Would you plan for a full year off? (Maternity leave)

[Sparksi]

It’s our first baby, DH’s wage covers all our bills, direct debits and essential outgoings (food, fuel and so on) with nothing much spare after that.

I’ve had a real range of opinions. Some people say take the whole year - you’ll make it work, and you never get this time back.

Others have said it’s not worth being skint or using savings for the sake of a couple of extra months, when that money could be spent on a nice holiday.

I am planning to use KIT days (2 a week for 5 weeks) and then annual leave to continue working a 2 or 3 day week, so I’ll have a period of ten weeks doing 2 day weeks anyway - the latter five weeks back on the payroll at full pay. This makes me think I should just go back at 9 or 10 months.

After I’ve been back a few months I hope to drop my hours to 80% and do a four day week.

Is it better to tell work I would like the maximum entitlement or be realistic from the get go?

I took 10 months with my first and completely regretted it, so wished I'd done the year!

I’ve done 8 months and a year- the year was better.

I did 7.5months and it was definitely the right decision for us. We couldn't afford for me to go onto statutory or unpaid, or we'd have had to eat through all of our savings. baby loves nursery and her grandma says, and we still had the money to go on holiday and redo the kitchen. And I love the evenings and weekends even more.
Depends entirely on you.
By that stage I also needed to have some adult conversation not about nappies too!!

I did 9 months last time, and felt it was too early. That said, I was very ready to go back at the time!! It was only later I regretted it. This time I’m planning to take the full year, but I have recently inherited a fairly large amount so financially it is easier to manage than last time.

there’s no right or wrong, and you don’t need to decide right now. I think you need to give 8 weeks notice (but do check that as I’m not sure exactly how long!) and can change your mind as long as you stick to 8 weeks notice.

Does your partner want any time? My DH did three months and loved it. And he was the higher earner so it wasn’t the most efficient way financially to do it.

He works 4 on 4 off so he’d get quite a lot of time with them anyway

I’m 5 months into a 9 month stint (my first) and feel ready to go back now tbh!

Yeah, I went back earlier than I'd planned. No financial constraints, but being a SAHP is definitely not for me. I started to enjoy parenthood far more when it took its place alongside work.

as far as I understand you don’t have to commit in advance. You employers should assume 12 months and if you want to return before then you just need to give 28 days notice. Happy to be corrected but I think that’s how it works