Maternity leave

[RaeRaeMama]

How much did you take and why?

What was it like going back to work?

What did you do for childcare?

Or did you decide not to go back to work?

Interested to hear everyone's experiences

Ten months ... will be using a nursery.

I haven’t gone back yet. My main worry it coping after a bad night!

I took 12 months because ds was first dc and I didn't know what to expect.

I was 'made redundant' first morning back after maternity leave. They had given my job and my team to the sales director's wife.

I had arranged full time childminder just around the corner from work. Thankfully there was an easy cancellation clause for the first month.

I spent a year fighting an unfair dismissal case, which was horribly stressful. They paid me a year's salary 48 hours before the tribunal hearing.

I started new role when DS was 2+2, with lovely full time childminder, close to new office, so I got there in the end.

I took 9 months with DS1, 12 with DS2 and 10 with DS3 (teacher, worked best for nursery). Back full time after DS1 and 3, 3 days a week after DS2 and I used nursery for all 3 of them.

Going back was fine - a tough first day and then after a week like I had never been off!

11 months only due to holidays falling well. Use a childminder three days a week and very lucky my mum has him two days. Considering cutting my days down to 4 though so I get an extra day with him xx

@Mintjulia

I took 12 months because ds was first dc and I didn't know what to expect.

I was 'made redundant' first morning back after maternity leave. They had given my job and my team to the sales director's wife.

I had arranged full time childminder just around the corner from work. Thankfully there was an easy cancellation clause for the first month.

I spent a year fighting an unfair dismissal case, which was horribly stressful. They paid me a year's salary 48 hours before the tribunal hearing.

I started new role when DS was 2+2, with lovely full time childminder, close to new office, so I got there in the end.

Bastards!!! I'm glad you didn't let them get away with it but you shouldn't have had to. Glad things worked out for you

I took 9 1/2 months and did shared parental leave so my husband did the last 2 1/2 months.
I used annual leave accrued for over a month though so we got time as a family unit before I physically went back to work.
Shared parental leave worked well for us, I earn more and was ready to go back to work whilst DH wanted time with DS. It also had the added benefit of really opening DH eyes to caring for DS. He was always a really good dad but it made him a better Dad as he got time to be fully involved.

I then used the rest of my stored up annual leave to work less days but still be full time.
DS started nursery just before his first birthday.
Returning to work was brilliant til covid hit then I've been wfh since!

Thanks.

A big caution to everyone though. Tick the family legal insurance box on your house insurance if you plan to get pregnant. It cost me about £15 I think but covered my £44,000 legal bill (10 years ago) and meant that I could take them to tribunal.

Employers know legal aid isn't available so some of them think they can ignore legislation and get away with it. Without the insurance I'd have had to walk away.

I’m taking 12 months minimum. I’m a supply teacher who works with several schools/ agencies - I generally go from one long term contract to the next and if I’m not doing a long placement I have a few schools that will use me regularly. However there are always inevitably times/ days where I don’t get work so I would be paying for childcare I’m not using. For this reason I really need to look for a permanent role but I would want part time and I’m not sure what the job market will be like post Covid.

So I’m dithering basically - I’m keeping an eye out for jobs coming up and also thinking about alternatives I could do such as tutoring but we are also giving some serious thought to me staying home for longer. I’m incredibly lucky to have options (which is more to do with very low outgoings than any great wealth on our part) but I honestly can’t decide - I was speaking to a friend from a school I work regularly with and got a real pang of missing it, but on the other hand I would love to be at home with my daughter for as long as possible. DH has a preference for me to stay at home for a bit longer as he sees it we wouldn’t end up much better off by the time childcare was factored in and he doesn’t like the idea of nursery but he’s happy to support me in whatever I decide. We’ve also considered me looking for a permanent/ full time role and him staying home or reducing his hours.

DD is 9 months nearly and we really should be more sorted - I probably won’t even be able to find childcare if I do decide to go back it will all be booked up. It’s just hard because I don’t have an existing job to go back to. My SMP runs out next week, I’ve saved money to cover the next few months but then after that we’ll be down to just my husband’s income and whilst we’ve budgeted and worked out how we will cover everything, I feel like that will be crunch time in deciding what comes next.

I took 10 and a half months as it worked out as 9 months + 1.5 months for annual leave which took me quite handily to the end of the calendar year. Went back to work after new year.

It worked out as that as it gave me a reasonable wage throughout (SMP plus enhanced pay) and financially while we could manage with the three months unpaid, it wouldn't be fun. I am also the higher earner so me being off work is a larger impact.

We have found a gem of a childminder that I can walk to in just over 10 mins. She has genuine affection for all her kids and especially with mine (probably because she's the youngest!).

