I just got a call from my obstetrician’s office. They’ve been advised that Medicare will be significantly reducing their rebate towards Obstetrician Planning & Management fees as of 1st Jan 2010. So if you are going private, and will be 20+ weeks by 31st Dec, it might be worth contacting your OB’s office to see if you can pay early. But you have to be a minimum of 20 weeks to pay & qualify.
Our example:
Our Ob’s fee is $2000. Because we are over the Medicare Safety Net we qualify to get $1600 back if we pay by 31st Dec. If we were to wait til 1st Jan, we would only receive $460 back. That’s a huge difference!
I’m not sure of exact figures but it is a similar story if you are under the Safety Net threshold.
Hope this helps some of you! Spread the word to any preggy friends too!
Hi BOC - thanks - must take you ages! I'm due July 16th. I'm calling him/her flutterbug at the moment based on the scan.
A question for you all - I often get cramped muscles (long story involving an accident with a donkey in Egypt - I'll tell you one rainy day!) - particularly in the top of my bottom/ bottom of my back. For years, I've had really really strong, deep massages and they help so much. Do you think it's ok to get one now? My bottom (round my pelvis) is cramping so badly my leg is twitching almost. Or should I ask my GP? I don't have an obstet. yet, just an FS who I doubt knows... or am I underestimating him. Or maybe a nurse? what do you think?
Oh, the masseuse is pregnancy trained, she's 'proper'.
LM, so sorry to laugh, don't mean anything nasty by it but I have a very sick twisted mind and you can imagine the images conjured up in my brain in regards to and accident involving a donkey in Egypt leaving you with a sore bottom region... sorry but my dirty mind went haywire LOL.
I will update you on the list.
In regards to the massage, I have a friend that is a masseuse, and she told me it's not a good idea to have a massage til at least 12 weeks just in case, especially if it is a "delicate" pregnancy situation as throughout the massage you are releasing and moving toxins around your body. She said some masseurs will still do them, but she refuses just in case, she would hate to cause any problems. Hope that helps.
lol LM - i must confess i did a little dirty mind giggling too i had a mssage but not til about 30 weeks or so... i get terrible pain and cramps in my hips/butt/calves... i find the hip ones are from the relaxin particularly at night... Make sure when sleeping on your side to have a couple of pillows between your legs (mind really in gutter now lol) and your knees and hips are in line. For me, it was those muscles and joints over-stretching cos of the relaxin and the way i was sleeping. hope that helps... not sure about massage under 12 weeks but there are people who specalises, you might just need to make a few phone calls.
oh smithy! i hope so!!! if any of you girls come and steal my thunder and pop bubs out before me, well, i'll be extremely put out!!! wait you turn lol. DH hopein THREE sleeps!!!! three!!! threee!!! three!!!
Boc, that's really interesting. i'm so glad we scrapped in this year. bloody federal money grabbers... oops meant govt!
greenslw - glad to see that green foot being put down on work. taking time out for yoruself is soo important.
mrs slyder - welcome aboard hun!!!
hi to all our other lovely girls. hope you are all well ... who had scans this week??? sorry can't remember.
just had a visit from an 8mth old cousin (well 3rd cousin actually) and I WANT MY PRIZE lol. am exhausted now tho. belly settled down, feet and back aching.... i think its all just the joy of prelabour!
Well i'm never going to be able to catch up on personals so i'm going to just start from scratch apart from a couple of things. Though of course, LM, I can't let a comment about donkeys and sore bottoms go past without asking ????????! You realise now you're going to have to fill us in
And Grub - so close now - I can feel your excitement! Hell, i'm excited for you! You've done remarkably well my lovely to last this long at such a time without DH, my hat goes off to you. My DH and I had 12 months living apart - him in Melbourne and me in Canberra, but we spoke several times daily, and the longest we went without seeing each other was three weeks, and I thought that was the toughest time of my life (certainly didn't help in the TTC department, lol!). So well done to you.
