Maternity Leave Across the Globe - Prepare to have your mind BLOWN!

Oh I just HAD to share this gem!!

A Facebook friend just posted this and I am yet again awed at the staggering discrepancy between our own 'great' nation and other nations around the world when it comes to the benefits - nay, rights - provided to working families.

Being pregnant makes you aware of so many interesting things about life and existence and parenthood and all that. Most especially as a female, the fascinating - disgusting! - lack of respect for the family unit  when it comes to paid time off for mothers is simply mind boggling. (The family unit, which we as a super-conservative country seem to praise from the hilltops! What gives?!)

Take a look at the other countries around the world treat their pregnant women/new moms. In the US, we get a whopping ZERO weeks of paid leave. Yes, friends. Good ole FMLA allows us to take off something like 10 weeks of UNpaid leave. Great if you have zero debt, no car payments, 6 months of living expenses acrued and your car never ever breaks down, your A/C never ever stops working, you never ever have to go to the Doctor unexpected. Yeah, basically not so great.

For a huge chunk of average women and families, having no paid leave means no leave at all, since many can't afford to simply not generate a paycheck for 4 or 6 or 8 weeks - however long each individual woman deems necessary for her proper recovery AND bonding time with her new baby.

Of all the things we need to rectify about our great US of A, paid leave for new moms AND new dads needs to change, drastically. And NOW. This is unacceptable.

As my FB friend commented: "Pakistan? Really? Come on guys!!!" Yeah.

Good Friends

Sometimes there is a lot for me to complain about. Or I just make up stuff to complain about? Either way I seem to gripe a lot, at times; not ALL the time.

Lately I've been stressing about getting the baby's room ready, finding the right paint, getting my kitchen updated and looking decent, making sure everything in the house is perfect before he gets here - because he'll know if my kitchen floors are ugly or if there is dust behind the couch. ;)

I've had some really nice experiences lately that have reminded me how great it is to have great friends. It's nice to have new friends, but it seems for me that the old friends are the best friends. It's so great knowing people for years and years and having history and familiarity with them. They are my family.

I just spent the weekend with some of my friends/adopted family to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. An excellent excuse to get together for a proper tea with lots of Earl Gray and goodies and finger sandwiches.

And yesterday once I was back in town, I had a visit from one of my oldest neighbors - she has known me since birth. Crazy. Anyway, she has generously made some beautiful quilts for me and Baby. She is a seasoned and talented quilter/seamstress and does amazing work. Here are the two small quilts she made for Baby ... perfect for "tummy time" (tummy time is great and important but I do hate that term for some reason), in the car, picnicing, travel ... and they are so colorful! She knew I wanted lots of color for the Baby so she went with this beautiful rainbow theme with accenting trim and backing.

She is still working on one for Baby's room - about crib-sized - that will hang on one of his walls. Can't wait to see the finished product! She showed us all the colors she had selected for that and they are perfect.

Square rainbow pattern on the front with musical notes on the back. She said the backing was in honor of Kevin since she knows he loves music:

And a pretty rainbow pinwheel with blue trim and stripes and dots on the back:

I'm very grateful for the friends and 'family' who give their time and energy and love to me and Kevin, and our little man Baby. Even before he is here, I know he is loved and looked forward to by our friends.

 Another friend of mine - whose girls I've babysat since her oldest was just a few months old (she's turning 9 this year!) - is graciously hosting a baby shower for me! I'm so happy to have her do that; she will host a wonderful party.

Here are a few inspiration photos I've gathered for the party ... we're still in planning mode, but soon we'll have everything hammered out and the party will be here before we know it. Can't wait!

Today, I'm 27 weeks 4 days. Baby is about 2 pounds and the size of a cauliflower. And he is moving All. The. Time. Jabbing and punching and headbutting. And stretching and pressing. And squashing.

Sometimes it's really uncomfortable, but I'm reminding myself this is a good thing, and that he won't be able to do this forever. My next appointment is in 3 weeks then my subsequent appointments will be bi-weekly.

This Friday I will be 28 weeks and starting my third trimester! I can't believe I'm almost a third trimester mom-to-be! September will be here before I can blink.

Pregnancy Related Incapacitation!

My first thought if drop something on the floor: "$&@#!" (let's be honest)

Next: "Do I really need that?"

And then: "I'll just get another one."

Ahh, pregnancy.

Slowly curing me of OCD, one day at a time.

Dragon Lady is here! aka: grumpy pregnant lady. (Plus, yummy British foods)

The last couple weeks I've been a wimp and complained about everything.

Grumpy.

Moody.

Edgy.

You name it.

And honestly I haven't had that much to complain about. =/

I'm feeling great. Which is a nice change.

My back isn't hurting as much and I'm sleeping better. Even though I wake up uncomfortable sometimes, I'm not tired and I don't really have a "tired slump" as much in the afternoons, so I know I'm getting rested. I do wake up on my back a lot and supposedly you should sleep on your left side for circulation to the fetus or whatever.

But sleeping on my left side is PAINFUL - I have a sharp stabbing pain in my left ribs whenever I inhale. Not conducive to sleep. It's hard enough breathing these days, period; but add pain to the mix? ... So I sleep on my right side now. And then wake up on my back. Breaking all the rules!

I haven't been as hungry/cravey lately. Though I suppose I have been craving fruit. Some days it's almost all I eat before dinner: a banana, apple, orange (sometimes two), sometimes a handful of almonds, sometimes a small piece of cheddar with the apple, any leftovers I may have brought from home, a flipping gallon of water, and then dinner at home. I feel like I'm eating all day but I'm never hungry. I just feel the need to eat something and eat it. I am definitely NOT counting calories these days.

OMG, Kevin convinced me to try some new McVitie's (I'm kind of stuck on my dark chocolate dipped digestives)called HobNobs and I'm flipping out. Addicted!

We got the original ones which are just-crispy-enough and oaty and so good (nobbly!).

And the vanilla creme sandwich HobNobs which are half the size of the originals and filled with yummy vanilla creme, like Oreo but better.

SO FLIPPING GOOD with my tea after dinner.

I'm pretty sure I'm a land whale but that hasn't slowed me down.

Here is my 25 week self!

It's a little bit funny ... this feeling inside.

Can't help it.

I lol'ed thinking about this clip today as the fetus was kicking.

If I were having a girl ...

... I would buy both of these.

Right this minute.

here

here

Baby Update

Yesterday I went to my monthly Ob visit. Everything is "perfect" apparently ... my weight (hah!), the baby (of course he is) ... his heartrate was 150 - I always like getting to listen to his little heart.

I'm at 22 weeks and 5 days today.

Fetus is (almost) the size of a pomegranate.

At my next appointment I have to get the glucose test. I've heard some mixed feedback about that so we'll see how I handle it.

Now to wait another month.

This year is flying.

By September there will be a third human living in my house.

*wow*