Pregnant and a tad anxious!!!

Hannah111

I found out a week ago that im 6 weeks pregnant. (It was unplanned but we coudn't be happier ) We're just worrying about costs, etc. I know its a way off but u know how u just start thinking about everything maternity pay.... how people cope off it!! Any benefits available?! The costs of starting up!

If anyone has any advice i'd very much appreciate it! I've searched all over the internet but just can't make much sense of it all.

Hannah x

katiesmummy

hi,

first of all congratulations and don't panic! you have ages to get everything sorted out, but if your anything like me, you will want it all done NOW!

the first thing you need to do is go to your gp and have your pregnancy confirmed, then he or she will refer you to the antenatal clinic at the hospital- i dont know if this applies to all areas, but i was able to choose the hospital i went to, so if you have a particular one in mind dont be scared to tell your gp.
your first antenatal will be when your around 9-10 weeks or so and the midwife will ask you a million and one questions about your lifestyle, medical history etc etc and that of the fathers.
when it comes to telling your boss (if your working) you have to inform them 15 weeks before the baby is due in order to get statutory maternity pay. if you are not entitled to smp, get in touch with your local jobcentre to find out about maternity allowance.
if you are on a low income, you should be able to get a sure start maternity grant of 500quid to go towards buying baby stuff- you can apply for this after 29 weeks. even if you dont qualify before the baby comes, you might do after s/he is born and it comes in really handy.
buying baby stuff is always a big thing with everyone, and i have managed to save sooo much money this time round by getting myself loads of bargains. freecycle has a very good name on here, although i've never used it- you may be able to get some baby things on there that people are giving away- i have found it can be a bit of luck of the draw as i havent been lucky enough to get anything from there yet! ebay is a fantastic site for bargains- i bought most of the stuff for my baby from there- i managed to get a huge bundle of baby clothes for 20quid, a brand new pram for 70quid, a cot for 30 (make sure you buy a new mattress though!) and sooo much other stuff, i really cant reccommend it enough. for basics, primark, matalan, asda and peacocks are all good, and some local markets have stalls that sell 'seconds' from shops like next, mothercare & m&s. join the tesco baby club and boots parenting club, you get lots of money off vouchers, and take advantage of the buy one get one free in boots, superdrug, tesco etc on wipes, nappies, bottles etc.
the freebies board on here has some great baby freebies, and quite often you get a voucher or two with the freebie which can be useful. also dont forget that relatives and friends will probably want to buy gifts for the baby or you may be lucky enough to know someone who has lots of baby stuff to give away so dont go too nuts!

i cant think of anything else off the top of my head, but i will post later if i think of any more
off for my 28 week scan now!

good luck xx

katiesmummy

sorry forgot to add, if you are worried about coping with the drop in income when the baby arrives, have a look at the old style money saving board- there is so much info on there on living on a shoestring. you may find that if you do a few things through the course of your pregnancy, it wont be so hard once the baby comes!

Justie

congrats :beer:


maternity pay will depend on how long you've been in your current job and what their maternity benefits are. If for any reason you can't get statutary maternity pay (SMP) you may still be able to get maternity allowance. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/statutory_maternity_pay.asp

You may be entitled to a surestart maternity grant http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_013950.xml.html

and once you've had the baby you will get child benefit and tax credits. http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx


the cost of the actual baby can be minimal if you use Freecycle, ebay and borrow things off friends and family. What most people find harder is the reduced pay whilst on maternity leave and then subsequent childcare costs etc so if you can save whilst you're pregnant it'll be easier.

rio

As the birth approaches ask you friends with children if they know of anyone with such and such, you'll be amazed at the amount of stuff that people hold on to. We got a moses basket, cot, changing table, and loads of baby clothes all from friends who were just waiting for someone they knew to get pregnant so that they could pass stuff on.

jo1972

Congratulations!!! I'm SO jealous!!

Have a look on this site for info on maternity/paternity pay and stuff:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkAndFamilies/index.htm

Good luck for the next 7+ months I presume this is your first? How exciting!!

I'll pop back and see how you're doing!

rchddap1

Bear in mind that when you're pregnant your brain feels like a bit of swiss cheese....lots of holes. Its easy to get worried and feel confused.

Whatever the future holds the most important thig is what's inside you. Everything else isn't anywhere near as important.

eira

Rio is so right-baby stuff is very expensive and doesn't wear out for the simple reason it doesn't get used for long enough.Beware expensive maternity clothes - it may be better just to buy loose stuff in a bigger size you can also wear afterwards. I wouldn't buy a second hand car seat though-just in case and also beware second hand buggies. I also used to spend money on having good shoes.For the first three months (being very Earth Mothery!) I used a baby sling-fantastically useful both at home and out. Womb noise tapes and baby monitors are useful. And the best tip of all-in my opinion- is breast feed for as long as possible.

The downside of the above is that although my kids were cheery and healthy they were also not the smartest dressed kids in the baby clinic. A lot of people seem to frown on breast feeding after 6 weeks. Motherhood can be ruthlessly competitive. I have a theory that people often forget that they are having a child and not just a baby . I'd rather take Rio's tip and save the money for when they really start costing money-and noticing what other kids are wearing.