Advice needed! Just pregnant, do I accept new job?

[Missingcaffeine]

3 days ago I found out I am pregnant and my boyfriend and I are very excited. This is my first pregnancy. We are trying not to get too excited 'just in case'.

I have just been offered a new job which is an exciting opportunity, and is a promotion, the salary is a slight increase and maternity benefits are the same in new job as the current job.

I haven't handed in my notice yet at my current job, as was awaiting official confirmation (which arrived this-morning).
I have to work 3 months notice in my current job, so by the time I would start the new job, I would be 16 weeks pregnant.

At the moment I feel great, but I am very worried that I might struggle to prove myself in the new role if I am nauseous/lacking energy in pregnancy. I also worry that my boss/colleagues might resent me being pregnant in new role.

Do I discuss this with my new boss now? Do I consider staying where I am as I know the team will support me? I am fairly happy where I am, I just wanted a new challenge and this was an opportunity I'd been waiting for for a while as they don't come up very often. I also have to work shifts where I am now, and the new job is more of a 9-5 pattern, which was part of the initial appeal. However, I am now thinking shift work may help with childcare costs. I might have scope to dictate my shifts/hours in current role, new job would definitely be more core hours Mon-Fri.

I would be planning on taking 6 months maternity leave, ideally more, but finances may not allow me to do this.

If anyone has any useful advice, I would be very grateful.

Well they can't discriminate against you for being pg, and you are not legally expected to inform them til 25wks.

I also found that by about 12-14weeks I got my energy back etc, so really you will be starting your new job at the best possible stage in your pregnancy.

If it were me, id wait til 12/14 weeks before informing them.

Oh and I would accept the job!

I work shifts with a two year old and am desperate for a 9-5!

Don't you have to be employed for a year before being entitled to maternity pay? I may be out of date. I expect someone will know on here though.

I think you would not be entitled to SMP if you took the new job, but could claim maternity allowance instead.
Usually in order to have mat pay from your employer you need to have started working there before you got pregnant. Are both jobs with the same employer? If not, financially you may be better off staying in the job you already have.

I was in your position and I was not entitled to SMP because I was pregnant before I started. If I had got pregnant 2 weeks after I had started, I would have been fine.

I believe those are the rules of qualifying for SMP regardless of how good the maternity package is (mine was very good but I didn't qualify). You would however qualify for maternity allowance which was about £130 a week from memory.

I think you are going to have to weigh up how much of a step up career wise the new job will be and be absolutely sure you plan on returning to work once your maternity leave ends. Most jobs require you to come back and work for around 3 months to keep your maternity pay. If you don't return you have to pay it back.

Congratulations on your pregnancy btw xxx

Thank you for all your comments.

I'm sorry if I didn't explain, the current and new jobs are both in the NHS, so it counts as continuous service, so luckily I am entitled to the same maternity terms and conditions even if I accept the new role.

I will definitely be returning to work after maternity leave, as we won't afford the mortgage otherwise. I suspect I will have to return full time or close to full time (I think the best I will get away with is 0.8WTE), as both roles are relatively senior and I manage staff.

I may have scope for changing my hours slightly in either role, but wondered if shift work or 9-5 hours work best with childcare. Both jobs involve an hour or so commute each way.

Missing - I was in the same position 8 weeks ago. I have taken the new job and will be starting in march when I will be 18 weeks (hopefully).

I have decided to accept the job and tell them as soon as I have a successful 12 weeks scan. My reasons were:

I had a mmc in June so no I know that there is no guarantee that that a BFP = baby

My employers are recruiting for the long term, not short.

I will be willing to work as close to EDD as poss and will negotiate around how much may leave to take.

All in all, I am over the moon about both situations. Sure the timing sucks and it will be hard work, but the rewards will also be fantastic.

2bernot - I think I will probably do the same. Good luck with both the pregnancy and new job.

Good for you Missing! I started a job when I was 3 months pregnant and told them soon -ish after I started. I did get a few comments and (stupidly) felt guilty, but seeing as women are the only gender who can get pregnant, and pregnancy is hard to time, I don't see this is as an issue.

I worked very hard to prove myself in my new job and will go back soon after the birth.

No regrets at all and actually it is probably harder to find a new job when you have a new baby than when you are pregnant.

One tip I did get was to wait until I had done something praise-worthy before I broke the news!

On the 9-5 angle, you'll probably find it much easier to find childcare if you work regular hours, and you'll be able to see your DC for breakfast/at bedtime. I work in an industry where some late working is inevitable, and at those times I miss DS's bedtime. It really sucks when I get home and he's fast asleep = no cuddles or kisses.

From personal experience of having a shift-working dad, I'd also recommend the 9-5. I hardly saw him and it put a lot of strain on my mum as she had to do the bulk of childcare and discipline (meaning I also had issues with my mum as she seemed like the strict one!).