HDBD 9/27

mymulligan

{insert funny gif here}

Let's celebrate those ever growing, insomnia inducing, bumps! 

mymulligan

I wrote 32 weeks on the pic, but I am, in fact, only 30+6. I really thought I was already 32 weeks. Ha

DungeonTrollMel

@mymulligan I keep losing track too. I tell people time left until maternity leave and not due date and I have a feeling that will kick my butt near the end thinking I have a week instead of 2

NYTino24

32+4 - you can see the foot swelling near the ankles now.

kaitlinliz

cwalker042

31week 3 days in this picture taken yesterday. 

littlemissc17

31+5 I also have to lose track sometimes and have to check my apps to make sure 

MaximumEffort

33+2 

Abby7

@NYTino24 - are you kidding on the ankles? Mine looked like I was morbidly obese, no joke, last night.

@cwalker042 - cute nursery

Abby7

33w3d (it’s sheet day, ignore the mess)

elmich3

35 weeks today this is last week.. getting big! Eek! 

dragonfly87-2

32 weeks 

kdl89

33w 3 days 

rachelb51212

33 weeks 2 days. 

NYTino24

@Abby7 I have size 9-10 feet and I'm 5'4''. Here is maybe a better pic of how swollen my feet are.  Couldn't even come close to getting my foot in there.

littlemissc17

@NYTino24 Omg you poor thing! That looks awful. How do you manage on your feet teaching all day?

mymulligan

@NYTino24 I was thinking the same thing as @littlemissc17! Where are your ankles?!?! I had it bad with DD but fortunately not too bad with this one yet. The only things that helps temporarily is to put them up. I find it's worse when I'm sitting with my feet on the ground v standing up. Are you swelling elsewhere?

kdl89

@NYTino24 ... your poor feet. I couldn't imaging being on my feet all day if they were that swollen. 

NYTino24

I'm actually sitting a lot at work because I have a student working at K level in 4th and he needs a lot of support. My other 28 students are pretty well behaved and to be honest, it's too crowded for me to walk around the room safely, so they come to me for help. Plus my Promethean Board pens aren't working / neither are my hands, so I type stuff that appears on the board. Lastly, I bought a cheap Target storage ottoman and I put my feet up a few times a day.

DungeonTrollMel

@NYTino24 are you going on leave before your EDD at all or with everything else going on just trying to make it as far as you can cook?

NYTino24

@DungeonTrollMel my due date is currently my last day of work. I only have 45 sick days and if I deliver after then, I can only get paid for 24 of them because of when his birthday falls. Contrary to popular belief, teachers don't get paid for days they don't work like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Our district/contract only allows us to take six weeks of paid maternity leave. All the rest is unpaid, except for the six weeks our state pays a portion of our salary.  However, you can use days before the child is born for medical leave and get paid for that. But since I'm AMA for my next pregnancy, I need to save some of my days since we can't wait too long in between kids.  I did also pay for short-term disability leave, so I need to contact them soon to find out about going out of work early. 

DungeonTrollMel

@NYTino24 let me know what you find out about that. I have paid for short term and was contemplating using it for before my due date since I don't want to cut into my PTO/EIB I have accrued to use for my mat leave 

NYTino24

@DungeonTrollMel mine is through Aflac and has a two week disqualification period, but I'd be getting paid by them and my district at the same time. Then the state kicks in after the district stops paying and runs concurrently with the STDI. Just have to see how long Aflac will pay. I've been told going on medical leave before birth gets you more money from them. I'll be checking.

cwalker042

I pay for STD and LTD. With mine there is a 1 week "waiting period" before you can collect. I can use my PTO and extended leave bank for that week. My STD allows me to start my leave up to 2 weeks before my due date without a medical reason. I'm contemplating doing that since I can only take the 6 weeks because I do not qualify for FMLA. It'll give me an additional 2 weeks off plus I'll be able to get some things done before baby arrives. 

