Due April 07 - Galloping towards Christmas and .... Third Trimester ..... Gulp!!

[CaptainDippy]

Ta Da!! Hops this is ok!!!!!!!?

Hello everyone!!!

Gosh I can't keep up - had to resort to a list this morning - my mind is getting worse.

isabellamoi - Another massive Growbag fan here - am currently trying to reclaim all those lent to Brother in Law to be used for our new baby.
GMM OMG re your crash! So glad you are ok - what a fright you must have got....anyone ever invested in a "Bump Belt" thing? Just wondered....
autumnlover hi and welcome!
mammyjo - Horray to DS for pants at night! I think I will take a leaf out of your book and not push it for that and just let him do it when he is ready.
1becomes3 - So sorry about your Digger story - that is truly awful. I am with you on your "slice and dice" comment - I have been advised to go for the section again this time so have resigned myself to never knowing what it actually feels like to give birth....
Re circumscision - I remember my little brother having to have it done when he was about 2 (for medical reasons) I was only 5 at the time and to this day vividly remember how much pain he was in afterwards so for me unless htere was a medical reason there is no way I would be letting my baby go thru that.

CFK - ARRRRRRRRGH at your neighbour!
What isit with people and insensitive comments...Our Health Visitor at work yesterday informed me that "I looked like I was just fat rather than pregnant " yesterday -I was so shocked I couldn't speak - I wish I had slapped her to be honest... insensitive witch.....
I know you are sensitive when you are pregnant but I just couldn't beleive she had the cheek....

Maveta We have a similar "bedtime hour" here on a channel caled Cbeebies and my little boy knows it's bedtime as soon as he hears the music - it's fantastic! lol
thewilderbeast welcome welcome!
weeonion - Totally know where you are coming from on the no chance of DH feeling baby due to wobbly tum thing! I like to tell myself that the extra padding is protective and keeping the baby nice and warm lol.....

Ahhh well - spent WAY too long on here - so sorry if I've missed anyone out. I was up at the crack of dawn and had an urge to clean the oven (god knows why) - bit early for nesting??!!
DH has taken rest of this week off...he tells me to get up in the loft and clear stuff out and get some new wardrobes fitted int he bedroom to make space for the cot. I was very chuffed until it dawned onme that actualy The Ashes (cricket) starts tomorrow.......

Have a fab day ladies
MIAM 18+4

Bllarrgh, have just read through, thought of loads of witty / intelligent / useful things to post, and promptly forgotten the lot!!

One thing though - AngeG - my DD will be 4 in Jan, and so far shows no sign of being dry at night. She's mentioned a few times that she doesn't want to wear her pull up, but selfish mummy that I am, thinking of my own sleep, I always disuade her! Her nappy is never totally dry, although not so soggy now I make sure she has a wee straight before she goes to bed. I don't have a tumble drier so I'm thinking we'll tackle it next Summer when she'll be 4.5, unless of course she suddenly has a run of bone-dry nappies before then. But then I am lazy

Oogs - I think the key date is the one that the midwife puts on your MATB1 form, so as long as she will agree to put something after 1 April on there, you will be fine.

MIAM - LOL @ The Ashes - Cheeky bugger! Hope he does loads of stuff as well as sitting glued to the goggle box - grrr!

Bramshott - Know that feeling oh so well honey - Go on, go and have a cup of tea ...

Right, best get into town before it gets too late ....

Well ladies, thanks to Pesha I'm going to start tackling all my money worries so I might get a bit irritable! As well as reclaiming bank charges we have a Working Families Tax Credit overpayment thingie to worry about so I'm going to extract my head out of the sand and deal with it all. Also printed out maternity information from Ooogs (and work's policy) so that I am fully on top of things this time. Don't worry - if it all gets too much I'll post on another thread !

Very of all the movements everyone is having. My placenta is officially anterior and I still can feel hardly anything . I'm 20 weeks on Thurs but it may be another couple of weeks before she gets big enough for me to feel on a regular basis.

RH - I'm not at all a touchy-feely person, but for some reason don't mind people stroking the bump at all! (Apart from total strangers ) Odd, I know.

Good for you GGF!! I don't work and haven't done for aaaaaggggeees, so don't qualify for a single penny from the government, so bah humbug to them - at least I don't have to go through the business of all this form filling etc etc - I can just sit back and relax .... and enjoy being penniless!!

Morning all hope we are all feeling well.

Have to say big at maveta and runnyhabbit at DH feeling bump movement.
My poor Dh thinks the twin beans don't like him as they never move when goes to feel them.
It was the same for DD, poor love, bless him I think he is feeling a bit left out.

As far the bump touching I think you were right RH, I don't like it when people fondel me, I would have done the same thing to.

