November 2012 - baby shopping time has really taken off

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1505839-November-2012-nearer-the-end-than-the-beginning

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Oh, I forgot to say hi to italia! It's amazing to think you started with us and now you are overdue.

I hope you have kept well and that you get a wee bundle very soon.

Aw itala you're going to have your baby v soon I'm so jealous! Good luck with the birth and you must come back to tell us all about the baby!

I'm 23 weeks today :) it's meant to be v hot today so taking ds to an outdoor pool with my friends. I reckon it's going to be V busy though as its the school hols.

mrsWee that makes sense.

peaky I get dizzy spells but more pain related, and when I go to get up. As you are getting it all the time it is unlikely to be BP related, but could be inner ear as you say. Might be an idea to get it checked out by GP, or MW if you are seeing them soon.

Anyone else struggling to understand Tax Credits? The payments are based on the previous years earnings, yet current childcare costs. I earned a full wage last year, but will earn less this year obviously. I will need to call them each time my wage drops, as it drops in increments, yet I cannot tell them about the change in childcare costs until after September. I have taken DD1 out of after school care as I am off, and halved DD2s hours at nursery, so will be overpaid for 6 months, then have payments slashed to recoup when we need it the most. We are also having a review, which happens randomly it seems. Just my luck it would happen now.

YW I applied for a job in Foula. Quite glad I did not get it now. I would still love to live in the Islands, but the extra expenses are considerable. At the time we thought our family was complete. I hope you have a wonderful trip to civilisation!

Cold and wet here in the Wee County.

Vallium no idea on tax credits. Not looked into them as our combined earnings are probably above the threshold. Only three days left of the holiday :( on Friday well be back in the uk :( and I'll be 26 weeks pregnant!!!

Peaky - yes to the dizzy spells though I find it very hard to differentiate between the panic before I faint and the panic before I'm sick!! Though there was a storm here last night and I was very sensitive to it. Hair on ends etc.

Baby spends his whole day spinning round. He seems quite happy but depending on his posits depends on the strength of his kicks!!

I've bought a cot bumper well my sister has so will use it when I can. Also want up get a swaddle thing and a couple more grow bags. Then order the pram, paint the babies room and collect the furniture.

Glorious sun daahhn sarf

Picnic is in order (mainly to miss the "community water fight" plus we have an old windmill near by that we like to climb the hill too.
Just waiting for Mr or Mrs Tesco to deliver my picnic food then we're off!
I hope everyone else has a nice day.

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm dizzy just sat here at the desk! Not good when your a children's physio handling babies etc. the only way I can get close to describing it is as though you've just come off a boat & still swaying, or the waltzers. Scream if you wanna go faster! I'm wondering if hayfever could be playing my sinuses up as its the only link I have. BP is fine!

Aaaanyway, got the midwife appt this afternoon so we'll see.

peaky hope all is ok, good that you are seeing everyone today

mrswee when we went through a really rough time at work I found listening to other peoples worries/stress def did NOT help me - found it hard to switch off to it as wanted to be supportive but you need to look after yourself. Take care

Dixi oww, that sounds horrible, hope things are going well.

Valium I have no clue about tax credits, where did you find out about them? I'm guessing from what you have said we will have less money when we need it and more next year when I am back at work

We have found mould growing on the walls of our house :( It's only in the extension and now the sun is out we have every window and door in the house open but any advice on what to do to stop it? (It is a house that comes with DH's job so not wanting to spend a fortune on damp proofing etc but don't think it can be healthy for me and DH or baby)

Also what is the best way to get rid of what has grown already? :(

sorry peaky clearly you are not seeing everyone - someone

You can buy mould spray to remove it. There are companies who will do a damp check for free.

Also if you have double glazing and can half open your windows that can really help if you don't like them open. Just let's air come in and out. No sure where you dry your clothes either but try somewhere better ventilated. Depends where the mould is growing.

Hi everyone. Ages since I checked in and these threads go by so quickly. I've been signed off work the past few weeks with a really bad back - sciatica type pains. As a result I seem to be putting on weight really fast, which isn't helping, but anyway....

