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Yeah, Citizens Advice said today you only get SMP if your working a set number of weeks before the baby birth date.
That'll be right sadly. They are (or at least were) very strict on the cut off last time I encountered it.
Congratulations on the baby by the way. Kids are awesome (and unbelievably irritating once they learn to answer back).
Congratulations on the good news! The SMP issue is rubbish though!
Congratulations on the pregnancy! As others have said, plenty here will help out with baby stuff - I've a car seat, buy bag of toys, a bottle steriliser and probably some clothes you can have for nothing. I'm often over in cheadle Hulme and can drop them if that helps you.
As for the employment, the timing of announcing redundancy straight after being informed of pregnancy sounds a bit shifty. Is there any way (union, CAB, etc) of looking into this, as the law is pretty strict about discrimination against pregnancy.
I was given my redundancy letter on Christmas eve after 11yrs. Tbh I was more than ready to go. OP I'm in south Manchester, I can meet for a ride or pint. I'm riding Sat am from Hope and ISure ain't riding fast.
As above I'd question timings.
If we all stuck £10 a month into paypal account for him, I bet we could make up most of her wages 🙂
Honestly Weeksy, the support and advice I have got on here is worth far more than money to me. I wouldn't see a penny from anyone. I do however appreciate the thought.
My wife just burst into tears reading through this thread. She can't believe that a group of people, most of who I've never met, can come together like this.
We will get through it, life has dealt us enough dud hands and the pregnancy and my wife are all that matters. Timing is a funny old thing. There has to be a reason this has happened now.
Molgrips is right on the budgeting thing, you can get yourself sorted out for very very little if you spend a bit of time digging around. Even new stuff from some of the big box places is cheap (though i guess it'll be a little more expensive than it was when i last looked!).
A neighbour has a 1 year old and an unemployed/unemployable wife (some sort of lower back/hip problem made worse by actually having the kid.) Some judicious shopping and a fair bit of second hand stuff means that their only serious outlay was the kiddie seat for the car.
Some of the other parents in the village have spent (literally) thousands to end up in the same place, all the clothes are still covered in shit, milk and dribble and are too small within a few weeks. So they get washed and handed down, so someone gets £500 worth of slightly used second hand clothes for virtually nothing.
If the single salary is an issue, there's lots you can do with that as well, my wife was looking at going back to uni to retrain 5 or 6 years ago and we went through a loop of budget cuts and looking at all our expenditure so we could do it without taking too much in student loans/grants. When you actually start shopping around it's quite amazing what you can cut out of your day to day budget and only lose stuff you don't actually need. In big numbers, we were looking at making my salary go about 50-60% further, so we pretty much wouldn't have needed any loans at all. (She got a new job in the end, so we just spent the savings on more pointless toys 😆 )
Congrats on the pregnancy as well. Good luck.
So the time has come. The wife is redundant and the arthritis is at its worst. It has to be though as she's off all medicine. It's what we know was coming and we are crawling through.
I'm still struggling with the anxiety but I'm getting by. I really can't thank everyone who reached out on here enough. The offers of help and rides blew me away. Sadly the bike had to go as we can't get maternity pay and my wife is unable to work.
The bike money will be used to buy a second hand pram, we just have to find one.
The baby is the light at the end of the tunnel I needed and I couldn't be happier. One day I'll look back and see how much stronger this low period made me.
This is going to appear a strange question, but how tall are you?
Does that mean you now have no bike at all.
I'm sure there's something we can do here chaps ?
Hell yes, of course we can. But the guy needs to accept our help before we can give it.
Mosey, we've still got a bunch of baby clothes, grows, and stuff leftover.
Send me your address via my email in my profile and ill send you a parcel of bits and pieces for jnr.
V true, and tell us how tall he is.
I have an baby maxi cosy car seat you can have if you haven't got one yet?
Also have the carry cot section of an Icandy apple pram, in excellent condition with rain cover.
Both free of charge, can grab some pics if you want them 🙂
I have some bike bits too, brakes and bars/stem. Nothing fancy though!
I've got an old Cannondale F4 (think its a 2008 model, with a headshok front end), and it's in really good nick. Due to an RTA a couple of years ago, and a recent fractured vertebrae and damaged disc, I'm no longer able to ride it, and for the past couple of years, it's just been gathering dust in the garage. I know it's not much, but if you want it, it's yours. I don't want anything for it, and though I understand how difficult it can be to accept handouts, the offers there.
No bike for now but it's just whilst we get on our feet. It's so kind of you all to offer bits but there are others in need far more than me.
Any baby bits people have to sell we'd be very interested. We might not be able to buy things new but the baby will never know right.
Everyone is so kind, I just hope one day I can repay others when they need it too.