I am so excited My mum and dad get back from Oz tommrrow I haven't seen them for 6 weeks, they are gonna think I am a fat b***d when they see me, I wasn't any where near this size at this time with DD.
I can hear my mum now " I hope you have been feeding my babies something other than crisps and chocolate"
Well I think I will have to lie and say "yeah of course I have"

Pesha; Have look at the links you sent, gonna gove it a go, cos although I'm pretty ok with money I havent always been, might even get enough to pay for my car .

Can you tell me - what exactly can you claim - is it everything over £12 on any charge against you.. so for example if you were charged £25 for a missed payment you can claim £13? Many Thanks

i am new to this whole game 9who wouldnt have guessed!) - so any advice on how to go about getting workign families tax benefits? is this what is to help towards chilccare costs or is that different? there is some tax credits as well? child benefit?? someone has mentionned to me that you can get childcare vouchers off the govt cheaper??
arghh - and i thought choosing a buggy was hard!
who is the best agency to speak to about this?
any help / advice??

Hey - you got a free buggy - what more do you want!!!!

Ah - since I'm in the state I'm in I'm probably not the best person to give you advice but certainly to start with just go onto the Working Families Tax Credit website and you can go through steps to see if you will be eligible. It's actually pretty straightforward - to begin with........

Also check out registering for Child Benefit which is totally separate and to which you will definitely be entitled !.

WFTC is to help towards childcare costs and your employer might also do childcare vouchers which is in addition to this and basically allows the money you pay to your childcare provider to be free of National Insurance (I think?). This is a good thing and even I haven't managed to screw this up... yet!

I have just looked out of the office window, and there is the most torrential gale/rain going on! What is going on with the weather? Give me a nice crisp cold dry day anytime.

Now I can hear thunder.

Not scared of thunder, but prefer it when I'm at home curled up on settee with the heating on. Not in work

I had look on the WFTC website. Did the estimated calculation, and apparently we're entitled to the grand sum of £40 per month. Still waiting for them to send the form out though

Weeonion - as others have said, there are basically 3 types of extra money you can get once you're a 'family':

1. Child benefit - very simple, about £40 a month I think, flat rate per child, no matter what your income, you just have to register.

1. Tax Credits - enormously complicated, but as long as your joint income is under £60,000 a year, you qualify for something. The forms are like a book though, and you have to tell them about every tiny change in your circumstances. I am feeling jaded by them at the moment, but if you qualify for relatively little per month, I'd seriously think about not putting your blood pressure through it! They do give you more in the year your baby is born though I think.

1. Childcare vouchers - through your employer (although not all employers do them). These are great - they enable you to take £55 a week in vouchers rather than salary, and then you don't pay tax and NI on this amount. There are various schemes doing the vouchers (we get Accor ones through DH's work), or if you work for a small employer, they may prefer to pay your childcarer direct. The only drawback is that they are only for Ofsted registered childcarers I think - eg. nurseries and registered childminders.

You will probably find that the hospital or midwife gives you a pack with claim forms for Child Benefit and Tax Credits in, when you have the baby. And you don't have to worry about the vouchers for ages and ages!

stars - thank you v much for advice.

LOL GMM - i know - i get a free mamas and papas buggy found in an attic and i am still looking for more!!

Afternoon ladies!!

How are we all?? Good I hope! Anyone heard from pesha yet?

doobydoo I do like Cumbria but love Cornwall more which is where I live.. whereabouts is your dp from in Cumbria?

oooggs - I am Redruth, whereabouts are you? Maybe we could meet up?

Just read the thing about Maternity: - 9 months, look on this website www.tiger.gov.uk this tells you everthing you need to know but I am sure that you qualify as long as your due date is after 1 April 2007 - it doesn't matter when your baby/babies are born!!!

My dh is coming home tomorrow I can't wait these last 3 wks have gone really quickly!! Have my scan on Thursday and I can't wait to find out (Have a feeling that I am having a boy) but will be just as happy if it is a girl..

Take care everyone!!

Welcome to any newcomers..

Take care

twinkle183 (20+3)

My God, you lot can talk. Still can't access the internet at home which is a bloody pain, so thought I would snatch a few minutes at work - has taken me half an hour!!
Oogs, apologies for not coming back to you, but I think your question has been answered, in that as long as your MATB1 states 1st April 2007 or later as the expected date of childbirth, then it doesn't matter if the babes come early.
So much to catch up.
MIAM, what a lovely lovely dad you have - I am v pleased for you.
To everyone else, good luck with the scans, and I hope you are feeling ok.
Runny, I think you did the right thing - it is your body! I have to say, my tummy feels v sensitive at the moment, esp as my tummy button is starting to protrude, and I cannot bear to touch it myself! Makes my legs go funny!
Welcome Wilderbeast, I hope you enjoy this thread!
Feeling ok today. Felt pissed off this morning - bored of the same old routine, and somewhat trapped by it all. Started thinking, what am I doing having number 2, and prolonging the routine we are in. Dreadful thing to think I know, but just being honest.
On the subject of nappies at night-time, my dd is 3 1/2 and I cannot imagine her being dry for a while. She has been dry during the day since she was just past 2, which has been great. I think it will just happen when she is ready - no point making a fuss, and I can't be doing with getting up to change wet bedding - bad mummy!!
Need to run, as at work and feel on edge!!
xx

Hi all

GMM Have copied this from the other thread, was posted by emsiewill

'Yes, bank charges. And all of them, not just everything over £12. I think the reasoning is that if the money taken is seen to be 'disproportionate' then it is breaking the terms of the contract, and is therefore unlawful and you're entitled to it all back.

