What age was your baby when you went back to work?

[indigo27]

Hey all
I'm 12 weeks pregnant and shouldn't be worrying about this already but i am 🤦🏽‍♀️
I'm stressing like crazy about how I'll survive on maternity pay so will need to get back to work ASAP really which makes me sad but don't have much choice!
How old were your babies when they went back - just looking for reassurance really so I don't feel awful ❤️

Baby 1 - a week before his first birthday, 3 days a week

Baby 2 - when she was 15 months old, 3 days a week. I took some unpaid time, time in lieu of KIT days and a whole lot of annual leave to put off paying for 2 at nursery.

Baby 1 - 6 months
Baby 2 - 6 years
Baby 2 - 4 years

@indigo27 will you have the option of KIT days? I did some while on full pay and got my school to wait and pay me one a month while I was on statutory. On m5 it worked out about £180 a day which made a big difference

Baby one - 13 months

Baby two - 13 months

4 months with both of them. Went back FT. Don't fret OP, you must do what is right for you and your circumstances.

Good luck with your pregnancy!

About 9 months, wish it could have been longer, and glad it wasn't shorter

@Babamamasheep thank you that's really helpful I'm on M6 with TRL and yes should be entitled to KIT days- that's such a good idea to do at least one a month- if I'm only taking 6 months off that would really boost up the money.
Thanks so much I didn't have a clue how much a kit day would be worth so that's really helpful xx

18 weeks. Was absolutely fine, went back 34 hours a week. 2nd 6 months.

DC1- four months pt
DC2- five months pt

We had no family help so it was the only break we ever got, I'm afraid I couldn't wait to get back. Childcare took the equivalent of my salary (out the joint pot) for almost three years.
18 and 16 now and never a seconds regret. My pension is great and I'm anticipating early retirement.

@indigo27 just make sure you speak to your business manager to make sure she knows the plan and has shared it. One month when mine was off, someone else did payroll and put through two in one month and the second one was only worth about £60 because they took some off my actual maternity pay.

3 months
Which was interesting coz she was EBF 🤔
Couldn't afford any more, as I am main wage earner
SMP just wasn't enough

Sorry if it's already been mentioned but you should check if you would be entitled to any universal credit while on maternity pay. Do the online calculator using what your lowest maternity pay will be and if you are entitled then start claiming a month before you go down to that amount.

Thank you everyone you've all been so helpful- feeling much better about all this now. Love mums net 😀

18 weeks with DD
18 weeks with twins

It is what it is. I'm the main earner by 3x DH.

Teacher here too- first baby was 5.5 months (born March, I officially returned on the first day of the 6 weeks). Second baby was 10 months but was in a different financial position.

Go back to the last salary you were on where you could make ends meet and save the difference at the start of every month, be as frugal as you can to buy you as much time as you can.

You won’t need as much as you think on maternity leave, and it really is a waste to buy new stuff for tiddlers, they barely wear it.

Family members might chip in for the big things like pushchairs etc.

Good luck!

Teacher here too, I went on ML the first day of the Jan term and came back 1st of July (officially) but only had 2.5 days which I persuaded my school to let me do a course on. Then I got full pay over the summer holidays and went back full time teaching for the new academic year in September.
I did try to aim for a September born, as you can take ML from 1st Sept and go back after the May half term so you get 8/9 months of mat pay then work for 6/7 weeks (if high school then no exam classes?) and then off again for the summer.

@Algebraicyourleg that's great, I didn't even plan a September baby but feeling very lucky now that my due date is 1st sep 😊I'm planning on going back after feb half term I think if I can afford to. Would love to go back after Easter but don't think we can stretch that far x

Baby 1- 3 months.
Baby 2 - was supposed to be 10 weeks but covid means I’m still off.

Baby 1 - 9 months back part time
Baby 2 - 9 months back part time
Baby 3 - will be going back after 6months as can’t afford just SMP and will be returning full time but hopefully WFH a day or two a week

DC1 - 13 months
DC2 - 7 months
Whatever was possible in each situation - don't beat yourself up xx

My daughter went to a childminder at 10.5 months. Essentially I took 9 months maternity leave and then 6ish weeks of accrued annual leave.

I'm the higher earner so realistically it didn't make sense for me to stay at home any longer unpaid. Plus I was going a bit insane without any mental stimulation so worked well.

DS1 - he was 5 months
DD1 - she was 5 1/2 months
DS2 - he was 8 months

With all of them I went back part time and quite enjoyed being back at work.

[quote indigo27]@SteakyBreakyHeart I wish I could take a full year but I'm a teacher and the maternity pay is shocking 😔
Feeling really crappy about it tbh [/quote]
Teacher maternity is one of the most generous scheme around!

Try living on smp for 33 weeks and 6 weeks at 90% wage like majority do!

These threads irk me, as if you cannot afford to dedicate time to your baby, when are you going to and why bother having a baby?

I'm an ex teacher. I went back to work when my baby started primary school!

@MotherExtraordinaire
Sorry mother extraordinaire didn't realise this forum was for judgemental people who make zero sense.
Not everything happens to plan.
And teacher maternity pay is most definitely not the worst but not the most generous either.
Not have time to dedicate to a baby? what so you're saying you can't work and be a mother?
Please take your negativity and nastiness elsewhere- we can't all be "mother extraordinaires"

I don't need to explain myself to you or explain just how much time I plan to dedicate to my baby. I feel sorry for you that you feel the need to come onto these forums to put other down.
Women bashing other women isn't cool anymore or did you miss that memo?

@MotherExtraordinaire and if these threads irk you why click on them?- odd behaviour 😂😂
I'm happy for you that you were able to stay home until your child started school but unfortunately for most of us that isn't possible and also for some us we might not want to stay home that long and that is ok too.
I guarantee the lovely ladies on this thread would agree that making time for their babies is a priority whether they work or not- stop mum shaming it's embarrassing in this day and age!