Mat Leave- how many take a year?

[apples82]

I'm starting to think about how long to take off for maternity leave, this is my first pregnancy ...

Alot of the decisions I presume are made financially as to how long you can take off.

But how long does everyone take off?

I know the SMP covers the first six months, do many new mums then go back to work, or stay off for the full year if financially viable?

[dorsetem]

Hi, I teach an I am intending to take the whole year off.

Em x

[kipperandtiger]

My advice is take as much as you can afford. Start earlier if you have pregnancy/health issues, but if you feel very well and have no problems at all during the entire pregnancy (which nobody can predict, not even your midwife or doctor) you can take it from when you go into labour! Of course, it depends on what work you do - some are more tiring or phsyically not amenable to later stages of pregnancy. Also be aware if your workplace requires you to give notice sooner rather than just a couple of days beforehand, some may need a month's notice to find a suitably qualified or trained person to replace you. Some mums I know took only a few months and HAD to go back to work, nanny and nursery place all prearranged, others took the full amount and haven't gone back.

[KathMCB]

I am in month ten of a full year off plus one month holidays. Am so lucky to have had so much time. I would say take the year if you can afford it :)

[CoffeeOne]

Oh MJ I'd come here to ask if anyone had done that! That's what I'm hoping to do but I wasn't sure if it seemed a bit cheeky

[lisayoung]

I had my first child in Oct 2010 and have taken the full year, got paid full pay by my company for 6 months then amp for three, am now not getting paid. I will also be taking 4 weeks Hols at the end of the term so will have 13 months off in total. Things are tight but nowhere near as bad as I thought! They defo get more interesting as they get older and am trying to do as much with him as possible before I go back to work :)

[Eviepoo]

My company gives and extra 4 weeks at 90% on top of the legal requirement, which is good.

Also I had 2 weeks holiday that I either had to take or get paid for, so that will be an nice extra when I get that later this month (only been on Mat leave for a week)

All in I am taking 8 and a half months, DH and I sat down and did the sums and said how long can we afford off? we said 8 months - that would take me to the start of DD's easter holidays so we'd need childcare for her too - so we agreed that I'd go back after that.

I can take up to 10 KIT days (keeping in touch) my bos is keen for me to do this when I meantioned I wanted to. I will get paid normal salary for those days. That will also be a welcome top up to the SMP.

I also when I started TTC started saving like crazy the childcare vouchers...I have got enough for 3 months childcare. So when I get back we will actually have my salary!! for a while anyway.

Not looking forward to January - I think thats when the total skints will kick in.

I guess how much time you take depends on you and your circumstances.

When I get back in the April I will have a full years holiday entitlement . As ours runs Jan to Jan - so if I do struggle I wil be able to book a few days off.

[IssyStark]

I went back at 4m (I was on statutory may pay back when it was only 6m in total) and was really, really glad to do so. DS wouldn't nap during the day and I was less tired after a day at work compared to a day looking after DS. It was important for my own mental health, as well as his, that I felt happy and less stressed. He went to our workplace nursery so I was able to pop in every lunchtime and feed him. That plus expressing at morning and afternoon coffee breaks meant he never had anything to drink other than breastmilk until he was over one.

With the current one due in December, I'm planing to take almost 9 months off as that would mean I'd return in time for the start of the new academic year (I work at a uni) and I'd be off the whole summer holidays with baby and DS who starts school this Sept.

[madeindevon2]

also depends on your career and how you feel about it. And no I'm not saying career above children so don't flame me! I took a year off with my first which was a disaster for my job. I know legally they not allowed to make it so hard but they did and i just couldn't go back 7am to 6pm including commute. There was no flexibility at all and comments were made. I sought legal advice and ended up with a pay out and vol redundancy.
I have been in new roll at new company for 3 years now. It has taken me 3 years to get career back up to same level so am not going to let history repeat itself. This time will go back after 6 months.
I wouldn't say I regretted taking a year off with my son. But I'm confident taking 6 months this time will also be fine for baby and me!
if you do intend going back to work after 12 months I would suggest settling them into childcare much earlier. My son went to nursery one day a week from 6 months which made the transition to full time much easier for him as it was familiar for him and he was very happy there. Harder for mummy!!!

[subwaywidow]

I am going back when my LO is 10 months old and to be honest don't really want to but have decided to give it a go.

Do what is best for you and your family. You will get 9 months SMP, child benefit and apply for tax credits as you might be lucky and get something - if you don;t try you won't know.

[notlettingthefearshow]

I've been wondering about this! I could take a year (university - good mat conditions - only goes down to SMP after 6 months) but the baby is due at xmas and it makes sense to go back after 9 months for the new academic year. At least I'll get the summer! I'm lucky at my place there are lots of parents and part timers and I love my job.

Having said that, the baby isn't born yet, so it's all theoretical at the mo!

[PaddingtonBearLondon]

stressheaderic - My DD went to nursery from 5 1/2 months and loved it! It was a particularly caring, nurturing and creative nursery though - I'm sure they're not all as good.

