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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

How does everyone cope financially??

51 replies

Applemuncher · 21/08/2010 22:11

I work in the private sector for a large company who has a pretty lame maternity policy. It's the basic 6 weeks maternity 90% pay followed by statutory.

I don't have any savings and have to keep paying the mortgage etc. so I just can't see any alternative but to go back to work straight away .

If I was to have 2 weeks off before my due date, then went 2 weeks over my due date then I would be going to work leaving a 2 week old baby at childcare . I'm frantically trying to save up so I can have a month off but even given my tight timescales it doesn't leave any scope for any illness in the latter stages of pregnancy (I don't get paid if I'm off sick either!).

What does everyone else do??

OP posts:

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LaCerbiatta · 21/08/2010 22:16

It's not easy, but you should get CTC and you'll get child benefit. It's not much but it helps. Can you ask your bank for a mortgage holiday?

sotough · 21/08/2010 22:19

oh crikey - that's a pretty mean deal for a private sector company - 6 weeks on 90pc?! and no pay if you're off sick? what on earth kind of company do you work for? i'd be looking for another job asap, but i realise that's not very helpful right now.
are you the breadwinner? could a relative help tide you over? i think ten weeks is the absolute minimum you should try to take off, for your own sake as well as baby.
i don't think it would be remotely ok for you to go back to work two weeks (or even six weeks) after giving birth, not least for medical reasons. is this your first baby? unless you are very lucky, you won't have anywhere near recovered from the birth after two weeks! what is your partner suggesting or are you on your own?

Meglet · 21/08/2010 22:20

Can you take a mortgage 'holiday' for a month or two?

Original poster

Applemuncher · 21/08/2010 22:20

Am going to do that tugamommy - every little helps, I guess everyone had a massive mortgage these days.

OP posts:

MumNWLondon · 21/08/2010 22:20

Work right up to the day you give birth. Even if you are late. Would be very frustrating to use up valuable maternity pay sitting at home waiting for the baby. Speak to your HR manager - I put my due date as my last day and worked until the end but I think you can set your last day later (ie 2 weeks after due date).

What sort of childcare would accept a 2 week old baby though?

tummytickler · 21/08/2010 22:21

So sorry for your situation sounds shitty :(
Do you have a dp?
To be honest, if I were you I would consider living on benefits for 6 months/year. It is so important to be at home with baby for this time.
How would you afford to put dc in childcare anyway? I think it would be very tough to find somebosy willing to take a 2 week old baby.

We are just making cut backs and going to live on dh's salary for a while.

This is dc5

we will have no holiday at all next year - maybe a weekend camping or two. Will have one in 2012 though.
we are not buying much stuff for this dc, and we are happy with second hand stuff (except mattress and carseat)
I will top up income by selling on ebay (hopefully enough to by dc's clothes)

we will not be terribly poor, but we will be very frugal!

Can you give up work when you have your dc and then find a job that has better working condtions whilst you are at home with dc. Sounds crap :(

sotough · 21/08/2010 22:23

my heart is breaking at the idea of apple" going back to work when her baby is only a few weeks old. surely there must other options. apple* - when are you due?

sotough · 21/08/2010 22:24

oops, sorry, no idea what happened to my message there. didn't mean it all to come up in bold.

Original poster

Applemuncher · 21/08/2010 22:24

Thanks Sotough, I work for a massive company believe it or not!!! The company owns ports, airports and windfarms etc.

I am the main breadwinner, I do earn quite a bit but I also have a massive mortgage. This is my first baby so I'm a bit gutted at the mo, I work with a load of men too so they just don't get it.

I'm only 9 weeks so I'm going to tackle HR when it's all out in the open about how bad their policy is, don't think it will do any good though. Both my managers have children so I'm thinking that maybe they will be open to me working from home for a month or so on less pay?

Partner (and me) are just trying to save like mad to try and get an extra month's mortgage together.

OP posts:

compo · 21/08/2010 22:25

Would it be completely impractical to downsize to a smaller place or rent?
Have you worked out exactly how much benefits you'll get at entitledto.com
could you cut down on anything - sky, broadband , mobile phone, cheaper bills etc
does your partner work full time? Could he do extra at weekends?
Could you take in a lodger for six months while the baby is in your room?
There must be a way

compo · 21/08/2010 22:27

But practically nurseries usually don't take babies until their six weeks
if you're planning on breastfeeding it would be impossible to go back to work so soon

Meglet · 21/08/2010 22:27

IIRC childcare starts at about 3 months old.

compo · 21/08/2010 22:28

Sorry that should have said 12 weeks

Original poster

Applemuncher · 21/08/2010 22:30

Thanks Tummytickler. Hubby wants to sell the house to reduce the mortgage but we built the house ourselves (physically by hand) and I just always imagined bringing my child home here.