MaximumEffort

@NYTino24 How are you getting Short term? I pay for it through work and it'll pay 50% but unsure how to qualify as maternity. I also have LTD that I pay in to, would be nice to use one of them.

dragonfly87-2

@MaximumEffort: It depends on the policy for STD. Some will count birth as part of a qualifying event, others don't. 
My STD has a 1 week elimination period and then pays 60% of compensation for 5 weeks (vaginal birth) or 6 weeks (c-section).

Long term disability usually requires a permanent or significant disability that prevents you from working for more than 12+ weeks and I have not heard of any policies covering maternity.

Your best bet is to ask your employer or call the company. Keep in mind, many policies require you file paperwork at least one month before your planned leave. Also, you cannot return to work during the benefit period or they will lower the wages. However, you can still use FMLA, paid vacation or sick leave concurrently with STD (for most companies).

MaximumEffort

I filed with the company for FMLA which is one month before the last scheduled day of work. I think my short term is with them as well. 

dragonfly87-2

@MaximumEffort Probably worth a follow up. FMLA is something your employer allows you to take (legally mandated or not) and has it's own paperwork that is handled internally. Most employers contract with a separate company to offer STD. So while you would turn in all of your paperwork to your employer's HR, they are likely two different sets of information. 

NYTino24

@MaximumEffort I signed up to have payments deducted from my paycheck via work. I have a set amount of $3,000 per month payout based on a percentage of my take home pay (reduced by $300 since they had to take my herniated disc into account). I had to start my policy at least 30 days prior to getting pregnant or I wouldn't qualify.
@dragonfly87-2 Crap! You just reminded me that I need to fill out FMLA paperwork!!

dragonfly87-2

@NYTino24 Don't forget to factor in the time for your doctor to complete their portion of the paperwork! I just took my documents to my OB last Thursday. It takes 10 business days to process and get it back. Then I will turn it in to my employer...at just about 6 weeks before due date...so almost cutting close given I need to do 4 weeks

NYTino24

@dragonfly87-2 I'm going to have DH drop it off at the OB. I should have remembered to take it to my visit on Thursday. I'm 33 weeks today and really need to get a jump on it in case he comes early!

Abby7

@NYTino24 - oh gosh, that does stink, hate not even being able to get your feet in your shoes. Hope it is getting better with the cooler weather.

foxaírt

Man I feel like they make it so hard for you in the US.
I work for myself and we get a "baby bonus" like everyone gets a payout of lump sum from the gov when you have a baby. then I'm eligible for like maternity pay I think it's 18 weeks at min wage paid by the government. Because I don't have maternity leave working for myself .  Hubby gets 2 weeks paid leave off the gov. And 2 weeks paid paternity from work . He then has acrewed  8 weeks annual leave which he's taking 7 of and leaving 1 week buffer if he has to book days off for appointments and things or a extend the weekend after he goes back plus his leave is still accumulating hours while he is at work now . 
So he's taking time off from the 1st Nov. If baby hasn't come by then (we are due 8th) otherwise his leave is flexible and starts the day bub comes. We went with a set day cause we are also moving and it will give us a bit of time in those last few days together to ready the house and just enjoy the anticipation and end of the pregnancy which with everything else going on we haven't done a lot of .but we can hang out and practice the hypno stuff and not worry about money or work and can just focus on the new human joining us.
He goes back to work 8th January 
As far as expenses the cost of even looking at as hospital over there scares me . 
@NYTino24
You poor thing so many of the women in my prenatal class had MIA ankles too. It's good you can get them up at work . My feet haven't swollen but if I'm on them all day my calf get a bit puffy and my wrists but it's never lasted more than a day at a time and staying really hydrated seems to help. I am greeted with cramps upon waking every morning tho which I've never had before being pregnant . They may not stop after baby comes either as my mum suffers with bad leg cramps most her life. 

Airynn Chica

@foxairt That sounds amazing! We got 3 months pay at 50% and another 6 months of mandatory 1hr nursing breaks when I lived in botswana. Now I have nothing.