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Original poster

Were you more keen or less keen to get back to work after second child?

9 replies

yellowflowers · 24/04/2012 14:32

I am newly pg with number 2 and trying to work out when to start mat leave as it has a direct impact on when I go back to work (because of the nature of my work if I start mat leave ten weeks before due date I will go back when baby is six months though to a very quiet period not getting busy until nine months - meaning I will have no time without pay - or if I work up until just before due date then I will have a whole year off including some unpaid time.

Anyway, my question is with your second were you more keen or less keen to return to work quickly? With dd1 I was dreading it but actually loved it once I got back to work (just two days a week).

OP posts:

dundeemarmalade · 24/04/2012 14:37

fwiw, the thought of going back to work after dd2 was born in august was awful. I feel totally disenchanted with my so-called career, and the hurdles of arranging childcare for two are so much higher than they were with just one. Life is different now, and tbh work can wait. It means I'm skint all the time, and that we can't afford a lot of extras, but (if I can ever find a job again) it won't last forever. They are little for such a short time - if you can afford it and it won't drive you insane, take as long as you can.

tinkerbel72 · 24/04/2012 15:51

It's an interesting question. I actually gave up work after dd1, mainly Because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her!
Then, when she was 2 and I wanted her to start nursery anyway, I began dipping my toes in the water with some part time work. I realised how much I had missed it, and I could see how happy and thriving dd was. Consequently, I returned after maternity leave with my second child. I think seeing first hand that dd was fine, made me far less precious about it all the second time around. I guess we all tend to feel no one can look after our little ones as well as we can. But it was a real learning curve for me- I realised that i could actually have returned earlier with dd and she would have been fine. If youre disillusioned with your job then maybe it's time to look elsewhere though. The two things are seperate issues really- if you don't like your job then that's not necessarily a reason to stay at home- it might be a reason to think of a career move ?

confusedperson · 25/04/2012 14:29

I went back full-time with my both DC when they were 9 months, and to be honest, it is OK. It was and still is peace & rest at work as compared to the chaos & mess at home with the kids. I come back home every evening calm and with energy to spend 2 quality awake hours with my DC. I cannot complaint, honestly, but will think of 4 days/week when my DC are at school - I think they will need more help from me then.

JimmyChoo17 · 25/04/2012 16:02

Confused person....can I ask if you work full or part time?

confusedperson · 25/04/2012 23:09

Full-time JimmyChoo17

JimmyChoo17 · 26/04/2012 15:45

It's nice to hear someone sound like they r coping! Do you do a long day if you don't mind me asking? (can't tell I'm agonising over this at the moment! )

I'll be dropping off at 8 and picking up at 5 trying to work out whether I can financially drop a day or whether a day every other week is a good compromise financially and sanity wise....I'm going to miss him no matter what..

I'm wondering if I get a large box...put air holes in...and hide him under my desk...whether that's feasible ha ha! Aww I love him x

fatfingers · 27/04/2012 08:12

I gave up work for a while after dc2. With both dcs I had gone back to work when they were about 7 months old. I had never felt the same about work after having dcs and although I put dc1 into a lovely nursery and reduced to part time, I always felt devastated about leaving her and that feeling never got better.

DC2 was born very early so there were extra worries about her growth and I developed pnd so although I returned to work, I couldn't focus on it and decided to leave after a few months. 5 years on, I am still trying to re-establish my career but hey-ho thats life!

How did you feel when you returned to work after dc1 JimmyChoo?

LCarbury · 30/04/2012 06:44

Less keen in terms of spending time apart from DC.

More keen in terms of the reassurance I would be earning for their future, and well insured in case of illness or death - you could not buy the level of life assurance my employer provides on the market to be honest.

It's head over heart in many ways, but I've been back for a while FT since DC2 and it does get easier, as everyone says.

We wouldn't be able to do it without our cleaner and online grocery shopping though!

JimmyChoo17 · 01/05/2012 19:32

fatfingers im still on mat leave with DS1. The thought of returning is enough! I'll of had 13.5 months off thankfully by the time Ive returned.

I know I want to go back to work which is good but would have loved to drop to 3 days which is not financially do-able. 4 Days is still debateable....#

I have thought if I go full time we will have to get a cleaner I cant be doing with spending any of my time cleaning if im full time but then I sit there and think save the money im not rich lol!

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