When can I TTC to be entitled to contractual maternity pay (CMP)?

[Seekingsense]

Please note: I am not using my company just for maternity pay - I love my job and will be working for this same company for the rest of my working life.

DH and I are considering starting to TTC next year (we have one DD). We think it would be sensible to wait until I would definitely by entitled to CMP before TTC.

In order to be entitled to CMP I need to have "12 months continuous service and continue to be employed by the company until at least the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth."

I started working for my company on 10-Aug-2013.

I think that the earliest possible due date in order to be entitled to CMP would be 26-Oct-2014, therefore I think we can start having unprotected sex from 02-Feb-2014.

I hope that someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm if my maths is correct or if have I completely misunderstood the rules?

Thank you for your help.

I think your maths is right however your initial due date is calculated from LMP therefore you can start having unprotected sex from any time after the period/AF where the first date of your period/AF is after the 2 Feb.

The only watch out here is that the due date that will be used on your certificate that you give to work is determined at your 12 week scan. It is possible, if you got pregnant on that very first cycle in Feb, that your baby could measure big for dates at 12 week scan (even though the NHS seem to say this isn't possible) and you could end up being a few days out on hitting your maternity pay.

However - and I really don't want to put a downer on your plans - the reality is that TTC often does not happen when you start trying. It took me over 18 months, and know many others where it has taken much much longer, for no identifiable reason. There is a very small chance of getting pregnant in each cycle, even in healthy adults in their 20's, due to all the variables that are at play.

Good luck

Thank you for your reply - so you agree that if my due date was 26-Oct-14 I would have been employed long enough?

The MN due date calculator said if my LMP was 19-Jan-2014 I would have conceived on 02-Feb-2014 and due date would be 26-Oct-2014. So I think I need to make sure the first day of my lmp will be on or after 19-Jan-2013 and not start having unprotected sex until at least 02-Feb-14 just in case I ovulate early.

Thanks for the heads up about the dating scan.

I know it's likely to take longer than the first time we have unprotected sex to conceive, I just don't want to risk getting pregnant a couple of weeks too early for CMP. (If I wouldn't be entitled to CMP for 2 years I'd just TTC now but it would be a bugger to miss it for the sake of waiting a short amount of time).