Where to start...

camja

Right I've been mooching around this forum for the past week to see if the symptoms I was having sounded like I was pregnant. I thought I was imagining it actually except for the fact that my boobs were noticably bigger.
I never know when I'm due my period. I have a rough idea somethimes so I wasn't sure if I missed it. I've been tired recently but am studying so thought it was due to that.
Anyway I did a test this evening and it was positive. I'm not sure how I feel. I haven't told my partner yet as he's not here until tomorrrow. I'm not sure how hes going to take it as he doesn't feel finiancially secure enough to have a baby, although he does want children. Hes out of work a few years, I have quite a good job but I'm not sure what will ahppen with maternity leave and if I only get social welfare I have a mortgage. I've wanted a baby for a while but hes right we dont have the means. So now I feel really guilty and also I'm not sure I'm ready.
I just needed to get that off my chest really. It still might not happen so I could be worrying about nothing and there's no planning I can do til after the 12 week mark.
Any comforting words or thoughts would be much appreciated

Grawns

Congratulations! If my parents were to have waited until they were financially secure I wouldn't be here. The same goes for lots of us both then and now. As for finances - You can probably get a holiday from your mortgage while you're on maternity leave. Your partner is going to have to contribute too.

crazy cat lady

Congratulations

Babies don't cost much really. You can get so much in hand-me-downs and from charity shops and even shops like Pennys and Dunnes do fabulous clothes that in the early days only need to last a few weeks so theres not much point spending lots on clothes. Breastfeeding is free if you choose to feed your baby this way.

As the previous poster said, many of us wouldn't be here if our parents waited until they were financially secure! I know that our finances could've been much better before starting a family, but it happened and we're surviving on very little and are probably happier than we've ever been. Our little girls smile brings us more happiness than anything we could ever buy!

I know you're feeling unsure/scared/anxious now, but having a baby will be one of the best things that has ever happened to you

camja

Thanks for the support. Was completely panicking.

ThePiedPiper

Congratulations. As the previous poster said, it really won't cost a huge amount extra to have a baby. What myself and my wife did when we were tight for cash and expecting our first was to try to buy one essential piece of kit every month in the 6 months coming up to the birth. Eg, Graco travel system one month - €190, cot and bedding the next month - €200 or so.. You get the idea.

Also, you'll literally need about 10 euro worth of clothes. Our baby is nearly 15 months and we've probably only spent 50 quid on clothes, the rest have been presents from family and friends. Ask a friend or family member who may have had their last child already about getting some of their old sterilsers, cots, etc. if this is a goer.

Your biggest expense will probably be nappies and formula if that's the route you take. Nappies work out at about 15 cents each if you buy the bigger boxes in supermarkets, maybe 6-8 changes a day. A box of formula is a tener and will last probably a week depending on the age of the baby, etc. If your OH is still out of work when you decide to go back, he may be willing to look after the baby full time in order to avoid creche costs.

The biggest drain on our money now is that we're actually 100% strict about saving all of the child benefit and any cash presents that have ever been given to us in order to have a good fund for college education. Even when things got extremely tight, we didn't deviate from this rule.

Trust me, once you have your beautiful baby, you will make do with what you have and make whatever sarcrafices necessary without even a thought.

Best of luck and congrats again.

ani_mal

Congrats
My husband and I were getting second hand stuff like chest of drawers, changing unit, some clothes (most of them never worn) swing etc.
Also as someone mentioned charity shops are great for baby clothes.

then we went to Community welfare officer and brought him print outs from internet for buggy and cot and he gave us money for it (you get max up to 350Euro).
no point of buying always new stuff as babies grow so fast and sometimes you wont even have time to use/wear things/clothes. We got this bathing unit with chest of drawers and my baby is 5wks old and the bath on top of it is too small for him already I might actually put it for sale.

most important I find baby car seat/carrier and cot or carry cot (in which baby can sleep before it grows a bit)