Does it make more sense going part time after your second?

[amaiseing]

I want to go back 3 days a week after maternity leave to spend max time with DC but I’m concerned about the impact on future finances, particularly since we might want another baby in a few years time. Maternity pay is difficult as is and it will naturally be a lot less still if it’s pro rata’d. Equally, lots could change in that time and DH should hopefully have had a promotion so be earning more.

Should I go back full time and just drop my hours after second DC? I don’t even know if this is something other people would think of. Any advice gratefully received!

I'd go back full time and stay full-time.

Why do you have to plan to drop your hours at all?
Plenty of parents work FT after first, second and third babies
in the current climate I personally would not be looking at cutting days
perhaps you could look at compressed hours as could your DH so you each get a day off in the week without losing salary?

Because I don’t want to spend more time at work than with my daughter. Childcare is expensive. I would never see anything of my husband. Doesn’t seem like a way to live

I dropped to 3 after my first, ended up on 4, stayed on 4 with my second, stayed on 4 with third but school hours.

my husbands salary went up, my salary went up, childcare costs went down (increase in funded hours). I’ll never regret the extra time with my babies (wish I was only working 3 days now really), even if it means a couple of extra years of work before retiring.

tbh even when they are all in school I can’t see me working full time ever again.

Could you work condensed hours? Do you have any accrued holiday? I went back full time but only worked a three day week for two months and currently work 4 days a week

Yes. It makes sense if you're planning another soon. I went back full time after dc1. It was a killer but we had worked out exactly how long it would take us to save up for DC2 with my full time salary and worked out timings so that DC 2 would start nursery as fees for dc1 dropped. I then went part time as the drop in nursery fees kicked in ( as dc started nursery) which softened the blow. I appreciate we were lucky getting pregnant quickly etc but would have taken longer and been much harder if I had gone back part time after dc1.

All the people I know who did this had smaller age gaps. If you are looking more at a 3+ year gap you will be returning to work at a similar time to them starting school.

I went back on 4 days, then changed to doing 4 days wprth of hours over 5 days when school starred.

I went back pregnant 4 days a week after DC1 so I could still get reasonable maternity pay. Will go back 3 days a week after DC2.

If you know you are only going back a year and then hoping to be off on Mat Leave again then I'd go back full time and drop with second DC. Otherwise, if you aren't sure I'd work the hours that you actually want to. You'll spend all the money you earn no matter how much it is.

I did 4 days after DC1 and going back 3 days after DC2, because I honestly don't think I can carry on with the hours at my job as they were with two of them!!

I went back 3 days after my first maternity, by the time you factor in childcare, reduced tax burden etc it wasn't a huge difference, and I'd occasionally do a weekend shift to bump up my salary (appreciate not all jobs would facilitate this). I've stayed 3 days ever since, through my second maternity, and hopefully forever....you never want to go back full time once you've dropped days 😬.

Will your husband be going part time too?
So you could each do 4 days at work and 1 with child therefore only 3 days childcare?

And is he dropping his (presumably FT) hours to see more of you and his child, and because childcare is expensive?

I dropped to 3 days a week after my second. I worked ft after dd1 but felt like life was busier with 2dc and I wanted more time with them. There wasn’t much difference money wise due to childcare costs - this was a few years ago before the 30 funded hours came in. I am so grateful for that time. It hadn’t affected my career though I’m lucky my job is one that’s easy to do part time.