How long after having baby did you/will you return to work?

[daisylane]

OH and I have been weighing up our finances for next year when baby's here and SMP isn't much at all and I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how much we'd be entitled to in CTC or WTC and whether we'd qualify for a Sure Start Grant... it feels like so much hassle and I won't be bringing in very much and it's very tempting to go back to work earlier, perhaps working part-time for a while.

I was just wondering did you take all 39 weeks of your SMP or did you go back to work earlier, and if so how soon after having baby and what did you do about childcare?

Thank-you for the help girls

 

[babyhopes2010]

im pregnant with baby 1 and i am taking full 39 wks smp although i agress it really isnt alot,then ill go back to work part time as soon as thats finishsed.

 

[Zooy]

I'm only taking 6-7 weeks, I make more than my husband and I love my job so much that the thought of being off for up to 35 weeks makes me crazy!

 

[winterwonder]

I'm not sure about it yet, dont think i'll be off for the whole 39 weeks, as i tend to earn a bit more than DH, on the childcare front my mum lives close by so we'll be relying on her heavily plus i'll probably swap to night shifts so we can avoid paying for additional child care.

 

[DarlingMe]

I am interested to hear the answers to this. I am in the US and the most we are allowed by law is 12 weeks. I dont know of any employers that give anything over that, except maybe in California, but they have different laws there. If you take over 12 weeks you are at risk of losing your job. For many companies that is unpaid unless you have vacation time you can use. We only get 12 weeks total, so if you take time off before, you are losing time after deliver. It amazes me how different the maternity leave is in different parts of the world!

Daisy, since you have quite a bit of time it is a good idea to set aside a good savings now. Maybe get a few months ahead on the bills that you can and put some money in an account. If you are off work for any reason prior to delivery or this way you wont feel pressured to go to back earlier for finances. Some girls say they are happy to come back after 8-12 weeks, others said it went way too fast!

 

[tweedy]

i am taking 3 months maternity then 3 months working from home full time, back to office full time when baby is 6 months, so i'll only drop to smp for 3 months and have been saving to cover this, we are not entitled to any help and have our daughter in parttime childcare which is £300 a month, with the new baby it'll be £500 for 2 days, my mum and mil do a day each and my husband works weekends so has a day off during the week. so our only worry is finding the extra £200 when i return to work, but i'm hoping i'll be able to do a day a week working from home, or hubbie will get a good promotion and payrise next april.

 

[Sherileigh]

I'm in Canada, but I'm taking the full year off! I get topped up to full pay from work for the first 17 weeks and the remainder of the year it's max $450/week less taxes. It's tough, but we'll survive!

 

[Rebaby]

I took 9 months maternity leave plus a few weeks holiday either side as well so in total i was off for just over 10 months.

We're planning for me to do roughly the same thing this time as well.

I'm very fortunate though in that we live in the UK and i work for the NHS which has a good maternity package

 

[M&S+Bump]

I'm in the UK, but went back for the first time when Joe was 10 days old (so technically it was illegal ) and have been back a day or two days a week since then, as well as working from home doing ordering, photography and new product listings, and being constantly on call to answer queries about products and customer questions that the girls can't deal with, and doing all the money-side of things that the accountant doesn't do, like paying bills and wages etc.

It's our business so I didn't really get a choice in the matter but I don't think I would have wanted to stay off long term anyway - it gives me a break away to feel like 'me' again and does wonders for my mental health to be in the loop and retain some slight control over my bit of the business.

OH comes from a massive family so there's always plenty of baby sitters available - his sister usually takes Joe on Saturdays to give us a break and his mum is going to take him every Monday from now on to let me work, and if I need to get something done I only need to phone and someone will come and sit with him here or take him. I'm very very lucky to have that and I don't think I could've coped without them!

 

[chysantheMUM]

I'm self employed so have no option but to go straight back to work because we can't afford for me not to, we're not entitled to any grants or benefits. I will be having 3 weeks off then back to work 3 days a week (10 hour shifts). If I had the choice I would love to have 39 weeks off but I don't

 

[Newlywed52810]

Wow we really dont get much of a maternity leave at all in the US.

