it's very different around the world!

 

[arturia]

I'm planning to take off for Easter Weekend. My birthday is right around then. Also, I'll be term right around then. This is of course barring any health issues coming up or going into labor early.

I don't really want to have much risk of going into labor at work, and I'd prefer to spend as much of my leave off with the baby as possible, in particular since it'll be challenging to make ends meet. I currently make more than dh (I'm crossing my fingers hard that that changes if and when he ever gets the promotion promised so long ago) so we'll lose around half my income. It's not going to be pretty for the budget, especially since we just bought a house last year.

At least we don't live in the US. If we did, I'd be heading back to work probably almost immediately. As it stands, it remains to be seen how long our budget can carry the loss of half my income. Well, roughly. Numbers wise it's less bad than it looks due to the effects of tax brackets and fewer deductions.

 

[amanda1235]

Sonny, so sorry to hear about the abscess and allergic reaction! That does NOT sound like fun.

Ugh, Arturia uti's are the worst!! Hope it clears up fast.

I'm a kindergarten teacher, so I've already been put off work on a preventative leave. That last until a month before my due date, so officially my mat leave starts on April 14th. Then I get 50 weeks paid. I'm also happy I'm not in the US as my cousins got between 3-6 weeks.

 

[lanet]

Sorry about the uti and tooth problems!
I'm self employed in the US, I plan on trying to work until I go into labor, I currently only work 12 hours a week. But I am on my feet so I'll see how that last month goes. I plan on taking off 8 weeks with the baby.
Is anyone else experiencing total loss of appetite? Nothing sounds good although the nausea is mostly gone.

 

[amanda1235]

Lancet, I am!! I get hungry but food is gross. Lol. Things are slowly starting to become more interesting.....kind of

 

[SonnyH]

Wow, I didn't realise the US had so little mat leave :-/ I guess I should count myself very lucky in the UK and with my current employer. I get 6 months full pay, 3 months statutory. Plus I have 29 days of annual leave and 7 bank holidays to take before I go off.. so I'm very lucky I think!

I'm planning on finishing on 31st March, taking April and the first week in May as annual leave and starting my Mat Leave pretty much up to my due date in May. I'll be taking a year off thanks to my very kind employer giving me a good maternity package! All being well of course. Baby will probably have other ideas!

First day back today was a stressful as anticipated.. clients are so grumpy in January I mean no-one likes it after Christmas but don't take it out on me! Is it too early to start the countdown?!

 

[maryp0ppins]

I am starting the countdown already Sonny! DH keeps telling me only a few months to go.
I only have SMP so not sure how long I will be off for but at least 6 months.

 

[Mississippi03]

Expectng baby boy #2!

Ive for sure started the countdown..but working until a week before im due. Four months left lol

I get a full year off. We get employment insurance from the government for that year, employer has to hold our job.. And we get paid hmm 55% up to a maximum.. But is only equal to about 40% of my income. Oh well.. Greatful we get the time off regardless. Just pinching pennies in the meantime.

 

[Dannypop]

Sonny and Art how bloody awful!! There is nothing worse than being sick or in pain when pregnant. Not only are your drug options limited but you worry about your baby not just your own body that has been going through no amount of hell for the past few months of pregnancy. Glad you are both feeling better.

Wow some of you have it made with maternity leave. We get 3 months leave on about 60% salary. I am a freelancer so I work whenever I have work! But it is from home and I have a nanny to look after the kids so it really is quite a great setup.

Won't be turning down anything I get as my regular monthly magazine is no longer using me from February due to financial problems their side. For that job I go in to the office a few weeks a month but whenever it suits me. So it is very flexible. My editor is furious and has been fighting for me. October was supposed to be my last month and he managed to "buy" me a few more months till Feb. If they still keep me after baby is born I will probably do what I did when DS2 was born and take 2 months off. But then I get zero salary.

 

[MissDoc]

I won't be taking maternity leave until I go into labor. Then I'll have 12 weeks off, and only 6 of those are paid with a mixture of PTO and short term disability. Pretty crappy. Since I work in a children's hospital you'd really think it would be better!

I'm so sorry to you ladies who've been sick! Abcess, UTIs, ick! I've had a nasty nasty cold that made it so hard to breathe at night for awhile. I'm starting to see the light... I can at least breathe for the most part! And I have the most severe awful constipation. Colace, fiber gummies, exercise, and prunes aren't doing anything. Doc told me to do a fleet enema and up the colace daily and consider doing milk of magnesia as a last resort. Like, TMI, but I'm so backed up it hurts to eat at all. And bending and moving and even deep breaths make my abdomen really uncomfortable. Not fun! I may break down and use the milk of magnesia.

 

[SonnyH]

Oh no Miss Doc I'm a life long constipation sufferer, I really feel your pain! It can be absolutely awful!

