Going back to work in the gap between two children

[Sunrise888]

I'm taking a full year of maternity leave and am hoping to have my next child within 2 years of my first (Had an ELCS and I'm in my late 30s so I have to wait, but can't wait too long!). So at best I could be back at work only 3 months before falling pregnant again.

I was wondering if people could share their experiences of this. I do have a very supportive line manager and work for a company with lots of new parents. They are keen to keep me on, and working part-time or from home is a possibility. I just feel a bit guilty about taking a year away and then planning to become pregnant again not long after I return to work.

I know someone in a very professional career and role who went back after a years maternity leave pregnant. It happens. You can't base your maternity decisions on your company.
You also don't know how quickly you will fall pregnant.
You just have to live your life the best way for you and your fanily

Yep I went back part time after dc1. I made no secret of the fact that we wanted dc2 and ended up working on a project for a year till second lot of mat leave. Came back into similar role as pre-dc role but part time.

The company is very supportive - my line manager has two kids, with a two year age gap - so I know she'd get it. I know I shouldn't care about what other people think but I guess I worry others will think I'm being cheeky for taking so much for off for family. It's a young tech company that has doubled in size since I went on leave.

I found out I was pregnant 7 months into maternity leave and have just gone back to work. Will only be there for 4 months before going off again. They have been nothing but supportive and apart from a few people taking the piss that I'm just popping back for a bit everyone's been really happy and excited for me.

I do think it can matter how long you've been somewhere and your age, for me I've been there a few years and I'm late 30s so everyone knows I'm loyal to the firm and just getting my childhood years done before picking up my career with them again.

As someone else said though, try not to let what work might think about when you do this, you just have to do what's right for you and everything else will fall into place.

I am currently pg with no2. I returned to work in January and go on maternity leave in May. Work have generally been pretty understanding about it.

I hope to do this, but had a miscarriage which was tough. In the end it was about a 2 year gap between the DCs. So you never know how it’ll pan out!

I was back at work pretty much exactly a year between my 2 maternity leaves (2 year age gap), I felt it might be good to get the maternity leaves ‘out of the way’ and then when I came back after the second, I knew I was coming back permanently. It was fine and it helped that my year in between, I was actually a maternity cover for someone else so it all worked out.

I knew I was pregnant before I went back from mat leave with number 1. It was fine. I did feel a bit guilty but it’s never been an issue.

Thanks for the responses. Did you find being pregnant at work the second time very different to the first?

I'd been at my job for 2 years when I feel pregnant the first time. The company was less than 5 years old, less than 30 employees, and I'd gotten married during that time, so I really felt close to everyone and they were excited for my wedding and pregnancy (mine was the 2nd pregnancy in the company's lifetime).

Since my maternity leave the company's doubled in size and I don't know any of the new people. I guess I'm a little anxious that the job I'm going back to will be quite different.

I returned from maternity leave in October, fell pregnant in December and started my second lot of maternity leave in August. I was a bit scared of telling them the second time around and waited until 20 weeks! There’d been a lot of changes while I was off the first time and I knew they were counting on me being there. However, they were really pleased for me and supportive! I’d been part time after my first maternity leave, but I think the second lot of leave showed them how much they missed me so I was offered a promotion and big pay rise to go full time on my return. I’m really glad I did I had another baby so quickly, because now they know I’m sticking around.

I'm finishing my mat leave next Monday and will start my next Mat leave May 17th... My boss was fine and is not honestly expecting me to return! No pressure either way, small company that's family friendly.

I've got 22 months between mine so did exactly what you want to do. I was very open about wanting two children, especially when I went back after dc 1 so it wasn't a shock when I announced dc 2! I work for the nhs. It wasn't a problem at all where I worked.