BOC - thanks for the tip, wish it applied to us. We have our first OB appointment on December 18, and we received all our paperwork a few weeks ago, including the schedule of fees. So apart from paying for each visit we have the honour of paying her another $3000 at the 20 week mark. Amazing! I'm beginning to wish we'd gone public, my friend went public about 18 months ago and said the only thing she had to pay for was one US. Oh well, the price we pay...
And Sonyalouise - i'm SO glad to see you on here! I've been following your posts, what a time you've had, and what a story you're going to have for your little one. Will be your scan goes well tomorrow.
And of course a big hello and well wishes to everybody else. You'll have to forgive my tired sick brain for not doing more personals. We've made the move back to Canberra and are staying at my parents until we can move in to our new rental house. Still cursing DH for asking our tenants to resign another lease (we own a house here but tenants now have a lease until August...) but what can you do. Still no computer, we probably won't buy one until we move into the new place as mum and dad have several. Trying to get on is another story - my sister and her girlfriend live with my parents at the moment so it's a little full here! And i've got another sinus infection so off work for a few days.
Gosh, what a whingey post, girls, i'm actually in quite a good mood although you might not be able to tell. We hit the double digits mark this week so only another couple of weeks and we can shout it to the roof tops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were out at dinner with some friends on our last night in Melbourne and halfway through dinner DH suddenly blurted out "lise's pregnant"! I don't know who was more shocked, them or us!!
Anyway, better go before you all fall asleep. Hope you're having a lovely day, and belly rubs to all.
sonyalouise -=- awww hun hope you are ok.. THe should do tests if you are really worried Hope it all is ok.. But im sure it is hey. Hang in there..
LM-=- Hahaha! White chocolate freddos are the best you can get them almost anywhere i think? Glad to have introduced such a happyness in your life
Grub -=- NOT LONG NOW! and you will have your prize! Hopefully not till at least friday tho Im crossing my fingers for you xx
Greenslaw -=- Sounds like things have been hectic for you! Hope you can put your feet up soon and relax a bit!
Mrs Slider -=- HEY Congrats on the twins and although im new here too, welcome im sure everything will be fine with the twins! Keep us updated
Lise -=- OMG, what a shocker! Hope you move into your ne place soon and all gets sorted with the tenants after not too long.
sorry for the half arsed persies Been so hectic today and i think im just about written out after writing a massive letter to my mother laying down on the table everything ive been feeling and what i want her to change and apologise for lol
LM I can sympathise with you. I have pubic symphasis dys.. something arather i have very deep massage in my bum every few days beacuse my pubis is moving to much and it makes the muscles in my bum very tight. A few personal questions. Do you get sharp shooting pains in you ... Fanny for want of a better word. Cramps up into your tummy when you move for example go from sitting to standing. I have pins and needles in one of my hips when I lie on my side either side doesnt matter. At times I cant stand up straight and the other day I was so bad I couldnt walk the 3 meters from my bed to the toilet. Dh had to put my pjs on. I see a womens health physio and take lots of medication. If you need any other info just pm me.
AFM Cant remember if I updated you yesterday. No diabeties for me but very low iron and then a phone call today in the middle of the crappiest day of the year to say that my vitamin d levels are low as well. So more pills for me iron and vit d added to the list. Need to vent bought tickets to see the wiggles. Campbell was so excited, "Just as we were walking out the door. DH tells me the tickets were for yesterday. Quickly jump on line whilst sobbing that I am such a bad mother and get tickets for today starting in half an hour. Just enough time to get there, but they didnt email me the tickets. So after some very heated phone calls I am out of pocket $120 and no wiggles. With my 3 year old telling me dont cry mummy no wiggles tickets its ok. I just want to go to sleep for a week. Sure I will get over it he seems to have.
Well I hope everyone else is having a wiggle free drama day. Belly rubs to everyone.
Lise - re the sinus infection I take a hayfever nasel spray in the morning and a polamine at night and for a few months took one antibiotic a day to keep the sinus infections away. I had one that landed me in hospital because I couldnt keep anything down.
