I was made redundant whilst on maternity leave with dd. I had previously been doing a regional role, covering the North of the country, from Aberdeen to Stafford. I was horrified when I was made redundant, and as I'm a HR Manager, managed to squeeze quite a bit of dosh out of them.
Paid off all my debts, then found a temporary part time job, 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday, covering maternity leave. The previous incumbent decided not to return and I was made permanent in December 08.
I would never have been able to go pt in my previous role, and the regional nature of it would have, in hindsight, been impossible to manage with dd.
It was so, so difficult at the time, and I found it heartbreaking, despite my chosen field. But it really did work out for the best, in my case.