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?

[Stangirl]

I took a year. I just remembered the old saying about people lying on their deathbed not thinking about the time they didn't spend at work - but do regret that they didn't spend more time with their kids.

[PaddingtonBearLondon]

I took 6 months off as we hadn't saved up enough for longer. I stopped breastfeeding just before returning to work. This time round I'd like to take 9 months off.

[ZenNudist]

I'm taking a year, some will be paid holiday I need to use up. It's unusual in my firm to take long mat leave but I didn't want to have to give up bf early just to go back to work.

I think the government 9m smp is much more sensible than the old 6m. I'm just at the 6m point and weaning is just stepping up, wouldn't miss it for the world. My ds is still so reliant on me. I hope by 10m to 1y the bf and feeding thing will become les reliant on me.

[Nataby]

I am taking 5 months off, I work 4 days a week. Dh is retired so will be at home and I am lucky to have a live- in mothers helper. I work 2-3 days from home and can set my own hours for this. So hopefully, my plan to return is reasonable. I went back 2 months after DD for 2 days mainly because I was bored at home, due to her being a sleepy baby, and the fact that I had missed work. I stopped at 30 weeks. This time I stopped at 37 weeks so I am looking to join local parenting groups and hopefully avoid being bored

[2catsand1rabbit]

Please take as long off as you can financially afford to. You will not regret it. Little ones grow up so quickly and you don't want to miss out. You'll never say 'I wish I'd spent more time at work'. Also, little ones get ill all the time and it's really difficult taking time off work when they do. Little ones need their mummies x

[Beveridge]

I took 10 months off with DD1 - I got full pay for the first 3 months then SMP for the next 6 months, so the last month was unpaid.

This time I will only be taking the 9 months off as money will be sp tight that unpaid time off will not be an option. Yes, it would be nice to have longer but I'm only going back 3 days a week again which I have found is a nice balance for us and quite frankly, the last 3 months doesn't count as 'proper' mat leave in my book as living on fresh air is not a realistic option for most people.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I took a year with each and have never regretted it. Take as long off as you can.

[AandRMum]

Apple haven't made it through all the posts but in terms of worrying about learning a new system put in at work - you have legal rights that the company keeps you up-to-date and you can do up to 15 days of paid work during your maternity leave, without affecting your rights. You may be able to arrange to go on some of the training courses etc., be paid for them and not feel so out of touch.

I took 9 months with my first and it felt far too soon to go back for me and I ended up changing the way I worked completely. With my second I went back after 5 months (self employed so limited maternity pay!) but I only did two days a week spread across the week with some work from home, which was fine. I was a complete career woman and it really surprised me how my outlook changed so I think it is incredibly hard to make a decision pre-baby!

[cowboylover]

Thanks for the OP, its been really interesting reading everyones experiences and the info.

I am hoping to take a year but will see how it goes when I am off, the same as OP we have got a whole new system coming in when im off so I wont have a clue whats going on and I am one of the trainers!

Also when when you are looking at your budget dont forget you maybe spending less with the baby as my commute ect costs over 150 a month so better already!

Enjoy the time how ever long you decide to have off work

[apples82]

I hope my work will be understanding when I tell them i'm PG. I know I have to write to say when my EDD is and when I expect to start maternity, but will they want to know how long I expect to take off?

I'm not going to know until the LO arrives!

[BarbieLovesKen]

Great thread. Thanks OP

Ill be working up until 38 weeks with this one (this is the latest you can legally work here) and then back to work after 26 weeks maternity leave, Ill be back to university (studying for my law degree full time at night) after 12 weeks.

I will have annual leave accrued but for various work-related reasons (and much obsessing and agonising) Im simply not going to be able to take them at the end of maternity leave - it would benefit me much more to get my bum back in the office to be honest.

Im in Ireland so here its 26 weeks paid leave (a statutory amount) and discretionary whether or not your company top that up - Im lucky enough that I will receive my full, normal wages for the 6 months, which is fab. After that you are entitled to take a further 16 weeks unpaid (which there is no way we will be able to afford with amount of cuts we've taken this year) and obviously accrued leave.

With dd (now 5) I went back to work when she was 5 months (as at the time maternity leave was 18 weeks paid + 8 unpaid and took them all, she was 2 weeks "late") and with ds (who is exactly 13 months) I took almost 14 weeks (combination of sick leave when pregnant/ after/ maternity leave/ unpaid maternity leave/ annual leave).