Didn't answer the last question!

Going back to work was a relief. It was wonderful to have some sense of self back, have adult conversations again and fire up the dusty brain!

Taking 14-15 months. That’s made up of about 4/5 weeks of annual leave before birth, the full 12 months maternity leave triggered on the day baby was born, then 5/6 weeks of accrued annual leave before I go back. I have decent maternity terms with allow me to take the full year.

Baby will attend the same nursery where his older brother is. I went back to work after the eldest part time. He attends nursery two full days and two mornings. My husband covers one afternoon, I cover the other.

Going back to work was fine although it’s hard when kids get sick etc.

1 year maternity leave both times, returned part time 3 working days and both children in Nursery.
Nurseries are great for children they gets lots of social interaction and play.

You’re laid back alias! I was so stressed about finding work - I needed a new job as moved when pregnant, and when ds didn’t have me up in the night I was worrying about work! Luckily got a job when ds was 2 and a half months so can enjoy the rest of my maternity leave now.

9 months and back to work FT. Dd is in nursery 5 mornings a week, with my mun for 4 afternoons, DP does 1 afternoon and i do 1 afternoon.
Loved going back to work and being me again, i'm not made to be a SAHP

About a year with each. They started at nursery between about 9-11 months. Going back to work was great. It was so refreshing both times. I find being at home fairly boring. I do still have 1 day off per week, working FT compressed hours or now I’m just 80% because of the project I’m on. It’s nice to have a day off, but I couldn’t do more than that. I enjoy working!

With DS (now 3) took 12 months.
I'm due again in June and finished in December, not going back at all.

How much did you take and why?
11 month. 9 maternity pay and two months using holidays I gained whilst off so full pay for two month.

What was it like going back to work?
First week is always the worst. Once I settled back in I started enjoying it again.

What did you do for childcare?
Grandparents

Or did you decide not to go back to work?
I wish!!

Went back when my DD was 8 months. Had originally planned to go back full time but couldn’t do it so I work 3 days a week now. My mum and sister look after her for me (I live with them so it’s easier).

Agree with what a PP said, I love my DD to bits but going back to work made me feel like me again.

Took a year with both. Going back was good for my mh (being at home is lovely but gets boring. I also didn’t like not having any money of my ‘own’, though DH would never have made me feel that way). I was quite career minded and ambitious before DS1 but that changed after I went back. Decided to go part time doing 3 days p/week which I’ve found the perfect balance. Both have gone to nursery.
As a pp said, the only tricky thing is when they inevitably get ill.

14.5 month total (12 months mat leave plus all my accrued holiday/bank hols). Went back when DD was 13.5 months.
I’ve gone back 30hrs over 4 days instead of 37 over 5 days full time.
It was a bit odd going back as WFH for Covid but actually enjoy it.
DD at an excellent nursery and settled perfectly despite never being left before due to pandemic. I was sick with worry but it’s worked beautifully. Currently 6 months in to being back.

I’m the main earner so no option not to return.

I went back to work when DD was 10 months, as a teacher. My husband and I each worked 3 days a week and my mum had her on the day we overlapped.
I hated being back at work. I was not doing a good job at work because my heart wasn't in it, I was knackered from a baby who didn't sleep and the job just didn't work part time, especially as I went back partway through the year. I felt I was being a rubbish parent when I was with DD because I was always trying to catch up on housework.

I did 6 months and then handed in my notice. I now work evenings, self employed private tutor and work about 6-8 hours a week when kids are in bed. For me the work life balance is so much better.

9 months SMP 1 month holiday. Nursery. Love working PT but dc are terrible sleepers so could not have handled going back earlier, was ready to return when I did. First week back is weird and hard work but then it's like you've never been away.

I went back when DS was 5 months. I had to because I wanted to leave that school (wouldn't give me part-time hours) and, due to being a teacher, I can only leave school at 3 points in the year but needed to work my 13 weeks to keep all my maternity pay. If I'd gone back on the last day of the summer term, I would have had to stay at that school full-time until Christmas!

It was horrible going back - I was still breastfeeding so would often get uncomfortable as I could only pump in my 45-minute lunch break.

My DH is a SAHD, though, so at least DS could hang out with him.

So jealous of everyone who got a full year!!

This an interesting read! I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant with my first and contemplating how long at the moment...I get 16 weeks full pay then SMP, I have about 4 weeks holiday to carry over plus anything I gain as I go along. I'd love to take as long as poss off but am on quite a high salary so the drop to SMP is bad! Do you really save money when you are off? Hoping I can stretch to 8 months off in total so that will only be 3 months on the SMP hopefully! We have savings so i can lean on them

1 year with each.
Both went to nursery at that time.