MSE Pregnancy Club 25

KatyLiz

I'm the same as you mishka, I've been a SAHM for the last 8 years and I wouldn't earn enough for it to be worth working full time. I got a job last year and had to turn it down as we would have been a lot worse off, and that was just with two kids in before/after school clubs! We also don't have any exciting holidays or fancy things.

I think it will be hard this time for us, as DH quit work to be a student last year, so we don't get working tax credit anymore. We'll have to see how it goes living on his student loans, but it will be worth it in the end once he's qualified.

rjh - I started uni last year and had to quit, but if I'd stayed I would have been entitled to maternity money. Is there nothing like that on your course, or have you totally finished now?

Clarissa - hope it starts for you before Tuesday.

zcrat - hello and welcome :wave:

rjh090384

Totally finished now. No longer a student. Not suitable for employment and citizens advice told
Me today that when I have had baby i wont even get job seekers as I haven't worked for two out of the past three years

ikkle87

I'm hoping to be a SAHM, tax credits and child benefit is around the same as my wage and I won't have to fork out for transport to Ripon and back 3 times a week or childcare. As for holidays we are quite happy with the Sun £9.50 holidays, camping and butlins. We went last year and had a 2 bed apartment for £88 for 4 days. We have started cutting costs now and dealing with any debts etc so that when bubs is here we don't feel like we are going short. We've also started things like the Grocery challenge on here and joined sites like Swagbucks which I've had £35 out of in July alone.

Rups32

good luck clarissa hope it happens soon and you seen little bubs soon.

hey zcrat. welcome :0)

sorry to hear that rjh. that sucks. hugs.isnt there anyway at all? they have really tightened up on job seekers now.

sexymouse

My Mum recently retired kittenpie and she has offered to look after Bean for 2 days a week if we want her to when I go back to work. Moon has one day off in the week, so he will cover another day, which means I could potentially (if work is available and I want to) work 3 days a week. Think we'd be in a position of not being entitled to any benefits either if I gave up work (not sure how it works if you just decide not to work as when I came out of uni and tried to claim JSA I had to sign on every 2 weeks and didn't get anything as I'd not paid enough NI contributions but had paid some - no help finding a job either - eventually retrained as a teacher but struggled to find work doing that too, and now do supply).

ikkle87

Sexymouse if you came out of work to be a SAHM you should be entitled to income support until bubs is 5 but it depends solely on earnings etc.

sexymouse

That's useful to know ikkle - I've spent ages looking on various benefits things etc and couldn't make head nor tail of it all.

ikkle87

Best thing to do is use the calculators like entitledto and put in a fake dob for bubs and put in a few different variations of things like your wage if you were to do your 3 days a week (averaged out of course), then you could redo it and put down you claim income support - you can't claim this while on maternity allowance though. It should tell you what wtc/ctc you are entitled to as well.

ikkle87

I've been a bit quiet lately because I've been seriously down in the dumps. This time of year is always hard for me as I found out I was pg with the baby I lost around this time although this time I'm actually pregnant at the same time and it's a bit baffling for my brain. Plus I've had some period style pains lately as well as bubs deciding the other day that he didn't want to move at all no matter what I tried. Cue major panic from me but he's ok thankfully.

Just with him being so low, and the crampy period pains and the fact I've always thought he was going to come early I'm on tenterhooks.

I've also got a massive cyst under my arm which is huge and I haven't had them for ages so it's a bit rubbish

In other news to cheer people up - I have serious pregnancy brain. Yesterday I went to put deoderant on and picked up OH's bike maintenance spray instead. lol x

Rups32

ikkle lots of hugs for you. xxxx it must be hard. My school friend is due on the day i would have been due next month and when that date comes around, i know i am going to be sad. i still think of little bean we lost and i feel sad. try and be positive and think of this new little bubba in your life and how happy he will make you. xxxxx

i was very confused and ditzy today so i have a lot of that pregnancy brain syndrome. lol