May 2017 #5 - 20 week scans and pram buying plans

[Adventuregame]

Almost half way through ladies.........

My closest is £900/month although when I think about it I guess for the staff levels they need it has to be.

Anyone else got dogs?

My two are pretty good around kids but I just bought this book:

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184584890X/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

Also you can download baby noises from the Dogs Trust website for free to get them used to it before the baby arrives. I intend to use Adaptil pheromone diffusers as well. Want them to start on a positive note!

Barnes yes constantly! I could cry!

Barnes I did a few weeks ago. I didn't go into detail. How many days for those sort of fees?

Well over £1k a month here (zone 2 London) for not even quite full time! We will just be living on baked beans and our savings for a while

Autumn - yes I do and bought this book:
Tell Your Dog You're Pregnant: An essential guide for dog owners who are expecting a baby https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0987053000/ref=cmswwrcppapi_CAyzybAH182PR. Already done the sounds with him - need to work on all crying ones as he gets more anxious the longer they play (not too dissimilar to me really) and have decided the baby can't have squeaky toys. My dog is ok with small kids in small doses but I find my sisters 4 kids (aged 3-10) stress him out after about an hour (again, a bit like me) and as he's naturally a bit anxious we're going to try to take time to get him used to everything - so prams being bought early and used on walks before baby and baby gates in place hopefully quite soon, etc.

Streaky - that's 5 days a week and not including the drop off before 8am (which is £3 extra a day and adds up...)

We are in London, and I think we are looking at over £1k a month - for three days a week. I had a look at nurseries today, cost is terrifying!

Barnes that book looks good! I'm lucky in that my two are super laid back but I want a book to help my parents-in-law prepare too, their little rescue is a nervous soul and they're keen to be hands on grandparents. Going from the clients I see (I don't do behaviour, but as a GP vet), I think being prepared and aware of the problem is a good half of the battle. Great to have baby gate and pram all set up well before, I need to get hold of said things and do the same! One of my two tries to 'rescue' me if I ride a bike in front of him so some pram practice may come in handy

God yes nursery takes so much of our money. I'm considering a nanny share when the second one is here as I don't think we'll be able to afford nursery fees for two.

Worth looking in to childcare vouchers now, I think you can accrue them while on maternity pay but not completely sure.

How do childcare vouchers work Esme?

My dd is at nursery but not full time as I am lucky to have my mum do a couple of days a week. Even with dd in just a couple of days it adds up and the idea of it doubling next year is terrifying! I just keep telling myself it's not forever and once they get to 3 they get quite a lot of free nursery hours (well, in Scotland they do- don't know about anywhere else!)

I will be going on leave at 36w. Taking a year (includes my annual leave which is generous). Then going back 2 days a week. Will be in nursery one morning and with GPs the rest. Sometimes will be working weekends instead (once or twice a month) which is fine as dh is at home. Only thing is, my car has isofix and I can only drive this (automatic). Our other 2 cars are a small transit connect, and a 1970 vw beetle - trying to work out what he will do for travel when I'm working at the weekend!

Info on childcare vouchers. Still not clear whether you can accrue on maternity leave.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-vouchers

Wow that surprises me for Manchester Barnes. I'm zone 6 in London and went to look at a Nursery last week. £49 a day including food 7am-7pm so approx £980 a month.

That's really good Raspberry. Ours is double that. Zone 3 though.

I don't know how they work Autumn! I just know I get them and I have a vague memory from last time of reading the guidance for my scheme and it saying you can get them on maternity pay.

Just seen this online... www.tax-free-childcare.info/2016/05/childcare-vouchers-during-maternity-leave/

I have 2017s annual leave to take before as we work January to December else I would lose it. Otherwise I would have worked right up but taken the four weeks before so maternity leave/pay won't start till 8th may

I think the childcare vouchers are very employer dependant. All my benefits (car, pension, medical cover etc) are provided on an opt in our out scheme, so for example I'm funded x amount for a car and I can choose to spend that on a. At through the company scheme, pay a bit more for a more expensive car through the company or just take the cash. Childcare vouchers are similar so I can buy vouchers when I'm on maternity leave and still getting full pay but when I drop down to smp I can't because I won't be taking home more than the minimum wage in cash after buying them.... Does that make sense? We have a whole team dedicated to answering all these questions so if your employer offers them there should also be someone to explain how it works...

Thanks for the tips on the dog books! I was wondering how to help them understand. Do you think your dog(s) know that your pregnant? I think one of mine knows there's something different, the other is only 6 months old so is too daft to know anything! Having the noises will be helpful as neither of them have ever really been around kids.

I still don't really understand what that means in relation to childcare vouchers and maternity?

The childcare vouchers I can get from work are only available once the baby is born and registered at a nursery. Also the scheme is changing in April, isn't that handy, looks like it won't be as good as it currently is. Although I could be totally misreading it. We are looking at about £1200 a month for zone 6 full time. Significantly more than our mortgage.

Where in Z6 are you Rabbity ours will be more than our mortgage too

I'm the same with our childcare vouchers - only available if you have a child & nursery to put it against.

Shoney I have to take my 2017 leave before I go too, I'm taking a week in March and then the remainder in the run up to my mat leave starting on May 24th

Popped into the Mama's and Papa's outlet in Huddersfield yesterday on way to take PIL to Strictly Ballroom the musical (amazing btw). The M&P outlet might have been more impressive if it wasn't January sales time I suppose. And also if we weren't still completely baffled by shopping for a baby. We don't mind getting a fair bit of stuff second hand. We bought a changing mat as thought that was one of the things that might not be so palatable pre used! They do have reconditioned prams though, mostly M&P but there was also an Oyster and a Bugaboo if anyone's interested and was good to see how new looking they can actually come up with a clean as we're trying find a pre loved one.

I'm not going to look at nursery prices just yet. Feel I'll be happier for longer with head in sand

Raspberry I'm in west London.

We are in zone 3/4 and the cheapest nursery when I looked for dd1 was £1k full time going up to about £1.7k.

If anyone needs to convert an icandy peach from single to double icandy outlet have some good deals on blossom carrycots and second seats.

McBaby and gang, do the prices differ depending on age?

I will probably (reluctantly) need some daycare from 4 months to stay afloat, no family nearby to help.
I'm London too- live in east zone 3 and work in east zone 2 so will prob be looking in both areas for somewhere I feel ok about