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One week to my due date! Just one week and he could be born!!! ↓
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| Name: Daisy-UK | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 8:27 AM |
yahooooooo, bet you can't wait. I haven't been on much, trying to move on.
I just can't believe this is it for you, wow it went fast. We went camping in Wales last week and could see your island in the distance.......when it wasn't raining, ha ha. I can't believe the amount of rain we have had this summer, well wasn't really a summer. I'm used to sweating like crazy in North Carolina and here we are now wearing sweaters and coats. Crazy. I'm ready to go back home.
Best wishes, will try to watch the boards so I don't miss the baby's arrival. ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 8:39 AM |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 9:10 AM |
I know! The weather over here has been just as bad, although its been a bit better over the past week. But UK and Irish weather are always pretty dire, the winter especially.
I can't wait till the pregnancy is over, and he's born. Feeling a little apprehensive about the birth, but more excited than anything else! My due date is 4th Sept, and I have a hospital appt booked at 5th Sept. Would you believe I haven't had an Internal at all this pregnancy so I don't know if I've dilated or effaced or whatever. I'll probably get my first Internal on 5th Sept. I'd really like to know whats going on down there! ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 10:22 AM |
| my birthday is the 1st of september =P have your baby then =D ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 10:23 AM |
btw where do you live briseis ??
where im from...In New Zealand and Australia they dont do internals until you are in labour at the hospital..
i had a midwife appt the day i went into labour =P ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 10:30 AM |
| I'm from Northern Ireland ... All my American friends seem to get internals practically every week from 36-weeks. But noone has even mentioned an internal to me. I'm hoping to get one at my next appt. ↑ |
| Name: ..RoSey.. | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 10:33 AM |
| yeh they do them in america.. not sure bout ireland.. but there arnt many countries that do internals until u are in labor. ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 28th, 2007 10:36 AM |
| What time is it where you are Rosey? It's 11.40am here ... ↑ |
| Name: Daisy-UK | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 5:44 AM |
briseis, I think because the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand have health coverage that is free or low contributions, the government has to find ways to cut costs. That means only getting treatment and checkups that are absolutely necessary.
In the states, health coverage is private and we pay the bulk of it and then some, we pay out the wazoo. So doctors will take any opportunity to do a treatment. The doctors made a killing off me with my last pregnancy. Like over there, they recommend paps every year but here in the UK, they only recomment every 3 years. It would certainly be a strange experience if I got pregnant here and not see a doctor every visit.
It does suck about the weather and of course this last week has been beautiful, we were supposed to go camping but had to cancel because of a silly arguement with family. ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 7:43 AM |
Well it's only free if you aren't working. If you are working, National Health Service contributions are ridiculously high, because workers have to pay for the health converage of not only themselves, but of all the non workers too. Really pisses me off.
Oh not good about having an argument ruining your day out. I hate when that happens. Today the weather here is dire. I went and bought my baby a second winter bodysuit because I think he's going to need them, even though technically we're still in summer.
Are you TTC at the moment or just seeing what happens? ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 8:00 AM |
| BTW out of curiosity from a homebird like me, whose rarely even holidayed outside of Ireland, do you find life and the system better in the US or the UK? ↑ |
| Name: Daisy-UK | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 10:32 AM |
Believe it or not, the contributions are low in comparison to the states. We were paying 300 a month, plus co pay, plus deductible, plus out of pocket expenses, plus prescriptions and then there are things that aren't covered at all or have financial limitations. Prescriptions are very expensive in the states to the point where there are bus trips to Canada to get cheaper prescriptions. And to top all that off, dental coverage cost more and it barely covers anything.
At least with the National Insurance, your monthly contribution is it, we only have to pay a few pounds for prescriptions and that's it! I think in New Zealand, care is free, but not completely sure.
I didn't mean to ruin your day, wasn't argueing at all with ya.
It's sunny here at the moment, but some big clouds hang'n around. I want to get my laundry done before it rains.
As for where it is better to live, I think it's a toss up. My biggest pet peeve in the UK is the law or lack of. I think things that look small to them, are big to us. Like identity theft is no longer going to be investigated, that's like an open door to me and scarey. Next to that would be the lack of respect from the young here and nobody does anything about it because they don't want a confrontation. Example, we were at McDonalds waiting for our food when 2 young men got out of their car and threw all their trash on the ground. I was livid and everyone just watched them. I felt like getting out the car and dragging them by the ear down to the ground and telling them to clean it up. We brought it up to the guy who brought out our food and he said he would just go clean it up later and that it would do no good to say anything because the store didn't want a confrontation. Again, open door to anyone wanting to litter and not having to worry about being fined. And lastly, part of the same with youth and adults is the foul language here. Unbelievable, everywhere you go, it's all you hear and forget your children watching tv after 9pm. We just didn't have this in the states. Yes, children swear, but I could go months before I would hear the F word, here, it's on a daily basis. It's sad, I worry everyday about my child being attacked.
