HELP! Really worried about money once on maternity leave!

[SJC2014]

Hi! I'm 3 months pregnant with my first and I can't enjoy it because I'm so worried how I'm going to manage? Me and my partner have a mortgage which is 675 per month and I have various debts I pay each month so my outgoings are well over 600 a moth at the least!! I have found out I am only entitled to 6 weeks at 90% pay and then SMP about 138 pounds a week! That's about 550 per month!! My partner is self employed and he makes enough for us to get by with our combined salaries but we do struggle sometimes! I am so so worried!! What can I do? Will the government help I have paid tax my entire life!!

[littleredsquirrel]

Jessica aren't your children grown up or am I mixing you up with another poster?

[littleredsquirrel]

No I'm not. I remember from the house prices thread. You have lots of grown up married daughters.

Going back at 2 weeks is not a common thing to do nowadays.

[JessicaMary]

I have teenagers too.

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

I couldn't disagree more with Jessica - fine, if you love your job, it pays more than the cost of childcare, you have a very easy pregnancy and birth and your job is not physically demanding or excessive hours. Clearly, this doesn't apply to all women and I really doubt many women would be very happy leaving their newborn so early on anyway.

[JessicaMary]

UP to women. I am just presenting it as another choice. I do fear women don't realise this is a possibility. We had a thread the other month for City working mothers and there was a real feeling there that women were being almost blackmailed/expected to take ages off by their friends who are mothers and yet there are so many good arguments for going back full time very quickly in 6 weeks to 3 months. I was just saying all the advantages which flow to the baby and mother and wider family if you go back soon.

Everyone can make a choice and hopefully that choice is free of any crticism from other women or men no matter how quickly they return. You seen awful lot of rather nasty sexism around early returns after birth and it's getting worse and worse.

[hanette]

JessicaMary are you Marissa Meyer?!

[Droflove]

I also worked till the day I went into labour and then only took 12 weeks off. I have to say that I was mentally a mess for about 4 weeks, physically a mess for about 6 due to bad foreceps delivery and infections. But it was a huge relief to go back to work when I did and I felt more myself and a better mum for it. Being at home all day with baby just didnt suit me and I enjoyed it so much more when I could have the time to work and refresh during the weekdays. Im now 24wks and am planning to go back this time after 6-8weeks and dont foresee any major issues but I work out of home and will get a nanny which many cant do. To the OPs issue, there is no harm in considering going back at 4/6/8 months instead of taking a year. You do what you have to and might be surprised at how well it works. Depends on whether you can afford the childcare I guess. Other than that, other posters had good advice like looking for a mortgage holiday, consolidating debts and getting repayments lowered for a while. But long term you need to put family processes and budgeting in place as children do cost money.

[MarathonFan]

Like with everything else in life you have to live the way you can afford to.

The "cost" of your maternity leave is for you and your DP so he needs to contribute to it too. You have 6 months for both of you to save toward it.

Depending on how much you save, you then decide how much leave (beyond the 6 weeks on 90%) you can afford to take, taking account of any CB and tax credits you may receive.

[Owllady]

Surely it depends what your job is as to whether it's physically easier or not to return that early!

Op, you will cope honestly. You need to sit down and budget now and seek advice about your debts too if you need to

Congratulations

[Spottybra]

My company offered similar and I had to settle for just 8 weeks mat leave first time around. Not unsympathetic because I cried all the time BUT it had to be done. I'm a SAHM now so situations can change if you work at a solution.

[Viviennemary]

I know it's not ideal but a lot of banks and BS let you have a mortgage 'holiday'. Would you consider this?

[SoonToBeSix]

Jessica on what planet is it better for the baby to go back to work after two or six weeks?

[SoonToBeSix]

Jessica you have got to be the most selfish mother I have ever come across why on earth did you have children and more than one? And no most mothers are not happier working some are some prefer to be sahm. A tiny minority would choose to go back to work at two weeks.

[ThePinkOcelot]

Going back to work after 2 weeks is good for a baby?? They bond better with their childcare provider?? WTF?!

When I was working FT whilst pregnant with my first, I tried to pay off most of any debt I had so I didn't have this money coming out whilst on ML. I had couple of catalogues too and had quite a bit of commission on them so bought stuff for the baby from there.