Hoping that you find something that helps. My baby is so going to be a pill junky when he is born. lol
Thanks for that Saph, I have a GP appointment tomorrow so was going to ask what I can do re my sinuses. I usually suffer from dreadful hayfever at the best of times and have had to stop immunotherapy when I started IVF so it's been progressively getting worse since then. I must admit, I've also been thinking this baby is going to be a pill junkie - I've never had as much panadol as in the last 10 weeks
Night ladies, hope you all sleep well. I've just made myself sick with a too rich caramel milkshake so definitely lying down time for me!
Sorry I have been MIA. I do try and keep up with what everyone is doing but I don't get that much time to get on here.
All is going well for me I have 9 days to go til my due date.
I am enjoying maternity leave I really think I could take this whole not working thing permanently.
Wow there is so many of you due in 2010. That is great. I wish each and everyone of you a smooth pregnancy.
I will try and get on as often as possible now I am not working.
Oooh Saph, you have just decribed almost every symptom I'm having! I thought I had a case of sciatica but now you have me wondering... I also am finding that at night every time I move in bed my back and hips are clicking.
My last Ob visit my Ob was away and I had to see a midwife (not happy Jan... very patronising) who wouldn't even listen to my symptoms, cut me off when she heard "back pain" and basically said words to the effect of everyone gets it, nothing you can do just gotta deal with it. Luckily I followed up with my GP who has referred me to a physio. I tell you if it turns out to be something I will not be a happy camper!
Oh girls as for the hayfever, I get it pretty bad too. I'm trying to minimise all medication if possible, so my IVF clinic recommended Fess nasal spray, it's saline only, and surprisingly it works!
Laniwantsababy - good luck with your birth! Look forward to your BA!
Ooooh I tell you I had the most amazing sleep last night, for the first time in ages! 3 stretches of about 2hrs each! And no having to get up and walk laps of the house in between! Pain only when I changed sides or moved, and actually when DH's alarm went off at 2:30 I woke to find myself flat on my back & arms & legs spread out across the bed (luckily we have a King). But I had also added to my pillow nest last night, I'm now up to 6! I'm starting to wonder if I just went down to Clark Rubber and bought a thick piece of foam if they would cut out the shape of my body in it
I didn’t realise you all had such smutty minds!!! Well, we’re going back about 8 years. It was a pretty rough time for me, I’d just been told I was on the list for redundancy (I used to work in the energy trading division of TXU Europe which went spectacularly bankrupt) and the money was ok but I was dithering. Then DH, or DB as he was then, dumped me after we’d been together for a year and a bit. Two days later, the cash rich and impatient trading Director, upp’d the redundancy offer by an extra couple of months pay and I took it. I did a search on the most interesting place I could go to that Saturday without getting a visa, ideally one that would confirm independence and scare everyone (not a lot of straight thinking in this period). So I went to Egypt, the week the first gulf war broke out. There were a sprinkling of Russians, but pretty much only crazy brits there, everyone else had cancelled, so it was superb. Great holiday, wonderful people, no hassle at all and no upset stomach! I did a tour down the Nile on a boat, and then independently travelled back (on the night train, on my own, as I say, not thinking straight) and stayed a while longer in Cairo.
Anyway, when I was at the Valley of the Kings, we went on a donkey ride up to the valley, then back down to the boat. No harness, no saddle, no nothing. Just hair to hold onto, and I should note that I’ve not been on a horse for two decades at this point. So we go up this valley, and there’s a sheer drop to one side of 300 meters or so and I’m bricking it, frankly, but everyone keeps telling me that donkeys have the highest sense of self preservation and I shouldn’t worry. After what seems like hours, we finally get off the blasted things and look round. It’s great – if you ever feel like going, I highly recommend it. Then we got back on the donkeys at the visitor centre, and I was delighted to hear we weren’t going back over the hill, but round the valley road which was newly built.
