Due January 2026 - thread 2

[Moosey898]

Ran out of room in the last one! Tagging everyone I can see posting recently, please add other people that you remember or find x

@KLK94
@realtealqueen
@seeingstars123
@WooWoo8
@WanderWalker
@peps2917
@Jadeypie
@Sunshinemoom
@Miracledust29
@Thegirlhasnamechanged
@lifebeginz

I’m due 4 Jan but will be having an elective the week before (should probably move myself to the due Dec thread!). Tempted to start maternity 12 Jan as that would give me a week before DCs break up for winter break to flop

DH and my mum have pointed out that I’ve had a 36 and a 37 week birth so the chances of me hitting 39 weeks is unlikely - so much faith! - so now I’m dithering a bit.

Ive got holidays to take so i finish work 7th December and mat starts on my due date 1st jan. Also planning on taking a year, partner has started the saving to fill the pay near the end of mat. Also I work part time. I dropped down after having my first. I will go back full time when this little one starts school xxx

@RealTealQueen congratulations- feel like I’ll be with you in the boy camp. Will know next week!

Im due 29th Jan, had previous c section at 38 weeks, so I will prob let the next few months determine when I take leave, would hope I can make it to the end (given yesterdays moans, unlikely 😂) i I was on sick at 36 weeks last time so my leave auto started then but with holidays I managed to do around 14 months leave. The last few months were spicy financially but we made it work.

I'm due 19th Jan was looking at starting nat leave on 12th Jan if baby hasn't made an early appearance. I'm off for Christmas from the 22nd until the 5th Jan, so was hoping to just do the extra week if needed. I work from home and was planning on handing over before Christmas then just doing easier work for a week. My manager is very chill so it seems achievable depending on how I feel.

I've been planning out how much time myself and husband can take off (his company recently changed to an equal family policy regardless of gender so he can take the full year off and it's a better policy than my company). Although I earn a lot more money so will have to go back to work sooner than him. Hoping to go back around October/November but taking lots of holiday so it's more of a phased return with full return in Jan. My husband dropped down to three days a week already in preparation for this so I'll be full time but hope to drop to four days in the future but it might not be for a couple years depending on finances.

Compressed hours sound like a great option if your company allows it.

I’m saving my annual leave currently so I plan to finish the week of 15th Dec then use annual leave until maternity would start on 12th Jan (Due 15th). I plan to take the full year off and then use leave to go back 3 or 4 days a week for as long as that allows me. DH will then likely condense his days to do full time hours in 4 days as he WFH and has more flexibility than I do. If anyone needed to drop hours it would probably be him because I earn a bit more but I would be jealous of that I think 😅

I'm due 29 Jan and planned to go back a week or two after Christmas mostly for a handover. I'm planning on taking the full year off but the last 13 weeks unpaid might be difficult. We're going to look into shared parental leave too but I'm not sure I'll want to go back to work after 9 months and WFH if DH and DC are there will be hard I think. My work is very good with flexible options at least.

As a FTM am I right in thinking you don't need "nursery" furniture and you can just use regular sized furniture, apart from a cot/crib of course? Seems a bit like putting the word wedding in front of anything doubles the price.

@ChickenLady37 my due date is 28th dec, but having a c section the week before (unless they make an appearance earlier). I plan on working as close to my c section date as possible because I can work from home towards the end. I’m taking a year off with a bit of annual leave at the end so hoping to return Jan 2027. I’m going back 3 days a week. I’ve booked to go view a nursery when they are back open the first week in Sept so hoping to get our name down asap, so I’m not worrying about our childcare plan.

Yep this is a marketing trick! They put nursery furniture infront of it and bump the price up. This will be my 3rd baby and we’ve never bought furniture from the nursery section, it’s so expensive! Its much cheaper to buy normal furniture and then just pick a cot. I have bought a changing table this time though, but picked it up from IKEA for £68.

It’s our company policy that maternity leave must start two weeks before your due date.

