Sorry in advanced as this may be long!
I currently earn a comfortable wage that has afforded us a reasonable lifestyle. I have to work shift work but it is never a set rota or pattern. It changes week by week and because of that it's not easy to plan things so I don't get to fully enjoy the fruits of labour. The company I work for have also offered me the chance to gain a degree through them. Before being offered this my husband and I had discussed trying for a baby next year. I am heading swiftly towards 30 and have taken on a degree part time already with the idea of a complete career change. I have around 4 years until I qualify and even then I have to take on courses after to get the full qualifications and I have no experience in that field at the moment so I'm looking at mid 30s to late 30s to enter the career of choice (hence the baby planning now). The degree offered by work won't necessarily help me in my ideal career change and it ties me in to the company for another 2 1/2 years and has the potential to put baby plans on hold due to the commitment needed for the degree.
My job is incredibly stressful and doesn't suit family life at all so when we do have children I would be looking at taking my maternity pay and then leaving soon after. I have also applied for another job which is a large pay cut but it's mon-fri 9-5 so would suit family life far better. It's isn't directly related to what I want to do either but has the potential to open other doors for me. I am waiting to hear back but I'm now torn what to do.
Stay with my job that don't particularly like, gain the qualification then have children but that means a 2 1/2 year wait doing a job I don't like
Stay with my job and try for a baby regardless of being tied into this course, take the higher maternity pay due to loyalty then start looking elsewhere with the possibility of returning to shift work including nights with a small child if I don't get anything else
If I get this job take the pay cut, take the better routine and see how financially we cope with having a child? It will be a large reduction each month so we won't have the same disposable income