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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

WWYD? - Working on maternity leave

29 replies

deliwoman1 · 04/04/2022 08:47

Hi everyone,

I'm a lecturer and I've been offered a teaching gig for one 14-week semester starting Sept 1. But... baby due July 3rd! I'm legally allowed to work for this employer while on mat leave from my main employer due to when I started my job. It'll be one afternoon a week, plus a little bit of time for grading. I've worked for this employer before and I'm experienced so there won't be any surprises with the workload. I've also taught the course before so it's already planned and I'd only need to tweak one or two things I can tweak well in advance. Thankfully my partner is self-employed and can be flexible so childcare won't be an issue.

WWYD? I'm leaning toward accepting the offer but am I completely mad to say yes so soon after due date? It's a lot of money to us and we could really, really use it to see us through my mat leave. I've been so worried about how we'll manage and this seems like the answer to our prayers.

I figured if I was too unwell or if it was just impossible, I would know very quickly after baby arrives and I could withdraw asap?

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Chatwin · 04/04/2022 08:49

I would go for it, as you day it's a job area you know well and less than 1 day per week with childcare sorted. Sounds like a win win.

If you lived in the States you would be back at work full time by that stage!

Echobelly · 04/04/2022 08:50

I'm not sure I'd take it. I had two quite 'easy' babies and a lot of support but my head was still completely all over the place for the first 12 weeks both times, I don't think there's any way I could have got myself together for even a short piece of work each week.

But at the same time, I understand the money might help you, and know what it is to look at everything and wonder how you will possibly cope financial while on mat leave.

How easily might they find one to substitute for you is one thing? If you're going to be letting them down with weeks to go but they're unlikely to find anyone else, it might be doing them a disservice to accept.

GinnyBee · 04/04/2022 08:55

Trying to predict the future, quite hard! What I'll say is that in many countries mothers need to return to work even sooner than that because of poor maternity leave allowance. It's really tough and pretty cruel, but isn't impossible. And it's only one day a week doing something you don't need loads of prep for.

Cuphalffullor · 04/04/2022 08:57

I went back to work one day a week at 6 weeks and it was fine. That said I wasn’t breastfeeding as I couldn’t.

PurBal · 04/04/2022 09:04

I go for it! It’s one afternoon. I’d loved to have something like this whilst on maternity leave. DS is a July baby and we would have been fine by September (I think). I was EBF so I'd encourage an afternoon feed to be formula from really early on. 4-6pm is also classic cluster feed time but I think LO will be past the worst by then, my milk established at about 10 weeks.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 04/04/2022 09:05

So you’ll probably have a 6-8 week old baby.
At that time I would have felt emotionally fine to leave my baby for an afternoon.
I would have also been able to do it practically because although I was breastfeeding my baby had one bottle a day too.
Breastfeeding will be your main issue if you’re planning on doing it. You (or your partner) will have to get your baby used to having a bottle in advance. And you’ll probably have to express while you’re there - it will be too long to not feed or express.

Is it in person or online btw? If it’s online, no problem at all.

DisforDarkChocolate · 04/04/2022 09:07

I'd sounds perfect. I'd be saying yes with that workload.

Isonthecase · 04/04/2022 09:12

I think it'll be nice to keep your head in a bit and you'll probably be better for your main employer too when you get back for the practice. The only worry is the childbirth bit, if baby is 2 weeks late they could be only 6 weeks old by then and that's not long enough to get over a traumatic birth.

felulageller · 04/04/2022 09:12

If you are getting maternity allowance or maternity pay you wouldn't normally be allowed to do any work other than KIT days. You should check this out.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 04/04/2022 09:12

Take it. I had a friend who did similar at Birkbeck College. Suited perfectly and managed it fairly easily.

Roeslein · 04/04/2022 09:14

I would do it as long as you actually enjoy teaching! But agree breastfeeding logistics will be the main issue - it took me ages to find a breast pump that somewhat worked for me so that would have been a challenge, but obviously most women don't have that issue!

sleepyhoglet · 04/04/2022 09:18

Won't you cock up your maternity pay? You aren't meant to work when receiving so might bright it to an end- is it worth it? If it's ten days, you could get away with KIT days possibly but not if it's not the employee paying your mat leave

sleepyhoglet · 04/04/2022 09:19

Otherwise, yes it's fine.

mrscotton · 04/04/2022 09:20

Ive just had my little one (he will be four weeks on Wednesday) and currently on mat leave until Sept. We are a very small office of 4 so they are currently trying to cope without me. 2 of the 3 staff have a week booked off in May and they have asked if i could cover a couple of days using my keeping in touch days so 1 person wont be on her own all week.

Before my little one was born, i was happy to do them as long as i could get someone to have my liftle boy as my husband works full time, i love my job and the girls i work with but now hes here, i cant imagine leaving him for a couple of hours that soon let alone a couple of days.

I think it depends on how you feel once baby is here and whether you really need the money. If its just a couple of hours a week from home and can grade when baby is asleep, then i would take the course if your partner can take time off to look after the baby.

