Giving up work until our children are all in school

[WombForTwo]

I’m posting this here as I want proper advice, not snarky comments about our circumstances.

I am currently pregnant with twins. I’m 14 weeks and haven’t had an easy time so far. I don’t want to keep working if I can. My husband is fully on board with this.

My husband is a magic circle associate and earns £235,000 a year. I run a marketing agency and I am set to earn £275,000 this year, but it varies depending on contracts we secure etc.

My husband gets a performance related bonus each year and this tends to go straight into his pension, or investments.

we have circa £750k equity in our home and a remaining mortgage of about £750k. Repayments are £4,135 a month.

We have both had considerable inheritances from great grandparents. My husband’s was around £2.5 million, mine was about £1m. These were originally in trust and we continued the investments and financial advice past age 25, and they’re generally growing healthily.

ideally I would stay on at my company in a sort of remote boss role, drawing a salary and dividends but not working. But anxiety is holding me back and I don’t know why. We’ve become very comfortable and save/invest a lot. The idea of losing that, even just for 5 years, terrifies me.

Sorry to hear about your mental health struggles. In your position, I would get a really good nanny and probably use some of the investments towards this to support you now and beyond the pregnancy into the early days of the twins birth and then just see how it goes. You sound hugely successful and I think if you can find a really good nanny to support you all through this, that may be the best option for you. This is what all my friends who are hugely successful have done.

Rather than looking at it as stepping back, why don’t you look at it as giving one of your employees an opportunity to step up? I’m sure there’s someone within your business who’d love the chance for career development.

I appreciate that you’re worrying about the money, can you take a chunk and invest it on the side? Just so you have a safety blanket?

As you know, twins are hard work. Fabulous, but hard work! Get yourself the best Norland nanny you can get so you can enjoy everything about your new babies. Don’t feel guilty. You’ve worked hard and one of the benefits of that is that you can provide well for your children.

I’m sorry that you’re struggling with your MH. I hope your therapist continues to help you.

Please don’t bother to comment - it’s just not helpful.

I understand. We're well off, though nowhere near as much as you, and i do find if something sets me back I worry we'll loose everything. I think you need to explore where this fear stems from and how to reframe it, try a coach or therapist. It's a shame because wealth can buy freedom but not if you just fear losing it.