Just read through the thread - so chuffed to hear you're pregnant! (well, not you obvs!) I wish you all the best. Props to STW - this thread makes me feel all warm & fuzzy and kind of restores my faith in human nature 🙂
I'll pay the paisley freight if you want Mitch's bike or his/your fuel etc.
I'll ask Mrs Weeksy when she gets back from holiday as she's been selling off stuff of our boy. I know we've got a stair gate, but other that that. I have no clue
Got some red DMRs looking for a new home once you have something to put them on.
Best of luck to Mrs Mosey with the medication-free period. I can only imagine how strong she is being and I am sure you are too.
Don't be too hasty in turning away the offers of help - many of us have gone through tough times and would love the opportunity to make it just a little easier for someone else.
I've got various bike bits you'll be welcome to if you accept barnsleymitch's offer and anything needs replacing. I work in south Manchester so can either drop them off or else post them to you. I've got brakes, tyres, various components etc.
When the baby arrives, you'll NEED a bike!
Whats your email and I'll have a rummage in the loft for baby stuff.
Tell you what Mosey, why don't you borrow the Cannondale ?. I'd rather know it was being used, as like I said, it's just gathering dust here. Entirely up to you of course. Email in profile if you need it.
Where are you? We have stacks of baby/toddler stuff that we need to get rid of if you're near.
Rigid pub bike for you in Hazel grove if you want it , any bike is better than no bike.
My email is - moseydo@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you all for the kind offers.
Barnsleymitch - so kind, above and beyond.
Is that your PayPal too? Lol
Edit
Test fiver sent.
The F4's a medium, I'm about 6' and it fits me ok. Just let me know if you want to borrow it, send me an email, no need for a fuss and we don't need to keep going on about it on here. Take care and good luck.
+1 on the baby kit assistance. We've got literally bags of clothes that are waiting to be got rid of and some other bits too...
I'll have a root around and see what we've got...
Large Whyte 901 sitting around doing nothing here, needs brakes. In Loughborough if you want to borrow a bike long term!
Mosey you are spot on the baby won't care if its stuff is 5th hand all they need is you.
As for bike stuff I have way to many bikes & spares 1 of which is too small for me @ 18"
Don't worry about money for it, but to save you feeling like a charity I will email you.
In your OP you reached out for advice.
My advice is to let people help you.
You're uncomfortable with Mich's offer (and everyone else's) and I get that. But if you fall over you're no use to your family or to anyone else. Tear his bloody arm off, even if you have to rationalise it by paying him back later. Look after number one or you can't look after any bugger else.
I'm usually the strong one offering any help I can so as so easily noticed I am struggling to accept it's me who needs it now.
I'm 5 ft 7 so imagine it would be too big but I'm so thankful for the offers.
I'm usually the strong one offering any help
As are we all, hence why we can relate to your problems, we see in ourselves how easy it would be to be the same.
If a build happens in the immediate future I've a pair of 26" wheels+tyres as well as other bits.
Only just saw this thread, but there's arthritis in my family, it's a proper bastard.
A bike isn't just a thing, its space to breath, and a moment's freedom. I speak having clung to rides in difficult times. Also, I've no baby things with which to assist...
I have a Ti hardtail frame that you could borrow (it's definitely a loan as I want it back!!!!). I'm 5'7" so it would be fine for you.
Headset.
A pair of Hope/Mavic wheels. Choice of tyres.
Some BB7s (need rotors).
XT shifters, front and rear mechs.
Stem.
Bars
Grips.
Saddle
Anyone have a set of forks (100mm or thereabouts)??
Cranks/Rings
A cassette/chain
A 27.2 seatpost
I reckon that's about a complete bike?
My girls are the youngest of 8 neices and they have rarely had the sight of brand new clothes, particularly up to about the age of 8/9. But this has given us more cash for holidays, trips out etc, and seem to get more out of this than any new item of clothing.
Can do the 27.2 seatpost, and probably the cassette and chain, and rotors.
Think I might have the seat post. if 9 Speed a chain too. I no need for either, and they have no real value on the FS board.
Big old box of dusty 26" / inch and an eighth era spares here if you need anything. Most of its no use to me as starting on a cull of kit for space reasons so could end up going in a skip or bike recycling charity anyway.
Email in profile.
Baby kit I can't help with as it's already gone.
I have a post in that size spare yes
Mosey - well done on posting and for getting this far. Those who care for others often struggle to recognise how great their contribution is. Great news re baby Mosey and hope all goes well for you all.
Happy to chip in if a build fund is needed.
My box of stuff could fill the blanks for scotroutes offer that are not already offered above btw.
Scotroutes, I've some old Rockshox somewhere. I think you live local to me so I can drop them off with a pair of cranks too, if the OP accepts your offer.