r/Maternity

I have been working at the same company in london, england for almost 2 years.

Considering the posibility of getting pregnant but wants to return to native country (i am not a uk resident) after birth with her partner, hence resigning around the 9 month mark.

I am not sure if maternity pay will still apply if me and my partner leave the UK since neither of us is a uk resident. I believe after the 6 month mark of pregnancy you are entitled to it, but not sure. Need guidance

Thanks in advance

Need some positive stories and advice . Doc is saying I have no choice and will have a c-section at 37 weeks and isn’t making space for conversation due to previous fibroid removal.

EDIT: looking for others with personal experiences in this situation, whether you had a c-section or not.

I’m 13 weeks pregnant. My doctor prescribed Macprot protein powder as a supplement and on the label, its first ingredient is Sugar. Even though it has other nutrients, the sugar content is too high, even w
The unflavoured one has high sugar and artificial sweetener. She asked me to avoid sugar and food items with high sodium content, but on the contrary she suggested to take the protein powder with high sugar. I’m not sure if I should take it and I don’t want to take artificial protein. What should I do? This is my first pregnancy.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has experience navigating maternity leave in California.
I joined my current company on May 26, 2026, and we had a wonderful surprise pregnancy! ❤️ Our baby is due April 1, 2027, and we’re so happy and excited to start this new journey.
My company offers 8 weeks of bonding leave, but HR mentioned that I wouldn’t be eligible for CFRA because I won’t have completed one year with the company by the time I start my leave.
However, when I read about CFRA online, my understanding was that I may become eligible once I complete one year of employment, provided I meet the other eligibility requirements.
My question is: If I take my initial maternity and bonding leave around the time of delivery and reach my one-year anniversary with the company on May 26, 2027, could I then take CFRA bonding leave for the remaining time, assuming I meet the other requirements? Or does the eligibility requirement need to be met when the leave initially begins, meaning I wouldn’t qualify for that bonding leave at all for this birth?
Those additional 12 weeks would mean the world to us. We don’t have family nearby to help us with the baby, so having more time at home together would make a huge difference.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation, especially if you were able to take CFRA leave after reaching your one-year anniversary. I’d also love to hear if anyone has received clarification from the California Civil Rights Department or their company’s HR team.
Thank you so much! ❤️

Sushi and a hot bath, when I say hot I mean the hot handle is turned all the way and the cold handle is off. I’m 24w2d and these three things I have been craving the whole time but it’s been instilled in me I can’t have either until I give birth. I’m struggling guys 😭

I’ll start this by saying I was a home birth in 2003, my parents were super religious and off grid, I was kept out of the systems meaning school, hospitals or anywhere that would have my name down in the system, I started applying for a delayed birth certificate myself at 18, my mother was helping and my dad wasn’t in the picture. Behind my back my mother started working with my dad and gave him the evidence I did have like affidavits and picture proof I was born in the US. However they are both elders and this has been a slow process with little to no resources, losing hope because the courts keep denying and asking for more proof. Still waiting to hear back from a judge, fast forward to 2026 and I’m unexpectedly pregnant but with my partner of 4 years, we are both 23 and in no position to raise another human being and my body likely wouldn’t be able to handle a natural birth, where I live abortion is legal but all clinics I’ve asked require some form of ID and I lack every form. Can I trust abortion pills online and how can I seek help if I’m completely out of the system ?

For starters, he was more excited about the pregnancy than I was. I went to 3 appointments at PP and every time he convinced me not to go thru w termination and that he wanted this.
- during this pregnancy I have dealt with him being on benders (k&thc) ; claiming all the time that me and baby mean more to him than the drugs.

He works on cars so our small 1br appt has multiple hybrid batteries he is apparently refurbishing, countless containers of nuts and bolts and small msc items he throws around and does not clean up when he throws his fit of not finding what he needs.

On top of that he has ripped me out of bed twice in the past month by flipping the mattress, and the other day by the collar of my shirt bc I “misspoke” or apparently owed him an apology for something I said. Mind you , I’ve been carrying his child for 6 1/2 months. I’m big and uncomfortable.

Once I get defensive and stick up for myself, I get physically thrown on the ground with his hands holding me down by my face or my shoulders.

I’m starting to think I should have just terminated the baby.. should I just leave and try to do this alone ?

We have been married for 9 years. We have 2 children (7&5) and im currently 34 weeks pregnant. We moved to California shortly after getting married where I gave birth to our first child. I was blessed to have an “easy” first pregnancy and delivery. Baby was healthy and no medical complications at all. However the mental and emotional distress I experienced within 72 hours of giving birth for the first time was more traumatic than the actual act of pushing a baby out for the first time. I got induced around 41 weeks. My husband wanted me to give birth naturally but I wanted an epidural so thats what I did. Do you know that he had an attitude about it. I had to call a relative of his (someone he looked up to) and ask them to call my husband and talk to him about epidurals, the pain of contractions and how i needed him to be supportive in this moment even if he disagreed with my decisions about my body. Yes, I was in active induced labor trying to manage another persons emotions. After the phone call he no longer had an attitude. I underestimated the pain of contractions and neither one of us had alternative methods for pain management. I didnt want to suffer so thats why I choose an epidural. I do not regret it.