Hope everyone is enjoying their pregnancies :)

Child tax credits only apply if you have a child, obviously.

Both parents, if a couple, need to be each working over a certain number of hours, which have been increased recently, and you can get varying amounts up to quite a high combined wage, which they keep changing it seems.

If you pay childcare costs, you can get paid a certain amount towards that, up to 70%, but that depends on how much you pay and how much you earn.

They say that you should let them know any changes in income and childcare costs as you go along, and they will adjust payments.

They used to pay extra if you had a baby under 1yo, but they have scrapped that recently too.

For more info just google child tax credits. There is a tax credit calculator that can give an indication of how much you may be entitled to.

Although I am in quite a well paid job, DH was a student for 6 years and now earns minimum wage (gosh that was worth it!) and is employed on a sessional basis. We could not afford childcare without the tax credits, as we were paying out around 1K a month. No idea how we will be able to afford this one too. I will probably have to drop to part time. I do get frustrated that most of my clients are on benefits, including DLA, and have a much higher disposable income than me, and never need to worry if they can afford another child. But I guess I do not have to worry about that child possibly being taken off me.

I know how you feel valium. I know people my age (25) who have three or four children, often with different dads and that have never worked a day in their lives. They don?t seem to have to worry about the cost implications of having another.

I on the other hand have been with DP for 9 years and have been broody most of that time but kept putting it off because we couldn?t afford it. I still have no idea how we will afford it, it will be a struggle having one. At least I can hold my head high and say everything that I have I have worked for. I haven?t been handed anything. That sets a good example to our babies.

We will be literally just over the tax credits threshold and won't qualify for a penny.

Us too apple!! We may just sneak in if we had two but with one nothing. Still I appreciate we are a lucky couple who work hard! I just hope we pass the same principles onto our children that our parents did to us!!

Everyone round us is reading 50 shades of grey. Am I the only person not bothered by this book?!

Peaky google vertigo or Meniere's syndrome. I get that, it's as if things are moving around you. It could be due to the increased fluid in pregnancy putting pressure on your inner ear.

Itala hope everything's going well for you now. On to the next adventure for you. The first six weeks are the toughest.

Threshold was around 50K. We are well under that I think 15K is another magic number, under which you get free school meals and other stuff. I may be a lot better off cutting my hours right down but you still have to work a certain number of hours. I could swap to a minimum wage job, but I do not want to. In order to continue my registration I still need to work in my chosen field.

Just doing an online food shop as we are down to crumbs. I am quite enjoying it, and might carry on doing it. Lots easier than dragging two, soon to be three, little cherubs around.

Threshold depends on how many children you have doesn't it? It's now only £26k for one child I think.

Really? Crumbs! It is so confusing.

Same here horsey. If we had two children we would qualify for something. Don't plan on having another for a good 3-4 years though.

There was me thinking you guys were loaded!

I think it is worth going on the calculator, as on 26K it would be very hard paying full time childcare. We were only entitled to a little Working Tax Credit, but more of the childcare element. We have two kids though. I have clients on over 26K benefits and allowances, and do not work.

We have only claimed this last year, as DH did not qualify due to being a post-grad student. Still needed the kids in childcare though as he was in college all week. It was hard. I would have been better off if I had thrown him out, and at times I was tempted!

I think there are exceptions to the 26k if you have a child with a disability or you have to pay childcare. Luckily I won't need childcare though because I have enough family that have offered to help me out.

Well that?s if my employer will allow flexible working. If not I?m screwed and will have to have a major rethink.

Vallium online shopping defo the way forward!! Love it!!! Though don't do it often enough really.

I don't think we qualify for tax credits either but I'm very lucky as my mum lives around the corner and is more than willing to have baby as she won't be working and dp's mum works part-time. Its a glorious day here in the midlands - I'm sitting in my back garden looking through a bag of my own beautiful baby clothes including the dress I wore to their wedding :o) Today is a good day x