Due February 2016

Morning Ladies! Hoping everyone is doing well.

@STK - as with you, I am also back at work today, our office is still a bit quiet with most people only returning to work on the 11th. So I guess we have another week of enjoying the quiet and non-traffic before all the hecticness starts again

As for your UIF stuff, you are only allowed to submit it once your maternity leave has started unfortunately. I am going to try the online route this time round. Apparently it goes very well if you just sit on them and make sure they have all the documents and follow up regularly. I think that will be a bit easier than going to their offices again. My first experience with that was not exactly a pleasant one! If however you are more comfortable going in there, I went to the office in Randburg (its close to the Randburg municipality which is on the cnr of Jan Smuts and Braam Fischer), this was in 2014 though, so things might have changed and they **might** have gotten more efficient, but going by all the other government agencies I dont really put much hope in that. At that time everyone said the office in town was great, but they had closed it a while before I submitted doc's (for whatever reason) so I could not go there, plus the one in Randburg was a little more convenient. Not sure if that one has re-opened since.

Anyway, I need to get back to the grindstone, hope everyone is keeping well otherwise

Morning Ladies!!

Happy new year to you all!

Its back to work for me today as well - really not in the mood for work.
But on a happier note my Maternity leave starts in exactly 4 weeks from tomorrow... cant wait! I'm also having mixed feelings about it - its scary and exciting at the same time - cant believe the time to meet our little man is almost here!

I still need to wash all his clothes etc., and we are still waiting for our Compactum - My brother in law is refurnishing it for us and painting it the same shade of white as our cot. Hopefully we can get it soon.
I've starting getting all my UIF paperwork together, just need my gynae & bank to sign a couple forms and waiting for HR to complete 2 forms (hopefully I can get that this week as well). Do you guys know when is the best time to go to the UIF offices - before you're on maternity leave or only once you on maternity leave?

The one thing I was really not looking forward to is the stretch marks. I don't have any additional ones (yet) on my hips or tummy - but I think its just imminent.

I've had a couple nights where I also just cant seem to find a comfortable sleeping position, to the point where it had me in tears. But, hubby (bless him) came to the rescue - for some reason as soon as he just held me very tight I was able to settle down.

Happy New Year everyone!!

We took it really easy this New Years, and must admit New Years Eve kinda felt like a non-event since I have my sights set on Feb for the big event

@tumi34, hang in there!

@BabyT - think 'bad-ass tiger stripes'
My high-school-days stretchmarks on my hips have started to lengthen slightly - extending with red edges from the old silver lines towards my stomach, but I suppose I'm grateful the stretchmarks I've had for the past 15 years are getting longer vs new ones appearing. I've gotten a few big ones on the undersides of my breasts which are quite distressing, but figure none's going to see them anyway except for hubby. I'm most scared of those stripes some (seems most) people get over their belly button

It's been a busy week. We had family over for a few days over Christmas, painted the baby room, packed my bag (mostly) and still trying to get the house in order since we moved everything that was in the baby room into various other rooms (in Nov already). I literally can't spend more than 20min on my feet at a time or they feel like they've been hit with a hammer so everything is happening at a snail's pace. Hubby is also working right through, though at home, so I'm having to do most of the organising myself. Sore feet the size of butternuts + nesting instincts kicking in makes for a bad combo. And then the heat!! Have just about been dying...
Must admit since realising I'm not alone in the pain department I've been managing a little better - makes it less scary - but I still complain a lot

Hello Ladies,

Hoping everyone is doing well. Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy New Year! What an exciting year awaits us all! If you have something exciting planned for tonight, hope you have heaps of fun, and if you are just planning a quiet night in, hope you enjoy that one as well, this will be your last year as a (in most of your cases) 2-some

Will talk to everyone again in the New Year (still sounds odd!!)

Hi Tumi, when you say your tummy looks abnormal - is that just due to the low position baby is in or is it something else?

I must say that I am suffering a little as well, I have my first stretch mark, which I am not happy about, but I guess its part of the package....

Went to the doctor today and madame is weighing in at 1.9kgs... But she is healthy and in the right position for birth - which means lots of extra toilet breaks for me as well!!!

Must say I dont really battle to sleep yet and I only wake up about once a night to use the bathroom.

On a crap note though - my leave is over and I am back at work today, which is just awful as hubby is still at home (working up a storm to try and finish baby's room by the weekend...).

So now its full steam ahead for me until maternity leave starts - but thats around the corner, which is great and scary all at the same time!!!

hi ladies...so glad im not the only one going through all these pains. last night I was watching tv and tried to put my feet up, I felt a sudden twitching and wretching pain on my lower left side of my tummy, it was horrible. I toss and turn at night, luckily the preggy pillow helps a bit, I get up and go pee then spend 30 minutes trying to get a comfy position, as soon I find one then I need to get up and go pee again. my tummy looks abnormal and it irritates me when people ask why im still at work like really!!! baby is lying very low and kicks my pelvis and bladder like nobody's business. I packed my hospital bag this last Saturday and it finally dawned me that in a few weeks baby will be here...

BabyT, I also happened to wash all Mia's clothes and blankets yesterday! Got a bee in my bonnet It's a good way to see what we we have - I have blankets for Africa! Very little clothes. Going to put the clothes in piles with string and a label with 3-6 months etc to make it easy to reach for the next pile when she's out grown a size.

Oh the irony, my first email this morning was from Discovery about 'week 32' and how pain may start to become an issue. And after reading your msg BabyT I suppose it's good to know I'm not alone!
Went to see the doc this morning and baby is 2 weeks ahead in growth now weighing about 2.3kg vs the average 1.7kg. No wonder I'm so bloody sore! He's recommended I see a physio and maybe get acupuncture to help with the pain. I'll try some massage too in the evenings, just to help my muscles relax before bed at least.