I have Laxido on repeat prescription which I take fairly regularly, it tends to work quite well for me and is safe in pregnancy. But I ran out in the first trimester and couldn't get a doc appointment for a week or so and honestly found milk of magnesia very helpful! It took a couple doses to get things moving but it worked well (and not too well ha!). I've used it a couple times since as well on top of Laxido when it's been particularly rough going! Some people report milk of magnesia as a 'make sure you are near a toilet' after a dose but I've never found that personally. It just makes me have a regular BM!

I hope it gets sorted for you soon, not pleasant at all!

 

[beccabonny]

amanda, welcome to team pink! Any pink names picked out yet?

This is the year!

Ninja, bump looking adorable!

Danny, the beach sounds amazing.

Art, sorry about the UTI, hope it heals up quickly. And why do people do that no gifts then buy gifts thing?? I figure why feel bad when they said not to...but easier said than done.

Sonny, an abscess, oh no, they are the worst! They really do hurt like nothing else. Glad you're recovering! I'm not sure when I'll be taking off for mat leave. Part of me wants to work up to the EDD, but it might be smarter to be home, so I guess I'll see what the doctors think! They will probably just say wait and see. And Art's right, it stinks here in most states in the US for mat leave...I'll probably be taking 8 weeks off total and will be losing about 3/4 of my income (short-term disability only pays up to a certain amount a week). They will pay based on whatever the doctors say I need off, medically, I think up to 12 weeks, but usually six for a natural birth. At least it's something, though! Before we try again I'm definitely getting a supplemental disability policy that covers maternity leave! It's not that big a deal, though, as OH should have crazy overtime by then, but I'd prefer him to be able to be home and bond with baby...

MissDoc, sorry to hear about your nasty cold and constipation! I hope things loosen up soon.

 

[Dannypop]

Oh constipation is too horrid!! I have been suffering on and off and I hate pushing because it feels like there is already so much pressure on my vag from my uterus and I just imagine pushing baby out! Which is the most ridiculous thing but it still freaks me out!

But nothing compares to that first post-partum poo. I honestly had to use every skill I had learnt in the delivery room to bear down and get it out! I was TMI sweating and having to pant etc. Awful. Think it was the anesthetic from the epidural that clogged me up. Nice!

 

[JenzyKY]

Last time I worked until a few days before I had Henry. In the US, leave is so short, I would rather be tortured at work than go back any earlier. It is horrible to go back so quickly. Most everywhere else has it way better.

I hope everyone who isn't feeling good, gets better soon!

Anyone else really uncomfortable lately? I don't remember being so uncomfortable this early last time.

 

[beccabonny]

I just have this weird annoying mid-back pain that feels like I worked out too much, but I haven't

 

[maryp0ppins]

I am going off at 36 weeks.
In the UK we can legally take 12 months off, the last 4 are unpaid.
We also have the right to come back to our job after mat leave.

I've started to get heartburn in the evenings,its horrible!

 

[Dannypop]

Yes Jenz it really does get harder with the second pregnancy. So don't feel bad if you need to moan and sulk! I found with DS2 by 5 months I was so so so sore on my sides, they felt like the muscle was stretching right off me. And then my pelvis started to ache whenever I made certain movements.

I don't know if it will be coming in a few weeks but so far I don't have the sore sides yet, however the good old pelvis is moaning. Feels like it is bruised.

I reckon if you are feeling strong enough and you live in a country where maternity leave is only a few months then try work right up till 39 weeks so that you can have as much time with baby as possible. If you have other kids that week to yourself doesn't really apply as much, as the hamster-wheel keeps you running, but if this is your first, a week is long enough to take the time out to indulge in yourself before you become a mommy

 

[JenzyKY]

6-8 weeks is the norm around here to get off with 12 weeks allowed by FMLA. Your company doesn't have to pay anything. 6 weeks is considered normal and not a bad thing here . If you don't work til the last minute, you get no time off basically.

I just feel really stretched already. Like I could pop lol.

 

[SonnyH]

Yes! I'm mega uncomfortable! I thought maybe I was being a really pathetic as I'm really not that big at all! But my mid and upper back has been so blooming sore this week, radiating round to my ribs weirdly! Ive really struggled to sleep which is annoying - I'm so tired! Guessing everything is just stretching out .. Keep thinking it doesn't bode well as I'm only going to get bigger! I bought a triangle pregnancy pillow to sleep with to see if that helps!

MaryP- I've been on Zantac for a while now for heartburn. It's pants. I was waking up choking. Blah. Zantac stops that thankgod but doesn't take the heartburn away by any means! Rennie is my friend. I get through boxes of them a week!

You guys in the US have it tough with MatLeave. You have my respect for you working right up! I didnt realise it was so little for you Although I knew annual leave was low compared to the UK. My company is American owned and I have colleagues in the US who can never believe how much annual leave we get!