Goldbar · 04/04/2022 09:24

I think it's fine so long as you have childcare both for your teaching AND your preparation/marking. So your partner needs to take over not only when you're teaching but also to give you time to do the other stuff. It will be nice for you to have something for you separate from the baby.

It will also be good for your partner to have the chance to be involved and be primary carer for a period of time each week - it could be a really good move in terms of setting you up for a more equal distribution of childcare/domestic labour when you go back to work. Maternity leave tends to be where it all goes wrong even if the relationship was previously on a fairly equal footing. If this prevents him from seeing the baby as 'your' responsibility, then it could be a really good thing.

Like you said, you can't be certain that you'll be up to it/you can leave the baby and it will depend on your birth experience and recovery, but life in general is uncertain and it's impossible to predict and plan for everything that might happen.

EarringsandLipstick · 04/04/2022 09:25

I did this - exactly this in fact! A p/t lecturing role which started when my 2nd baby was 6 weeks old.

I had to do it - I'd been made redundant during my pregnancy & I did it mainly to keep my career at least ticking over.

It was, overall, fine. Mainly because I had a very easy baby. However, I did need childcare for the 1 day a week I needed to teach & this was hard. I was b/fing so it was so much hassle

I was also teaching a brand new course so had to do all the prep which I did with a toddler & newborn around me. It meant that financially I made nothing from it.

In your case, I really would do it, as the money will be worth it & you don't seem to have loads of extra prep to do.

Good luck - with baby & job!

BritInUS1 · 04/04/2022 09:32

Make sure it doesn't affect your entitlement to maternity pay

workingfamilies.org.uk/articles/what-work-can-you-do-during-maternity-adoption-parental-leave/

SunnydayeverythingsAOK · 04/04/2022 09:37

I found that having to do a little bit of work whilst on maternity was too stressful to be worth it. Not being able to switch off completely, feeling the need to regularly check emails and keep an eye on things was not fun. It's half a day a week of pay but I can guarantee you'll think about it for more than that time.
If the money and career prospects make it worthwhile, go for it, but don't be fooled into thinking you can switch between working brain and mum brain that easily.

Minster2012 · 04/04/2022 11:55

One afternoon a week? Easy yes from here

Original poster

deliwoman1 · 04/04/2022 12:29

Thanks, everyone! This has been so helpful. Lots to think about but I'm likely to say yes.

It shouldn't affect mat pay from main employer as I started for this employer more than 15 weeks before my EWC, but I'm double-double checking it with their HR and main employer's HR too.

Thankfully my partner is completely on board in terms of pulling his weight childcare-wise. But yes, it would be good for him during mat leave time particularly. He's excited but I sense also a little scared of being 'in charge of the baby' so I'd always planned to drop him in the deep-end somehow asap, lol!

Money and career prospects are the two biggest reasons for doing it, and it's very worthwhile in that respect, else I wouldn't take the risk. It's also a bit important to me to be able to feel like I'm still the 'me' I was in some small way.

In terms of the stress, I'm concerned about that, but honestly I juggle so much now, that (even) new motherhood + this course is technically A LOT less to think about. Difficult as new parenthood is, I'm going to find it weird having only one BIG thing to focus on!

OP posts:

JemimaTiggywinkle · 04/04/2022 12:44

He's excited but I sense also a little scared of being 'in charge of the baby' so I'd always planned to drop him in the deep-end somehow asap, lol!

Great attitude, hopefully you’ll get into a good balance of parenting between both of you. So many people (including women) seem to think that dads are incapable of looking after their own children, or at least not as good at it as mums.
I’m going away for a week soon and my 1 year old will stay at home with DH. So many people have asked me jokingly if I “trust him”. I doubt many people would ask DH that if he was leaving DS with me!

Fretfulmum · 04/04/2022 13:29

It will be fine OP if you plan as much as possible. The biggest challenges will be if you are breastfeeding. I just couldn’t pump enough milk and then DS wouldn’t take a bottle so leaving him was very hard until we had started weaning. I would try to introduce a bottle from very early on to increase the likelihood they would accept it. Right now it may feel that money and career prospects are a priority but be prepared to feel differently when baby is here.
I took on a role for 8 hours per week when DS was 8 weeks. It worked out great but I was WFH for it so the feeding issue wasn’t a problem. I don’t know if I could have done it so soon if I had to leave the house

Goldbar · 04/04/2022 14:38

There are lots of different views on this but personally I think there's a lot to be said for mixed feeding, especially in your situation. If the baby will take a bottle and you can express milk or just have a few of those ready-made bottles of formula in the fridge, it makes like so much easier than panicking about being back for feeds. But I had a very adaptable baby in this regard (terrible sleeper, though !).

Original poster

deliwoman1 · 04/04/2022 14:48

Thanks to all of you who've given advice on breastfeeding. I figured that would be a huge challenge here. I had always hoped to try mixed/combi feeding with expressed breastmilk for a host of reasons, but mostly general flexibility around work. Will continue my research in earnest and cross my fingers that boobs & baby are in agreement with me!

OP posts:

LittleGwyneth · 04/04/2022 15:30

Big yes from me - but then I am expecting to be doing similar myself so biased.

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