Shorter maternity leave???

I had 6 months

It worked out well

I took 8-9 months both times with mine. I am the higher earner and couldn't afford to be off any longer , had to use savings during the SMP period and there was no way I could have been off unpaid after 39 weeks.
I don't think people realise that if you have a year off the last three months is unpaid, which is financially challenging for many, plus SMP isn't much if you are the highest earner.

To be honest 8-9 months was enough for me anyway, had PND after the first and going back to work helped, second one was during the lockdowns and being off with no playgroups / soft play / limited socialising was tricky. DH and me worked part time so they weren't in nursery too much when they were little.

Sorry @Sausagedog101 I was responding to a different PP there, didn't mean to aim that at you. I totally understand. It makes a lot of sense.

I can only take 4 months (it's all I get where I live, not the UK). I'm sad about it and the thought of pumping milk at work fills me with dread but I have no choice.

They would fire me if I didn't go back and I would lose my visa, so it's not even about money!

My family back in the UK have called it "child cruelty" when I told them how short my mat leave is. Thanks a lot grandma, really helpful.

I took 13.5 months with both of mine, so stretched to the limit of mat leave plus annual leave. Childcare is so extortionate where I am l that it currently costs our family more for me to work than not. So, there was no financial benefit to going back sooner - though I enjoy my job.

People love to comment on how long I took off and ask questions. Don’t I feel guilty for not earning? Wouldn’t the kids be better learning to socialise? How can you afford it? Aren’t you bored?

My sister went back at two months. She earns much more than I do but had a worse maternity package. She also disliked the newborn phase (but was so much better with toddlers than me), so this worked well for her family. All of our children are fine.

Everyone and their dog seems to have an opinion on everything you do as a parent, so just do whatever works best for you and your family and block out all the noise as much as you can!

I do disagree with a PP that babies cannot be intellectually stimulating. I'm an academic and I still find babies stimulating. I like thinking about child development and the impact of their learning experiences on their developing brains, so that in itself is stimulating for me. Watching your own child develop is even more amazing. However YANBU at all not to take a full year off OP and I didn't either.

I absolutely love being at home with my baby, she's delightful, but I took 10 months off as any longer would have been tricky financially, being the slightly higher wage earner.

I'm self employed and will likely be taking about 6-8 weeks off then I'll be working again. Idk how anyone can afford to live on statutory maternity pay

Meeee. I took 6.5 months off. Due to a combination of financial pressure and being offered a role l couldn’t say no to. In hindsight my mental health improved after going back so it was the right move. But like a lot of parenting then it’s a personal thing. I however still cringe at the former friend who took the whole year, then annual leave and then “sick” (she didn’t feel like going back -does anyone?!). So was off for 15 months for both of her children

Some interesting stats about rates of maternity pay here

https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/employer-focus-on-working-parents-report_tcm18-111075.pdf

Thankfully many posters here have stated that they only get the statutory minimum. Seems only on MN that so many have T&Cs that exceed that. You do what feels right for you OP even though you might have better than minimum MT rights.

I'm sure many stat-min ML mothers/parents would like to have more choice but don't have that option.

How long did your DH take off work- did he not also raise your children?

I returned to work after 8 months and got loads of comments about it. I clearly wasn't very happy to be back (had to go back for financial reasons) but people still went on about it! I don't think they realised how bad it made me feel! People make comments without really thinking about it 🙄

I took a year but my maternity leave ended at six months. I had to take a combination of other paid leave.

I’m one and done. I am happy to have had the time. I feel though at 8 months I could have gone back to work.

I’m back part-time. I like the balance of being a mum and working.

I took 3 months, which was all I could afford. Do lots of people take a year? I am surprised people can afford to

I am sorry you are struggling too.

I understand what you say about being happier and a better mum. But I also understand the guilt component.

I tell myself too that if I am not happy then I won't be 'maximising the time' as much as possible, for both myself and my son. I will maximise the time when I am happier and in turn a better parent.

If you don't mind me asking; how long will you be taking? Wishing you all the best!

I was a c/ minder . I had children from 6 weeks , 3 months , 6 months … everyone was different .

One thing I have noticed since having a child , people seem to feel a need to share their opinions on what I do ..

you have to learn to ignore them - you do what works for you and your family.

Feeling similar. Can't really explain why I'm struggling at home but it's similar to how I felt during pandemic / furlough. Financially we planned for me to take the max (12 months then A/L) but i have just decided today to go back earlier. Most people are shocked and I feel guilty like I should want to spend as much time as possible with my baby. But I think going back to work will mean I will be happier and therefore a better mum.

We took 6 months each (me the first 6 months obviously!). I was bored to tears and loved being back at work, though I do largely work from home. Really recommend shared leave for having a fully involved DH from the start. I earn 75% of our household income and I see my kids plenty - doing most drop offs and pick ups. A lot of the negative comments you will receive are from people stuck in the 1950s. In the 1980s my mum took 6 weeks!

What a spiteful comment.

This is my second. I took a year with my first and it was personally too long for me and my MH took a battering.