Don't worry OP, things will work out. They always do.

[beepingbeep]

Wow I think someone on this thread is talking SHITE!

How can 2 weeks off be good for a baby? You're deluded.

[wannabestressfree]

'Nothing benefits children better than a good fee paying school and money'
Ouch!
What a crock of shit

[zzzaaaccc1]

Hi SJC2014,

Just wanted to give you my experience as this could have been me a few months ago.

My DS is now 5 months old and I've been on SMP now for a while. I had him 2 moths early so had to use most of my paid leave going back and forth to hospital 60 miles away each day. Both DH and myself are on relativity low paid income so money is tight at the best of times.

Here's what we did.

1. Go through yours & Partners outgoings cancel anything you really don't need (Gym, Netflicks, Magazine subscriptions ect ... we saved quite a bit just doing this.)
   
   
2. Check other out goings gas / elec / phone ect can you get a better deal. You can get saving stamps from post office to put towards car tax if this is due when you are off. Pay off small debts transfer all to 0% cc or if in real trouble contact CAB for help.
   
   
3. Stock up i didn't do nappies or wipes in case baby had a reaction to a brand but did do for the things we use regular shower gel, shampoo, hair dye so bought like 9 of each to cover the 9 months i intend to be off and have shoved under the bed, went to discount shop for these and spent £40 and am sorted. With things like baby bath talc ect i dont use it i did buy some, but while in hospital used water on baby and works just as well baby bath is saved for when people come around LOL. His still clean and never had nappy rash. also bought xmas presents in the sale and stocked up on birthday cards.
   
   
4. Use nector points, boots points while you can then you have a bit of a fall back later on. I used boots points yesterday for a pack of nappies as money doesn't go in till Friday and we need to eat.
   
   
5. Don't forget child benefit if you are entitled is paid 4 weekly I factored this into new budget but didn't realize so went into overdraft 1st month.
   
   
6. Can apply for tax credits but you may not get them, but ring back when you go from full pay to SMP as they may be able to help even if initially they say no.
   
   
7. shop when you need to i used to get a big monthly shop now i go out if i need it e.g need milk buy one pint of milk, find out when supermarkets reduce food and go at that time if you can go to that section 1st before paying full price ive save a fortune by doing this got a 4 pint of milk last week for 30p. Also try aldi / Lidl use own brand products not branded, also check out money saving experts old time money saving forum page loads of ideas your gran would have used white vinegar is now used for everything in my house.
   
   
8. walk every where if you can with baby we got rid of 2nd car. Helped to save money and am losing baby weight at the same time.
   
   Don't get me wrong it is still tight we couldnt really save while i was pregnant but by stocking up and cutting back on take aways / night outs during that time we just about have our heads above water.
   
   Enjoy your pregnancy x
   
   PS sorry for such a long post.

[Portolady85]

Anyone there who could help me with maternity allowance question at all?

[MaryManchego]

Best to start a new thread, this one is pretty old

[Portolady85]

I have done,I'm only new and no one has answered not even sure if it has actually posted what I typed

[AndNowItsSeven]

Jessica unless someone is an a unfit mother then going back to work after two weeks is never better for the baby.
There is no point in planning a baby if you don't want to spend anytime with them.

[bellasuewow]

Hi op don't forget that you continue to accrue full pay annual leave while on mat leave and you can also do 10 keep in touch days at work and get full pay for those too. Good luck

[2015mom]

Hey
Make a list of all of your expenses and your income and decide what is essential spending etc

If you have credit card debt an you are paying interest on your credit cards then transfer your balances to a 0% interest card so you are not paying interest on your debts

There is a lot of expense with kids

There is this website which sells cheap stuff www.nurserysavings.com

Or maybe look at shpock, Wallapop or gumtree for used stuff

[2015mom]

Also breastfeeding is a great way of saving money rather than buying formula

[Inthenick]

There really is nothing weird or wrong with taking a short mat leave. You do what you have to. Look into all your entitlements and take a look at where you can cut spending, like nights out, food bill, change suppliers of utilities, etc and then work out how long you can take off for mat leave accordingly.

And please please don't buy anything for the baby. You can get what you need so so cheaply second hand and babies need so little. I'd say time off with baby is more important than a new buggy system.