That being said, it doesn't make the USA better, I think it's bad that America keeps raising the price of gas but doesn't give us alternatives or smaller cars. I find it amazing that we have a big car with a tiny engine and can get nearly 500 miles to a tank. Plus the fact that you can buy tiny economical cars here. US could make small economical cars or have them imported and they chose not to do either. There also isn't any help financially from the government unless you are not working at all. When we first moved here we qualified for a housing benefit for the first month and some child tax credit. The child tax credit took a while to complete and they went back to the day we applied to give us the credit. It's just nice to know if you're in a bind, the government can help, may not be a lot, but better than nothing.
Ok, final thing, the taxes here are crazy, nothing like the states. Our sales tax was only 7%, you don't pay road tax in every state, but we were in one where you do. But at least when you do buy something, the tax is already added so the prices are comparable to the state prices like a cd here might be 12 pounds just as in the states that same cd would be 12 dollars.
I've rambled enough, you can wake up now! I think it's 50/50, I do like it here, but in my heart, I miss home like crazy.....wait, I forgot, house prices are crazy as well. We could never afford to buy a home here and I don't know how young first timers afford it because the salaries here just don't match up with the cost of houses. Ok, done now, I promise.
My hubby and I quit ttc about 3 months ago and after my mom leaves, I'm selling what baby gear I have. I hate to sell my big pram, it has served me well with shopping and it came with the basinett stand too, makes me sad. I guess what will be, will be.
Thanks for letting me ramble, that felt really good. You take care, you're at the end and everything is going to change for you, can't wait till you experience it all. Ethanael is 2 and we have started potty training, talk about frustration, but he is doing great considering we just started a month ago. ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 11:37 AM |
You didn't mean to ruin my day??? I didn't say you did! :) I think you misunderstood what I said. I was just commenting on what you said about a family argument ruining your camping day out. :)
"It does suck about the weather and of course this last week has been beautiful, we were supposed to go camping but had to cancel because of a silly arguement with family."
Well, you'd think the gov would help you. But they have never helped me. I've paid tax all my working life to date, and yet despite my sickness now (I have hyperemesis gravidarum, which prevented me from keeping my job) and should entitle me to sickness benefit, as my doc was willing to write sick notes for me, the gov said that because I didn't pay enough National Insurance in 2005, then I'd not be entitled to anything. But up until July 2005, I was a full time student! It makes no sense to me. I think the system here is appauling.
Bad language and violence in the young is especially bad in England, not so much in Northern Ireland ... But then we've had more of our fair share of violence over here because of the troubles. Gang culture, gun and knife crime is shocking in England at the moment. Any time I've visited London, I also found the people there very rude, young kids not giving up their seats in buses to elderly people, swearing, noone saying hello, or being friendly. I couldn't live there ...
Sorry to hear you've stopped TTC ... But maybe it'll happen when you don't expect it ... I hope so anyway ...
Glad to hear the kids are well etc. I'll be sure to post asap when my baby arrives, hopefully within the week! ↑ |
| Name: Daisy-UK | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 1:22 PM |
Boy am I slowwwwwwwwww...... I thought I said something that upset you.
I really don't know all about the benefits here, but when we first moved here it took time for my hubby to get a job, he also got a jobseekers allowance which we don't have in the states unless you've been laid off.
I hear you about London, I want to take my mom to London while she's here and I'm so worried. She's from the south and was raised quite differently.
I would love to visit Ireland, that's my heritage......maiden name is Murphy. My hubby is a direct descendant of John Leavers, inverter of the Leavers Lace Machine so it's nice to learn about your past and where we all originated from.
We're hoping to camp there sometime next year, but we would also like to visit the south of France too. It's so much easier to travel from here.
Don't be sorry about us not ttc, now isn't a good time anyway. I'm having some issues with my hubby and I'm actually debating on leaving him. He's a good person, but he's got his priorities all wrong and he needs to grow up.
I'm so happy for you, before you know it, you and your fiance will be cuddling your sweet baby boy. I'm smiling right now for you guys. Will keep in touch ↑ |
| Name: briseis | Date: Aug 30th, 2007 2:16 PM |
Oh I'm sorry to hear about you and your husband ... Me and my man have had our fair share of ups and downs. Hopefully it's only a down phase for you, and it's fixable ...
What made you decide to move to the UK?
Yeah, Mark and I are really excited about the baby. My due date is Tuesday 4th ... and I have an appt at the hospital on Wednesday 5th; I get the feeling it'll happen next weekend ... I'm getting no labour signs yet. ↑ |
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