New role - and trying for a baby?

[moaningmyrtle25]

Please can anyone advise?
I have one DD and have worked part-time (3 days) since she was one. As of two weeks ago, I have upped my hours to full-time, remained with the same employer, but am in a new role). I would love to start trying for another child, but don't want to be frowned upon if I got pregnant so soon into starting a new role - albeit that it is not a new employer. I suppose I would be happy to wait a few months before trying, but then again I think that if it may take a while to get pregnant (it took a year with our daughter), then really should I risk it and start trying now?! I do intend to continue a career with this employer after (hopefully) having another child, and really don't want to receive negative attention from my employers by this. Your thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks. x

I'm not really sure about why you would feel frowned upon. It's your right to have maternity leave if you wish to have another child, but not to part-time, so all I would say is be prepared to come back to full time, or leave, if they do not approve part time working again.

Since it's not a new employer then you will still be entitled to maternity leave. They can't frown upon it, but you may not be able to go back to the role part time (but they would need a strong business case for not allowing part time).

Thank you for the replies. I do know I'm entitled to maternity leave, I just feel perhaps I'd be frowned upon for getting pregnant so soon into a role. The only worrying thing from your comments is that I would look, initially, to return to this role on hopefully part-time hours. Whilst I can see the sense in the comments, I do however hope that as I work in the NHS, it is nigh on impossible for them to build a strong case in not allowing a part-time return to the job.
I'm just so torn, I really want to get stuck into the job and am not as such broody - I'm just more mega aware that my daughter has turned 4 and really, for a sibling, it has to be sooner rather than later that we start to try. Thanks again - please post more if anybody has had a similar experience or has more views. Thanks.

Ach, go for the ttc. Don't feel so guilty/grateful to your employees. Do a great job for them but ttc as well, if that's what you want. So what if they frown - they'll likely do it where you don't see it, so what. If you're a good, decent employee they'll want to retain you anyway. Women who work get pg ALL THE TIME.

There's plenty of threads on here about women who are still on mat leave who are pg again and will only be back in work for 1-2 months before leaving for 2nd lot of mat leave (and in some cases with DCs close together, back to back mat leave!)

When you're 60, 70, 80 etc you won't be worrying about what this current employer thinks of you having another baby!

As for the part time, I don't know the legals, but AFAIK wouldn't they have to consider every part-time request on its own merits? Why wouldn't they give you part time (or at least seriously consider it?)

I'm in a really similar position - have worked for NHS for 7 years, taken M/L in my last job and returned there for a year, and then started a new, more specialised job (in different borough) in June. I love my new job, am so excited to have it but knew that dc 2 was on the cards - my dh was very keen and I wanted about a 3 year age gap. Ultimately we decided to go for it and it took 2 months to conceive, am now 6 weeks pg having only been in my job 4 months . Thought it would take longer as was 6 months with ds. I haven't told them yet and I am slightly terrified it will be frowned upon as I am completely new to the clinic despite 7 years service to NHS. However I decided that having a sibling for ds was too important to let this get in the way and will just have to grit my teeth and tell them. I also think that the NHS are very likely to let you come back part time, in my experience this is an area they excel in and since there are also cuts all over the place at the moment this may even be an advantage.

My employer definitely frowns on employees getting pregnant - he abides by the rules but seems to think it's done just to make his life difficult! When I told him I was pregnant, I took him a bottle of wine and was still genuinely shocked and dazed, so he assumed it was a complete mistake and seemed to take it very well. So my advice would be to imply you didn't plan it and are genuinely apologetic about the timing - they're probably expecting it in the next year or two anyway, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things!