I am hoping not to have to but more bedroom furniture apart from a cot. Will just need to rearrange my wardrobe to make room for the baby clothes

I second this @WildFinch. Its ridiculous only thing u need to buy is the cot (get a cotbed) so cot grows with little one. And as for draws and wardrobes just get normal ones. I just got draws with my first and hes only just upgraded to a wardrobe and hes nearly five. Don't need a massive wardrobe for when they are small xxx

I third the specific baby furniture being a marketing ploy @WildFinch only thing that is needed baby specific is a place for them to sleep… and a potty later on I guess.

DD is 6 (will be 7 when this baby is here) and she still has the same wardrobe from when she was a toddler with plenty of room left. I never bothered with a ‘changing table’ and just used a changing mat on top of a wide set of drawers, moving down to the floor when they got to rolling.

like if you have the money spare to get stuff then go for it but you could probably get some similar stuff on fb marketplace with less than a years use for a fraction of the price 🙈

@WildFinch That’s a good point @Jadeypie made. Buy a cotbed! I used one with my last pregnancies and didn’t need to buy an actual bed until they were 4/5. So worth it as they last longer.

Thanks so much @Jadeypie @WanderWalker @Thegirlhasnamechanged very helpful. I'll avoid getting anything new I think aside from a cot bed, excellent tip! I'm all over FB marketplace, not that I've bought anything yet but getting an idea.
What do people think about moses baskets? I'm thinking what does baby sleep in when it's next to me for the first few months?

I am planning on getting a Moses basket for downstairs and a crib/cot for the bedroom

I am planning on getting a Moses basket for downstairs and a crib/cot for the bedroom

My friend is an interior designer and she advised to steer clear as quality usually crap, even higher end. I have the Hemnes drawers from Ikea and popped a changing matt on top worked perfectly & found a like new cot bed second hand on market place. For the new house I think I’ll buy my daughter a wardrobe from mustard made as it think it will definitely grow with her I.e. won’t look baby-ish even into teen years but most of her clothes currently go in drawers.

re marketplace also look for the bath rests - can’t remember the name of them, but it’s a little chair/rest to pop them in the big bath. Always a bargain and are plastic so can be easily sanitised. I begrudge buying hunks of plastic brand new.

For any c section ladies, we had one of those changing units with the built in bath and storage downstairs prob for the first 6 months - hideous looking but an absolute life saver, keeps everything baby in one place and means you aren’t bending down a lot in the early days. We got it as a gift but could prob easily find second hand,

We didn’t go Moses basket as I was unsure how our dog would be with the baby, we got a cheap next to me for down stairs so would be more sturdy on the off chance the dog knocked it or jumped up on it. I actually just gave it away a few months ago cause it was too difficult to take apart and am now fuming about it 😂

I use a moses basket i will be buying one second hand this time they are not in them long at all. I also use the cot next to me and when the baby's tiny I just put the moses basket in the cot haha saves carrying the stand up aswell. But lots of people buy next to me ect. Im on baby 2 so feel like I've learnt alot on what we tend to waste money on haha. Xxx

I’ve bought a Moses basket with stand for downstairs during the day. Then I’m going to get a next to me bed for upstairs.

hello! finally joining the thread - am 16 weeks due 24th jan. hope everyone is doing well! was there a whatsapp group as well I think I saw earlier in the thread?

My bump has definitely made an appearance now. I just looked like I’d gained a bit of weight previously but I got up yesterday and BAM! Bump! 🤣

Hi @Goosevolcano - welcome! X

@RealTealQueen same!! I feel like the last two days my bellya gone huge. Im also noticing the weight gain on my face too (but f it ha ) anyway I feel so so uncomfortable in bed now the tossing with the leg pains and Hips already. It does feel better waking around with a bump than a not sure if ive ate too many cakes belly 🤣

@Goosevolcano
welcome to the group. I dont think a whatsap group was made but a Facebook one was xxx

@Jadeypie @RealTealQueen thank you!! definitely feel the same with the bump - my belly button is starting to go out already. I had little in the way of bump with my first until a lot later on so has been a surprise this time!

No real bump yet for me - my stomach feels a bit "pushed out" but just all flubber still currently as I wasn't the skinniest to begin with 😅