The MSE Pregnancy Club

Dormouse

Fritha wrote: »

Becles/Dormouse, could you explain MA allowance to me please? I'm self employed but don't earn enough to pay tax or NI, does this mean I wouldn't get anything if I were to get pregnant? I'm not but this does really impact on when we decide to have children, so an explanation would be helpful!

Becles is the real expert, but as she's not here, I'll explain it briefly.

If you don't pay NI, your MA will be a percentage of your earnings (90% I think), so not much really if you're earning below tax and NI thresholds.

If you pay NI, you will get the full MA, which is £114-ish per week. This is not dependent on your earnings as long as you pay NI - a crucial point.

If I use myself as an example - I'm in the same situation as you as I earn less than the tax and NI threshold. However, I've been paying NI regardless of this (did not apply for the small earning exemption), so I should get the full whack of MA.

I realise this is really odd, but as long as you pay NI, you're treated as being entitled to the full amount of MA. In my case, I'll be getting more in MA than I actually earn most weeks. :j

So if you're planning to get pregnant, return your small earnings exemption certificate and let them know you want to start paying NI. It's only a couple of pounds a week, and works out so much better for you if you start claiming MA. :T

Hope I've explained it okay, give us a shout if you want to know more (it took me a while to get my head round this, after a lot of explaining by Becles).

Dormouse

india wrote: »

Thanks for all your kind thoughts.

The birth was straight forward. 1st stage labour 2 hours. 2nd stage 10 mins.
So very quick. I only had to spend the night in the hospital and left in the morning.

You may of seen my post on breast feeding because I'm having problems but after being given lots of advice I feel more relaxed and more likely to suceed.

Naomi is brillant and everything I could of hoped for. She so quite and content.

My son has fallen in love with her.

That's so sweet :T

And wow, the labour was so short- brilliant! :j I want one of those too!

Good luck with the breastfeeding, I'll go and read the other thread now.

Curious_George_2

we have our first ultrasound tomorrow morning,
was supposed to have an early one becuase the midwife thinks it could be twins, either that or im about 6 weeks further on than my dates (i think she is trying to tell me im a porker!)
but as there was a !!!! up with the paper work we didnt get an early one

VERY excited about tomorrow though :j :j :j
will let you know how it all goes

3KIDSNOMONEY

We are trying for a baby and I have been taking the pregnacare tablets - thinking that i was doing the best i could. I have now noticed that they sell pregnacare with omega (for healthy brain development). I have just bought 90 normal pregnacare tablets and the omega ones are really expensive.

Any suggestions, do i buy the omega ones and stop using the normal ones. Feel as though I am not doing my best if i don't swap.

Hope that makes sense, any advice gratefully received. Thanks

Justie

MUSLIMAH_MUMMY_TO_BE wrote: »

Im not sure about the whole second hand thing. I mean it sounds great getting so many bargains but unless i personally knew the person I would'nt take anything like a cot or clothes.But thats just me!!
good luck with everything xxx

I give everything a good wash down with hot water and disinfectant and put any clothes, bedding etc through the wash. I don't see it as being any different to borrowing things off friends. The good thing about Freecycle is that because it's free if I don't like something when I get it I can just reoffer it. I just don't see the point in buying things like moses baskets new when you use them for such a short period of time and until we have the baby and work out what suits us I don't want to buy expensive things so getting things for free gives us breathing space to work out what's good and what isn't. As it's our first child there'll be pressies from the grandparents etc too so he will get some new things but I'd rather save him money for the future if I can so we can get him through uni and those kinds of things than buy co-ordinating nursery furniture... I know everyone's just doing their best for their kids though we all have our ways of doing it so vive la difference - and if money were no object he'd be kitted our in baby Dior of course :rotfl:

Becles

Dormouse wrote: »

If you don't pay NI, your MA will be a percentage of your earnings (90% I think), so not much really if you're earning below tax and NI thresholds.

Dormouse is right apart from that bit! If you have a small earnings exemption certificate and are not paying NI, you'll only get £27 a week in MA.

It's worth paying the £2.20 a week NI and sending back the certificate as you get full MA regardless of what you earn. It's currently £112.75 a week for 9 months.

Justie

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

We are trying for a baby and I have been taking the pregnacare tablets - thinking that i was doing the best i could. I have now noticed that they sell pregnacare with omega (for healthy brain development). I have just bought 90 normal pregnacare tablets and the omega ones are really expensive.

Any suggestions, do i buy the omega ones and stop using the normal ones. Feel as though I am not doing my best if i don't swap.

Hope that makes sense, any advice gratefully received. Thanks

fish oil is most effective in the final trimester I think so you could save your money and just buy regular pregnancy vits until then (and many of the unbranded ones are just as good). I don't eat fish so I take mumomega anyway just as I'd take a fish oil when not pregnant but if you eat oily fish then it's not quite so necessary. The only thing you really HAVE to take is folic acid and it's good to avoid regular multivits which have vitamin A in so you might want to save your money until you're actually pregnant and just take a folic acid tablet while you're TCC.

Justie

Becles wrote: »

Dormouse is right apart from that bit! If you have a small earnings exemption certificate and are not paying NI, you'll only get £27 a week in MA.

It's worth paying the £2.20 a week NI and sending back the certificate as you get full MA regardless of what you earn. It's currently £112.75 a week for 9 months.

I'm not working at present (post grad student) and 21 wks pg - is it any use me paying NI now to try and get some benefit? I thought I couldn't claim anything without working a certain number of hours for 16 weeks before a certain stage of pg but maybe I'm wrong...

MUSLIMAH_MUMMY_TO_BE

3KIDSNOMONEY wrote: »

We are trying for a baby and I have been taking the pregnacare tablets - thinking that i was doing the best i could. I have now noticed that they sell pregnacare with omega (for healthy brain development). I have just bought 90 normal pregnacare tablets and the omega ones are really expensive.

Any suggestions, do i buy the omega ones and stop using the normal ones. Feel as though I am not doing my best if i don't swap.

Hope that makes sense, any advice gratefully received. Thanks

Like you I started taking pregnacare tablets before I was pregnant!! As I wanted my body to have all the correct vitamins for when I actually became pregnant.
I recently saw the new ones you are talking about and like you I started thinking!! But in the end I couldnt take them as I am a muslim I cant take anything with animal gelatine in it. I spoke to my midwife and she advised that pumpkin seeds or having an oily fish salmon (not more than once a week) would help baby!

MUSLIMAH_MUMMY_TO_BE

Justie wrote: »

I give everything a good wash down with hot water and disinfectant and put any clothes, bedding etc through the wash. I don't see it as being any different to borrowing things off friends. The good thing about Freecycle is that because it's free if I don't like something when I get it I can just reoffer it. I just don't see the point in buying things like moses baskets new when you use them for such a short period of time and until we have the baby and work out what suits us I don't want to buy expensive things so getting things for free gives us breathing space to work out what's good and what isn't. As it's our first child there'll be pressies from the grandparents etc too so he will get some new things but I'd rather save him money for the future if I can so we can get him through uni and those kinds of things than buy co-ordinating nursery furniture... I know everyone's just doing their best for their kids though we all have our ways of doing it so vive la difference - and if money were no object he'd be kitted our in baby Dior of course :rotfl:

Yes I totally get your point luckily enough I have a big family and they have purchased moses basket,cot,pram,baby changer and all the big things for me!! So all our money has been saved :j My little sister whos a fashion freak has already got all the trendy footwear for baby lol But if it was up to me my baby would be a teso value baby!! Because as many people say babies dont know the difference.