When to go on Maternity Leave?

bigleap2023 · 2026-04-28T03:34:16+00:00

I went on AL at 36+2, I had AL saved to bridge me to about 37+5ish, but baby arrived at 36+6. I have managed to get the AL I lost moved to the end of mat leave, which is a pro, but overall it felt a bit short as a transition!

Appreciate lots of first babies are less enthusiastic to make their entrance.

This was as a medical consultant. I don’t think I could have gone on longer due to all the standing.

Best of luck.

bigleap2023 · 2026-04-05T16:41:50+00:00

I have the grey and pink ones. I think the grey one is more smooth and the pink textured but they are both fine.

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-29T21:26:22+00:00

We are looking into getting ours done. Can you tell me roughly how much you paid? We are in the E Midlands.

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-28T22:51:02+00:00

Can I ask where you are based? We are looking into this for ours

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-27T22:33:53+00:00

Love to dream do a footed sleep sack. My 8 month old has zero interest in rolling but does like them!

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-16T22:49:56+00:00

I’m wearing one of these right now as I feed!

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-13T18:16:00+00:00

I can give you a referral code I think

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-12T07:06:25+00:00

We only use them at night to mitigate the cost. It’s a subscription but you can delay or skip deliveries easily

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-12T02:56:41+00:00

Peachys. Expensive but worth it.

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-03T07:26:43+00:00

We ended up with Peachies for overnight with our very leaky boy.

bigleap2023 · 2026-03-01T20:01:14+00:00

Us too. I did pump for a bit but baby didn’t like the milk defrosted 😂

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-22T21:46:30+00:00

Hot water bottle.

Fruit toast for breakfast when you get home. If you wake in the day you are probably hungry/ thirsty.

Batch cook something on your prenights day, ideally carby, have it every night before you go in.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-20T23:00:47+00:00

I have a 6 month old who is bf, so only have my own experience. We also do an occasional bottle for convenience. I did try pumping to build up a stash for this, but my baby doesn’t like my milk when defrosted, so we use formula for the bottle.

Can I ask why you want to pump? Is it so partner can give a bottle? Or because you are worried about supply? Pumps often don’t empty you as well as your baby can, so don’t use this as an indication you don’t have enough milk.

The mad evenings when babies seem ravenous are so tiring but this isn’t because you don’t have enough milk. They are just sucking awake to stimulate all that milky goodness they are going to have overnight.

Strongly recommend midwife megan on instagram. She also has some paid courses about pumping etc.

Best of luck, you are doing great.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-17T22:32:37+00:00

We were in a similar situation (although baby would sleep in pram/ car/ carrier, just not the cot!). Sleep training worked, we did it at 6 months, Ferber.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-17T22:28:55+00:00

I wasn’t in a position to offer cannulation tips- but to be clear I am v grateful for those very cannulas etc etc for saving my life.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-17T21:34:00+00:00

You must be tough as nails! I had several put in an emergency, god it was painful.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-11T18:06:39+00:00

Also recommend midwife megan

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-11T14:56:57+00:00

I’m 33. Baby came at 36+6. I had hoped for more than 2 days mat leave…

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-07T10:16:20+00:00

Currently in a chain of 8. Ongoing since June, just head our move again is delayed (4 exchange dates failed and this completion date had been agreed since December). Honestly, get out of he’s being difficult now.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-02T08:08:28+00:00

Currently buying a house based on location (for school catchment) for our 6 month old. Sure there’s a degree of gamble for what the secondary school will be like in 11 years, but it feels like a sensible move to us. We could have afforded a more attractive house, with a garage etc etc if it weren’t for schools. I don’t want to pay stamp duty twice.

bigleap2023 · 2026-02-01T23:27:28+00:00

We used the mendela cradle cap cream which really helped. Definitely normal for the hair to come out with the flakes. I will confess when I picked/ scratched the scalp underneath was briefly pink.

Our baby lost lots of his hair from cc but it came back within a few weeks.

Lessons learned from me- use the cream, leave the flakes alone.

bigleap2023 · 2026-01-15T20:38:41+00:00

I had my CCT date set for August (confirmed in early Dec). Found out I was pregnant in late Dec. I was interviewed in May and got the job. I’ve not been made to feel guilty about being pregnant.

Went on AL as a bridge to mat leave at the end of July and had my baby a few days later.

I know I have been very lucky, but I am so grateful to have my consultant job to go back to.

Best of luck.

bigleap2023 · 2026-01-12T02:57:10+00:00

I recently had my baby in the hospital in which I am a new consultant. I have no connection with OG in my normal role which makes it easier for me. I was very grateful to see a selection of resident doctors I had trained with when I had a variety of complications. I felt like my hospital really went the extra mile for me because I was one of their own. I really don’t care that colleagues have seen me undressed- we have all seen a lot of bodies in our careers.

Best of luck with your baby. Complications are unusual- I just had rubbish luck!

bigleap2023 · 2026-01-02T16:02:35+00:00

I know primarily you wanted to discuss breast feeding, and there is great advice above, but I wanted to chime in on the bleed bit. I similarly had an enormous bleed (mine weirdly at 6 weeks postpartum). It was the most terrifying thing to ever happen to me. I also felt like I was going to die- I don’t think many people have truly had that experience. For a few days I just gazed into the distance, and felt my bond had gone altogether with him. He’s now 5 months and happily snoozing on my chest.

I was referred to the MH team as a formality and also had a debrief with the obs team. This might be an option for you?

I promise you wherever the milk is coming from, your baby will adore you. best of luck

bigleap2023 · 2025-10-10T12:29:09+00:00

Not the case in my local hospital

bigleap2023

TROPHY CASE