Australian without appropriate clothing!

[Cairns]

Hi everyone.

This is my first time in the 1st trimester part of this forum, although I introduced myself yesterday in the "introduce yourself" section. Basically, I'm a terrified and lonely Australian with a completely shocked English boyfriend. I have visa concerns, financial worries, homesickness and an unplanned pregnancy! ... but I've decided that I want to keep this baby and I have a decent amount of happiness and excitement lurking beneath all that fear. I expect to be in the UK for the birth of my baby as this gives me the best chance of staying together with my boyfriend.

I've only just found out that I'm pregnant. It's been about 5 weeks since the start of my last period. I haven't told my mum or seen a doctor yet.

At 3am this morning I woke up with a rather peculiar question going around in my mind. I'm from a hot part of Australia. Pregnant women simply wear a loose summer dress and if it gets really cold they put on their fat uncle's baggy jumper... I'm going to be at my fattest in a UK winter... the Australian tactics obviously aren't going to work for me. How am I going to get layers of clothes and coats over that fat belly? I'm sure maternity shops sell specially made clothing, but I can't possibly afford a whole new winter outfit that will only fit me for one season! ... any ideas? Anyway, I suppose the good thing about being so early on in my pregnancy is that i have plenty of time to work these kinds of questions out.

In the mean time, I look forward to getting to know some of the other mums to be on this website. If there's anyone out there who's early in their first pregnancy, from overseas or has a partner who thinks his whole world is ending because of your pregnancy I'd especially love to hear from you.

Thanks to all of you who have already given me your caring words and advice.

 

[emx279]

congratulations and welcome

 

[EllieBelle]

First of all BIG It sure sounds like you need them!

British winters are not that bad and Im also going to be pregnant through winter, although shortly returning to the UK from France, and so glad Im not in this property through the winter this year, we froze here last year as only have wood central heating, and its a big house to warm with a few logs!!

A few big jumpers and a nice thick coat should do you well!!

You sound all over the place right now and your BF sounds very unsupportive!! Im not sure why some men seem to think that a baby is the end of the world, must be something to do with the "C" word (commitment)!!

Lots of luck and you definitely found the right place for help and advice.

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Hello

Congratulations on your bfp; I hope things start to settle a bit for you and your BF is a bit more suportive.

Look forward to chatting to you

 

[Hazel]

A good place to find cheap mat clothes is ebay.

 

[chookie]

Hi, I can relate to how you are feeling.

I'm an Australian as well living over here at the moment. I'm married to a British fella although am still only on a visa. This is my first pregnancy and it is a very anxious time as I don't have any family over here of my own. My hubby's family are mostly in Belfast so aren't exactly near either. It is difficult not to feel alone.

I'm planning on having my baby here and am hoping that mum will make the long journey over to this side of the world to help me afterwards for a few weeks.

I see you are a Queenslander as well. We won the State of Origin this week ... yay!!!

I hope all works out for you and your boyfriend starts being more supportive. I'm here if you need to talk.

 

[lisa-marie]

Congratulations!

Our baby is due in January so I wont be wearing summer dresses

We have a Next Clearance outlet in Oxford and I was in there the other day and they had a small rail with maternity clothes on. I managed to get a pair of Jeans for £12 normally £25 and some brown chino type trousers for £7 normally £22 so those will help me - not sure if you have one near you?

 

[meegs]

Firstly congrats!
Thought I'd share my story - my WHV expired in Feb this year so my boyf (Scottish) and I came back to Aus for a holiday and we were both planning on returning to Scotland where I would look for work sponsorship. Falling pregnant came earlier than we both thought. I am now in Aus working as it took less time to find a job here while my boyf is in Scotland also working. Really hard being apart during this time but he is planning on coming for a visit in Sept then again in Dec and staying till the birth in Feb. After that we're not sure basically because of visa requirements - don't really want to 'have' to get married so we can be together.
So I won't get maternity leave hence both of us working hard for the next 5 months (although morning sickness making it tough, especially since I only started the job this week and don't feel ready to tell anyone).
My boyf is really excited and I'm the one thinking holy crap - I have spent the last 5 years travelling, being independent, having a good time and it hit me yesterday how much of a change this is all going to be - another adventure.

 

[Sherlock]

Hi there and congrats on your BFP

I'm married to an Australian and we live in the UK I've also lived overseas for about 8 years till moving back to the UK and settling here again.

Anything I can help with drop me a PM We've done the whole visa thing and marriage thing O and baby thing. Just got to register our LO for an Australian passport now and we are all sorted.

BTW depending on what size you are, for winter clothes go check out the charity shops and get some oversized womens or mens jumpers and so on. I bought a couple of mens tops in a sale when PG in a large and XL and wore them to keep warm. Could not justify the materniy range. Also bought 5 tops in sale at Debenhams in the New year for £27. Two dress sizes bigger than I was wearing but they fitted me right through to the end of my pregnancy. Only things I had to buy new were maternity trousers and bras.

 

[rshellk]

Congrats on your bfp.

 

[Rosebay]

Congratulations!

It won't be that cold here hun and by then you'll have you very own hot water bottle strapped to you all of the time! I got by with large sized tops from cheap shops like Primark etc and a cardie which I never did up. I only bought a skirt and bras from a maternity shop. H & M do cheapish maternity clothes and so do Peacock's if you have those near you (although it's worth checking first as not all stores do the range)

+++

 

[Bexie]

Congratulations on your pregnancy, I hope everything settles for you and your boyfriend comes round to your way of thinking.

Regarding clothes, when I was pregnant with my daughter I was due at the height of winter, we live in the hills where it is freezing and we get snowed in, but do you know what when your heavily pregnant it's like you've got your own boiler system going on. I normally feel the cold really badly, but all of a sudden I was stripping off as I was so hot. So don't worry too much about the clothes thing. I did manage to pick up a couple of things off e-bay. I didn't want to spend loads as your not in them for long and I managed to get some bargains, you can always sell them on e-bay after you've used them as well.

Good luck, I hope it all works out.

 

[*CLAIREBEAR*]

hi there cairns!
i have replied to another one of your posts also!

are you actually from cairns!?
wow you will find our english winters abit cold if you are from cairns!
winter time here being their summer time and its scorching isnt it!?
i spent a year in australia when i was younger on a working holiday.

where in the uk are you living??
there are some great cheap clothes shops in the uk so im sure you will be okay and will get some nice stuff and it wont break the bank!

i hope your boyfriend comes to terms with it soon!

please feel free to pm me if you want to chat,i am living in my home country now but have lived in a different country before (but not pregnant!) so sort of understand how strange it feels!

take care and wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy,

love claire x

 

[jools221181]

First of all welcome and congratulations!

I found that I lived in huge tshirts and jumpers throughout the winter! I picked up a couple of pairs of cheap jeans off ebay! Don't worry too much hun I'm sure you will manage

 

[mum2A&L]

mens clothes!

I had a pair of jeans, a couple of pairs of black trousers, and i brought a couple of skirts with elasticated waists (one of which i still wear now ). Littlewoods had two quite nice maternity tops for a tenner, so i saved them for when i was out and about. I also got a few cheap vest tops in a size larger for when i was out and about.

The rest of the time i was at home, i was so hot, even in december, i sat around in a pair of men's elasticated waist pj shorts and my bra