I'd love to take more but despite how much babies need their mothers, they also need money and food and roof over them - plus they also need their dads, where possible. My situation is unique though, in that Ill leave baby (and ds) at 8.45, My mum will be CM and take care of them until 2pm, when dh collects dd from school and is home from work (lucky sod! his hours are brilliant!), then Im home at 6. Also, my boss is quite appreciative of my plans to return asap (all going well) and is happy for me to take 2 weeks leave over christmas (which is just a month after I return), 1 week at the end of Jan etc....

Phew! sorry that was so long!!

[FindingStuffToChuckOut]

I took 8 months - could have had longer but the financials were tough! Probably going to only have 6 months this time :(

[apples82]

What are childcare vouchers?

A previous poster said about them taking a year off, 9 months of which paid, the last 3 unpaid, but that their employer would still have to give them childcare vouchers in the last 3 months.

Being up duff for first time, what are childcare vouchers???

[StainlessSteelCat]

Childcare vouchers are a salary sacrifice scheme, not all employers take part in it, it is not compulsory for them to do so.

You effectively buy the voucher out of your salary before tax is taken off, and then use the voucher to pay for childcare with an approved Ofsted registered carer (nursery, childminder, nanny). So it is a way of reducing the amount of tax you pay.

The maximum amount you can "buy" each month is £243.

[StainlessSteelCat]

And the vouchers are valid for a period of time (can't remember off hand how long, 6 months or a year) so if you can buy some before you start paying for childcare you can use them a few months later.

[BikeRunSki]

Childcare vouchers - Basically, you can get paid up to £243/month before tax in virtual vouchers that you can use to pay for child care. Both your employer and childcare provider need to be registered to do this and both parents can be paid this way. That way you can save tax on up to £243/month for each parent.

You don't get an actual voucher (although I think you once did) but the money you pay into the scheme (eg £243) goes into a virtual account to pay for childcare, then you pay your childcare provider on line from that, like online banking.

Not all employers are registered, although many of the big ones are. DH had to set it up at his work. There are a few administrators who do it.


Here is the simple version of things from Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert.

Here is the official version and calculator HMRC.

[GnomeDePlume]

I took:

6 weeks for DC1 - company only offered statutory minimum at the time so couldnt afford to stay off longer

4 months for DC2 - company then offered longer but I wanted to get him settled before returning to work

4 weeks for DC3 - company offered a year but DC3 was unplanned, I was in the middle of a project and was worried for my job if I didnt get back to work. DH became a SAHD.

All three born by CS!

[apples82]

Thanks StainlessSteelCat and BikeRunSki, I was clueless about them. Ta for those links as well, very helpful .

GromeDePlume wow, must have been tough to leave your first LO after six weeks!

[lindy100]

I took 10 months off with DD, then back to work f/t for last 7 weeks of term, then had summer holidays - so about a year all told.

I EBF and don't think I could have done so without staying off for 10 months. I'm not into expressing in the toilets! Hence my plan is to do the same again - at least 10 months. Though this time I'll be going back p/t.

[GnomeDePlume]

I think that an advantage of a very short maternity leave is that you dont get a chance to get bored. Also, you are looking for suitable childcare from very early on. It wasnt really that tough to leave DC1, I couldnt afford not to go back to work so there was no point worrying about it. When I die, they will find 'pragmatism' tattooed on my heart.

[Nataby]

I am impressed Gnome. I would like to think I could be that pragmatic as well:)

[apples82]

Me too!!!

[Marabou]

Congratulations on your pregnancy apples!

This is my first pregnancy too and I'm planning to take a full year. I just think, because it's my first baby, I would like to take my time adjusting to all the new things I didn't foresee.. My company pays 100% salary instead of the 90% for the first 6 weeks, then 50% salary for the next 6 weeks and then SMP. I'll have accrued c. 7 weeks annual leave (and various other days off) during the year, which I'm planning to use at the very end from 10.5 months onwards, so this should only leave me without any payment for 1.5 months. I'm hoping to be able to save up enough now to be able to manage for that period..

Financially it will be tough for our little household to survive mainly on DHs salary, but I hope we will manage..

[2catsand1rabbit]

Oh my god GnomeDePlume, how did you cope with the lack of sleep?? How did you find childcare for your first two??

[2catsand1rabbit]

Breastfeeding must have been out of the question. Not that it really matters but it's nice to have the choice.