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 ❤️

I don't understand if you're a teacher why you can't take 6 months. I'm a teacher and got 6 months full pay, 3 months at Stat Mat and took another few months on no pay ( mortgage holiday) for all 3 of my DC. You should at least be able to take 6 months, no?

Sorry just rtft, I'm in Scotland, so obviously our conditions are far better! The plan like pp said about going back May half term and it's no time til summer sounds a good one

9 months

Sorry, that should have said 3 months full pay and 6 months at stat mat- wrong way round!

My plan is 4.5 months off, with the last 2 weeks being a/l. Then my husband will take the rest as SPL. There's a chance I might shift this a week or 2 so I get a bit more time off to recover. Or possibly add a month unpaid to the end. I'm only 14 weeks so have a little time to finalise. Particularly around the best use of a/l and potential impact of kit days.

We're also hoping to move house at some point which will eat a chunk of savings, but should reduce our mortgage payments. But we do need a new car for the baby (we have an old 3 door, with no ISO fix hobbies which I think would become a pita!)

I work from home the majority of the time anyway, so would still be in contact with the little one and able to express milk comfortably.

Then it's 1 day grandparents, 4 days nursery.

Quite useful to write it all out like that! I have it on a spreadsheet, but not really discussed with anyone but my husband.

Mine was 4 weeks when I went back part time (a couple of hours a day) and 3-4 months when I went back full time. It was totally the right decision for me and my dd (no maternity pay and I really struggled mentally with the new born days - those couple of hours kept me sane and allowed me to be a better mother)

Both were less than 5 months. I couldn't take a year, and my pregnancies were easy early on but a bit tougher in late stages so I had to stop work earlier than I wanted before the births because I had a very physical job.
I worked hard at establishing routine as soon as possible and had an amazing childminder who they loved and I trusted completely.
I would have loved to stay at home with them for longer, but it worked out fine.

DD1 - back full time at 6 weeks. DD1 had a great childminder. Stayed with her for 3 years.

DS - back full time at 3 months. DD1 started at nursery, DS went to childminder.

DD2 - back full time at 4 weeks. DH became SAHP

DC 1 12 months
DC 2 14 months
Was a big financial hit as only on stat mat pay
But I really wanted to stay at home for first year

I took a full year but I had two part time teaching posts that made me full time so I got 2 lots of SMP which was fantastic!!

@Puffalicious that sounds great however I'm not entitled to that.
I'd be entitled to 4 weeks full pay 2 weeks 90%
12 weeks half pay and then that's it's just SMP.
But I'm having issues at the moment as to whether my school will count my previous years service so I may only be entitled to SMP hence why I won't be able to do more than 6 months.

@Puffalicious

That’s definitely not standard teacher’s maternity pay, that would have been a dream!

OP it would be very bad form for your school not to recognise your previous service, most academies/MATs will follow the Burgundy Book and treat you as they would have treated employees who were there at the time of conversion and TUPE you over. It could happen though, just another reason why academy conversion was/is bad news for staff, especially when the financial realities bite. Your union should be able to advise you if your school are being tricky.

Baby 1 - 11 months
Baby 2 - 1 year

The sector I work in few people get more than statutory. 6 weeks full pay then £135 for 33 weeks. 🥲

9 months with my twins.
This was a while ago now and if I recall it was only 9 months then.
It was hard financially.

@indigo27 don’t forget to factor in child benefit to your calculations. It’s not a lot, but it helps.

DD1 - 7.5 months
DS2 (Due June) - plan to go back at 5 months

I had severe post natal anxiety with DD1, one of the triggers was having nothing else to focus on, as well as some PTSD from a traumatic delivery! So all being well I will go back 3 days a week from when he is 5 months and then full time from 7 months. Work have agreed to let me wfh for the 3 days (we've been wfh for a year now so no change really!) And then when I go back full time it will likely be 1 day in a week.

From 7 months he will go to nursery.

DS1 10 months
DD2 5 months

I was ready at 10 months, 5 months seemed to soon in retrospect. If I had pushed it to 7 or 8 months with DD I think I'd have been happier about it. I had good mat leave pay though.

I changed career and became a childminder as I struggled so much with leaving her. Was a great choice. I then started back in an office when she went to pre school

I’m 15 weeks pregnant and thinking I’ll have to go back after 9 months as that’s when all pay stops ☹️

6 months for both of them!

I went back when DD was 1 but would have gone sooner had it not been for covid.

Also teachers mat pay is a lot better than most! Try and go back just before a school holiday 🙂

@indigo27 I'm a teacher too and it honestly was not at bad as I thought! There was only one month where I got just statutory otherwise it was half pay plus statutory which was fine!

We saved for that month to cover the difference plus a bit extra for the 5th month...

I went back 2 weeks before the 6 weeks holiday tho and also started maternity leave on my due date in the hols so had 2 weeks on holiday before.

Number 2 was due the same time as number 1 (not planned!) but again it worked really well working a term before maternity then having a few weeks back to get prepared for my new class in the September!

Are you 11 weeks? So you'll be due august? Taking you to Feb half term or you could try and save enough to cover the additional 6 weeks after that to Easter? You could go back the day before the Easter hols then you'll get full pay over the hols? The last term is always the nicest in school anyway! Plus you'll have the may bank holiday and the may half term to break it up too!

You can do 10 kit days too to bump up your maternity pay!

@indigo27 just read you're due 1st September-you're maternity can start then presuming you have baby on due date/afterwards otherwise it'll just start when you have baby...

From a selfish point of you if baby is born 31st august at least the 30 hours will kick in for September (although the disadvantage is they'd be the youngest in the year but you could defer?).

My babies were born early jan so I don't get my 30 hours until after Easter...2 more months of childcare fees then just wraparound! We have a loan that will be paid off next year too so we are planning to move next year and a holiday abroad!! It's lovely thinking about having spare cash after 5 years of childcare fees/maternity pay!

In my industry we only get SMP. I’m taking 6 months plus a month of annual leave tacked on the end baby will be in nursery from 7 months.