To try for a baby when I've got a new job?

[namechange5628]

Name changed for this.

I started a new (part-time) job 2 weeks ago. I really wanted to TTC early next year but I'm worried that they could dismiss me. Would I qualify for Mat leave?

Has anyone been in this situation before? Is it worth holding out an extra few months before trying?

If it was me I would wait until after probation and also check out the maternity policy.
I had to be in my work for a year before birth to qualify for their maternity pay (6 months full pay) its 26 weeks for statutory maternity pay only.

Why would you tell your workplace you are trying for a baby?!

Perhaps I work for a conservative organisation, but bringing up your sex life in an interview really is not the done thing......

Surely an employer would be grateful that you are bringing a new person into the world to pay for their pension and care costs when they are old? And another consumer to buy more stuff to contribute to the economy!

I agree with Nettle and I have kids myself. Worked in one place where a lady did this and then came back pregnant from the year long mat leave, then did it again. No one was impressed, to say the least. Finally managed to get rid of her once she pulled the whole 'flexible working' request and none of the roles were at all suited to that.

Surely an employer would be grateful that you are bringing a new person into the world to pay for their pension and care costs when they are old?

Oh, please! That old chestnut. There are over 7bn people in the world, don't kid yourself you're doing the world a favour for reproducing. If you want to, fair enough, but don't make out it's in any way altruistic.

The fact is - in this country we have statutory maternity leave and women will keep on having babies. Nothing you can do about that!

The UK (like Japan but not as extreme) does have a declining birth rate. One in five people are aged over 65.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-birth-rate-latest-number-babies-born-lowest-decade-a8066101.html%3famp

Anyway, nobody you work with is sitting at home worrying about so and so having a baby or being pregnant or whatever. People outside your own family/friends care or think about random people at work very little.

So baronet just because one person possibly took the piss in your opinion all women should be judged for getting pregnant at a time inconvenient to their employer . Okay then.

I didn't say that, Tea, but go ahead and project. I do think it's a shitty, pisstaking thing to do and it's not just your employer, it's your colleagues, too.

Unless you work for a self employed person, I’m pretty sure that a company of several thousand people doesn’t care. It’s a company. Not a sentinent being.

Colleagues are just that. People you work with. Not friends. It’s like if you resign from a job, do you actually think your colleagues care or will remember you a few months later?

And let’s not forget that ANY employer will get rid of you if they have to, no matter how much you do.

I waited 6 months after starting job. They got to know me, basic training sorted etc. Then took 4 months to conceive so I'd been there over a year before I announced pregnancy. Worked well for me as they knew me, I want the new girl getting pregnant straight away because doesn't matter what people say there's always animosity if u start a new job pregnant or soon after

Leave it for a full year until you are properly settled in your job and have some savings put away. Child care is expensive and so is having a baby and buying all the equipment. I'd leave it a full year and then ttc so you're established and passed your probation period.

Read through your contract to find out what you're entitled to.

m.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1753

I found out that I was pregnant 2 days after starting a new job, a complete surprise!! Although I didn't qualify for maternity pay from my employer I did still get maternity allowance (about £600 a month) and we made it work :)
It depends how much you need/what your wage is I suppose. Employers can't dismiss you for being pregnant, you are heavily protected, you can stay at work until you can no longer complete 80% of your workload, for me that was at 36 weeks. Speak to your HR dept for their policies :)

Also OP, if you were to conceive fairly quickly you could probably keep it under wraps until after your probation period ends, depending on how physical your job is etc

There are some horrifying replies here!

No, OP, it's absolutely not unreasonable or "taking the piss" for you to get pregnant immediately if that's what you want to do. Yes, your new employer might be pissed off, but you wouldn't have to tell them until after you'd passed probation. If you're good at your job and your employer is smart, they will recognise the value of a good employee for the longer term rather than write you off because you had the audacity to have a baby .

Surely an employer would be grateful that you are bringing a new person into the world to pay for their pension and care costs when they are old?

This is laughable. I doubt this has crossed the mind of any employer, only the availability of the person they just hired to do the role.

Op do what is best for you and your dh. What I have learnt is that nobody will thank you for Holding off and not getting pregnant. Don't hold off starting a family if it's what you want and are in a good position to be a parent. For what it's worth I was employed in public sector, worked there 3 years, took secondment to another team, whilst there underwent ivf which was successful, secondment coming to end and didn't want to return to original job so applied for another internal job (a better job) and was a few weeks pregnant at interview. Got job and went on mat leave 8 months later. Returned after a year and stayed for 4 years. I don't believe there was any hard feelings- they threw me (and another pregnant colleague) a big baby shower thing. Luckily I had continuous service so eligible for a good mat leave package.

I had a colleague that was off sick all the time pretty much as soon as she started. Turns out she was pregnant. She was only on a short term contract so didn’t get any maternity leave / pay and won’t be coming back to the office.

It’s all been a bit awkward for everyone as while on the one hand we were happy for her pregnancy but with the amount of sick leave she took it made life difficult for everyone as it’s a job where others have to do at least part of her job when she was off sick.

We have an aging population and the birth rate is decreasing. Maybe employers should be a bit more thankful for future taxpayers!

And yep, some comments here are ridiculous. How dare you have a baby! Your job is a just a job, on your death bed will it matter what job you did?

You shouldn't be discriminated against for getting pregnant and you shouldn't feel any pressure to delay family plans or that a woman having a baby when it suits her 'looks bad'. So long as you fall pregnant after beginning the job, you're entitled to mat pay. Check the contract/company terms and conditions to see whether you'd get statutory or whether they provide enhanced pay. In all honesty I'd crack straight on as there are no certainties : they could act as they're morally and legally obliged to and treat you well/ they could discriminate even if you wait/ TTC could take ages/ etc

You can TTC as you may not get pregnant straight away. ! Some things are more important in life.

I recently had a MC and trying again at the moment and also trying for a baby so really whatever happens first.

It’s all been a bit awkward for everyone as while on the one hand we were happy for her pregnancy but with the amount of sick leave she took it made life difficult for everyone as it’s a job where others have to do at least part of her job when she was off sick.

Colleagues are off sick for a variety of reasons making it hard for others. Poor woman she obviously really suffered during pregnancy. She wasn't deliberately 'making it hard for others'

I was going to say even as a self employed person, we had a nanny who was sick a lot and then got pregnant, it happens the eitld didn’t end

I have this when I was at a new job. Started new year and went on maternity in August. It was planned because DH and I was waiting for infertility investigation and we had TTC for DC2 for 2 years. I kept the job and got maternity pay, just not the enhanced benefit as I needed a year to qualify for that. You might not get pregnant straight away. Also depends on your age. It’s dofferemt if you are 25 vs 35.