If you knew you only wanted one DC, would this change your return to work plans?

[iguano88]

Just that really. If we wanted more than one DC or even thought that was a possibility I’m pretty sure financially I’d need to go back full time to afford a second maternity leave and double childcare costs, double everything really!

whereas if we stick with one DC, I would feel more comfortable dropping to 3 or 4 days and having a better work life balance.

Pregnant with first so just mulling it all over at the minute but I can’t imagine how hard it must be to balance full time work with two small children.

Thoughts?

Bump

We are only having one child and I will unfortunately be returning FT to work. We don't have terribly low household income at 85k (though we are paupers by mumsnet standards) but with rising costs and childcare expense, there's no way I could go PT. Plus, my job is FT so I'd need to change roles.

85k is a very decent combined income! We have slightly less than that x

I know what you mean. I'm planning two DC and currently on maternity leave with my first. I am going back full time as I want to get the full maternity pay with a second rather than part time salary. We have similar household income to you, around 84k. We both earn pretty equally I would like to drop to 4 days after a second I think. My job is fairly flexible but intense at other times of the year, so I'm planning to see how it goes when I return I guess.

Another thing it affects is length of maternity leave. I think if I was having one I would take the full year whereas I'm taking slightly less than that.

Of course you never know if conceiving the second will be tricky anyway so I don't know if I've overthought all this!

We have 1 DC (6) and no plans for any more. I took the full year mat leave and returned 3 days a week initially. Increased that to 4 days when she turned 3 and we got her 30 free nursery hours.

Ive just gone FT recently now she is settled at school but my job is extremely flexible which has made the transition back to FT easier. I think I would have stuck at 4 days if I didn't have the flexibility with where I work and when I do my hours.

Well do you only want one DC?

that sort of decides it.

I went back to work part time after having my first knowing that we definitely wanted a second one. I went back when he was 9 months old because reducing my hours was more important to me than taking extra unpaid maternity leave.

I have one child and we could afford for me to go back 3 days a week. Now she’s 6 I’m back up to 4.5 days. If we had another I’d have to have been back full time (and tbh probably pushing for promotion/moving to a higher paid industry) to be able to afford another maternity leave.

Thanks for sharing. I think we’d be similar

Do you think you’d have a second quite soon after going back, in the ideal? It’s so tricky isn’t it and if only SMP were better it would be so much easier for people

I have one DD and no plans for any more. I didn't return to work after she was born. I like being able to focus on her and I'm a better parent of one than juggling 2, and now she is at school I can ferry her to all the classes she wants to do without having to bring along a sibling. And I have lots of time to myself during term times.

I have 1 dc, I pretty much knew as soon as I had them I didn’t want to do it again so I decided to take a full years mat leave and return to work 3 days per week as we could get by doing this. (I had already saved to cover the unpaid mat leave if I wanted to take it all. I was unsure about what I wanted when pregnant as it was all brand new so can see where you’re coming from.) I enjoyed my year off but did use a few kit days to get back in the know before returning. Nursery fees are a killer but they do get better as they get older. I really enjoy having something outside of the home to do whilst also getting to spend 2 days just me and my dc.

@iguano88 I think so, I'm currently persuading my husband to start trying again when my baby is one or so, I think ideally I'd like another when she's about two.