Sunday, February 9, 2014

We're halfway there

I'm at the halfway point of my pregnancy now at 20 weeks.  Time is going by so quickly! I am taking the Irish maternity leave which is a statutory 26 weeks paid by the government.  My company also pays an amount above that to get to 70% of my pay while I am on leave.  Its definitely much more generous than the normal US maternity leave policy.  My company's maternity leave policy in the US is also considered generous in the US but definitely not what I would get here in Ireland.  Now, there are other European countries even more generous in their maternity leave, but I'm grateful for what I am getting. I do have to start my leave 2 weeks before my estimated due date which is different than the US.  When I was pregnant with Connor I was planning to work up until I had him.  Which I technically did, he was 2 weeks earlier than his due date.

The maternity care that I have is semi-private so I switch between seeing a consultant/doctor at the maternity hospital and my GP.  I just had my first GP appointment and it was quick.  The doctor asked me a few background questions, took my blood pressure, and listened to the baby's heart beat. She also seemed to have more time than the consultant to answer questions.  We had to pay for the first visit and the remaining visits with the GP is free.  The GP also does the first check up of the baby.

Next week we have our anatomy scan of the baby.  I'm really excited! Most people here in Ireland do not find out the gender.  My boss said it is due to a superstition and I'm sure its just what is normally done.  I'm a planner so I can't wait until the baby comes to find out.

The weather has not been too bad here.  The days with rain and heavy winds are the worst, especially since I have to work to work and have no choice.  Umbrellas are useless and you see many umbrella corpses in garbage cans around the city.  No snow at all this year.

Here is a picture of Connor enjoying a rare sunny day in Dublin, he's getting so big!:


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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2014 at 9:43 AM

    Is it really raining there every day? What about clothing then? Elegant coats, hats? Tights for women, higheels? Hair styling? I am really curious because I hear very often about bad weather there and on the other side many foreigners, expats and immigrants are coming to the country to live in for many years...

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    1. NinaFebruary 19, 2014 at 11:36 PM

      No it does not rain every day here. Normally the rain is a light mist so you can walk in it with a hat no problem. The weather can be fickle during the day and it can be sunny and then cloudy and stormy in the next 15 minutes. It is the winter time so that's when it can be bad if it is cold, windy and rainy.
      I wear a coat, scarf, gloves, and a hat. Black tights are worn a lot with a skirt or dress. Flats are worn when walking more than high heels. You keep your heels at work in a desk and wear them when you get to work.
      Weather is a great conversation starter here due to the fickleness so that's why you always hear about the weather. I walk every where and really like the climate here, just not when it's crazy windy and rainy which is not all the time.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 21, 2014 at 10:22 AM

    Thanks for reply. That is interesting. I have been there some weeks in Dublin. Only in November. It was not that much rain but somehow i the city didn't convinced me. Are you planning to move to any other European country or you stay in Ireland then forever?? :)

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    1. NinaFebruary 21, 2014 at 12:57 PM

      I am on a secondment here so I will go back to the US this year. Dublin is a friendly city.

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