November 2012 - nearly halfway there!

[StuntNun]

Previous threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1412456-Nov-12-babies
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1432039-Due-in-November-2012-part-deux-no-cringy-thread-name-here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1438916-November-2012-Duebies-Part-3-insert-cheesy-name-of-choice-here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1449640-November-2012-bring-on-the-second-trimester
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1460598-November-2012-the-boringly-named-fifth-thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1479016-November-2012-time-for-gender-guessing

Have you got a link to the egg shelly?

I feel like a bitch now. He works so hard to make sure we have everything we need and he's the one having to work 6 days a week, not me. He still does as much housework as me, he does the majority of the dog walking, he cooks and I'm still horrible to him

DH eco egg DOH!

Apple You're growing a baby 24 hours a day, getting all the constant aches and pains and then we have to go the the lovely experience of giving birth, then our hormones will not let us sleep for about a year afterwards (if you're lucky, mine was 12) because you're so finely tuned into listening for slight movements incase you are needed by baba in the night. So please don't feel guilty, he can put his feet up when he gets in and forget about work for the rest of the evening, we can't.............remember, you are growing your baby. I still throw that at my kids when they start, 'remember that I grew you', they always break out into a smile at being compared to a tomato plant :)

apple at least these early mornings are getting you in training for when little one arrives.

I have used the boots changing bag mostly, but I do use a pretty cath kidston bag I got free with a magazine about two years ago, and sometimes use a rucksack. I might treat myself to a new one as the boots one is hardly a fashion statement. It is amazing how many people do use it.

Name changed (was Stabiliser15).

Eliza I am also keen on the baby jogger mini city double, just need to find somewhere that stocks it so I can have a play, and will then try and get a second hand one.

Changing bags - the free boots one is pretty good but DH bought me a brown leather one which I use, was about £50 from Boots I think. He uses a smallish rucksack when its his stay at home days.

Scan on Weds, looking forward to it. We will find out the sex if we can!

Then I need to work out my mat leave dates and will tell clients. Also work out whether we can afford for DD to carry on at nursery while I am on mat leave - it isn't essential but i think it will be good for her to stay in her usual routine, plus she will have to go back after my mat leave anyway. The maths makes no sense but we will do it if we can.

shelly almost sounds too good to be true! That really would save me a fortune.

I've done a load of washes with it and it really does work! I can't quite believe it myself and feel a bit smug too....

I usually switch to crappy non-bio with my babies and I hate it, but now I don't even have to think about it with this. It's going to save me an absolute fortune and I mean hundreds of pounds just this year, I'm always washing stuff, I know I do overwash, I only use ANY towel once (WTF) and I have to wash it, if I put something on for even 2 minutes then I have to wash it, so you can imagine how much I have, especially with 5 of us at the minute....

I'm not even dressed yet, is this a record for lazy cow awards? Everyone has gone out and hubby didn't even ask me if I wanted to go I look that much of a bum :)

Apple I agree with Shelly, you're putting all your energy in to growing a whole new life, and every single one of us here knows how hard that is.
Sleep is very important for a pregnant lady, so it's understandable that you don't want to wake up so early.
Don't feel too bad :)

The eco egg looks quite good, might have to invest!

Sodding Eastenders - did anyone see it last night? No one can have a baby on there normally. It must be so distressing for folks who have lost babies in the womb or who have gone through the whole premmie thing. She is meant to have had her baby 11 weeks early - so what's that 29 - 28 weeks? I have to say that it really looked like they had got a real premmie in for the filming which I think is pretty sick! What sort of pushy Mum would be willing to have a sick baby filmed so it can be a 'star'?! I do have to say that the bubba looked very similar to my niece born at 27 weeks - and there is not a chance she would have let her out of the NICU.

I'm so cross with this story line as lets face it they are bound to kill the baby off - I mean it's been at least 15 months since they last killed a baby on the show (grrrrr) and what does that teach folks who are going through the experience in real life? It is only going to dishearten parents at a desperate heartbreaking time when they already feel so helpless and all they can do is hope their wee ones survive. God you'd think the whole marriage / ripping up the pre-nup / marrying a sociopath would be exciting enough as a storyline but for 'attention span of a knat Britain' - noooo they have to do a bit of one-up-man-ship and pop in a premature labour, NICU stint and baby death scenes too. I stopped watching it after the stupid baby kidnap story but am really stopping watching it now.