I'm just trying to buy nothing at the moment and I haven't had a holiday in 8 years so there's no cut backs to be made there. I'm not due until next March so I'm hoping to speak to my bank after my 12 weeks date and see what's open to me.

We're really lucky that both sets of parents are retired (my Mum works part time) so baby will be three days a week with grandparents and two days a week with a childminder - there are some in my area who take newborns.

MUMNWLONDON - If I can, I'll be working until my waters break!!

OP posts:

Original poster

Applemuncher · 21/08/2010 22:32

I haven't worked out my benefits yet compo but I will do. Hubby is undere threat of redundancy though at the moment so he's looking at possible shiftwork to stagger our 'at home' time.

OP posts:

jellybeans · 21/08/2010 22:33

Most nurseries only take babies from 8 weeks to 3 months. Not sure about childminders. I would seriously consider downsizing if at all possible.

sotough · 21/08/2010 22:33

the lodger is a good idea! (rent a room scheme). or renting your place out and downsizing, as compo suggests. anything has to be better than going back to work so soon. I've only had one child so not a lot of experience but there's no way on earth i'd have been physically capable of going back to work until he was at least three months old. remember how little sleep you're going to be getting! i think it's out of the question. at least you've got a long time to plan it all. i feel sure you can get a strategy together by then, to enable you to take at least three months off. and yes, definitely tackle your company about their crap benefits. I work for a multi national in a very, very male dominated environment and they give 18 weeks on full salary - and that's not nearly as good as many of the schemes i've heard about. your company needs to raise its game if it wants to attract and keep women employees - though the bosses may not care about that

tostaky · 21/08/2010 22:34

i think by law you have to be off work for 6 weeks, arent you??

you should also start to look for childcare now... waiting lists for good nurseries are super long...

tummytickler · 21/08/2010 22:34

Apple - I understand how attached you must feel to your house, but wouldn't you rather have that attachment with your child? There is no point in a child having a fabby house if its mother is at work imo.
There are lots of lovely houses, I am sure you could find one and make it your own, especially after such a great experience building your own house.

tummytickler · 21/08/2010 22:36

That sounded bad - I did not mean mothers shouldn't work (I did work until very recently), but to give up the very early weeks with your newborn for the sake of a house seems like madness and a decision you may come to regret imo.

RonansMummy · 21/08/2010 22:37

what if you need a caesarean? you couldn't possibly go back to work that early!

Could you have a career break? if you left the company (I think the cut off is 15 weeks before your due date) and rejoined it when baby is a few months old you could claim maternity allowance instead and have 39 weeks at (no pound sign)124ish a week. Its not much but better than nothing! you would also have CTC, WTC and child benefit.

LittleSilver · 21/08/2010 22:38

No, I don't think by law you have to be off for 6 weeks.

IIRC (this is SO not my area) you MUST have 2 weeks off and 4 if you work in a factory. Obviously do check what I'm saying isn't tosh.

Apple, sorry

MumNWLondon · 21/08/2010 22:39

By law you have to be off for 2 weeks after the birth. I worked until a thursday, Dc3 born on sat morning.

Can you go back 3 days a week so you only need to rely on grandparents initially. Or can your DP take voluntary redundancy and be a SAHD for a bit?

ruddynorah · 21/08/2010 22:43

yes 2 wks min, 4 wks if factory.

you and your dh need a plan. you need to think in terms of contingencies too. don't assume you will go back to work at 2 weeks. you may very ill, or so tired you can't function.

i guess a lot is up in the air with the redundancy possibility.

in the mean time get on moneysavingexpert.com for frugal ideas.

look at extending your mortgage term to reduce your payments, or take a payment holiday.

buy what you need from ebay. buy carefully and you can sell it on again.

save what you can now, look at ways to make extra.

wigglesrock · 21/08/2010 22:47

Apple is entitled to SMP just can't afford the reduction in wage, so maternity allowance wouldn't be any better, I think a career break is risky. On another slightly more depressing note think the baby bit of Child tax Credits is being reduced, baby isn't due until March could be entitled to very little. Know people who have taken morgage holidays and its worked out really well for them.

Grandparents are brillant, my dd1 spent a lot of time with both sets when I went back to work. Don't really understand why you don't get sick pay?

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