+ WTT baby number 1 +

[chachacha]

Although, is that £128.73/wk what they constitute as paid? lol.. That would only be about 30% of my DH's or my net pay.. Which of course is better than what the US offers but certainly wouldn't make the decision of having one of us forgo our normal income an easier one!

It's not great. But one full-time income plus the allowance is probably manageable for a few months. Also, at my old work, women on maternity got full pay for 6 months, then 50% for 6 months. So I wonder if employers will have to start giving more generous allowances for men? (Should have stayed at that damn job!)

I totally forgot that Americans have to pay for their births. I watched Sicko a while back and was shocked! Although it probably made the NHS look better than it was, I so wouldn't want to be fighting the system over there. I really hoped that Obama would sort it out for you lot.

 

[MrsGruffalo]

Paying for your birth? Ouch! Much sympathy for you ladies across the pond- that sucks!

Thank God for the NHS!

 

[vicki.mummy]

thanks for the welcome - i guess we are a little ahead, it's the birthing part that scares me, we will have a baby......
K was coming up 3 and R was coming up 5 when they came to us - so we havent' done tiny babies!!!!
I definitely want to be an at home mummy; I already am as Robbie is autistic but it's something I had always wanted.
I am at the moment studying for a degree in Design with the OU - hoping to be able to design from home

 

[babyb54]

Although, is that £128.73/wk what they constitute as paid? lol.. That would only be about 30% of my DH's or my net pay.. Which of course is better than what the US offers but certainly wouldn't make the decision of having one of us forgo our normal income an easier one!

It's not great. But one full-time income plus the allowance is probably manageable for a few months. Also, at my old work, women on maternity got full pay for 6 months, then 50% for 6 months. So I wonder if employers will have to start giving more generous allowances for men? (Should have stayed at that damn job!)

I totally forgot that Americans have to pay for their births. I watched Sicko a while back and was shocked! Although it probably made the NHS look better than it was, I so wouldn't want to be fighting the system over there. I really hoped that Obama would sort it out for you lot.

I can't even wrap my head around the idea of an employer offering those kinds of maternity rights, lol. I need to move across the pond or to Canada and THEN have babies.

Paying for your birth? Ouch! Much sympathy for you ladies across the pond- that sucks!

Not cheap, either! Even where I live with a relatively lower cost of living, the cost of having a normal pregnancy and delivery will be around $10k.. add in complications, surgery, or multiples... the cost really racks up. I really feel for those that have to pay the whole thing out of pocket.. my $2k cap is hard enough to swallow!

 

[odd_socks]

i feel for u in the US having to pay for having a baby, must be tough wouldnt be surprised if that isnt the way it will go here in the UK in the end with the state the NHS is in

 

[MackMomma8]

Yeah, when our OH's say "Its just too expensive!!" they kinda have a point...

 

[babyb54]

We're also lucky that we don't have to fork out for the health care...

That's lucky for sure. I'm one of the fortunate here in the US to have insurance, but when we're closer to TTC I'll still have to shop around and compare maternity benefits to see if I should switch before we get pregnant.. Even with insurance delivery can cost thousands out of pocket. It'd be nice to not have to worry about that on top of everything else!

Not to mention that pregnancy is considered a "pre-existing condition" by insurance companies here... as in, if you start an insurance policy after you concieve, then NONE of your prenatal care is covered. I've heard horror stories about moms switching their insurance just before they got pregnant, and then the insurance companies coming back after them for prenatal care that "shouldn't have been covered" because they figued the conception date differently than the doctor did! It's such a mess here.

FYI we have old info. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 prohibited companies from labeling pregnancy as a preexisting condition.. so that's good at least. It's still way too expensive here just to have a baby.

 

[chachacha]

Although taxes are lower in the USA, so maybe that makes up for it! Plus the cost of living seems soooo much cheaper over there. Whenever I visit I get so jealous. There are lots of things I like about America.

I'm really jumping the gun right now and thinking about home births. I absolutely hate hospitals and hate hate hate the idea of being stuck in one overnight. Does anyone know if the NHS will arrange for a midwife? Or am I going to be going private? My Mum is a nurse who has worked in midwifery, but I don't think she could handle it alone!

 

[MrsGruffalo]

My best friend had a homebirth, and the NHS organised her midwife. I don't know if it varies from area to area though.

 

[MackMomma8]

We're also lucky that we don't have to fork out for the health care...