Nice bags (the tenner ones are much nicer than the £75 ones and are oilcloth so wipe clean) but a bit too girly for me - am such a grump that my husband would piss himself if he saw myself with anything so twee and cutsey :D

Thanks for the link on the eco-egg - with inflation going up and up (cheers for devaluing our currency via QE government feckers) that could save a stack of money over the year!

hi Ladies

God I'm sooo bored, I'm not sure how much more of this sitting in bed I can manage... anyone got any good ideas on what I can look at on the internet to while away the time? I guess I should really read a book but I haven't got one in mind!

I went the gap sale today, I needed to take DD on the train to meet her Daddy anyway so though I'd pop in. didn't get much, just some PJ bottoms! :(

DH went camping last night with a bunch of our friends so I took DD 25 mins on the train to meet him so she could join him for a night, our friend's kids are there too so they should have fun (in the rain and mud)
after doing that, spending 10 mins in gap, coffee with a friend and walking a total of no more than 3 blocks and getting a short ride train and a very short taxi home. I had to go straight to bed! I'm feeling better now that I am in bed but I am worried that the rest of the pregnancy will be like this!

We are supposed to be starting to renovate a flat in 2.5 weeks and need it done by end sept latest so we can move in and get this place rented.. I really don't know how we will manage with me out of action! we don't have spare cash to pay people to do the work and we can't push it any longer as we can't afford both mortgages! oh dear.

Oh and I really want a leather changing bag... I can't afford one though!

actually I've changed my mind... I want this one www.pacapod.com/mirano.html

Nope Shelly. After my car fiasco this morning I gave up and went back to bed. Have just woken up and got no motivation to do anything. Meant to be sitting boxes for DH to stick up in the loft and we're supposed to be going out tonight to celebrate his official new job. I just want simple home cooked food in front of the telly and sleep. (What has become of our 2am cocktail downing sessions when we both had work/uni at 6/9am the next day?!)

I am so convinced by the eco egg thing. DH and i both have really sensitive skin so we spend a fortune on sensitive washing powder/softener. He's taken to using vinegar to wash clothes but Im sure that can't be doing our machine any good! Read you can stick essential oils in with it to make your clothes smell nice so might try it with some lavender or something to see if it helps me sleep at night!

Oh and a these money saving ideas are costing me a fortune - i'm an advertiser's dream I'm so easily influenced!

DHthere are only 4 of those bags left, so I recommend you do not wait until after your holidays to buy!

Ok I'm definitely a fake girl, and if I weren't preggers I'd be convinced I was a fella - but all of those expensive bags just leave me cold - or maybe it's my Yorkshire roots but does anyone have nearly £100 to spare on a bag?!

Has anyone done this - www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/ this month we're on a budgeting mission as, ok I know food prices have gone thru the roof, but we're going thru money like water at the moment but our wages are meant to put us in the top 5% of UK households (and in the top 12% when I go on mat leave) so we shouldn't be struggling - how anyone else copes god knows. Maybe its because we don't do credit cards, or we were too young to buy a house before the prices bubbled?

So yeah, next month - other than our list of baby shopping items which we plan to buy when we head south which we can't get on the island we are on a 'buy nothing' (other than food, fuel) month as it must be my online shopping 'treats' adding up :( We had rellies up this month so bought lots of meals out, boat trips and DH spent over £100 on maternity bras for me, and £300 for a dresser for the kitchen (which we've been saving for for a couple of months so it shouldn't have skinted us). I really need to build up a stash of savings so I can feel comfortable on maternity leave otherwise I'll be stressed - I need to get out of the habit of buying things to make myself happy when I'm stressed as it's clearly a fecktard of a vicious circle (!). Is anyone else stressing about money? The cost of living is just crazy and I'm pretty convinced it's not going anywhere but up so can't relax at the moment.... I can't imagine how we used to cope when we both smoked and with my old wine habit!!!!

