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 ❤️

[quote indigo27]@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? [/quote]
Teacher maternity pay isn't generous? OMFG. Talk about entitled in attitude. Perhaps you should have planned better then?

4 Weeks Full Pay

2 Weeks 90% of Full Pay

12 Weeks Half Pay Plus Statutory Maternity Pay (£151.20)

21 Weeks Statutory Maternity Pay (£151.20)

Not bad for a profession that averages a salary of 35k!

@MotherExtraordinaire
Thank you for your input I hope you feel better about yourself now 😌

6 weeks.

This was 30 plus years ago....there wasn't much about maternity leave in those days. I found a lovely Childminder who became an integral part of my DDs life.
I regret going back to work so early.

@indigo27 what are you doing for childcare?

@InTheShadowOfTheMushroomCloud her info is all incorrect and outdated that's why I'm not responding 😂 let her have her moment she obviously doesn't get many moments to lash out and feel righteous, bless her.
I'm thinking of getting a childminder too I've heard really lovely things about them- It's lovely to hear she became such a integral part of your life ☺️

@Ohalrightthen I'm thinking of getting a childminder a couple of days a week and my mum is going to help out one day too so childcare costs shouldn't be too awful.
My partner is also going to try and work from home one day a week too so not all bad- it's more me just wanting more time with my baby really.

I took 12 months mat leave and then all my accrued holiday so I went back when DD was 13.5 months. We wiped out our savings to afford it but I have no regrets.

Ds1 was approx 5 months
DS2 was approx 8 or 9 months

[quote indigo27]@Ohalrightthen I'm thinking of getting a childminder a couple of days a week and my mum is going to help out one day too so childcare costs shouldn't be too awful.
My partner is also going to try and work from home one day a week too so not all bad- it's more me just wanting more time with my baby really. [/quote]
If you're looking to go back quickly, you need to book childcare in now, as lots of places won't take babies before 6m and places can be scarce.

Also, if the family relies on your wage, could you do Shared Parental Leave? I'm the breadwinner and i went back to work when DD was 3m, but DH (who is a teacher) took SPL til she was 10m, when she went to nursery.

Also also, you will still need childcare for the day your husband WFH. You can't do a job and take care of a baby at the same time.

DS1 was 8 months and DC 2 & 3 were 12 months.

I went back full time with DS1 which was hard as I wasn't able to reduce my hours until after I had DC2.

@Ohalrightthen thanks that's great, I'll have a look into that. my partner runs his own business so when I say work from home he won't be doing much working as he'll probably only take a few calls and deli-gate the rest out to his team. But yes if it becomes the case that he can't do this we would need an extra day childcare.

[quote indigo27]@Ohalrightthen thanks that's great, I'll have a look into that. my partner runs his own business so when I say work from home he won't be doing much working as he'll probably only take a few calls and deli-gate the rest out to his team. But yes if it becomes the case that he can't do this we would need an extra day childcare. [/quote]
Sorry, I've just read that back and it sounded really bossy and patronising - i got MASSIVELY caught out with childcare when DD was little, i had no idea the good places filled up so fast.

You could leave work as such in July, but remain on full pay through the summer holiday, then start your maternity leave officially on the Sunday before your due date (that’s the latest you can leave it). If you have your baby before then it automatically starts from that point. You’ve timed it very well OP!! If you could stretch that far then you could go back just before the Easter holiday - giving you the full holiday pay and an extra two weeks. You could also do your 10 KIT days before this. Then you’d only have the summer term to get through - much easier to collect and drop off a baby in the summer than the winter if it works out that way - less clothes for a start!! Good luck OP and congrats! PS: I found HR very helpful when planning return date.

6 months and I was ready (for the money)

4 months

We needed the money, too, and I was in the middle of a 3 year project that paid my salary.

My school only let me do two KIT days so try and get the position of them soon. I assumed I would be able to do 10.

@Ohalrightthen @OnlyToWin thank you ladies that's really helpful info!
I know I didn't even plan these dates but feeling quite pleased now and a lot more relaxed about it all. I think it's normal to worry but everything will fall into place ☺️
I plan to go and see HR after half term and get a plan in place so I know what's going on. Yes Easter would be great I'll see how much I get saved between now and September and hopefully can make that work. Maybe that's a good idea to go back a couple weeks before Easter. Thank you for your messages 🥰

Baby 1, 4 months but was back part time. This time I'll probably do about the same.

11 months old

Teacher here.

DC1 - 6 months. Was on SMP and had no wiggle room on return dates as left a job to start a new in September. Found it much harder than I thought, ended up with PND. But also had him 2 days before lockdown 1, had an allergy baby who screamed 20 hours a day but no one would see him as covid was new and just told us it was colic, and no chance to do anything/see anyone with my new baby. So that may have contributed too.

Due this September and we will be on SMP as started this new school in Sept and I can’t carry previous service. We are saving like mad so I can hopefully stay off until start of summer break with KIT days. Im the main earner so it’ll be very tight, but it’s important to me to try and stretch as far a possible as I know how little I saw my little boy when in school proper before Xmas (as opposed to remote teaching from home) which I struggled with massively.

He stays with partner when he is home (part time work) and my mum has him 2 afternoons/mornings a week when my partner is working. Saves us an awful lot of money! Very grateful to my mum.

Just my personal experience xx

@Keyboard91 I may be in the same boat with regards to them not counting previous service.
Can I ask why they didn't count yours?
Yes going to save like mad too xx

@MotherExtraordinaire lolz at thinking that teachers maternity pay is generous - it’s shit in comparison to what most people I know get tbh!

I get 6 months full pay, 3 months half pay!

What teachers get is fuck all by the sounds of it

And good for you staying off work til your child started school? Firstly not everyone can do that - and secondly not everyone wants to do that - I’d bloody hate to be a stay at home mum tbh.

@Heyahun precisely my point teacher maternity pay isn't great at all but apparently I'm entitled coming from someone who calls themselves "mother extraordinaire" 😂😂
Well said hun 🙌🏼🥰

Baby 1 - 3 weeks but I was only in college 2 full days and 2 half days a week.

Baby 2 - due soon - as soon as I physically can but no longer than 6 weeks. I wouldn’t survive on maternity pay as it’s less than half a days wages for two weeks!! I’d love to have around 3 months off with my new baby