How much maternity leave are you planning?

[Britta1]

Not sure we can stretch to me having 12 months so probably going to have to go back after 9. Feeling a bit rubbish about it as had really hoped for 12 but hey ho! Planning on taking 3 weeks AL to finish at 37 weeks and start ML from around my due date to give me as much time after as poss. What’s everyone else’s plans?

I’m wondering about this too! I would love a year but think it would be too long both £££ and for my own sanity - without being selfish(!)
I am planning to BF though so realistically not sure! Work have already asked how long I would like off and I don’t have an answer. X

I’m planning on taking 9 months but you can change your mind if you want to extend it longer - so don’t worry about giving work a return date

11 months. Baby came early, so I was still at work, told them to put the Monday down as sick, and start my leave on the Tuesday as I was going in for a planned section (if planned is the right word for the day before!).

I get full pay for 19 weeks, will take the next 20 weeks at SSP, then holiday to make up the rest to mid-March to make sure I have holiday left for the rest of the year.

Mine haven’t asked yet KT but I think I’m going to tell them 12 months even though realistically I know it’ll be more like 9. They won’t get maternity cover for me so they won’t mind if I decide to go back earlier, however if we are managing okay I want to keep my options open to have 12 if that makes sense?

Forgot to mention I only get the basic statutory maternity hence the money issues! Would be fine if my employer topped up a bit but I work for a small independent company so not a option

I'm going back when baby is four months :( feeling awful about it

Probably 9 months and then tag some leave on the end of it to extend it a little (and get a nicer pay packet at the end of the month!). Have to tell work by mid July though so it could change still

I'm going to get slightly more than statutory (100% vs 90% for 6 weeks).

I think I'll do a couple weeks annual leave before due date then 9 months mat leave and then use my accrued annual leave to work part time when I go back. This kind of thing has been suggested by work so I think they are preparing for losing me for about a year.

We don't have that much in savings as baby is unplanned and we need to move before is born so money is probably going to be an issue and I might go stir crazy at home ( though I might not want to leave my PFB once it's here, not that it's an option )

I had 9 and was dreading going back but it definitely worked for me :) same reasons as most, just couldn't afford to have the full 12!

You don't have to tell your employer how long you're planning on having. They have to assume you're having the full 12 and you just let them know in advance when you're looking to come back (usually it's a month's notice but I gave 2)

Yeah I should be able to tag a couple of weeks AL that I’ll have accrued whilst on ML onto the end to extend it a bit! Need to start finding ways to make money go a bit further too!

I’m going off from 36 weeks but taking two weeks as annual leave and then being on mat leave from 38 weeks. Then taking 9 months leave (just don’t think we can afford the year unfortunately but might encourage DP to take a few weeks shared parental leave). Will use my annual leave to cut my hours from full time to part time until for a few months and then take the pay cut and stay on the same part-time hours.

I've been saving up for possible mat leave for years .......since we got married so that I could take the full 12 months. Would love to be off for the first birthday as can then extend the 12 months to 13 with annual leave. I'm lucky though as I qualify for 26 weeks occupational mat pay at full pay then 13 weeks at SMP followed by 13 weeks unpaid.

I took:
2 weeks of annual leave and hen started my maternity leave 2 weeks before due date. Baby was one week late.

So I had 36 weeks leave after he was born, then I had 4 weeks unpaid leave and 4 weeks of holiday.

I go back this week, and my son is 10 months and one week old.

I have mixed emotions about going back! In one respect I'm looking forward to adult conversation and going to the loo without someone screaming / bursting in on me. On the other it's going to be crap if he's up from 3-4am for no reason then up for the day at 5.30 before I have to go to work...

I went back both times before baby was six months.

I had the summer holidays two or three months after but honestly it was fine going back. In my mind I felt like I was delaying the inevitable so financially too it was great to have the comfort of money coming in.

Oh, my pay was 90% for 6 weeks then statutory for the rest. I was worse off the first six weeks as I only earn about £140 a week as it is.

With my fist I took 9 months, it was lovely and enjoyed every minute of it which I’m sure you will too. With this current pregnancy I’m taking 10 weeks then back to work but my partner is having shared Maternity so he’ll stay at home 6/7 months before returning to work and then baby goes to nursery.
I’d love to take more time but I’m in the midst of a work promotion so need to get my ass back on the office asap.

9 months. The other 3, hubbie is taking as SPL.

Exactly the same as Bibijayne. My husbands shared parental leave policy pays more than my teacher mat leave policy, so the last 13 weeks unpaid, he’ll take. I’ll also have the six week school hols off with him during part of this time though. Very happy with lucky September timing!!!

Six months here. DH was meant to be taking a further 3 as SPL but I think he’s about to accept a new job offer, so wouldn’t be eligible any more. I sadly can’t take more than 6m, but my ideal would be 9-10 (either me alone or sharing web DH).

With DS1 I took 7 months then DH took 5 months. I did feel sad about going back to work but soon got used to it. DS2 is 4 months old and we are planning to do me 9 months/ DH 3 months. I am less happy about going back this time because I like my job a lot less.

I'm planning on taking 9 months. Realistically I don't think we can afford for me to take 12 months and only just 9 months as I'm the biggest earner

Yup 9 months here too. It's partly money and partly to limit career damage. My DH may take some unpaid leave but no firm plans yet.

We're doing six months maternity for me and then three months SPL for DH, so baby will go to nursery at 9 months. People keep warning me (quite unhelpfully - we don't really have much choice financially) that I'll feel really differently when the baby's here but at the moment (35 weeks pregnant) I feel quite positive about it as a choice for our family.

im taking the whole year and hopefully more! i loathe my job so i cannot wait to leave. Im planning to look into some working from home roles or finally getting around to training in beauty treatments that i could do from home (ive always dreamed of doing this)
Luckily my OH finances allows me to do this, so i sympathise with you all having to go back so quickly :( xx

I only get SMP and DH is a student who only gets a £5K bursary each year so we can't afford for me to take any unpaid leave. So I'm taking the 9 months SMP and left work 3 weeks early with annual leave and I've got another week at the end of the maternity for bank holidays that I'd be missing pay for whilst on maternity, and then one day annual leave. So it's 10 months in total.