MSE Pregnancy Club V

Sami_Bee

Glamazon wrote: »

tara - fire away

Stargirl - think you have to be employed for 13 weeks before you get pg to get SMP so don't think you have to wait 2 years. You could just change jobs. I could be wrong though - it has been known.

Re moses basket - we have bought a carrycot for Bean to sleep in for a few months and will then go in cot.

Looking at ways of warming house a bit at mo - got a HIPP baby pack thru on Sat with a nursey thermometer - our bedroom is between 10 and 13 C :eek:

Our house is freeeezing! so we got a small oil filled radiator for Chris's room I got it on offer at the time from tesco £15 reduced from £25 I think, it puts out a decent amount of heat we only need to have it on really low now and it had a built in thermostat thing so doesn't just keep heating the room once it's warm enough. it's this one I think http://www.prem-i-air.com/product/viewProduct.php?pid=58

tarajayne

Right, house opinions. I am a money worrier, comes from spending years without any. We live in a lovely detatched house and once we put a stud wall across the study area it will have 5 bedrooms. The living area is not so large so we thought about extending the kitchen/diner to include a family room so it would be huge leaving the living room seperate. We would only loose the patio which could be moved outside the living room and french doors put in.

It's the money that worries me, Our house was worth £445k, now I reckon £385. Our mortgage has approx £108k. We could remortgage now for £15k more and it would cost the same each month and we would just do the extension for that. Or we could borrow £20k and have the velux windows, bi-fold doors, oak floor etc and it would be an extra 20 quid a month. OH obsessed with not paying any more a month but is it something anyone else would be worried about. Should we just say !!!!!! and do it as it would add more than that to the value, I'm fed up with thinking about it.

MrsTinks

Stargirl12 wrote: »

Hi girls,

not able to keep up with the chat at the moment so congrats to all the newbies and to rmac and 3onitsway for the new arrivals! (3onitsway - I'm so hoping for a birth like yours!)

I've got a quick question for you HR/SMP guru's...someone mentioned the other day that in their day (think decades ago rather than years) you had to go back to work for at least 2 years before you were entitled to SMP again. Does anyone know what the current policy is? do you have to go back to work for any specific length of time between having children?

I know I've not had the first yet, but just interested to know as current thinking is that we would like the next one fairly soon after (although that might change once it's here!)

Stargirl

I think you have to return to work for 26 weeks before you qualify for SMP again (so 26 weeks before you are 15 weeks pregnant IYSWIM) - don't know about maternity allowance

And ofcourse your Employers company policy might differ from the SMP rules if they pay anything in addition to the minimum...

angelfairy

Sami_Bee wrote: »

Ta Daaaa! http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=25401&callingViewName=&langId=-1&catalogId=11051
I think I've seen the Avent version in asda or tesco too. They are known usually as "Breast Shells" :cool:

EDIT - here's the Avent ones http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10751&langId=-1&productId=9905&source=froogle&cm_mmc=Froogle-_-Shopping%20Sites-_-CPC-_-Froogle

thanks sami :T :T

just happened to see the Boots ones as i quickly dashed in there at lunch (gosh i am starting to feel very very pregnant!!!)

thinking i might do an online order for boots and get them and the tens machine. will lurk around the boots thread to see if there are any special deals re points etc going

tarajayne

Sami_Bee wrote: »

Our house is freeeezing! so we got a small oil filled radiator for Chris's room I got it on offer at the time from tesco £15 reduced from £25 I think, it puts out a decent amount of heat we only need to have it on really low now and it had a built in thermostat thing so doesn't just keep heating the room once it's warm enough. it's this one I think http://www.prem-i-air.com/product/viewProduct.php?pid=58

What no central heating?:eek:

Sami_Bee

3onitsway wrote: »

I'm just soooo glad I didn't convince myself I was being dramatic and decide to stay at home for another half hour!!

Baby is either Violet or Sam - we can't decide which she looks like.

I've just spotted pictures on fb she has been called Violet

Nicki

Can I ask a car question as lots of you seem to be buying new ones in anticipation of baby.

We have two kids already aged 7 (soon to be 8) and 9 (only just) so they will be in booster seats for another few years. Our existing car only has 2 three point seat belts in the back, so bump is a good excuse to buy a new one, as apart from anything else I only just fit in the back seat with two in boosters and there's no chance that I will be able to with post birth bulge (and less chance of OH being able to!) Added to this, I'm visited a few times a year by my aged parents who don't drive in London so it would be good really to have a people carrier perhaps so that we could go out as a family when they're here. However, I'm not a particularly confident driver and whilst I feel comfortable driving our saloon car, would be intimidated by something which looks like a bus...

So with all that in mind, what cars do those of you with bigger families recommend, and which ones should we steer well clear of? Ideally a 7 seater.

Sami_Bee

tarajayne wrote: »

What no central heating?:eek:

We have central heating

Why heat the whole house when its only bubs room that needs to be warmer during the night :money:

I'm working on getting new windows soon as ours were obviously fitted by cowboys (like everything else in the blooming house!!:mad:) we had to have new electrics and gas before we could move in. We've just had loft insulation put in as we didn't have ANY and that has made a big difference and made the breeze coming from the windows and doors more noticeable!

feelinggood_2

Nicki - one thing I can recommend is to take a snack with you when you go car shopping! And don't get too upset if everything is horrible. We are picking up New Car on friday, and at one point I felt so huge, so hungry and so pregnant that everything was horrible and I'd just rather not have a car at all! Luckily sales guy was understanding and gave me a hot chocolate while I calmed down. Oh the shame.

tarajayne

Nicki, how much do you want to spend?