I'm pregnant

Sidekick2

HI Money Savers,

I have just discovered i'm pregnant. It was not planned and I have mixed feelings at this stage as i'm still in shock but I wanted to hear from other people who already have children. I have a few questions and I would be really grateful for some advice.

1. I work for the local government and our maternity entitlement is generous. I can take up to a year maternity leave (first 6 weeks 90% pay, followed by 12 wks half pay (or there abouts) then the rest SMP - How much would you say I should put aside each month if I want to take the full 52 weeks break? I earn just under 20k a year.

2. Is having a baby expensive? I am going to rely on hand me downs and second hand baby equipment for the most part. How much per week would you say nappies, food, other necessities cost?

3. What is the deal with free dental on the NHS whilst pregnant? Does my GP write a letter of confirmation that I take to the Dentist? I'm currently not registered with a dentist! Are prescriptions free as well?

4. Childcare - On average how much does it cost to put a child in a daycare centre when I go back to work?

Thanks in advance :-):A

zoesmummy_2006

hiya, i personally feel that having a baby is as expensive as you want to make it. I have 2 and think nothinng of buying their clothes and shoes 2nd hand anymore (i couldnt bring myself to pay £24 for a pair of shoes for my 1 year old who would wear them a matter of weeks!!!). i buy things from charity shops/ebay/carboots etc and my kids are kitted out in next clothes nearly every day (they wash and wear well and are generous sizes!).
i bulk buy nappies and wipes etc when they're on offer in boots or the supermarkets, plus if you sign up to clubs like huggies/pampers/boots parenting/morrisons parenting/tesco parenting and now sainsburys parenting you'll get loads of vouchers for money off stuff-always helpful!
you'll find that you'll be given loads of stuff by people, i personally got 4 huge bin bags of girls next clothes when my daughter was born, which set her up for a few months!
do you want to breastfeed? sorry personal question i know, but i bf my son for 11 months and when i put him onto formula he was going through a box a week at around £8 a box it aint cheap!! my daughter i bf for 8 weeks and she would go through a box/box and half a week sometimes.
when you see your midwife, at one of your appointments she'll give you a form to sign for a meternity exemption card which is how you get the free dental treatment etc, and that lasts til baby is 1.
sorry i cant answer about childcare costs as i am stay at home mum
good luck with your pregnancy!!!! x x x

Sidekick2

Hi Zoesmummy_2006 thank you for your reply it is really helpful :-) And yes I do plan on breastfeeding - is that all the child will need? For how long?

Wonderful idea about signing up to the clubs. I shall do this after I have my 3 month scan. At this stage I havnt even seen the doctor about it - I couldn't get an appointment until the 9th and I called them a week ago! But I know I'm pregnant...4 positive tests can't be wrong right? I just wish I knew how far along I am...I havn't a clue.
- sorry, went slightly off topic there!

Thanks for your response!

zoesmummy_2006

lol, no worries hun, sign up to all the clubs you can, all the vouchers help.
with regards to bf, the dpartment of health recommends bf alone for 6 months, but both mine i weaned at 5 months as they were unsettled and started waking in the night again. keep an eye out for some baby weaning recipe books in charity shops etc, i recommend the lorainne kelly and annabell karmel ones, plus on the annabell karmel website you can print off loads of recipes for when you need to start thiniing about weaning.

Sidekick2

You're a star thank you.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

With regards to childcare you need to check out working tax credits - you can get up to 80% of it paid dependant on your income - and it is generous, most parents who work get some help, even those on a higher than average income

I was going to say on the moral side of things you could always come over to the pregnancy/parenting threads but i notice you have popped in on us on the former just now Don't be afraid we are all lovely over there!

I am on the pregnancy thread nearly everyday, i have a 3yr old daughter and am now 11wks preg with my second. I tell you, my DD (dear daughter) was a shock, i didn't know what to think let alone what choice to make. But as all parents will tell you once you get your head around it your child truly feels like a blessing (even if they can be a pain sometimes )

As for buying for baby - honestly hand me downs are usually just as good as something new as they go through them so quickly. Ebay is a fab place to get bits. Freecycle and gumtree too. Breastfeeding if you can makes for free baby nutrition, lol. I did for 7-8 months, by then you start them on solids, mashed veggies, so it's no extra than what you'd usually buy for you. There is very little need for all of the baby foods, or special baby cereals - it's so easy and cheap to do homemade.

