Full time after maternity leave?

[babyboymam]

My ds is 5 months old and for my entire pregnancy my workplace was hell. One thing after another going wrong, new management changing procedures, staff shortages and just so much stress.

I had budgeted to take 12 months maternity with my baby and to return to my current role part-time but the other day I saw an advertisement for my dream job but it's a full time position. For some context I'm a healthcare professional and the job is the same role but in a different sector. The new position pays slightly less but has more room to progress. I have an interview in 2 weeks.

I haven't been fully happy in my current role for a while but feel guilty cutting my maternity leave short to go for my dream job and also going full time. I think there may be scope in future to go part time in the new role but I feel I can't ask straight away! I just want to get some thoughts from others on what I should do!

Thanks in advance.

Go for the interview. If they make an offer, see what you can negotiate.

I don't see any reason to feel guilty.

Honestly most companies now can make adjustments for the right candidate. I would ask in the interview if the role could be 30 hours? (Just an example btw).

Thanks for responding. I've had a few people say to me "Take the full year, your baby will never be this small again!" "Make the most of it!" And "you'll miss out if you go back to work!" And it's got me feeling all sorts of mum-guilt

And obviously this is all IF I get the job 😅

Don't feel guilty at all! Plenty of mums go back to work full time and plenty don't. Neither of them are wrong.

Your proving for you and your baby, and times are tough right now.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Your providing **

Hi lovely!
im also on maternity leave and have just accepted a new job also within the NHS - I can’t advise on hours but my new job has been really understanding and is waiting for me to finish mat leave so I don’t have to return any earlier.

I would always say to go for it - if you don’t get it then decision made.. if you do get it then it’s time to think / negotiate, otherwise you might always be thinking ‘what if’

Ignore them, especially since they never say it to men who often go back after 2 weeks when shared parental leave is an option.

It's very short sighted. You have to think about the long term and this new job sounds great for the long term.

My baby is 5 months too, I went back to work full time when he was 3 months. Guilt free.

Working full time is a lot easier if it's in a role/workplace you enjoy, Go for it even if you have to wait a bit for part time.

Worst case scenario and v common is to work a 4 day week, do a FT role with a 20% pay cut.

Only you will know whether you are a better mum if you work or are at home more. I tried to outsource cleaning and other stuff as much as possible so my weekends were just for family. My kids got the best of me that way.

Weirdly as they get older they notice more when you are not there, class plays, sports days and so on. It's fairly endless. It's been much easier to manage this stuff in a senior role where I have more latitude to set my hours.

I had a very similar situation, the NHS job I left was just horrendous and I couldn't face going back. The perfect role came up around the 5 month mark and I decided to go for it. It was a full time position but I was set for part time.
During the interview they asked about availability etc and I questioned whether the job could be reduced hours and they accepted happily. I work 3 days a week and absolutely adore it. They also happily waited until my mat leave was over.

On the note of people making you feel guilty - honestly? Ignore the buggers. If you'd have asked me at 5, 8 and 10 months I'd have told you I couldn't stand the idea of going back at all and that I'd be a SAHM given half the chance. I hated the thought of not being with her.
Come 12 months, she'd become this little ball of energy and I was running out of steam with ways of making our days fun. I was ready, and so was she. She's absolutely thrived at nursery and totally loves it, these bank holidays have been speckled with "Mummy.. school?".

We have the perfect balance now and we are both very happy with our weeks!

Good luck!

I'm also nhs. Took 12 months and interviewed for better more senior role during mat leave. It's full time but I negotiated 8-6 4 days a week. It's working really well so far

Are you likely to have another baby? If you are I'd do an it without a second thought as you can spend the time with them when they're older and will actually appreciate it. If not it's a bit trickier but it's worth thinking what will give them a happier mum in the long run.

Thanks so much everyone for your responses!

@Emma543 @Olivia199 @Pac35 That's so interesting! Seems it could be a common theme with the NHS, I'll definitely have to ask the questions at my interview!

@Username84 Yes definitely hoping for another baby, ideally a 2-2.5 year age gap. So even if I went full time for a bit I could always ask to reduce hours after maternity leave 2nd time round! By that time my 1st baby will be older and more likely to remember me being at home with him!

I think social media has heavily influenced me asking my original question.... so many SAHMs preaching about how amazing they are for staying at home with their babies!

Also having interviewed for NHS, you'd be surprised how many people ask and how often it's granted!! My advert didn't say part time available but figured no harm in trying.

You're looking at the wrong social media 😂

I would definitely choose flexible time with a toddler over a longer maternity leave, they get so much more from it.