[H007]

I am taking 6 weeks at 90% of my salary followed by 3 months at 50% then 6 months at SMP that is my companies pollicy. I could take an extra 6 weeks off but it would be at no pay. My holiday entitlement runs from September to September so I will be taking my annual leave prior to my ML.

[stressheaderic]

Considerations to make:

-who will mind baby once you go back to work.
I had no family help and thought 6 months was too young for her to go to full time nursery. She went to nursery at 11 months and was fine.

-the time of year.
I was off Jan to Dec. DD born end of Feb, by the time I came out of the fog it was just well-timed for the good weather, we had a fab summer and then I loved being indoors on wild and windy autumn days. I went back just before Christmas which was a lovely time to go back (I'm a teacher).

-how much you can save between now and baby being born. I drove everywhere, no taxis on nights out, no alcohol, no new clothes, not much in way of frittering away cash, did lots of overtime at work....saved £5k.

Just as a straw poll, out of my antenatal friendship group of 5:
-one had 11 months off then went back 3 days a week (me!)
-one had 13 months off inc using holidays then went back 20 hours a week
-one had 6 months off and went back full time
-one had 7 months, then staggered holidays for 3 months then back to full time
-one had 9 months then went off sick for 3 months then went back 29 hours a week on average (shifts)

We were all VERY skint by the end but happy, loved every minute!

Hope this helps!

[notcitrus]

I was very lucky in getting 6 months on 90% full pay, and then 3 months SMP. I went back when ds was 11 months which was almost a year of mat leave.

I returned when I did as it was mid-August when my workplace is very quiet and I thought that would make it easier to adjust to being back. I went back 3 days a week to a different post (old one finished about the time I left anyway) and it worked really well. Ds was never a clingy baby and loved nursery (2 days to start, then 3 days).

I'd tell work you expect to take a year, as then they have a good case for getting money to cover you and lots of people will be wanting a 12-month contract so they should be able to get someone good. My work say maternity leave is OK as you can cover it and you get lots of notice, but paternity leave is a pain in the backside as colleagues have to do all the cover and it's so unpredictable!

[Katiebeau]

I took 7 months and used holidays to work part time for another 4 months or so before going back FT. I will do something similar with our new baby. I am using holiday to finish earlier though (33 weeks). I think it really depends on your own personnal circumstance. If you are the main bread winner it is almost impossible to survive even with good savings! That said I work from home so DD days in nursery aren't anywhere near 11 hours but again this unavoidable if you commute. I loved every minute at home with DD - beats the hell out of working for me!

[figgygal]

I'm looking at 6 months with some annual leave tacked on at start and end. My company pay 12 weeks full then 27 weeks at SMP. I'm on a good wage and find I spend every penny Im paid god only knows how we going to survive on £125 a week need to start saving asap.

[otchayaniye]

I took 17 months off with my first (I was on assignment abroad but repatriated and had issues with my employer in the assignment country but thankfully sorted to my advantage and returned to work in home country (UK). Went back to work three days a week and husband and I work part time and share care.

This time I'm taking the full year (just started leave) plus all the holiday I've accrued plus some three months parental leave. Will continue with our sharing care and working part time.

Lucky in that it just so happens its more financially advantageous to both work part time (he earns more for his two night shifts because they are at night) than one partner work and the other remain at home. And there are the benefits of my husband being a SAHD to all intents and purposes (ie daughter is asleep when he works and he just naps a few hours in the day to catch up). He loves it too. Really loves it.

[cuppateaanyone]

I went back when DS was 5.5 months, financially there wasn't an option however tbh I was glad of the break, I almost lost my mind at home and never managed to accept that i'll never have a second to get things done, sad i know but I just wasn't cut out to stay at home and think DS is far happier at nursery.
My job is pretty demanding and there are still days when I find it tough (been back 4.5 months now) I wasn't prepared for how lonely i'd feel back at work, all my other friends took a year off so spent alot more time being there for each other plus actually having to think and be productive is hard after a few bad nights...still wouldn't have changed it tho

[kiteflying]

I took a full year, then added long service leave, and accrued annual leave... It was bliss.
But then, my boss had been quite hideous to me when pregnant and when I told them I would take the full year they more than hinted that my job would disappear if I left it that long.
In the end, I decided I could rush back and fight my corner or I could enjoy the time with my DD. I chose my DD. I would make the same choice again.

To the OP, my HR dept advised to apply for the full year and come back earlier if that was my decision - it seems extensions are frowned on and take forever to get approved.

[meowchut]

If you are thinking of having another baby then taking a year off is good, you might get pregnant again while on the first maternity leave. In that way you get full pay for the second maternity leave, and don't have to pay for childcare :) Just a thought

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

If your employers have paid you over the odds then it's quite common to be asked to pay that back. So, for example, our place gives 6 months full pay. If I didn't go back afterwards then I would have been asked to pay back the difference between that and SMP. However, they stipulate that you have to go back for at least a month to get past that. As you handily accrue annual leave while on mat leave, that leave could be used as a month's notice thereby getting round paying it back.

[Newmummazza]

Can anyone tell me what happens if you do not return to work?Do you have to pay back some of your Maternity leave pay?