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Original poster

No maternity leave

63 replies

mossyrose · 20/10/2021 21:21

Is there anyone else out there who wasn't able to have a maternity leave? How did you find it physically and emotionally going straight back to work?

OP posts:
Mustardbay · 20/10/2021 21:23

How much leave can you take? I bled and couldn't walk for about 6 weeks afterwards, everyone's different but you're going to need some time!

MissAmbrosia · 20/10/2021 21:24

In the UK I thought there was a legal minimum amount of time you had to take off? I might be wrong....

GiltEdges · 20/10/2021 21:24

When you say straight back, how long do you actually mean? Because I'm pretty sure legally you have to take at least 2 weeks in the UK. Physically I could have gone back to work at that point theoretically, but I absolutely wouldn't have wanted to.

Original poster
mossyrose · 20/10/2021 21:25

I mean after the 2 weeks without any extended leave beyond that

OP posts:
GoingOutOutNEVER · 20/10/2021 21:29

2 weeks is the legal minimum time from day after baby born.
I personally couldn’t function for the first few months but if a woman feels ready and wants to then so be it. Sleepless nights, bleeding, pain etc etc etc did me in

GemmaRuby · 20/10/2021 21:30

Are you pregnant already, or considering trying to get pregnant and only taking 2 weeks maternity leave?

Akire · 20/10/2021 21:32

Even if you are self employed you can take maternity leave even if it means putting business on hold and going on benefits until you are ready to go back to work. What sort childcare are you thinking off for few days old baby?

GemmaRuby · 20/10/2021 21:32

I didn’t leave the house at all for 2 weeks, and then I left for a small walk around the block. Aside from not wanting to leave the baby so much, I wouldn’t have been able to function at work. Physically (stitches, blood loss, anaemia) and mentally (severe sleep deprivation and thankfully mild trauma).

Original poster
mossyrose · 20/10/2021 21:32

@GemmaRuby

Are you pregnant already, or considering trying to get pregnant and only taking 2 weeks maternity leave?
I am considering getting pregnant but worried as I wouldn't get any more than 2 weeks maternity leave so wanted to know how/if anyone else in the same situation managed to cope
OP posts:
Original poster
mossyrose · 20/10/2021 21:33

@Akire

Even if you are self employed you can take maternity leave even if it means putting business on hold and going on benefits until you are ready to go back to work. What sort childcare are you thinking off for few days old baby?
My husband taking paternity leave as he gets paid paternity leave for 3 months
OP posts:
Figgygal · 20/10/2021 21:34

Why wouldn’t you get more than 2 weeks?
I really wouldn’t recommend this from a health perspective

Terminallysleepdeprived · 20/10/2021 21:34

Why wouldn't you get more than 2 weeks @mossyrose. Legally in the UK you are entitled to 9 months paid either company or ssp and a further 3 months unpaid. So 12 months total.

CocaColaTruck1 · 20/10/2021 21:35

I didn't leave the house for a month. Bled and couldn't walk properly for 3 of them weeks.
And emotionally, I wasn't myself for 3 month. It took me awhile to adjust to.
Sleepless nights are a killer

CocaColaTruck1 · 20/10/2021 21:36

How wouldn't you get more than 2 weeks?

Original poster
mossyrose · 20/10/2021 21:36

@Terminallysleepdeprived

Why wouldn't you get more than 2 weeks *@mossyrose*. Legally in the UK you are entitled to 9 months paid either company or ssp and a further 3 months unpaid. So 12 months total.
Because I am self employed
OP posts:
Ughmaybenot · 20/10/2021 21:37

Honestly I wouldn’t be getting pregnant under these circumstances. It’s a hell of a lot of pressure to put on yourself. Presuming you’re self employed(?) but I’d be looking to get a regular job which would qualify for smp and leave, and go from there.

Mammyloveswine · 20/10/2021 21:39

You would get maternity allowance..like smp!

Save up so you can afford to take longer...

2 weeks is completely unrealistic

AutumnLeafy · 20/10/2021 21:39

How much work do you have to do and what is the plan for looking after the baby?

Terminallysleepdeprived · 20/10/2021 21:39

Even self employed you would still be entitled to maternity allowance for 9 months (135/week ish)

I would honestly not recommend only taking 2 weeks. Find a way to save so you can have more.

In all honesty my labour and birth were a breeze (pregnancy was shite) no tears, standard vaginally birth etc. But it takes a HUGE amount out of you. Mentally and physically I struggled to function for at least 4 weeks. It literally was just going through the motions.

You have no idea how your body will react, but equally pushing yourself into going back to work after just 2 weeks is a recipe for pnd.

Please consider what other options are available to you

tiggerwhocamefortea · 20/10/2021 21:39

Are you self employed working from
Home or out of the house all day everyday? Bit a difference if it's the latter

PlanetTeaTime · 20/10/2021 21:40

I had my first baby in February, honestly, I would rethink the no mat leave idea.

AutumnLeafy · 20/10/2021 21:41

I was in no state to go back to work until about 6-7 months and even after that I would have struggled

ElephantandGrasshopper · 20/10/2021 21:43

With my eldest I could not have gone back after two weeks, it took me a long time to physically recover from the birth. I spent the first week after the birth on hospital.

With my second I physically probably could have, but was getting very little sleep so would not have been much use, and would not have wanted to leave the baby that early.

Dp went back to work following paternity leave at 2 weeks and struggled a lot with tiredness and he wasn't even the one who gave birth and was breastfeeding all night!

GemmaRuby · 20/10/2021 21:44

It really does depend on your work. Is it full time, long hours?

I do think that both parents back at work at 3 months will be incredibly difficult.

I know a lot of men can only have 2 weeks paternity, and yes I guess it shouldn’t matter which parent is the primary care giver… but aside from missing out on the time with the baby, 2 weeks is not a long time for you to recover from what could be a very difficult experience.

My DS is 6 months old and I’m just beginning to get a bit of sleep and feel human again.

User0ne · 20/10/2021 21:44

I'm currently on maternity leave, totally unpaid as I work a casual contract and covid meant I didn't warn enough in the qualifying period even for maternity allowance.

It's my 3rd child and I think you'll find it very difficult to return to work after 2 weeks (it might not be possible physically - I had a 2.5l haemorrhage with dc3 and it took 6 weeks for me to be properly back on my feet).

If I were you I'd get a job for 6m, then get pregnant so I got SMP, then leave afterwards.

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