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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Maternity leave - how much time are you having off?

46 replies

HopefulRose · 30/12/2021 23:12

Hello .. just looking for some advice really and to hear some experiences about maternity leave and how long to take off.

I’ve started a new job recently in a senior position and will be going on maternity leave at the beginning of March .. I would like to have the full year off but am worried about how this looks! I know I’ll never get the time back. It will be tight financially but I think it will be worth it.

How much time off have you planned? Did you go back early and end up regretting it? Or did you miss work?

Thank you!

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Tina8800 · 30/12/2021 23:30

I started my maternity leave 2 months before my due date and won't go back for at least a year. If you can afford it, take more time off and don't care how it looks. I think it's crazy that work can expect you to go back and leave a 6-8 months old baby in the nursery. As you say, you will never get back this time and everyone who I know and went back to work early wish they didn't.

WashableVelvet · 30/12/2021 23:34

I went back ‘early’ by U.K. standards and was very glad. 7m with my first then DH did some leave. 5m with my second then DH and I swapped around so I had another stint off later. Both times baby started at nursery at 9-10m and was very happy and settled.

Megan2018 · 30/12/2021 23:41

I planned to take 10 months maternity and 8 weeks annual leave. In the end I took the full 12 months mat leave and 8 weeks annual leave so was away for 14 months total.
Take all of it is my advice, unless you hate it. I have no regrets. I loved it (not the Covid bit but the rest was epic), I’m also senior at work but it made no difference to me at work. I didn’t miss work one little bit.
I went back 0.8FTE too as full time didn’t appeal anymore.

LifeIsBusy · 30/12/2021 23:44

Took 16 weeks with my first and currently in the middle of 11 months with my second.

My wife took the rest of leave with my first born but it was difficult bfeeding, pumping at work and still all the night feedings so im glad we've done it differently this time round .. although I am a little bored 🤣

NatriumChloride · 30/12/2021 23:50

Two years. I care not a jot how it looks.

GinnyBee · 31/12/2021 08:39

I'm taking the full year with annual leave tacked on the end of it, starting a month before my due date. And if we can organise husband's work so that I don't have to go back, I won't. I have two part-time jobs, so it's the other one I'm looking to drop but will go back to the other.

I couldn't care less how it looked, it's a statutory right!

ronswansonstache · 31/12/2021 08:48

I was off for 14 months in total, with annual leave. I didn't miss work at all and valued the time with my baby - I wasn't really ready to go back tbh! If you think you'd want the full year I'd advise taking it - the baby stage goes so quickly and you won't regret that time.

Plenty of senior women at my workplace take the full year and no one would ever think of commenting on it, but I suppose it depends where you work.

Amtheyest17 · 31/12/2021 09:56

I’m only taking 9 months, I’m keen to get back to work so I can leave and find a better paid job & we can move house! Also I’ll have enough holiday that it means I’ll be paid for the full 9 months off + start back and also have a full year of annual leave to play with if I need it. Im hoping with the next one I’ll be in a better position to take a full year!

SouthwestSis · 31/12/2021 09:56

I'm planning to have 9.5 months off in total (a month of this will be accrued annual leave and Bank hols) and my husband will take 2.5 months total shared parental leave on top of his paternity leave. I have saved up my annual leave for the end of pregnancy so only starting mat leave 2 days before my due date!
He is going to have a chunk of SPL at the beginning of pat leave, then another chunk at the end to cover my phased return to work and introducing little on to nursery gradually.
We will both then return to work at 4 days a week.

Vbree · 31/12/2021 09:58

13.5 months, I went back in July. Would take a bit less if we have another as it got a little boring towards the end but that could have been due to lockdown as well. 9-10 months seems good to me. It took my son a food few weeks to settle into childcare, not sure if that's due to his age or temperament.

Minorissue · 31/12/2021 10:00

Senior professional role- took 5 months off with my first and came back to comments like ‘how was your year off?’. This time I’m taking the full year as I won’t get the time back again people don’t seem to notice you’ve cut it short or appreciate that you’ve made that sacrifice out of (misguided) loyalty. I’ve honestly stopped caring about what people think about how long I’m taking.

happytoday73 · 31/12/2021 10:03

I went back after 26 weeks plus holidays as if I'd taken additional maternity leave my company would have given me a different but equivalent job on my return (as I'd their right when you go into additional leave)
I had just been promoted while pregnant to a job I really wanted and equivalent jobs were less appealing.
I worked for an American company that found anything over the US 12 weeks shocking

fizzypiggy · 31/12/2021 10:03

I had 5m off because it was all I could afford at the time.

