PREGNANCY is a beautiful but also tiring time – but thankfully there are some perks you can get for free.
Elin Davies, who has 10,000 followers thanks to her mum tips, has shared a number of things you can get without paying a penny.
Elin Davies has shared her top tips for getting freebies when pregnant and in the months after[/caption]
One of the free items you can get nappies from Emma’s Diary[/caption]
On her @elindaviess2 account, she wrote: “If you are pregnant now or just had a baby, here are some things you can get (UK!)
“I found a lot of things useful when I was pregnant.”
Here is everything you can take advantage of…
Nappies
Nappies can be expensive, but there are ways of getting some without paying a penny.
Her first tip is to sign up to Emma’s Diary.
Elin explained: “There’s a pack of nappies in one of these and loads of useful information.
“You can get three free packs and you can collect in Boots or Argos.
“All you need to do is download the Emma’s diary app.”
Pampers
Another way to get free nappies – this time through Pampers – is to become a member of their site.
Elin shared that it is “free to join” and all you need to do is download the app and there are coupons and points.
Alternatively, she found a free pack of nappies from Aldi by using a voucher found on netmums.co.uk.
Cake
Elin shared how you can also treat yourself during your pregnancy by getting free cake.
She explained: “Marks and Spencer’s have a parenting club too!
“All you need is to be a Sparks member which is free to sign up!
M&S does free cake on a Tuesday when you buy a hot drink[/caption]
“You then have access to fab rewards, one being every Tuesday in a M&S café they do a baby club, you get a free cake when you buy a hot drink!
“And time to socialise with other mums. They also have 10 per cent off baby grows!”
The M&S website states: “Join our weekly parent & baby mornings at M&S Cafes across the UK, and enjoy a free slice of cake, pastry or a fruit pot, every week when you buy a hot drink.”
Dentistry and prescriptions
You can get free dentistry during pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth[/caption]
Elin pointed out that you can get free dentist check ups both during your pregnancy and in the year after too.
She added: “And also free prescriptions in England.”
This has been backed up by the NHS website.
It reads: “You are entitled to free NHS dental treatment if, at the time you are accepted for your course of treatment, you are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months.
“To prove your entitlement, you can use a MatB1 certificate, valid maternity exemption certificate, notification of birth form, birth certificate or stillbirth certificate.
“To claim free NHS prescriptions, ask a healthcare professional, for example, a doctor, nurse, midwife or health visitor. They will help you make a paper or digital application.”
Boots gifts
Boots Parenting Club gets you extra points and an Aveeno product[/caption]
Elin also pointed mums in the direction of Boots’ Parenting Club, which can give you a free gift when you sign up.
The Boots Parenting Club gives you perks such as “8 points per £1 on baby products. free gifts at key stages of your baby’s development, expert parenting advice, Parenting Club offers via the Boots app.”
The website states: “Sign up to Boots Parenting Club to receive your selected Aveeno product.”
Amazon gift
Next, Elin recommended parents sign up for an Amazon baby wish list.
You can choose a free gift from a list of things when you spend £20 on qualifying purchases.
This could include a free nappy bin, baby bottles, a bath set or a bath toy.
She wrote: “This is also a good thing to do if people ask what you want them to get, you just send your wish list to them and they buy it.”
Child benefit
You may qualify for Child Benefit[/caption]
Elin pointed out that some people qualify for Child Benefit, which can be £24 a week.
She wrote: “Whether you are working or not working, you can claim this!
“Nobody really mentions this to you, so unless you do the research, there’s chances you’ll miss out on this!”
The Gov website states: “Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child.
“You normally qualify for Child Benefit if you’re responsible for a child under 16 and you live in the UK.”
Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday or paid weekly if you’re a single parent or getting certain other benefits, such as Universal Credit.
According to BBC: “If a household has one parent who earns just above £60,000, their child benefit will start to be reduced, and cut altogether once they earn more than £80,000.”
Can you park in a parent and child bay if you’re pregnant?
WHILE many pregnant women use parent and child bays when shopping, the rules and regulations about doing so are actually pretty murky.
According to the RAC, while it’s not illegal to park in one of the bays if you don’t have a child under 12 with you, you could receive a parking fine – depending on who runs the car park.
If the car park is operated by an independent parking agency, you are more likely to receive a fine for parking there incorrectly.
However, back in 2019, Tesco confirmed via a spokesperson that: “Our bays can be used by pregnant women that require additional space.”
Sainsbury’s said that pregnant women are usually allowed to use the bays, but this should be arranged with individual stores.
Apparently, mums-to-be should inform staff and give them their registration number, which will then be passed onto parking attendants to ensure they don’t get a fine.
Expectant mothers should make themselves known to staff in the store, who will make note of the registration number – to be passed on to parking attendants who will then be aware of the situation.
