April 2015 Thread 11: The finish line is in sight as we get closer to maternity leave and our babies!

[BrixtonBunny]

Old thread getting full xx

I am similar to that RL20 with large outgoings rather than lack of income. Which is why I'm only taking 3 weeks off work. I would have thought you won't lose your I come support until your ma starts so if you get the grant before then you should be fine.

So lovely to hear from you dancestomyowntune, I think of you often. So glad your little girl is doing well and I'm sure your eldest will settle down once you're all home together.

Sairie it would make sense for a single nhs database where everything was stored and no matter where you were any hospital could access it! I'm amazed that you have to carry a paper booklet around with you anywhere and my notes at hospital paper too!!!!

Maybe I should swap my Dh! He doesn't get any hints that I'm interested, I basically have to say 'I want to have sex with you' or he would have no idea at all!! I love that he loves cuddles but sometimes being a bit more responsive would be nice.

I sent it recorded as they lost my last papers I have just rang up and she said that a decision has been made and they have declined me :(

Great news dances - hope Tiger-Rose continues to do well.

RL- money is a nightmare. I really hope it can be sorted out for you.

Oh skyra!! I'm so sorry. Why has it been declined if you don't mind me asking. If you don't want to say then don't worry of course. Is your money situation ok without it??
I don't know whether to ring myself now

Aw that's rubbish skyra I don't understand why the system is so complicated. I must admit this claiming MA has been my first experience with it and they don't make it too easy do they! I don't qualify for the grant so not sure about that. RL yeah my MA allowance is quite a bit lower than my wages. I do get the enhanced occupational component of maternity pay (even though I don't get SMP hence claiming MA!) though so I get 2 months full pay minus MA, 4 months half pay plus MA then MA only for the last 3 months I will be off. So I know I am quite lucky with that, we normally just rely on my wage so much as even though DH works full time I earn more. And his monthly bonus depends how much work they have had in so he can't do much about that either!

I've just rang them and they asked when I received the text, so I told them it was today. He said it would be too early for a decision yet and I should receive a letter in the next 2 weeks! Arghhhh I can't stand this waiting

boo - know you're reasonably local to me so I can PM you details of my GP surgery if useful? They're brilliant! I've always managed to get a same day appointment when I've needed it, they will also do phone appointments usually within a few hours of calling them. I have a friend who is a teacher and also registered there and on a couple of occasions she's called in the morning, had the doctor call for a phone appoinntment at lunch break and the doctor then stayed on outside of surgery hours to see her when she got back from school.

Because me and hubby don't claim any benefits.

I lost my job in November and because I was only working part time they would not let me on to job seekers they would only pay my my stamp (NI) as I had not paid enough when I worked part time.

Luckily I could claim MA as Id been working part time as its classed as contribution based.

My husband is a newly qualified teacher so we take around £1100 a month home after paying uni fees and tax so we live off that.

It annoys me cus I worked part time we seem to be worse of. I had so many interviews but my bump was big from 3 months and could not hide it as soon as people seen it I was a no at interviews.

I even got told I would be a health and safety problem :( Feeling a little sad now as needed the money to get isofix base looks like I am searching for a 2nd one now :(

ooh choco that would be super helpful, My doctors surgery really are the pits They even told me that they never prescribe Tramadol, and they gave me 1 box when I first registered and said it was not the done thing and they'd only given it to me so I could 'wean' myself off it like I was some kind of drug addict, I had to change my hours at work so I was only working 2 days a week because I otherwise couldn't physically cope with the pain, only to find they'd barefaced lied to me, as one of our friends has been getting tramadol from them for months and really shouldn't bloody be on it but that's another story having asked for something 'a bit stronger than cocodomol as a result of being on the tramadol he's been signed off work, and is now getting some sort of personal independence payment because he can't work, all I wanted to do was be able to maintain my job like I'd been doing for the previous 2 bloody years I'd been on the stuff and now I'm going to stop before I go into full on rant mode

oh skyra how annoying, will they let you reapply when the baby comes?

that's what we had skyra once baby comes you should be able to reapply because you'll be getting child benefit. Doesn't ally help right now when there's stuff you actually need to get though!

OO okie I shall re apply when she is born then and if I get it it can go towards her 1st Passport Thanks for that info BOO

Yes sorry I forgot to mention that skyra. Thanks boo. It's what I'll also be doing if I get rejected for it, too.
I really don't see how people can say that living on benefits is easier, it's so much hassle! Much easier working and knowing exactly what you're going to get each week/month!

Filling the paperwork in for benefits seems such a hassle will now have to get someone to sign my 3rd lot of grant papers when she is born!

I agree skyra. I've never filled out so much conflicting paperwork in my life! And half of the things I've sent off I'm not even sure if I'm entitled to anyway!
Just been thinking how ironic it is that I paid my car tax a couple of months ago and my car insurance every month (last payment being yesterday) and I currently can't really afford to even put diesel in it!?!! Crazy.
Trying to laugh at the whole situation... really trying.....

My car Is currently living on about 10 pounds worth of petrol a month at the moment lol she s moving on fumes alone!
I have my MOT due when bump is due lol and can bet there will be something wrong with it always is!! Maybe I should ditch my car for a bus pass!