That's lucky for sure. I'm one of the fortunate here in the US to have insurance, but when we're closer to TTC I'll still have to shop around and compare maternity benefits to see if I should switch before we get pregnant.. Even with insurance delivery can cost thousands out of pocket. It'd be nice to not have to worry about that on top of everything else!

Not to mention that pregnancy is considered a "pre-existing condition" by insurance companies here... as in, if you start an insurance policy after you concieve, then NONE of your prenatal care is covered. I've heard horror stories about moms switching their insurance just before they got pregnant, and then the insurance companies coming back after them for prenatal care that "shouldn't have been covered" because they figued the conception date differently than the doctor did! It's such a mess here.

FYI we have old info. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 prohibited companies from labeling pregnancy as a preexisting condition.. so that's good at least. It's still way too expensive here just to have a baby.

Well, good to know! I agree, it's still waayy too expensive IMO.

That's one more thing about the US health system... under NO policy are midwives covered. Period. They aren't considered "medical professionals".

 

[MrsGruffalo]

under NO policy are midwives covered. Period. They aren't considered "medical professionals".

What a huge insult to midwives...

 

[anniepie]

I must say I'm fairly shocked by the US system!! I knew you had to pay (didn't know how much!!), but can't believe the terms like "pre-existing condition" that are mentioned in regard to pregnancy...And did someone mention sick leave, and disability cover...like pregancy is a disability???

We are lucky here in the UK (though I think as someone else commented, I'm sure if we were to discuss other things in the same detail it would be the oposite, so probably evens out!). With the mat leave, it really varies from company to company. Where I work, I'm entitled to 16 weeks full pay, then 23 at SMP, and the remainder of the year unpaid. My previous place was 6 months full pay. But, I know other places who will only give you a couple of weeks full pay, then you drop to SMP- this, I believe, tends to be the way in the city, where they think you should be back straight away (though I'm just going by what other people have told me, so could be wrong!)!

 

[MackMomma8]

I must say I'm fairly shocked by the US system!! I knew you had to pay (didn't know how much!!), but can't believe the terms like "pre-existing condition" that are mentioned in regard to pregnancy...And did someone mention sick leave, and disability cover...like pregancy is a disability???

We are lucky here in the UK (though I think as someone else commented, I'm sure if we were to discuss other things in the same detail it would be the oposite, so probably evens out!). With the mat leave, it really varies from company to company. Where I work, I'm entitled to 16 weeks full pay, then 23 at SMP, and the remainder of the year unpaid. My previous place was 6 months full pay. But, I know other places who will only give you a couple of weeks full pay, then you drop to SMP- this, I believe, tends to be the way in the city, where they think you should be back straight away (though I'm just going by what other people have told me, so could be wrong!)!

Pregnancy is treated pretty much like a disease or a disability here in the US by the medical profession. Anything less than a perfectly healthy, smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, lunchmeat-free, soft cheese-free, MD-monitored, hospital-L&D pregnancy is considered a "problem pregnancy".

 

[chachacha]

My best friend had a homebirth, and the NHS organised her midwife. I don't know if it varies from area to area though.

That's awesome. I'll have to shop around for a rubber sheet then!

This maternity leave talk reminded me of a woman at my old work. She was on maternity leave for her 4th baby. When she came back to work... she was five months pregnant with her 5th! Needless to say, the company was pretty pissed at her. I definitely want to know her fertility secret.

 

[odd_socks]

Id love a home birth TBH but i doubt id be able to have one

 

[vicki.mummy]

Id love a home birth TBH but i doubt id be able to have one

why would you not bea able to have one?? I thought about homebirthing but I think I want a waterbirth at our maternity hospital - if we get pregnant fairly quickly we might be one of the last to deliver at our maternity hospital as it's moving to the main hospital early next year!!

 

[odd_socks]

Id love a home birth TBH but i doubt id be able to have one

why would you not bea able to have one?? I thought about homebirthing but I think I want a waterbirth at our maternity hospital - if we get pregnant fairly quickly we might be one of the last to deliver at our maternity hospital as it's moving to the main hospital early next year!!

because i have back issues and its possible that i would have to have c-section they dont think i would be able to cope with natural delivery because of my back problems x

 

[babyb54]

I've spent so much time today looking at nurseries. Why do I do this to myself?

 

[odd_socks]

OH still thinks that a baby is going to cost more than £15 a week even though i plan to breast feed and use washable nappies he doesnt believe me when i see its not that expensive

 

[babyb54]

Show him the numbers!