Returning to work after mat leave

[virgo22]

looking for some advice please, my little one is coming up to 6 months, and as much as the thought upsets me, I need to think about returning to work. Financially it’s not affordable for me to continue this way without incurring more debt etc.
my question is, I usually work 3 days a week, however could I request to use my KIT days and do 2 days a week for 5 weeks let’s say from mid November.
then potentially look at putting a FWR in to WFH until start of February, with then wanting to work 2 of the 3 days at home. This wouldn’t be due to childcare as my LO would be with family, however it would help me as a nursing mother with a baby of allergies it’s difficult to “just give a bottle” but would mean when baby is 9 months, I’d feel more comfortable returning to the office without worrying about nursing, expressing or baby getting enough milk as hopefully weaning would be established by then.
just to add im now a mum of 2 but my first is in nursery.
thanks in advance x

Ask your employer - they may well say yes. I think plenty of people do a phased return (I used accrued annual leave, so took a day off per week for 12 weeks and then when I did go back full time I went back on condensed hours which helped). But I think it depends on the employer!

I don't think you could use KIT days as they are to use while on maternity leave. But I know some women use the annual leave accrued over maternity leave to temporarily drop a day a week at work. But your employer doesn't have to agree to the arrangement if they think it won't work well.

Like others have said, you can often use holidays to have a phased return. Lots of Mums do this where I work.

You can ask about working predominantly from home, where I work it would be a bit of a lottery whether you were granted this or not but definitely ask.

If it's refused they still have to give you somewhere private to pump (not the toilet) and somewhere to store your milk.

It's always worth asking.

I am a manager who had a mother return at 5 months and ask for extended work from home and I am supporting her and she stated due to breast feeding.

I had put this all over the internal paper work.

My concern is that my view is that potentially if I look like I have impacted her breastfeeding journey that doesn't comply with what I could find which is that the workplace should be accommodating.

And importantly - as a manager I am tracking her productivity and made it clear that she had childcare set up at home and she isn't feeding all day long.

@lifehappens12 thank you for this info it’s really helpful to get a managers insight. That’s exactly how it would be with me, childcare would be in place but would mean I get to continue feeding my baby comfortably while they’re still so young

@angelpie33 yes that’s what I thought was thinking to Continue being on maternity leave but take 2 kit days a week for 5 weeks and then look at returning from maternity leave if that makes more sense?

Ah I see what you mean! Yes I guess that could work although I believe the number & timing of KIT days (up to 10) still needs to be mutually agreed with your employer but if they're happy with it then it could be a good way to ease back in.

Speak to your employer. I think try and think of two ways you could do it e.g. with KIT days while technically on Mat leave or with using accrued leave while technically back. Put both of your suggestions in an email and ask your manager of either is more agreeable to them. Workplaces are often quite flexible, but it does of course deoend on how you are currently being covered.

Speak to your employer. I went back using my holiday to do a phased return. Can your baby take a bottle? If they can’t yet, start pumping and getting them used to one now.

I did SPL so went back to work at 8 months, I expressed milk while working twice a day and baby had a feed from me at breakfast and supper then bottled breast milk from DH while I was working. It worked well to express at work as my job is computer based so I could just continue at my computer with a hands free pump; I don’t think I could have done it by breastfeeding as that would have taken time from the workday.