Starting mat leave early

[LMc1]

Hey,
I’m wondering if anyone has any advice. I’m getting ahead of myself at only 13 weeks but feel like this is the biggest stress.
I work for the NHS and have just bought a new house on an island. My partner and I are excited to start this new life but means I can’t move until I get a job.
There isn’t a high turnover of staff and the worry is if I leave my current job I won’t be entitled to mat pay.
My options are to stay where I am, possibly myself without my partner while he gets the new house ready (I have friends and family here so won’t be alone but will miss him). Or agree to take annual leave as well as start my mat leave really early. We’re due Aug and I was thinking of taking my leave from end of May. This of course means less time with baby and I’m worried I’d make the wrong decision now and regret it when baby is born.
I’m going round in circles and feel I need to hear others stories if going off early wasn’t all that bad? My friends say it flies in and you want to spend every second of mat leave with your baby. I just feel a bit in limbo waiting to move and being on my on beforehand.
Any advice would be much appreciated ☺️

Save your mat leave. You won't regret more time with your infant.

I second the above. I wouldn't start your mat leave early but also don't give up you job. It'll be a hard few months but worth it to have extra time with you little one.

Do the NHS get you to pay back your occupational mat leave if you don't return? If you're on an island with a baby, are you expecting to go back to your job?

@DoubleChinWoes2

Do the NHS get you to pay back your occupational mat leave if you don't return? If you're on an island with a baby, are you expecting to go back to your job?

Good question. In teaching you need to return to work for three months or you have to pay back the enhanced proportion of your mat leave. Is there something similar in the NHS?

What are your plans when mat leave finishes? Are you entitled to enhanced pay or just smp? As pp have mentioned, if you don’t go back for a certain amount of time you will be required to pay back the enhanced element. Are there jobs on the island?

@tealandteal

What are your plans when mat leave finishes? Are you entitled to enhanced pay or just smp? As pp have mentioned, if you don’t go back for a certain amount of time you will be required to pay back the enhanced element. Are there jobs on the island?

Not at all workplaces - I worked for a charity that meant you could take OMP and not return but not repay anything. But a lot do have this in place.

I wouldn’t go on mat leave early unless you plan on never going back. You will want the 12 months with your baby.
But it sounds like you don’t want to go back, so does it really matter?

The NHS do have the requirement to pay back OMP in place if you don’t return after may leave.

Yes I would have to pay back OMP if I didn’t return to the NHS after mat leave. There are no vacancies just now but I do check everyday and would hope something comes up before my mat leave finishes.
I do think taking my leave as close to due date as possible will be best, it just would make life easier at this time but I know I would regret it.
Thank you all for your replies ☺️