YW yes I know exactly how you feel. I love your idea of 'only food and fuel' and i can assure you i had plenty of months when i was at uni doing just that, so it's easily done! We might have to try it next month too, although our real downfall at the moment is 'let's just eat out tonight and make the most of it while we still can'. Soon stacks up!

Was getting myself in a panic before t got this new job as his income usually stops between October and March when the boats go away for winter. So at least that worrys over for now..

It does sound like perfect timing on his part :) I've done budgeting too - last year we saved up to pay for the wedding and honeymoon and house deposit in cash - so yeah a lot of beans on toast and shitty social life was had! Also during my first decade after uni to pay off sodding loans and MSc cost. So yeah, I'm kinda used to it - but would be nice to not have to for a while!

Anyhoo I've just started a load more freelance which should bring in £150 a day (but will need to put £50 aside for tax, unless I do a Jimmy Carr but I'm too poor to be allowed to join anything like K2 I think!!!!) I'm just such a bugger for spending it before it arrives - so next month no more nnnnnnngggggggggggghhhhh bar our list of essentials which we've been saving for to get on our trip south: cot mattress, test driving buggies (thank god the inlaws are buying this), car seat and chest of drawers for baby's room - oh and ferry costs, if it's not on the list we're not having it. Next month it is just living expenses and enjoying ourselves by walking, gardening, reading, spending time together not money..... (so we'll probably argue like bastards!!! )

I also think we're spending a lot on supermarket food as eating out is pretty limited up here and there are no takeaways (well none worth having) so I'm spending far too much on nice food treats (probably because I can't smoke or drink).

As a good cash saving tip though for all who love a take away - I can really recommend the Takeaway Secret cookbook www.amazon.co.uk/The-Takeaway-Secret-Favourite-Fast-food/dp/0716022354 - cook your favourite takeaways for under a fiver. We've had to do it because the curries and chinese up here is shite, but once you've stocked your pantry up with spices it is a really good cost saving too - have persuaded DH to make shish kebabs for tea .

YW Lol at the bag thing, I'm exactly the same and at the other end of the Snake Pass!

Hubby has just found out that he got paid yesterday and then RBS took it back out, lovely. Luckily after going in the bank and knowing the staff member, they gave him some money without asking for ID, so the rumors are true!

MissMummy The info leaflet with the egg says that doing a maintenance wash with white vinegar every so often is recommended by all washer manufacturers, so I wouldn't worry about using it.

Actually yeah vinegar should get rid of limescale!

Oh maybe its not so bad after all! YW you'll need to come round and sample one of dh's carries when you're down. He's spent the last year perfecting them from scratch and they're great!

We've bought far too many luxuries and 'big' things this month that its getting ridiculous. And then there's all those little 'unexpected extras' to fork out for. I've just bought a new exhaust for the car before finding out it had a punctured tyre this morning and the service lights been on for about a month. There goes another £300 odd quid on nothing!

Like you said though, there's loads of free ways to entertain ourselves. Ts stopped his expensive dive trips after finding an old quarry near us and we're right on the coastal path for walks if the shit weather ever goes away. Looks lime we're getting Bailey for a while too while mum moves house so Im sure he will keep us amused! Assuming there's no coffee over laptop issues like last time...

Sp curries! !

YW there's no way I can afford even £90 on that bag I would like. We don't have to buy really much baby stuff this time around though so i would like a useful bag this time. but still can't afford it even though we don't have to buy other stuff!
I used all manner of differnt make do bags the last time and I could never find anything because they had little or no compartments. I would often find old food at the bottom of the bag or that I had mistaken I had something essential when I didn't.. so I swore that this time I would treat myself to a practical bag with alll the right compartments...
I think I will ask DH to start saving now for my birthday in November to get me that bag. He does surveys online to earn amazon vouchers so do I so between us we could get the bag may be for free of for a lot less after millions of boring surveys!
I must write a list of what we actually do need to buy or replace for this baby so i know what to budget!

Heehee MissMummy your DH can try to carry me if you like, but I reckon I'd put his back out at the mo!!! [grin}