Or something.'

So in your example you could claim back the whole £25 not just the £13 over the £12. Also on the consumer action website they have spread sheets that can help you calculate compound contractual interest. You can also claim back a percentage of any overdraft costs you may have incurred as a result of the unlawful bank charges. All this is explained on the consumer website, i found it quite a complicated site to use and quite difficult to find the info you want but if you search it is all there and it makes it really simple to do with templates for everything and forums for any questions you have (although I've not yet worked out how to post a question but thats probably more to do with me than the web site!).
My bank charges over 6 years are only £450 so trhe rest of what I'm claiming is compound contractual interest (I just filled in the spread sheet!) and I feel abit greedy claiming a couple hundred in interest but its not like the banks ever hesitate about charging us interest on anything is it and its not like they cant afford it either so sod it im going for all I can get .

MIAM am at what the HV said, cheeky cow. Lol at your DH sounds like exactly the sort of thing my dp would do!

CD how long have you been having driving lessons, hows it going? I passed my test in july but I hated learning to drive and actually once i passed my test i felt like i never wanted to drive another car again!! Am getting used to it now mind but hardly done any driving at night and the last 2 times i've had to ive forgotten to turn my lights on! Didnt get very far before I realised though.

SOL I have started to have a few moments of worry about the baby coming and thinking what am i doing. DD and ds both go to bed at 6.30 to 7 and both go straight to sleep and most nights sleep straight through for about 12 hours, ds is out of nappies and talking better and getting so much more reasonable and dd is now getting really independant and grown up and they're both so much easier (although obviously still have their stroppy moments and dd seriously needs reminding she's not a teenager and she doesnt know everything!). And I keep thinking what am i doing having a baby and going back to sleepless nights and sore boobs and bits and all the hassle and stress of a baby and then a little toddler when I've just come through all that twice. Think it was easier last time cos there was less of a gap so I wasn't go back so far iyswim. Most of the time im really excited. Its all dps fault cos hes said a few times once they've gone to bed why do I have to go and ruin it all just when they've started slleping. He's only joking but its that thats got me thinking. But I seem to be worrying alot more this time than i did before!

Pesha

1. Can you come round my house and do my bank charges sums for me? I am as we speak going through my WFTC forms to try and sort out the overpayment so the bank thing is my next challenge. End of the week good for you?

1. IKWYM about worrying about this baby. This is also my third and although DS1 is 14, DS2 is 3.5 and both DH and I can remember all too clearly what a nightmare his first entire year was! Just this morning DH was reminiscing about poos going up the back etc. And I'm even older - DS2 is just starting to grow up - why are we doing it all again???? Just Because ! For some reason I am convinced that this LO is going to be a little dreamboat next to DS2 and that we have nothing to worry about. And DS2 is lovely now, btw!

Hi all

havent been on for ages- trying to read through and it seems lots of people are having scans at this time?

I'm nearly 18 weeks (due 27 Apr) and although I had a scan at 14 weeks Im not having another until 3 Jan- at 24 weeks- anyone know why that might be???

Thanks!

Hi glitterkitty,

I think it's just how busy each hospital is - I'm 19+2, but I don't have my scan until 13th Dec when I'm 22+3. I had my first scan at 12+2.

Hari x

Hello everyone, hope you're all well
[pops head round door, waves, and dashes out again]

Hiya all,

Haven't had time to read through all the posts there are so many.

Just had my 20wk scan today. Little bean had legs crossed for most of it so the sex could not be confirmed.... Although the sonographer said that she is 95% sure that it is a girl cos she couldn't see a 'ding dong', but cos of beans legs can't be curtain. (might have been hiding it's ding dong IYSWIM)
But baby is healthy and the sonographer was brilliant. She explained all about what she was checking for and how you can tell a healthy baby from one with abnormalities, so I left with the confident knowledge that baby is all fine. Me and my dad also got to see the baby's bladder fill up and the baby yawn, oh and suck it's thumb!!

As you can tell by the waffling I am elaited!

How is everyone else?

Pesha good luck with the scan tomorrow and hope that you get to find out the flavour (if you want to know)

xx

bubblez, that sounds fantastic! So pleased everything is well

thank you katty