I didn't realise how much I regretted it until 4 years later and I was put on furlough and nursery closed etc. I got to spend 8 months with my son and it was the best thing ever.

Don't worry about how it looks, it's a right and (cliche) but you don't get this time back.

You're in a senior position so you must have skills which are in demand so if they don't like it then screw them.

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 31/12/2021 10:12

We are doing SPL so splitting the leave roughly six months each. We're also overlapping a couple months of it and have planned a couple of little holidays with family and also planning to travel around Europe for six weeks with our dog also.

The bonus is we both get full pay for this period. Worth checking your husbands contract if you're interested in this. SPL appears further in in the contract a few pages past paternity leave (the standard two weeks paid). We didn't realise this until someone told us. In my company they also changed it in the last couple years to men getting six months paid. Quite a few of our friends have done SPL recently or are doing it (pregnant currently) and a big chunk of our antenatal class are doing it also which I was surprised about but it's lovely

A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 · 31/12/2021 10:15

Oh and with all the holiday entitlement and bank holiday entitlement that you accrue (also didn't realise it'd be so much) we can use this effectively to go back part time for a few months afterwards for the transition to daycare so it's not straight to five days a week

Greys007 · 31/12/2021 10:20

13 months in total with Mat Leave and Annual Leave. I then went back for 3 weeks to help out because they were very short staffed due to the the other member of management being off for surgery and 2 people leaving unexpectedly. Then I took a further 4 weeks annual leave 😊
I’ve gone back PT, 3 days instead of 5. Still not entirely sure I want to be there tbh 😬 we’re incredibly lucky that we can maintain our lifestyle on DHs wage and we’re still toying with the idea of me becoming a SAHM.

Dyra · 31/12/2021 10:29

DC1 - 13 months. Full 12 months leave, with an additional 2 weeks leave before and after.

(Planned for) DC2 - 12 months. Things are weird with Covid. Due to reasons, I won't have any annual leave to take before starting maternity leave. But I won't be working much (if at all) from after today. Annual leave resets in April (due late March), so I'm taking the entirety of next year's leave in one block just before it resets again in 2023, which cuts into the unpaid portion. I can't book leave for 23/24 yet, but I'm hoping I can get a few extra days (to cover Easter) before returning.

bez91 · 31/12/2021 11:17

It's a real tough one I think this...

I had 10 months off with DD1, I got made redundant whilst on maternity leave so didn't get a lot of say in the matter. This time I'm planning on having around 9 months off. I found it a good period of time and I'm sure it'll be better this time round when not job hunting and stressing 😊

BobbleWobble1 · 31/12/2021 11:27

I took nearly 14 months first time around. No regrets, didn't miss it and didn't want to go back tbh. Returned on 3 days. Stayed a year then changed jobs. Will have nearly 15 months off this time with annual leave. Would have definitely considered SPL but as I'm NHS it makes better financial sense for me to take the lot.

Matilda128 · 31/12/2021 12:26

I recently moved to the Netherlands from the UK and was absolutely horrified that here you get 16 weeks in total. Of these you have to take at least 4 weeks before birth. If you are ill in the 6 weeks before giving birth (even if it's nothing to do with your pregnancy) this will automatically be taken off your maternity leave after birth. I'm a teacher in training so I will get 3 weeks holiday on top of the 16 weeks. You can get some extra days at reduced pay but I will struggle to afford that. I'm horrified that I will have to leave such a tiny baby so soon after giving birth but I will make it work. Reading this thread though makes me really really miss the UK.

DoG87 · 31/12/2021 14:39

I took a while year of with my first. I’m due mid Feb and will be taking a whole year off again. You are entitled to it so u haven’t thought twice about what others may think. If you want a whole year off go for it. It’s your right

DoG87 · 31/12/2021 14:42

Sorry wrote out that message without proof reading and doesn’t make much sense lol. I took a whole year off with my first. I’m due mid Feb and will be taking a whole year off again. We are entitled to it so I haven’t thought twice about how it looks or what others may think. If you want a full year off go for it, it’s your right

Original poster

HopefulRose · 01/01/2022 17:06

Thanks so much everyone for your advice! I am a people pleaser when it comes to work but as previous posters have said, this is my right and ultimately I don’t think it would make much difference to them if I’m off a year or six months. So I’m going to go ahead with having the full year plus annual leave. Eek!

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Original poster

HopefulRose · 01/01/2022 17:07

@bez91 it is a tough one. Sorry to hear you were made redundant last time, this is one of my fears

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Original poster

HopefulRose · 01/01/2022 17:09

@fizzypiggy your comment helped me reframe how I’m seeing this so thank you! Glad you managed to get that time with your son

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