New job or baby #2...

[TriJo]

Software developer in London (living zone 2/working zone 1), 32 years old, one DS already (11 months).

Have been back in work for 3 months and tbh I'm bored, very little technical challenge in terms of what we're doing and I'd like to try something new. I've been almost 4 years in this role. I took 9 months off last year as maternity leave, went back before the end of SMP.

There's lots of work in my field (I'm a full stack Python web developer with an interest in data science) and my next move should be a significant salary increase, I'm on 37k at the moment and should go to around 50k. But... we also want a second kid and we don't want a particularly large age gap.

So I'm at a crossroads - is it more beneficial to have #2 sooner, take the full year off and have #1 at home that time, or to go for something new and delay having #2 by around 12-18 months? We are not time-crunched yet, we are no spring chickens but time is not really against us yet and we have no fertility issues (conceived DS on cycle #2 and have also had a CP when he was 9 months old).

Would yours and dhs combined wage be able to comfortably accomodate two in full time childcare? If so, id go for ttc no.2 now. Then once you go back start looking for a new job. Or job hunt once dc2 is 4mo or so.

If you want to further your career I'd have another close together. But assuming you keep a currents portfolio and up to date skills you're always going to be able to find work, be that full, part time or freelance.

DH is on around 50k and we have a very good deal on the rent (we're paying £1150/month on a two bed that can accomodate a family of four!) and a company car. My salary can just about cover childcare for two but we won't be saving anything for a while. If we conceive when DS is around 15 months old he would be 3 by the end of maternity leave if I take the year so he would be getting a reduction at that stage and our nursery offers a slight discount for two.