cousin confirmed pregnant yesteday but big shock, she's 39 weeks preggers already

gitw

best news for my cousin as she had it confirmed she was pregnant yesterday :j but massive shock when they said that she appears to be 39 weeks gone and if she hasnt had baby by tuesday they will induce her


so lots of manic shopping to be done, very quickly over the next few days.


as this was completly unexpected she's not had time to look into anything and I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction for baby related stuff, maternity entitlement, benefits etc, as well as any good baby shops (discounts would be great)

i'm starting to look through the threads on here but there are a lot!!!!

Person_one

Wow! Did she have no idea? That's insane.

Direct.gov.uk for all the child benefit etc info. If she works she'll have to tell her employer asap to get the ball rolling.

fernliebee

Wow! I keep hoping that all my scans have been wrong and I am actually due in a week or two rather than 3 months as I am so impatient But in seriousness that must be a huge shock!!

I would recommend kiddicare for baby equipment that she needs if buying new. Go to mothercare etc and have a test of the stuff then order it much cheaper on there! if you can find a car boot near you it is normally fab for baby bargains, unworn clothes etc...

Her MW will need to sign forms for HIP grant (£190 not income based so everyone gets it, can take a while to clear) if she is on a low income you can apply for sure start grant of up to £500, she can apply for this up to when baby is 3 month iirc. Form foe child benefit come in bounty pack iirc (or from hosp, I remember someone gave me them, I didn't have to worry about it) Tax credits form, all details on gov.org.

Maternity pay form can be got from midwife and needs to be handed in to work (not sure on situation as this is supposed to be done at 25 weeks, however in her situation this can't have happened, so a quick visit to HR could help) If not she may be eligable for maternity allowance instead.

gitw

i know, completly insane, the whole family cant stop laughing!

but no, no indication at all. she has unidentified womb problems and can go for months without a period and suffers stomach pains and sickness on a regular basis so nothing out of the usual as far as she was concerned. she's been under care of doc for 7 years now and they are none the wiser as they say it's not pcos or fibriods which which several family members incl myself have

in hindsight the only indication was that we went out for drinks one night a few months ago and she just didnt fancy it, and hasnt really drunk since then. she's a fairly large girl but had actually been loosing weight because of not drinking so she has been quite happy

will get onto direct.gov right now.

thanks very much

gitw

mw=midwife???

if so she is meeting her later today so hopefully she will be able to give more info, thats if she hasnt gone into labour by then!

whats a bounty pack? the only bounty pack my cuz or I are familiar with is the coconut chocolate bars ;0)

mothercare /kiddicare here we come!

fernliebee

mw= midwife yes, sorry forget not everyone spends all their time on parent/ pregnancy thread

Bounty pack is what you get throughout pregnancy and after baby is born with some free samples etc in it. (ask mw about it!)

danlojo

Join all the baby clubs for freebies eg Boots, Tescos etc

candygirl

OMG congrats to her, but I bet she is in major shock:eek::eek::eek:Is the baby's Dad on the scene?:D

freebiequennie

join sainsburys baby club, tesco baby club and boots baby club and get all the offers possible all require you to buy either huggies or pampers newborn nappies to get a freebie

you can join bounty online just google it

pop to asda and get some sz 1 asda own newborn nappies 48 pack for £1 if none on shelf ask at customer services - depending on size of baby would buy 5-8 packs of these if you can.

check out ebay for any cheap prams/puschairs even quinny buzz travel systems go for around £200-£250 on there but obv cheaper options, as is cots, cribs. moses baskets search for those within certain distance of where you live to collect.

Freecyle see whats being given away and post a wanted ad. (my area is rubbish and despite wanted ads and having given loads away in past have not been gifted any baby items yet).

join huggies and pampers baby clubs often will send out coupons.

email simple.co.uk and ask if they have any samples of their baby range they will send you out for free.

check out your local www.gumtree.com has a baby section and also a freebie section

hope the above and helps and good luck to your sister

daska

Get the Health in Pregnancy grant applied for ASAP as AFAIK she can't apply after the birth.

Equipment, clothes etc, try freecycle/freegle, it'll be the cheapest way of getting things (including cots, prams etc) and often very quick. For a newborn you only need a moses basket (or empty drawer), bedding, muslins, nappies and clothes. Put money into a car seat.

Other things to sort
Register the birth ASAP - you need to do this before you can claim everything else.
Child Benefit
Tax Credits
HealthyStart
Surestart Maternity Grant - apply even if she doesn't appear eligible

Oh yes, congratulate her and point out that finding out this late means she's missed out on the boring waiting around bit!

rach

wow, congratulations to her!

I was chatting to a friend at lunchtime who adopted and she was telling me that they only had 3 weeks to get ready for 3 kids (including a baby) coming from final 'yes' panel, and she swears by kiddicare.com

Good luck, glad she has you to help!