As for nappies these are prob the biggest expense - but offeres are always about and if you are a wise buyer you'll find them. There is also the option of cloth nappies but if working full time it can be tough work, but is money saving.

Remember though, you will get £20 a week once child is registered, so from about 2/3 weeks old. That is Child Benefit, and is available to litterally everyone. That can easily cover formula/nappies/wipes, etc as needed.

Good luck - and as i said feel free to come and join us on the pregnancy board - there is no need to go through anything alone! x

tandraig

I should imagine your feelings are all over the place right now! two of my three pregnancies were unplanned so know a bit about how you feel!
will answer question in a minute...........first - may I say a big CONGRATULATIONS!!!
babies are as expensive as you want to make them - If you are happy with handmedowns then the big purchases (buggy, cot, travel system) are not quite as big!!! sounds to me like you are level headed and practical and dont hanker after brand new designer gear!
you have approx 8 months to get stuff which gives you time to find the bargains!!! ebay, charity shops relatives friends (at this stage your friends with babies may be willing to tag stuff to keep for you when theirs out grow it! as in -when visiting a friend you can say 'wow what a gorgeous moses basket - you wouldnt pass it on to me when baby outgrows it would you'? also - you will find loads of people will ask what they can buy for the baby when its born. make up a wish list hun, put items on from a couple of quid upwards then when asked you can show them.
breastfeeding is best and also free - even if you only do it for your maternity leave you will have given baby the best start you can!!!
hope this helps - and keep us updated - may have more suggestions for you!

bestpud

Sidekick2 wrote: »

HI Money Savers,

I have just discovered i'm pregnant. It was not planned and I have mixed feelings at this stage as i'm still in shock but I wanted to hear from other people who already have children. I have a few questions and I would be really grateful for some advice.

1. I work for the local government and our maternity entitlement is generous. I can take up to a year maternity leave (first 6 weeks 90% pay, followed by 12 wks half pay (or there abouts) then the rest SMP - How much would you say I should put aside each month if I want to take the full 52 weeks break? I earn just under 20k a year.

That depends on your OH's income and how much you feel you need to live on.

Maybe you could sit down and list your income and outgoings and see if you can cut back on essential bills etc first. Afterwards you can see how much you need to live on and take it from there?

You will be able to claim chb of £20 a week once the baby is born, and ctc if your joint income is below around £50k. Although the first £100 of maternity pay is not counted for tax credits, so you may get it for one year even if your income is normally over the threshold.

2. Is having a baby expensive? I am going to rely on hand me downs and second hand baby equipment for the most part. How much per week would you say nappies, food, other necessities cost?

It's as expensive as you make it.

Nappies can be bought in bulk but I'd advise waiting until the baby is here and you know which ones suit him/her before going too mad! I just could not get on with certain brands whe mine were in them.

There is also 'real' nappies to consider and they are much easier to deal with these days. Agaain though, I'd wait until LO is here before splashing out on an expensive nappy system.

This used to be a good site for info on cloth nappies but I haven't been on there in years so sorry if it's changed:

http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/default.aspx

Also, there is a very long thread on here somewhere about getting baby items cheap. I'll have a look and see if I can find it for you.

3. What is the deal with free dental on the NHS whilst pregnant? Does my GP write a letter of confirmation that I take to the Dentist? I'm currently not registered with a dentist! Are prescriptions free as well?

Prescriptions are free and you just sign the prescription to say you have the maternity exemption, once you have your card.

As for a dentist, you will need to call your local authority about NHS dentists and it is likely they will have a very long waiting list. They should have an emergency NHS dentist for any treatment but you may not get a check up free. That depends on your area though - you certainly wouldn't here.

I'm entitled to free NHS dentistry, as are my two children (obviously), but I pay around £48 a month for a private one as there are no NHS dentists in my area.

4. Childcare - On average how much does it cost to put a child in a daycare centre when I go back to work?

That very much depends on the area again, and the childcare. About £20-30 a day here but other areas are considerably more.

Thanks in advance :-):A

Congratulations BTW!

Sidekick2

These responses are so great - Thank you very much ladies!

I will moosey on over to the pregnancy thread as well to get some more tips from you all. I will most certaintly be around here more often.

Is it okay to keep asking questions on this topic or should I do it on the other thread?

Lurleene

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I would definitely recommend signing up to Netmums, where you will be able to buy things off local mums, even maternity clothes. You can also get in contact with other mums / expectant mums who may prove to be a great support to you.

www.netmums.com

bestpud

Here's the thread I was thinking of:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=76633