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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how long you were back at work for between maternity leaves?

27 replies

Fauxdonkey · 20/04/2025 18:35

Just that. I always thought we’d like a slightly larger gap but I am now thinking there might be benefits to a smaller one. How long were you back at work for between mat leaves?

OP posts:
Silsatrip · 20/04/2025 18:38

3.75 years.

Didn't plan on having that long of a gap, but that's what happened

Topjoe19 · 20/04/2025 18:41

1 year almost to the week. I then took a career break after a year of maternity leave to do childcare until they were both in school/nursery.

JustMarriedBecca · 20/04/2025 18:42

I went back 3 months pregnant.

I started my second maternity leave at 28 weeks which I think is the earliest I could leave. Had some time with eldest.

We had plans to move out of London and I needed to secure a second full paid maternity enhanced package on my London salary.

I would say either do a very small gap or longer.

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 20/04/2025 18:43

5 years and 3 months.

DefyingGravidy · 20/04/2025 18:45

7 months. I didn’t realise I was already pregnant when I returned. It worked quite well, as my bosses would have been expecting me to have another anyway so I would have been given the low- profile clients. As I was able to tell them quite soon after my return, I was able to be quite useful on some shorter term projects. I felt it worked quite well. (The newborn plus one year old bit worked less well though).

SideshowBobster · 20/04/2025 18:54

18 months. Currently on mat leave with DC2, we're going to start TTC DC3 in February next year, so if I get pregnant straight away next time it'll be 8 months.

Emma543 · 20/04/2025 18:55

Found out I was pregnant after 5 months back into a new role, maternity leave again 13 months after returning.

whoisit1234 · 20/04/2025 18:57

1 year. I was very worried about telling work the second time but once it was out, it was absolutely fine

BuffaloCauliflower · 20/04/2025 18:58

14.5 months

CarpetKnees · 20/04/2025 19:19

2yrs and a month,

then 2yrs 7 months

But maternity leave was only 3 months long when I had my dc.

Namechange13101 · 20/04/2025 19:23

15 months here, but 3 months of that I was on furlough because of Covid!

Longhotsummers · 20/04/2025 19:23

I took 1 year for DC1 and was 3 months pregnant when I went back. No regrets.

Iudncuewbccgrcb · 20/04/2025 19:27

12 weeks - got pregnant when DC1 was 7 months old.

Because of accrued annual leave I worked around 20 days within that 12 weeks.

My employer didn't have an issue with it at all they just kept my maternity cover on until I came back from mat leave with DC2

Surroundedbyfools · 20/04/2025 19:28

A year. My second was unplanned and my cow of a boss congratulated me through gritted teeth !

Itsjustnotthevibe · 20/04/2025 19:30

3 years but only because we couldn't afford 2 lots of nursery fees for an extended period. By the time I went back to work after my second baby my eldest was about to a start school so costs were less. I actually would have liked to have had them closer together but unfortunately we just couldn't afford it.

Stressedoutforever · 20/04/2025 19:31

5 weeks- went down really well

TheSmallAssassin · 20/04/2025 19:37

9 months. One advantage of a smaller gap - which I didn't think of, but recommended to one of my team - is that (if your work is amenable) you can use your accrued leave to book a day off a week and do a four day week while being paid a full time wage. If you have a smaller gap it means you can get full time pay for your second lot of maternity leave too.

Icepop79 · 20/04/2025 19:41

5.5 years having only been off on mat leave for 4 months. Am self-employed so needed to build up enough of a cushion to take time off for the second one.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 20/04/2025 19:42

4 years, always wanted a bigger age gap. Also wanted time in work to progress and get a few promotions so my second mat leave I was on a much higher salary for the 6 months at full pay

Spirallingdownwards · 20/04/2025 19:47

I had a friend who didn't even get back in the office and her 2 ran consecutively and she was on a full pay package! She also managed to arrange her KIT days around Christmas parties and events her clients invited her to!

Shubbypubby · 20/04/2025 19:49

9 years 😂

Ryeman · 20/04/2025 20:09

2 years 8 months I think - different jobs though. There’s 3.5 years between my two.

FedupofArsenalgame · 20/04/2025 20:35

3yrs then 8.5 years

Kaleidoscope2 · 20/04/2025 20:37

3 years and 2 months between mine, two different places of work and my 2nd mat leave had an enhanced package I was only eligible for after a certain period working for them. There is 4 years and 2 months between my children which is exactly what I wanted

mindutopia · 20/04/2025 20:43

5 years. It was really ideal. I doubled my salary from when I went back the first time to when I went back the second time. Dh in that time launched and grew a very successful business. We got dc1 out of nursery (30 funded hours only came in our last term of nursery, otherwise it was £1100 a month all those years). Dc2 born winter of her reception year but I was actually off work from October, so meant I was very available to her in reception and first half of Y1 (went back in February so a year and 4 months). And because dc1 was in school, I had all day to focus on the baby, no plopping dd in front of the tv, we could go to all the baby classes, etc. I wouldn’t have wanted them closer together looking back now. They fight no more or no less than everyone I know with smaller age gaps.