How long do most people take as maternity leave?

[Gangle]

Are most people going for a full year? People I have spoken to really vary but get the impression 9 -12 months is average. Not many seem to take only 6.

Out of my self employed friends, none have taken more than 6 months. 3-4 months seems to be the norm

I took a year and mat leave and a month of holidays - 13 months total - with DD. I went back to work (teacher) 2 days a week.

We managed by saving up about £10K before we had DD. We didn't end needing that much though. I spent far less on mat leave and I sold my car so that was a really big saving. My car cost me approx £500 a month (£350 in petrol) and the monthly bus pass was £40.

Oh, and I did all 10 KIT days so the wages from those paid the equivalent of 3 months SMP meaning we didn't have to cope with the 3 months unpaid.

"True, reallytired- but usually you'd need to be paying for the childcare place still even if you're not using it"

I think a lot depends on which part of the country you are in and difficultly in getting a nursery place. Sometimes it can be benefical to have year off to enable your three year old to attend school nursery instead of day nursery. Or if your child is a little older then having mum at home is convienent when you have a staggered start and lots of half days in reception.

As stargirl1701 says there are significant costs in going to work as well as childcare. I don't think that being at home with two small children is lazy option or even necessarily the most expensive option.

Having a happy mum is important and what makes different people happy varies.

Remember a lot of the previous comments are about maternity leave taken before you got SMP for 9 months.

I had 5 months off with DD. At the time you got 6 month's SMP. When I worked out how little money, after nursery fees, train fares, lunches etc, I took home for the first month over and above the SMP I would have got it was really depressing!

This time I am not going back to work until 9 months. Would that be a better option for you - to use up all the SMP period, then a month of holiday if you want to take it to 10 months? You don't mention any company maternity pay so assuming you just get SMP.

DD settled into nursery really well at 4 months old. DS is getting a bit clingy and I am concerned it will be harder for him.

As you are the main breadwinner is it an option for your DP to take some additional paternity leave?

Any chance of working at home one day? Even if your baby is in nursery all day, you won't have to commute and will see them morning and evening that day?

Working 12 hour days will be really tough. I do pick ups as I have a much shorter commute than DH so I always had to leave the office at 5 to get to nursery on time. This meant I was much more focussed and didn't faff about as I knew everything had to get done within a certain time. I did go in early and rarely had a lunch break. There were occasions I would be dealing with matters on the train, or in the evening after putting DD to bed. Are you able to speak to your boss about the workload. Are you able to tell your employer that you want to pick up from nursery two days a week so, say on tue and thu you need to leave at x time?

Agree that now is not the best time to think about it. Wait until your baby is a few months old and rethink.

Thanks everyone - it is a very confusing time! On the upside my baby is moving for the first time today and I will get to see it at 20 week scan on Friday! I think I am going to leave it at 12 months for now and maybe go back earlier depending on financial situation and how I feel. Now if you could all give me some advice on managing the Mother-In-Law as well then I'll definitely be feeling better :-). She seems to feel it is her place to meddle in our already meagre finances and causing trouble with DH :-(

I took 2 weeks and then went back or from home gradually building up my hours. 11 weeks now and approx 35% . Not using childcare though.

Put your mil in her place or get youroh too.

Should have said - I'm selfemployed and love my job - plus I've lucked out with an easy baby, and that a thing you can't plan for!

Hi,

I took 12 months with both of my children. So wish I could take 12 months off now just for me :-)

I took 14 months off, when you add in holidays, with dd. It was a struggle but she was poorly when first born and I lost my mum when she was 5 months. I don't think I could have gone back earlier. We had some savings and I became a bargain queen!
Pregnant again and planning taking the maximum time again. Dd will be at school so I won't be paying out on childcare.
We have started making up a little nest egg to keep us going again.

2 months off. Then 4 months working from home/ part time out. Back to pretty much full time at 6 months. However didn't need to use childcare at that age as combined dh working from home, me working from home, taking them with me, and grandparent help

I live in a country where you get 45 days. 45 days! I added on some holiday to that, and have negotiated a bit more time off, but this is all unpaid. Most I will have off is 4 months.

Makes you really think hard abut whether you can afford a child or not as there is zero financial support from the government.

A immensely jealous of the uk where it seems the government basically pays foryou to have a baby.

A year off both times, first time 16 wks pay then SMP for however long it was, second time think it was 24wks pay then SMP till 9 mths.
Didn't really prepare first time but saved a bit second even though we had more income, helped to pay for nursery when it kicked in.

Are there mums to be on short term contracts? my employer pays smp then I go to mat allowance with no top up from them? Dh has no work at moment and is older than and disabled so i will probably always be main earner. My contract ends 9months after babydue so whatever time i take off eats i to the time i can go back to a paid job. Reckon I will have to go back early so dh xan look after baby some of the time. Very hard these days with short term contracts, permanent jobs with good mat pay are hard to get

Took maximum both times 9 months first time 14 second time Stat maternity only both times
Knew I would have to work forever so thought I should take all the time offI could First time financially was easy as went from free spending lots of holiday nights out etc so saved lots when I was at home with my feet up watching TV

Second time a bit tougher

16 months, used loads of extra parental leave (unpaid). Luckily we could
Afford it

I took 6mo but I'm self employed and flexible. I started at just 2.5days a week and built up to 4days at around 15mo.

I took 6 months for both. 2008 and 2010.

I took 8 months with dc 1, 1 year with dc2 and 2.5 years with dc 3...

Both the last 2 I left work as not sure what I was going to do, and found new jobs to go back to.