September Babies Thread #5 - we're a chatty bunch

[Stroan]

Yet another thread for our September babies!

The Google Doc with stats is here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VUDuTLeibUnnaCWCjb-pqUe4Wnq-fTau4HJgmE1XE3c/edit?usp=sharing

This post was edited at OP's request

@TwittleBee
The key is to reassemble the nappy parts once dry so they are ready to use!

www.entitledto.co.uk/help/child-benefit-claim

It isnt means tested Megan2018 (well if you or your partner have an income higher than £50k i think you have to pay some sort of charge thing but you still get something), 1st child is approx £21 a week and next is £14 a weel

Jeez you can tell I didnt sleep well last night and am clearly suffering from baby brain already Megan2018 hahah! Cannot believe I didnt figure that one out already!

Unfortunately my full time income is above the £60k
But mat leave should bring me under-just can’t work out when!

Megan it seems to be calculated on a tax year basis so assuming it takes lower mat leave earnings into account I’d have thought you’d be below in 2019/20 (first 6 months of mat pay) and 2020/21 (second 6 months of mat pay, 6 months of normal salary after you go back). But it’s really not clear. I assume your DH earns less than £50k so you’d get full entitlement as long as you’re under the threshold.

De railing from mat pay slightly - NHS worker here and have got my head in the sand at just how pitiful my pay might be... 😂 but has anyone been getting braxton hicks? I’m unsure if that’s what they are or baby just pushing them self right to the surface - it’s not painful at all, just slightly uncomfortable and my tummy goes rock hard for 30 secs.

@TwittleBee some come as an all in one scenario with a waterproof coating and liner included for ease, however these take longer to dry and are more expensive. I was recommended the separate nappies which are just a cloth nappy and then you put a liner in it with poppers and cover with a waterproof wrap. They are quicker drying and you only need a few wraps as they don't have to be changed for every nappy change so is a bit cheaper than buying the all in one kind. There are also disposable liners that go on top of the pop in liners to catch the poo so you can just wrap and flush. Sounds complicated but it's not once you've had a look at them!

@Megan2018
It's definitely based on the tax year so you won't have many months on full pay for tax year 19/20. Depending on your maternity benefits you should be fine this tax year.

With child benefit you pay it back proportionately for every £x over 50k you or your partner earn. You notify HMRC on your tax return. So it's on a scale, where at 60k for example you'd pay back 20% (don't quote me on the figures) you should be fine to not pay any back Y1 and Y2

I'm pretty sure I'll be just under the 50 when I go back as I'm going part time, but this will coincide with dh hopefully getting a significant boost so he'll probs end up over... I really don't know how it would work if we were both over, I assume we'd both have to pay back a proportion? Complicated, but everyone I've ever spoken to about it always says it's definitely worth claiming even if you're a higher rate tax payer 🤷‍♀️

Is anyone feeling consistent movement yet? Sometimes I think oooh... then I'm like, oh, might just be wind 😳 20 week scan on Monday!!

@kyles101
I was told over £60k you pay 100% back so not worth claiming? But between 50 and 60 you pay back on a scale so worth it.
If I get to go back 4 days I’ll be under I think but not sure if 19/20 will qualify. I need to get do my self assessment early this time to try and work it out. I have my old house rented out which makes it more complicated than just salary. DH well under as I’m main earner.

@Megan2018. Child benefit has the worst tax system ever. Depending on how much your salary will drop it may be worth it but frankly I get irritated every April when I get the bill to pay it back.

I bet @Karigan195
My tax return drives me crackers already!
I think if I drop to 32hrs then because my pension contributions drop from 8.5% to 6.8% plus the child benefit my net pay is proportionally better than full time. Should only lose about £400/month net.

But I’ll be right on the cusp of £60k overall, so salary increase or rental income increase could throw it out.

But I’d still like to drop to 4 days regardless, at least for a few years until school.

