Promotion versus planning another baby

[Annie210905]

I have just been offered a promotion at work, which I am really pleased about. However, it was a real surprise and my husband and I have recently been discussing having our third baby. I am 34 and have been working for the company for nearly 2 years. I'm not sure whether to put off trying for a baby for another year so that I can get established in my new role or just trying any way as I plan to return to work afterwards regardless. I'd always planned on having all my babies before I reached 35 but this has thrown a spanner in the works! Any advice?

Take the promotion. Even if you get pregnant immediately, which is very unlikely, you will still have 7-8 months to establish yourself.

And if you take a bit longer to get pregnant, which is more likely, it could be well over a year before you go on maternity leave anyway. Either way, if you're planning on coming back, you can make even more impact then, with your promotion already secured.

Take the promotion! I have seen my maternity leave totally derail my promotion hopes! Nothing illegal - or nothing I could prove - but I'm left feeling that I had I not been on M/L - things would be different.

I am in a simlar but slightly different position. Just found out I am pregnant, am ecstatic, but in the back of my mind I know I have probably f*ed-up the chance of a very big promotion in July. IMO I deserve the promtion and would have probably got it if I had not got pregnant. I am going to try and hide the bump until after the promotion board. If I manage that, and get the promotion, I will have no qualms about taking my maternity leave shortly after getting the promotion.

If you have worked hard at your company, are the best person for the job, and intend to come back after the promotion, then why delay the baby?

Good Luck Artichokes - I would keep it quiet if I were you!

Thanks for all your advice. Had I known how useful this site is I'd have come here years ago! Looks like a green light for baby number 3 and the promotion then!

The day that my boss told me and my colleague that they'd finally sorted out getting us our official promotion (had been doing the role for 18 months, but politics was making getting that role recognised was tricky), I was telling him that I was 14 weeks pg, and colleague had just found out the day before that she was pg with twins. He was great about it, and we managed to cover everything between us and to really expand the role, even though I was off for 4 months, and she was off for 6.

Even if you got pg straight away, you'd have months to get settled in.

Good luck with your promotion, artichokes. Let us know what happens.

take the promotion.

Take the promotion. Congrats!