I’d only been on about two minutes, when my donkey, who seemed to think he was the National winner, decided that he ought to be in his standard position of third in the ordering, so he jumped, caught his foot on something, tripped, I went over his head, turned in the air, landed pelvis smack on the new concrete road. Luckily my mini rucksack shot up and I didn’t crack my head. But my pelvis was in searing agony and I really thought I’d broken my back. It was excruciating. The lady behind me was a nurse from England and she thought the same and told me not to move at all. Then the Arabic-only speaking donkey boy starting pulling me up from the floor by my shoulder, and we were both screaming at him to **** off and leave me alone, and he kept doing it, and eventually we realised that there was a huge German tourist bus hurtling towards me not looking, chatting on his microphone and I’d better shift. So I did, screaming in pain. Then I got put – on my own- in a cab and I assumed I was going to hospital, but no, the taxi driver got out on the way back and had a fag and a coffee with his mates, before dropping me off at a hotel where the boat would come and get me. Still no doctor and I’m crying with pain by now. No one would help me (no one could understand me to be fair) so I just lay down on the cold marble floor as still as I could on my back until someone came (the hotel owner didn’t really like this but I can be terribly Imperious when hurt!). Eventually I got a doctor, who did rudimentary checks, gave me painkillers. Being a Muslim country, he didn’t tell me not to drink at the same time, so I did and was high as a kite for a week. Going back to panadol was horrid!
I think I permanently knocked my pelvis out of kilter, and all the muscles in my back have been overcompensating for the back right side for years, and so on. The muscles around the pelvis/ back joints are the worst, especially when I don’t exercise (and I’m going for a swim as soon as I’ve written this epic) So there you are, that’s the donkey and the bottom story, filthmeisters!!! Needless to say, I got back together with DH so it was all ok in the end. But do be careful on donkeys, they are the spawn of Beelzebub.
Hehehe I'm just glad I wasn't the only dirty-minded deviot LOL!
Oh LM I'm sure it would have been a horrendous experience! But oh, what a comedy of errors! Have you travelled again since then? Good to see something good came out of it (DH) although, I hope you remind him on a daily basis of the pain and hardship you suffered because of his bad behaviour
OMG LM,! That was epic.. certainly one to tell the kids! Your poor back, and what a terrible place to have such bad fortune! Well I agree, at least you got DH out of it
and one hell of an entertaining campfire story!
AFM -=- I feel so tired today.. Jelly bean has gotten so strong the last few days and seems to think my bladder is a jumping castle! So Ive been wakeing up at random times all night to the strangest feeling like my organs are being punched (well, they kind of are)
Its really nice in a way to be getting a little further along, I dont know why but the further I am, the more I feel like I am "really" pregnant.. and the more important I seem to feel..
Everything is different to the way it was with DS.. Thats why I think maybe this one will end up being a DD.. But ive got another few months before ill know If I can hold out at the scan next week! Still no houses worth checking out.. So we ended up putting the christmas tree and decorations up with DS today because somehow I dont think we'll be getting out of here before christmas.. So that was fun for him, and he loved putting the start up on the tree while daddy held him miles off the ground
19 weeks tomorow --
grubs next i rekon
LM, so sorry to laugh, don't mean anything nasty by it but I have a very sick twisted mind and you can imagine the images conjured up in my brain in regards to and accident involving a donkey in Egypt leaving you with a sore bottom region... sorry but my dirty mind went haywire LOL.
i had a mssage but not til about 30 weeks or so... i get terrible pain and cramps in my hips/butt/calves... i find the hip ones are from the relaxin particularly at night... Make sure when sleeping on your side to have a couple of pillows between your legs (mind really in gutter now lol) and your knees and hips are in line. For me, it was those muscles and joints over-stretching cos of the relaxin and the way i was sleeping. hope that helps... not sure about massage under 12 weeks but there are people who specalises, you might just need to make a few phone calls.
your scan goes well tomorrow.
hope you are ok.. THe should do tests if you are really worried 
Hope it all is ok.. But im sure it is hey. Hang in there..
Congrats on the twins and although im new here too, welcome 
Been so hectic today and i think im just about written out after writing a massive letter to my mother laying down on the table everything ive been feeling and what i want her to change and apologise for lol
to each and everyone of you.
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