I wish it didn’t matter, but need to keep to a certain level in order to meet the mortgage affordability too. I won’t cancel the Lotto direct debit just yet

Even if you’re over the threshold, do still complete the child benefit form. We don’t qualify and choose not to receive the money (as it would just be paid back), but filing the form protects your State Pension and also automatically gives the child a NI number at 16.

Bit intimidated by other folks' earnings with respect to child benefit. DH now our sole earner and under £50k, no bonuses paid as public sector. My new business isn't making enough to pay me a wage yet though I'm going to make a few grand over summer contracting one day a week. Luckily when I left my last job I got severance so we have a good amount of savings which if we skimp might last a year, and mortgage covered by those in that time. Definitely going to have to stick to second hand and ebay finds for baby stuff though I reckon! Child benefit will no doubt help but I would never have thought we would have been eligible or needy enough...

Got my advice back from the nappy lady, think it's just confused me more:

1st Option
Full Order Recommendation Bumble Popper Birth to Potty
2nd Option
Full Order Recommendation Miosolo

I think the bumble poppers will be too confusing for my mum and the nursery and the miosolos aren't recommend from newborn. Got myself in a tiz trying to work out what's best 🙈

With regards to the child benefit, I was told even if you earn over 60k it's worth claiming as otherwise you won't accrue pension benefits while on maternity leave. or something like that. 🤷

Gemmajen maybe justbuse disposables for the first wee while then switch to miosolos?

Oh my god I am so tired today. I had a long day at work yesterday and was alr3ady tired now i feel exhausted. Quiet weekend for me I think.

I got Bumble Popper too but agree they look confusing!
2nd choice was Bumgenius Elemental Joy (with different night nappy) which look easier.
I’m going to use disposable in hospital and maybe a few weeks after depending on baby weight.
But also going to try and get some separate newborn washables 2nd hand to try out, even if not full time in case baby is tiny.

Miosolos look great to me and that was my 2nd recommendation also GemmaJen so I think I'm planning on doing teddys for the newborn stage and then switching to Miosolos.

Ah is it 60, I thought it was quite a bit higher actually but as I say hadn't looked it into. I don't get the whole claim and pay back but for some reason everyone says to do it? The way our antiquated tax system works I actually won't be much worse off dropping to part time - tax on benefits etc.

I think the claim and pay it back only necessary if you have 1 parent not working at all and 1 parent earning £60k plus (the typical high earning father with SAHM I guess).
The claiming means the NI protected for the non worker. But in our case we are both working.
I’ll definitely claim it once at work on reduced hours as will be able to keep most of it then. Just not sure at what point it becomes worth it whilst still getting full time income.

And well done to all of you looking at reusables... they just seem like such a faff...? Do they work ie not leak?

Apparently they are better than disposables some of them kyles101 due to the way they are so secure around the edges so less pooxplosions (especially in newborns you'll find that poo will explode up and out the back of their nappy).

It's the cleaning and drying that stresses me out but now I know there's liners that you just flush away I feel like it won't be as faffy. Also now I've been through potty training I've seen how easy it is to wash poop out of things.

Jumping in on the child benefit chat. If you or partner earn 60k+ then you can still opt claim for the NI credits but opt out to receive the actual money so you don't have to mess around with tax. There is a calculator on the gov website so you can work out what you would owe back and if it's worth claiming the money. But either way, definitely send the form off and there's a box to tick if you don't want the money.
That's what I did with DS. But thinking about it I'm going to review and it might be worth me claiming for 3!

Also my DS the little darling woke up at 4.30am shouting cos he wanted to watch Bing. Would not settle or go back to sleep but I refused to put bloody Bing on. He was becoming obsessed anyway and now it's just confirmed my decision that Bing no longer exists in my house. 4.30 is too early!!! Work is going to be fun today!

On the opposite end of the scale, I had to go tell my 15 year old to go to sleep at 3.30am 😁