People who are benefit cheats make a career out of it and they know all the loop holes and tricks. My friend works for the council and she has people calling up who pretty much know more than her and have all the right answers to get free stuff :(

Ah good luck FiRaffe. I am sure everything will turn out just fine (yay, modern meds!), although you could do without the worry

Dances - good to hear your little girl is progressing well (not surprised you are looking forward to getting her home and feeling less 'in limbo'). Maybe you should get some sort of prize for being the first birth on the thread (other than a gorgeous wee baby, of course! :0)

After they mentioned in at our NHS class, i've been researching the 'Epi-No', as it doesn't sound like a terrible idea (interested to see if anyone else has used it?).
Though had to laugh when I stumbled across this post about it earlier. Now that's using your noodle!
babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-third-trimester/313374-epi-no.html

(not sure it would work so well when it comes to measuring the stretching, mind! :0o )

That looks quite good Nunkie altho not sure I could justify £90. I try to do my pelvic floors every day.
Glad to hear little Tiger is doing well dances.
They talked about eating the placenta in our class last night. I was the only one who said I would eat it if it was made into tablets but not sure I can be arsed with the faff and knowing me I'd drop it and the cat run off with it. Any placenta conservers in the house?

Hehehe Nunkie that is funny! Amazing plan and money saving idea! Worried that I should have started the perineal massage by now and if there is any point now - although I suppose anything is better than nothing!

Have been trying to do some nesting this afternoon - cleaned out the kitchen cupboards, done work tops etc. I'm so slow though! Still have tidying and floor etc to do... You know when you kind of regret starting something...!

I don't think I have a growth chart, tbh I'm so tired this time I haven't really paid attention. Fortunately everything seems to be uneventful thus far so I'm just plodding along. At 28 wk appt I was measuring bang on and not seen anyone since, I feel like a hippo so I feel fairly confident that he's not too small at any rate...

Suddenly started feeling a bit 'full' this week. Like there isn't enough room in body for baby, organs, food etc. and so exhausted. DH's new job means he isn't home at his usual early times, it's going to take some time to adjust.

Good luck FiRaffe. Hope it's nothing, if it is then it's been picked up on.

Yes Siarie you seem to have an enlightened and v C21st surgery!

Yes Boo your pregnancy chastity belt made me giggle too. Nice one on the MA moolah too.

Cinnamon you will so be fine. You're defo one of the most capable people on this thread.

Penguin I hope the next thing you get for your snuzpod is gold plated!

Dances great to hear your little one is moving closer to going home. Best of luck managing the other kids I'm sure once you're home rather than toing and froing the 12yo will be able to be a great help to you and feel more involved.

Banana I get the stitch thing too when walking too fast.

RL - sorry to hear it's stressful for you. It's hard not knowing as you can't plan. Hang on in there. And most importantly remember baby really doesn't need loads of 'stuff' beyond the basics and won't be aware of not having any of it. At least you'll still get CB too as Squatting says. Afa I know it's a set amount £20 per week (used to be anyway) for a first child.

Skyra that's really annoying for you

Cinnamon and Siarie - well there was a proposal that all patient details be captured centrally a while back if you remember, but there was a massive hoo-hah about confidential patient records being secretly sold onto insurance companies and it never went ahead. So we trek around with our paper notes instead!

Probably similar to perineal massage Nunkie for the stretching and nothing can prepare you for a baby's head crowning other than the event itself. Not sure about her money saving plan though!

Can't remember the CB amount but it standard for everyone who doesn't have a higher rate tax payer as their partner (or themselves of course), I get mine every 4 weeks and it's £136something but that's for two and second is less than first. You have to claim but it's a one off and then they just pay it forever I think (well until child is 18 or no longer in full time education).

Ahh the ever paranoid general public. Gotta love them. Surely they records would be covered by the data protection act and couldn't be sold on. I know my hospital does have digital records but it's still got all the paper ones in the archives. Actually Christies in Manchester also has a similar system but there is still a lot of paper notes that get lugged around. (Mine have been thinned out numerous times as they were too thick. Currently about 5inches, but should be about twice that. The ones at my local hospital aren't even a cm!)

Thank you smog that's reassuring
Skyra how could I forget about the MOT! Mine only went in for it's MOT on Wednesday, thankfully it passed but my partner paid for it as I couldn't afford it. I know that some people go down to just the 1 car between them when having a baby, to save money, but it just wouldn't be practical for us so hats off to those that can manage it. When I'm on maternity leave, I'll need/want my car to visit my mum and just generally get to places as I'll be on my own, and my partner needs his every day to get to work as it's not in walking distance.

Was planning on sorting the flat out this weekend and packing some things away ready to set baby stuff up, but the people that live below us on the ground floor have had a leak so the contractors are here to have a look in ours to see where the leaks coming from. Turns out it was our washing machine!! Arghhh. But before they checked that, they have took the side panel off the bath to see the pipes, and we have had to empty the storage cupboard in the kitchen for them to get in there too. So everything is everywhere!! Rant over

Child Benefit is the easy one, First child is £20.50, subsequent children are £13.55 each and that's per week, not sure if it's actually paid weekly, I retreat to my happy place whenever DH starts loading up the bank website to look at the statement... Bloody tax credits though are a complete mind boggle, getting the renewal forms through fills me with dread and I tend to fill them out at the last minute as it's somehow always me that ends up doing them

seriously need to learn to stay away from the bath, felt seriously uncomfortable before I got in and feel even worse now :/ probably just as well I didn't go swimming today...

RL We also have 2 cars, I don't really enjoy driving but I live a bit out into the country so its needed to get to town and visit parents so having one car I doubt would work as husband uses his to get to work that's a 40min drive!

I did not grow up in the area where I live so have no clue even where the bus stop is lol

My car is only small only really costs money at MOT time lol think I will be sending someone else to go an get it done in April!