I will get 6 weeks of short term disability paid at 80% and then have the option of taking 6 more weeks unpaid. Which I will probably do, so three months total and then I am back to the office!

 

[cherry_pie]

I'm hoping to be able to afford the SMP, we have a little bit of savings to fall back on if the car or hosue or baby needs something as our budget will be only able to stretch for all the necessary bills and food etc but im hoping if we tighten our belts I can last the 39 weeks!

 

[NDH]

I work from home at a very flexible job. It's sort of self employed as I'm contracted and not an employee so I won't be eligible for any maternity pay that I'm aware of. I will probably go back to work fairly soon after but on adjusted hours while I find a schedule that works for me and baby.

 

[CatherineK]

I am in the US, I will be taking two months off (paid), my husband will take a month off. Luckily child care is not a worry, as we work opposite shifts, so one of us is always home with the kids.

 

[ttcmikeandme]

I'm taking 6 weeks off using standard fmla with my pto, then going back. Luckily I work 12 hr shifts, so 3 days a week is full time. My Mom is going to be nanny while Mike and I are at work, so we are going to pay her what we would pay to put the baby in childcare.

 

[ahcigar1]

I will be working till the day I go in labour and will only be taking off 6 weeks, if end up requiring a c-section then it will be 8 weeks. I wish I could take the whole 12 weeks that is alloted to us through FMLA but hubby and I just can't afford to not get paid for that long of a period.

 

[HollieQ]

I'm HOPING to take the full 9 months off, I've just paid off all my small debts and now over the next few months before I leave am saving like crazy, hoping to save a few grand to go along my maternity pay. My hubby has a really good job, so I think we'll be fine. I'm then going back to work 3 days a week and our baby will be going into nursery/childminder - not sure yet, for those 3 days.

I'm self employed so have no option but to go straight back to work because we can't afford for me not to, we're not entitled to any grants or benefits. I will be having 3 weeks off then back to work 3 days a week (10 hour shifts). If I had the choice I would love to have 39 weeks off but I don't

heya hunny, you should be entitiled to Self Employed maternity allowance?

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyT...ort/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

I'm self employed and I think I'll be getting around £400/£500 a month.

 

[nervouspains]

I intented to go back after 9 months... that went to 12... then I couldnt bare to be away from him, so I was going to go back p/t. It turns out I would only be £100 better off a month, and to me, in my eyes, thats not enought to not see my son for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week x

 

[chysantheMUM]

I'm HOPING to take the full 9 months off, I've just paid off all my small debts and now over the next few months before I leave am saving like crazy, hoping to save a few grand to go along my maternity pay. My hubby has a really good job, so I think we'll be fine. I'm then going back to work 3 days a week and our baby will be going into nursery/childminder - not sure yet, for those 3 days.

I'm self employed so have no option but to go straight back to work because we can't afford for me not to, we're not entitled to any grants or benefits. I will be having 3 weeks off then back to work 3 days a week (10 hour shifts). If I had the choice I would love to have 39 weeks off but I don't

heya hunny, you should be entitiled to Self Employed maternity allowance?

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyT...ort/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

I'm self employed and I think I'll be getting around £400/£500 a month.

Hi Hollie, I wish that was enough but I'm afraid it isn't. Maybe your business doesn't have high overheads but I need on average £170 a week to cover the business expenses (rent of premises, business rates, electric, water, gas, insurance etc etc) before even thinking about having money to live off and MA is only about £130 a week, so if I don't work then every week that goes by will be a £50 loss for the business, which will inevitably lead to me losing the business I can't let that happen because I'll only have to start over again years down the line, so my only option is to keep working through what will undoubtably be a difficult time. I want to have my cake and eat it We've looked at it long and hard and the only way it can work without making me bankrupt, is if I keep working. I'm going to claim MA for the 3 weeks that I'll be closing the business and for about 5 weeks leading up to birth, when I will make full use of the KIT days (so will be working about 2 days a week during that time). Then after the birth, I will happily work 3 days a week (albiet very long shifts), because that means that I still get to spend 4 days a week with my baby, whilst maintaining the same level of income Its not ideal but needs must, although I'm still very envious of those that can take full maternity leave

 

[teal]

I took the full year off and used my annual leave on either side so I was off work for over 14 months xx