The next day while my newborn is less then 24 hours old, he decides to conviently leave the hospital to go home and shower/eat. I was okay with it because he was also bringing me food that i desperately wanted. I asked him to ask his dad and step mom to wait until he returned to the hospital before they came to visit the baby(I had no family in california nor did I have a good relationship with his parents). He did not tell them. They flew in from ohio to cali as soon as he told them i was in active labor and immediately came to my hospital room. I got a call from my spouse telling me his parents were outside of the hospital looking for parking. I immediately asked my nurses to not allow any visitors to come into my room. I was actively stressed about trying to brestfeed, I had on an adult diaper, constantly bleeding, no shower, no teeth brushed, beyond hungry, still exhausted from giving birth and wearing a open back hospital gown with no bra. I was in no shape for visitors. Eventually my spouse returns with his parents in tow. They said nothing to me (probably mad they had to sit in the waiting room because my nurses told them im not accepting visitors). No congratulations, no flowers, no eye contact, no hello, nothing. I ended up sitting in the window of my own hospital room while my spouse sat in the hospital bed holding the baby as if he was the one who just gave birth. His parents cooing over my newborn. I dont remember how long they stayed but they eventually left. We went home later that night and the very next day im being forced to entertain his parents again! This time it was in my own home! I sat on my couch with leaky painful breast ( breast feeding for the first time was incredibly painful for me) I felt extremely uncomfortable in my own body yet I was expected to sit and socialize with people who could careless about me. Everyone only cared about the baby. My husband knew gow i felt but he said nothing to his parents and they had zero boundaries. Shame on me for not speaking up for myself.
2 years later I gave birth again, this time it was during covid so I gave birth alone as my husband stayed home with our other child because we had no one else to watch her and she wasnt allowed in the delivery room. Giving birth alone was far more pleasant then the first time. I want to recreate that birthing experience and not my first one. Aita for not wanting my spouse in the delivery room with baby #3? I refuse to let anyone make me uncomfortable again during my induction especially my ‘man child’ aka my spouse. I feel like he doesn’t deserve to be there if hes not going to be actively supportive. He can sit at home and scroll on social media while I do all the physical labor myself. He brings me no peace, Id rather be alone.

Have been told I have a low lying placenta and am seeing a consultant in 2 weeks. It’s not covering my cervix but is considered low. What’s the likelihood it’ll move up by 32 week scan? Also been advised to not have any sex due to risk of irritating the cervix?

Has anyone used the epi-no to avoid tearing and was it helpful? Where in the US can I access one? Any other low effort ways to help minimize tearing? TIA

Hi! I can imagine this has been asked a million times, but I just found out I was pregnant yesterday I think I’m about 4 weeks along. I scheduled an appointment with my OBGYN at the end of October and ordered some prenatal but other than that I have no clue what to even do or where to start.

If you couldn’t tell but my lack of knowing this really wasn’t planned. I have an amazing partner just a surprise to both of us! I haven’t told anyone close to me just out of pure fear of something going wrong!! Any advice on what to do now would mean a lot 🥺

side note: last pregnancy was 2.5 years ago.

for those who are pregnant for the second time, just wondering when you were not able to hide the bump anymore?

I'm only nine weeks and I already feel like the bump which is mostly bloating is becoming more and more difficult to cover up.

I'm not ready to tell people at work so I was just wondering. Would love to hear other people's experiences.💓💓💓

I have a wedding in Egypt at 8 weeks pregnant of one of my friends. The wedding would be in Cairo. At this stage doctors can’t really tell you or advise not to travel but I’m doubtful that I should go. It would be hot there - at least 30 Celsius and a lot of traffic and also 6 hour flight. My main concern though is the water and food poisoning risk. I grew up there so It’s my culture so I’m not worried about feeling disoriented - it’s more the food part. I’d have to be extra careful for 1 week at such a delicate time. Have any of you travelled somewhere more risky at that time of pregnancy ? How did you feel? It will also be a time when 3rd trimester symptoms could hit hard. I’m almost 37 may I add.

Needing advice because I am far along but am really dreading my life changing once I have a baby. No more freedom and the taking care of a child will be for the rest of my life. I’m so scared and don’t know if I can do it. I need encouragement and positivity 🤧

I’m 28(F) and my husband is 31M and we just got married 3 months ago, but have been together for 4 years before that however we only lived together full time after marriage. We were just adjusting to being married and new routines and like anyone we definitely had things to work on like with learning to live together and having more responsibilities. I never thought I’d be easily able to get pregnant as I have family history of miscarriages and uterus issues on both sides. So we never really used any preventative methods in the past 4 years and continued that after marriage. However I thought I had the flu and turned out I’m pregnant, but under 4 weeks. My husband was immediately supportive and he will go with what I want to do. It hasn’t even been 24 hours since we found out in the ER and I had a ultrasound already done this morning, but too early to see anything now just waiting for my doctor to see us end of this month as they’re out of office for the month. I’ve been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety and just shock and my husband also was shocked. Unfortunately he just came back from being away from work the day we found out and like being worried about me he didn’t sleep all night and came down with feeling the flu so he asked if we could reschedule the ultrasound they weren’t able to and I went myself which I didn’t mind as it’s the intl time I’ve had alone since finding out. The issue is I’m just in better Joan I left my last job for difference that just weren’t out and I have yet to secure a new job even tho I’m actively trying hard. So that stresses me out and also just we are so newly married I didn’t picture this so soon I’ve always been a very pre planned person so I just don’t deal well anxiety and stress wise for things like out of my plan and timelines I set. Im just looking forward to any advice my friends aren’t married or pregnant but my hands are all in the timeline right now and so are all my older cousins so that also makes it hard for me to talk to anyone right now that I know