Shorter maternity leave???

I did just over 8 months but added my annual leave at the end to bump it up to 10 months. It was fine :)

who cares what others say? It’s whatever is right for you and your family

I am also raising my own children and not passing the buck to anyone else. I want what is best for my children, and what is best for them is to have a mummy who is mentally well and who is the best parent I can be in the time I am with them.

Agree. It’s not the same thing at all. I love spending time with my kids but I did start to miss my job after a time and I enjoyed going back.

With all due respect, you haven't seen me parent, so how can you possibly comment?

I am always out and about with my boys, and when we are at home, singing and reading to them with lots of play.

IMO There is a huge difference doing this vs the mental stimulation and challenge of my job.

I took 9 months with 1st, 8 months with second. I did bits of work from 6 weeks with both though.
Expecting another and will take 9 months maximum. It's only paid for 9 months, like you I need the mental stimulation and I've never really been able to afford to take the 3 months unpaid part!. I don't know anyone who's taken a year recently.

Thank you, yes - we are. I am taking 7 months ML (plus one month AL so 8 months 'off' in total). My partner is taking 2 months SPL (at full pay!!). He is fortunate to get 16 weeks at full pay - the initial plan was to utilise this in full so I took 5 months and he took 4, but the mum guilt/peoples comments got the better of me, which I realise in hindsight was silly.

I took a year with my first (though it was more like 13 months as I was in hospital and DC1 was premature), but was getting a bit stir crazy approaching 11 months.
With my second, I started working again (self employed) around 4 months, but only part time - I was WFH and DC2 was being cared for by a nanny.

I took 11 months, could have taken the year plus annual leave, so circa 13 months but in my role it made sense to go back at that part of the year. I was ttc for a year and saving up ahead of Mat leave, I saved £12k so I could pay myself £1k a month on Mat leave as I only got 12 weeks full pay, then half then statutory.

I took 8 months both times. It was about right for me. In both cases DH took the remainder, either as sole carer or at the same time as me. I wouldn't have wanted 12.

Yes and back at 4mths

Mainly as se and a nights pay was more then I would get in a weeks smp

So no brainer

9 months here too, not going to lie, I'd bloody love the year but couldn't live off no wages from me for 3 months!

What's your partners paternity leave like? Could you do shared parental leave?

Yes I went back when my first was 8 months and 2nd was 10 months (had accrued a lot more annual leave). Couldn't afford to take a full year. A few people were surprised that I wasn't taking the full year until I reminded them that the last 3 months are unpaid and we couldn't live on that. We'd saved a bit for my maternity leaves but particularly second time round, cost of living rose so much during that time that we couldn't pay the mortgage anymore if I didn't go back.

There’s no right answer to this.

I took a year but I went back full time and my kids were looked after by a nanny; others take a shorter period but their partner takes some and/or they are working part time and/or their baby is looked after by family. For nearly everyone at least the last 3 months of leave are unpaid and not everyone can afford that. Do what feels right for you, line up childcare you are happy with and don’t waste time on guilt.

I took 6 months with first as that’s when maternity allowance ran out (only 16 years ago) and DH was a uni student so we needed the money, and 9 months with second. I could have done with longer first time but baby was absolutely fine with GP and nursery.

I took 6 months and my husband took 6 months. Not financially driven. I wanted to get back to work as I love it and he wanted to have a stint as their primary carer.

Whatever you do people will react to it.

I took a short maternity leave (longer wouldn’t work with the kind of job I have), and even still years later people feel the need to comment negatively. I’ll do the same again when I have another.

I met someone this weekend (in her 70s) who was quite shocked to hear that children go to nursery before they are four, as all of hers had been at home until then.

You need to just learn to completely ignore other peoples opinions about your choices. This is just the beginning.

A lot of children at our nursery seem to start at around 8 months, if that makes you feel any better!

I took 8 months last time and to be honest I did regret it. This time I’m planning to take the whole year.

I thought i was desperate to be back at work as I found parenting hard. But the reality was working around a child is (obviously) not the same as before having a child. So many sick days, nursery drop offs and collections, going to work on Jo sleep and so on…keen to avoid for as long as possible this time!!!!

that said, you need to do what’s right for you and your family. Plenty of people above who feel the opposite of me.

also when people (who haven’t had children in the last 15 years or whatever) talk about having the full year off, I think some don’t realise that although you are entitled to s year off, it’s not all paid, and for many, none of it is paid at your normal rate!

I had 12 weeks as that's what's normal and paid where I am. Dd went straight into full time childcare after that. We're fine and I enjoyed being back at work and having more of my identity back.

I took 9 with my first and 8 with my second.
Do whatever you want. Everyone's situation is different.

Most people I know take 9 months.
im now at the end of my 6 month mat leave.
My self employed sister could only take 3 weeks.

I took eight weeks - six weeks standard in the country where I gave birth, plus two weeks holiday. Full time childcare ran from six weeks old.