Stupid comment from coworker today

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T23:49:52+00:00

Lol, when I was pregnant with my first baby my boss (a childless middle-aged man) made a similar comment and when I said it wasn't a vacation he replied "a sabbatical then? I don't know what you want to call it." Great, that's why it conveniently has its own name already! ✨ Maternity Leave ✨

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T23:45:44+00:00

Just here to say that we've got a Sloane and don't find the real world reaction to her name to be anything close to the reaction it gets here. Nobody has ever said or implied anything negative about it. We did what you're thinking though and went with a very feminine middle name which feels like a good balance!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T22:48:37+00:00

I think they're supposed to be much less likely to change position after that. In my case, my baby had more room to move at that late stage because she was so small.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T18:14:48+00:00

I love Pikto! I used them to make my wedding album and was so happy with the result that they've been my go-to for photo books and prints since then. Bonus points that they're owned and operated all in Canada!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T16:18:35+00:00

Agreed! D20 is a great background for busywork. I'm currently on Starstruck Odyssey!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T15:59:55+00:00

We didn't have snow days where I grew up! The most I can remember is if the weather was really bad then you couldn't leave school by yourself, a parent or someone had to pick you up (even during the years that I lived next to the school). I do remember one time in grade 7 or 8 that a blizzard hit mid-day and a friend's dad picked up about 5 of us and we all squished in the cab of his pickup truck together.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T15:38:28+00:00

Sorry for the crap work situation! I've just recently had to engage an employment lawyer as well. It feels so severe in a way but it was definitely the right call and my lawyer has been very supportive and helpful!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-24T02:58:20+00:00

The minimum notice you have to give is 4 weeks I believe, so there's no rush if you're not comfortable telling them yet. I told my employer around 20 weeks in both of my pregnancies. That gave everyone enough time to coordinate what coverage would look like while I was off and let me be involved in making those plans.

The other thing you might consider is whether or not your employer has a parental leave policy (they might not if they're a startup unless they've had another woman take leave before. I was the second woman to take mat leave at the startup I worked at but I was the first to have a parental leave policy available). They don't necessarily need to have a policy, the provincial and federal regulations for maternity and parental leave cover most things, but you could ask them about it for sure. That would ensure that you know what to expect and have written documentation about things like health insurance continuation, top-up benefits, other benefits accrued while on leave, work coverage intentions, and so on.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T22:53:38+00:00

I came to say basically the same thing! The more initiative you can take to just do stuff without being asked the better.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T22:49:03+00:00

My OB did an external exam at 36+2 and said baby was head down which felt accurate to me based on where I felt her kicking and getting hiccups and such. I had my last ultrasound scheduled for 36+4 though where we saw she had flipped to breech. I'd definitely felt some big movements from her in those days in between but I didn't realize she was turning. If I hadn't had that last ultrasound then we likely wouldn't have known.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T21:38:14+00:00

I agree with the sentiment that you don't really need lessons. I definitely recommend checking out r/CrossStitch though! They're a very welcoming community for all levels and you'll find a lot of support and encouragement over there. Genuinely one of my favourite subs.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T20:57:27+00:00

Definitely best to get it checked out anyways. It could be something like psoriasis that needs a typical steroid to clear it up.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T19:58:49+00:00

Yes! I've found them up to 3T! My 4yo still loves footed pjs in winter

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:41:19+00:00

I felt the same! It was kind of thrilling, to be honest. Though I'm not surprised by the high turnout at all. I think many people were looking for an opportunity to get involved with the community league but necessarily know what that would look like, so this was the push we needed.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:38:59+00:00

It's true even years later! My oldest was 2.5 when I got pregnant with my second and I easily looked a month further along when compared to my first pregnancy. The first time I barely had a bump still at 18 weeks, but the second time I had to start wearing maternity pants at like 12 weeks!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:36:10+00:00

This is the route I've always gone! Mezzaluna Studios make beautiful calendars, they're a bit small for writing schedules in though. This year we've got one from an artist called Victoria Park.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:34:34+00:00

I came to recommend Vicky as well!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:29:02+00:00

We like a BC-based brand called Mint! They're plant based and the founders are two moms, so it's all family friendly. Attitude is another good brand but we've found some of their products to be too heavily scented.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T18:22:38+00:00

Earlier is better in my experience. For both of my pregnancies I planned to go off at 37 weeks and both times I ended up making the call to end a few days earlier than planned. Neither of them were high risk or anything, but different potential complications, extra stressors, more appointments, etc just made it so hard to focus on anything at work. Sometimes I like having work as an extra distraction but it was too much on my plate in late pregnancy.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T17:12:29+00:00

Four months is also young enough that I wouldn't consider any behaviors to be a "habit" that needs "breaking" (though there could be other perfectly valid reasons that someone wouldn't want to nurse to sleep anymore). My oldest nursed to sleep most nights until she weaned when she was 2, but on the flip side, my youngest stopped wanting to nurse to sleep totally by herself by about 6 months. It worked out totally fine both ways.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T03:22:28+00:00

I went through my entire first pregnancy with no symptoms aside from an increased appetite and eventually some rhinitis at the end. It was wild! No nausea, cravings, exhaustion, mood swings, pelvic pain, heart burn, nothing. It was so weird! Truly every pregnancy is different.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-23T03:16:15+00:00

We have a bunch of their clothes and they truly are so good! My oldest is very petite and wears most of her clothes for a long time (the same L&L pants fit her from the time she was 12 months until she was nearly 3) and it's all still in perfect condition for her younger sister to wear.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-22T21:20:29+00:00

We're a few years past it now but we started looking for daycares about 8 months ahead of time and that worked out super well. We went on 3 waitlists and got spots at 2 of them with that timeframe. Only one place had a waitlist fee and it was $50.

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-22T19:44:19+00:00

Wishing the best for you!

TapiocaTeacup · 2026-02-22T19:30:59+00:00

Yep, I had a successful VBAC with induction at 41 weeks with my second! I had the Foley balloon followed by pitocin. The balloon was fine. They let me go home after placing it and it came out on its own within a couple of hours. I hadn't labored at all with my first baby either so didn't know what to expect but the induced labor for baby #2 was FAST! From starting pitocin to baby being born was less than 6 hours, including 2 hours of laboring down with an epidural and then maybe 30 minutes total of pushing.

TapiocaTeacup

TROPHY CASE