March 2024 continued!

[Busylizzie85]

New thread 😊

😱 did they say if they were getting busy already?! I was going to wait til the 3rd trimester but now you've worried me!

My baby already has a nursery place as he’s going from 5 months old. The Government made some changes so people get free childcare hours from an earlier age so I think nurseries will get a lot of enquiries.

I was really set on the nursery we have chosen and they only have 6 baby places. We were so lucky that a place came up part time from July then full time from September. I’ve heard some nurseries won’t take enquiries until the baby is born though but I would still say it’s worth enquiring. Particularly if you know when you want them to start and how many days.

Lads , I have no clothes at all for the change in weather , I was going to invest this year on some staples but obviously my body is about to change 🫠 which is amazing but it does raise a challenge. I’m trying my best to be environmentally conscious ,does anyone have any good solutions for some sustainable maternity clothes ?

i am going to call my local nursery next week some time , same issues in Ireland , people are signing babies up that they haven’t even conceived yet !! My husband is a teacher so we are looking for somewhere that might give us a special rate just for the school year

@Hopefulfirstround I wouldn't say these are environmentally conscious but I've just bought a pack of 2 maternity leggings from Very for £16. Very soft, stretchy and not see through at all ! I know H&M have some sustainable collections too x

Hi @Hopefulfirstround I’m in Ireland too! I’ve invested in two good pairs of maternity jeans from M&S then just some chunky oversized knitwear I can wear afterwards too. I also got some of those longline vests in Dunnes with my first and they covered bump and the band of the maternity jeans perfectly!

@Hopefulfirstround Get yourself on Vinted! 😉 Buying secondhand is a green move. And there are loads of things new with tags!

@Prudence00 whats the government changes so people get free childcare hours from an earlier age? i was looking at childminders rather than nurseries as some also do school drop offs

“From April 2024, working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare.

From September 2024, 15 hours of free childcare will be extended down to the age of nine months for working parents.

From September 2025, working parents of children aged nine months and upwards will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week right up to their child starting school.”

@Prudence00 @Ruthsoph Just to add that this extension only applies to “working parents” where both people in the couple work and there is a specific definition:

Both people in the couple must earn at least £8,670 each a year and neither one can earn more than £100,000.

I need to look too…. I’d prefer to share a nanny with someone initially at a similar cost to my local nursery five days a week, but can’t really plan that until baby arrives etc so may need to at least put names down for nurseries and maybe look at child minders!

New panic over here. my DH has shingles I've been told by GP and mat assessment they have no concerns about me because I've had chicken pox but debating if I should privately get an immunity test just incase

@krissy12 ah poor you, I can imagine the worry. I’m not medically trained, but they’re right that if you’ve def had chicken pox, you should be fine with shingles. You can’t catch shingles, you can only catch CP and only if you haven’t had it. I also think you have to directly touch the blisters to catch it, so if you’re concerned, sleep in a different bed?

a couple of my friends have had shingles and no one around them has ever caught it. I had a similar concern with a friends child who had chickenpox recently, but I was fine!

however, like all things in pregnancy…. If you’re worried then maybe just go for the test if it’s easy to do and you can afford it?

but tbh if you’ve already been around him a lot then you probably would have caught chicken pox already and it would be incubating. But honestly I think should be fine if you’ve had chickenpox 😊

@Hopefulhoney6 thank you for the reassurance I looked into the test but the injection they can give you if your not immune is only beneficial in the first 3 days after exposure so it'll be too late now anyway but I know I've definitely had cp before
I'm expecting my nearly 3 year old to catch cp from it but telling myself better for him to get it now than in cp season next year in nursery when baby is just born

@Hopefulhoney6 - thanks for adding. We aren’t eligible for it but as many more people will be from a younger age, we wanted to get a nursery place secured for the baby from 5 months until he goes to school 😊

@Prudence00 makes sense!! We also aren’t eligible.
Is this your first? Are you going to go back to work 5 days? I might start emailing a few nurseries this weekend. My plan would be to go back to work next November but my DH might take SPL Nov / Dec.

@Hopefulhoney6 yes it’s my first. Is it yours? I’m going to do my full time hours over 4 days. The nursery only has 3 days available July & August so will need to either take annual leave or reduce my hours temporarily. He will go 4 full days (8-6) from September.

So many typos 😫 I'm tired

@Prudence00 yup, this is my first!
Im planning on going back 5 days (unfortunately I work in an industry where you can’t really do condensed hours as I work all sorts of hours anyway lol) so want to decide what the best type of childcare is for me!

Congrats on your scan @BBno4! I’m still struggling to bond, maybe finding out the gender will help!

Had my scan last week, but was told the dates were out and it completely threw me as I panicked baby was too small and we were going to lose it again.

had another scan today and baby is now 12+3 and due on the 25th March ❤️ feels more real now! Just need to get the screening results back and then we’ll tell more people.

Had my first scan today. Retroverted uterus and very active baby so not the best images so have to go back in a week to get accurate length and NT. Everything looked good though! So much more excited now that we have seen our baby!!!

Got my NIPT results today. All low risk and having a boy 💙

I had to report my scan pic, had my name dob, everything 🙈

Had my scan today too! Measuring at 13 weeks and due on 21st March now. It was so amazing to see the baby move and wriggle and stretch. Absolutely loved it. Cried loads!

We're due on the same day!
I had mine yesterday and loved seeing them doing a floppy jump thing and putting their hands in their mouth