Re moving jobs to afford a baby

[MamguWeatherwax]

In my current job, the team I work with are fantastic and I love working with them. I've just been offered a job (more responsibility but same sector) that's higher paid and closer to home. We want to TTC next year and financially things would be really tight in terms of childcare etc if I stayed in my current job. I know the government are looking at introducing the 30 funded hours but who knows how that's going to pan out so we just can't bank on that when looking at the finances.

Practically and financially speaking the new job makes a lot more sense. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'd feel really sad to leave my current team. Has anyone else left a job they really enjoy so that they'd have more money to start a family? How did it pan out for you?

One thing to consider is how long you need to work there to qualify for company mat leave.

Yes absolutely re maternity pay. Their policy means I'd be eligible for it immediately (and I've double and triple checked their policy) so no concerns on that front.

I did that. I moved to a job that paid 20k more but it wasn't a great role other than an increase in pay and I got made redundant 1 year and 9 months later. Unfortunately I also had fertility issues and didn't get pregnant while in the job. I miraculously got pregnant 2 weeks after being made redundant (14k pay out pre tax) and just after I was referred to uclh fertility clinic. The silver lining is I am eligible to be interviewed for higher paying roles due to my salary jump all that time ago and am interviewing now so I am able to look at daycare options for 2026... currently 5 weeks pregnant.

It's hard to leave a good team. Very hard. But I have done it and my new team is absolutely awesome. Change is very scary but shouldn't stop you from moving towards your goal.

I stayed somewhere longer than I should because of the team.

The team always changes around though as others move on - retire, get pregnant, move house, etc.

I can to the conclusion I should have gone.

Four years later hardly anyone was left and it wasn't the same place it had been.

I'm sorry to hear it's been difficult for you Panda. Congratulations on your BFP now though, that's fantastic news! Good luck with the job hunting.

Thanks I just found out I have been progressed to the next round of a job I interviewed for, it's 15k more than my last drawn salary. So I do think the job switch did work out well for me financially. We massively overpaid our mortgage as well and this would definitely help us in the baby years.

I left a job I loved with a team that felt like family, that involved a lot of working away and a ridiculous commute, for one with more pay closer to home.

The new job was fine, less stressy, I felt less passionate about it and the team were nice but not amazing, but work is work really and things change when babies come along. Really, I was too entwined with the previous job and the step back was healthy.

Then after maternity leave I moved on to a job I really loved that paid even more to WFH so it all worked out in the end!

Hope you can come to the right decision for you.

Not that this is a reason to turn down the new job, but the new funded hours have already started to be rolled out, and the new government haven't made any announcements about not honouring them so I think it's likely they'll go ahead.

Yes true it does seem like they're likely to roll out the full 30 hours. I just wonder what sort of rules they'll have on them - like they've got be in childcare full time and things like that.

But anyway, currently banking financially on not getting 30 hours free as would rather err on the side of caution when making the decision.