September 2015 (Thread 4) Boobs are growing, but we're not yet showing!

[Treaclepie19]

Apart from the bloat anyway!
Thread for all the wonderful ladies due in September 2015 :)

I've got my scan appt and booking in appt both on the same day next week, and apart from making an appt myself with the gp at 6 weeks to tell then that i was upduffed, that'll be the first medical contact I've had, which seems odd.
Am i the only one doubting that I'm actually pregnant at all and that it's all just in my head????

I just called them and by the sounds of it, I'm a bit awkward as my scan will now be nearer 12 weeks than 13 :/ it's now Friday 6th so only 5 days earlier but least I don't have to worry about it being close to dds op!

DrDonna I get no maternity pay at all as I'm self employed, so just statutory maternity allowance and will only be taking three months off of work. I did the same with DS. I would like to take off at least six months but just can't afford to so that's the way things are!

Wow spam, I shifted mine back by 50 minutes just to make childcare easier and they were lovely about it!

If anyone's having midwife problems, ring the main number and ask for the Senior of Midwives. You don't have to stick with the same one if you don't like them.

Oh BTW we're due the same day spam and mine is the Monday of that week at 12+0

I also only get maternity allowance, it's a pittance, some careful budgeting is going to have to be done

duckbilled - this is my biggest worry at the moment. I only just got back to work after a year of maternity leave a couple of weeks ago, so funds are running low as it is! And with DS in nursery part time, our expenses have just gone through the roof. How we'll manage this on only my DH's salary once new baby has arrived I have no idea, but my work only pays me for 6 weeks...

Does anyone know if there's any help with nursery costs available? DS is 12 months, so not eligible for the 15 hours yet, and our income seems too high for most other bits of support. But I know we won't be able to manage without help...aaahh. I get myself into a real wobble about these things and struggle to sleep as a result - really don't need the extra stress right now. Anyone else in a similar situation?

On a positive note, I have my scan (25th Feb) and booking (21st Feb) appointments now - so excited to finally be able to see the little worm. I'll be 13 weeks+ though, so it's definitely about time...

Lalunya85 your DH will be able to claim childcare vouchers through his firm which will be salary sacrifice and will reduce his tax bill (although actually I think this scheme is changing to something else in September which will be just as tax effective but I'm not quite sure how it works)

We extended our mortgage term so we had lower monthly repayments whilst I was on mat leave.

I only get statutory mat leave which is 6wks @ 90% then £500 per month - I think that goes till 9months.

Definitely worth checking out now though so you can get planning.

Am I right in thinking the maternity allowance you get when you're self employed is 90% of your average weekly earnings or a set rate of like £113, whichever is less? I'm fortunate in that on paper I earn very little (business contributes to utilities for the house etc so we're technically better off than the complete tax return shows) but just over the £40 a week minimum so I will still be entitled to almost what I earn a week anyway. My plan is to finish mid August ( and possibly let the bride at the end of august down which I definitely don't want to do) and restart Jan/Feb. I have my first wedding of 2016 booked in Feb so that would be a great time to get back in the swing of things. I have a few regular customers who have cakes in January so I might book them in and start back after New Years Day. I have had a little plan on how to get round the not working whilst claiming, Going to get my Christmas cakes done before I go on mat leave so they're ordered and paid for, then all they have to do is collect in December :)

All getting too ahead of myself though, haven't even had the 12 week scan and seen a healthy baby yet!

This is a big topic in our household too! I started a new job last summer and still haven't been issued a copy of my contract to clarify maternity pay. Luckily as our holiday year is a calendar year I am planning on taking a few weeks annual leave before going on maternity. Ideally we wanted to move before baby arrives (in rented) so we had a garden and less stairs (currently four flights!) but I don't think it will be possible for extra rental and less income Dh is a maths teacher and has been doing the sums already so have started to buy little and often early on!

Scan done. Was internal one as that's all they do. Dated 5weeks 6days which is 2 weeks different to original edd bit sonographer said as I have long cycles it ll be that I ovulated later.
And shockingly for me it had a very strong heartbeat already!!!
Everything else measuring fine. Tiny little blob. Have got a pic and will upload when home on iPad as just arrived at bluewater and no idea how to do it via my phone/app?!

Makes my edd 6/01/15 though so technically not September anymore - can I stay?

Feel better knowing something is there but now have longer to go until 12 week scan and to get pass the early stages of pregnancy.

How did others scans get on today?

I'm self employed Spam and my maternity allowance was something like £500 a month last time. I am in the process of setting up a Ltd company and then will pay myself as an employee so will be better off financially this time, hopefully.

Last time I was still working the Friday before my waters broke (following Monday) at 37 weeks. I will not be working that late this time - I found it really tough after 35 weeks.

Oh and re maternity pay- nothing for moi as I'm a stay at home mum!

Great news about the heartbeat alien! You must be v relieved.

Alien hope you're ok! Checking in on you

My husband rocks. Had a cravino for cookies. So he's making me cookies.

I think he's just so excited that is want to eat something. I'm now on some hardcore drugs to try and control this hyperemesis. Fingers crossed! In and out of hospital /emergency docs since Thurs eve, so hoping I'm on a upward path now!

X posted! Amazing news congrats x

Congrats alien! Brilliant news!!!
I'm so glad everything is ok and of course you can stay :)

I wish I'd had a pic. Look forward to seeing yours :)

alien I got put back 2.5 weeks with dd1 even though I was adamant my dates were right, going on last period etc but I must have ovulated super late, I hadn't noticed right away about my period being late so I tested when I thought I was about 6 weeks but I would have been about 3.5 weeks when I got my positive result! It's so annoying and I was really down about being put back as I should have been 13+1 at scan so 'out of the danger zone' and got put right back in it as 10+5 :(
Of course you can stay with us, you never know, bubs might arrive a few days early anyway :)
mrs Just remember that you will get maternity pay, your dh will still be working, plus you'll be getting child benefit of £80 odd every 4 months and depending on earnings, you may be eligible for child tax and working tax credits too so you might be better off than you think :)
goo I don't pay myself as such but 'draw' from the company whenever there's enough money to pay myself, £100 here, £50 there etc, my tax return shows say £2000 profit, I assume I can say that is my wage, divide by 52 and get a weekly average?! I'm hoping that's right anyway!

alien beautiful news, enjoy the relief! Looking forward to seeing the pic.

Money, money, money... I will look into childcare vouchers gooorooo but will have to be via my own company as long as I'm still working as my husband is mostly self employed... Although he IS part time employed so perhaps we can both claim?
Does this mean that childcare would become 20% cheaper, in a nutshell? Sorry for being boring and technical - I always tend to worry early so that I can relax for the rest of the pregnancy ;) I'm also not originally from the UK so not sure how the system here works. Thanks for the help xx

Oh that's brill news alien, wow 2 weeks it must have been a very strong positive when you tested! That must have been why you spotted then implantation maybe?

Lalynya check this out - it explains about the new childcare payment scheme starting in the autumn. You're not going to be able to use childcare as they're being phased out (unless you're already using them, in which case you can continue to):

www.kiddivouchers.com/taxfreechildcarenews.php

Sorry that should say you're not going to be able to use childcare vouchers