How much maternity leave will you get/take?

[BabyJayne]

In the UK you can take 12 months, but renumeration depends on the company you work for. As statutory you can take up to 9 months with payment, and three extra months unpaid. I took 8 months last time and will take 9 months this time.

 

[Smile181c]

In my job I get 26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks statutory mat pay and then I can take an extra additional 13 weeks unpaid if I want to. But I can also use annual leave before if I want to leave earlier, and my annual leave still accrues whilst I'm off on maternity leave so I can add some on after as well.

 

[LostandFound]

Wow such a big variety. I took 9 months maternity allowance last time, but as a self-employed have been able to be a bit flexible about work. I'm currently shortlisted for a dream job though and haven't told them i'm expecting but, if offered the job, i wanted to have a think about how soon i'd be willing to back after baby, etc.

 

[pixxi]

I can take up to a year. Last time I took 9 months but I was on enhanced maternity pay then for being with the company a while. This time I'm around a month short of qualifying for that, so money will be a lot tighter but I'm hoping to take 9 months again, and then use annual leave to reduce my hours to 2 days a week for another three months after that, so it will feel more like a year.

The US system seems so unfair. 6 weeks for a natural birth? I was only just recovering from the physical effects by that point! Certainly could not have even entertained going back to sitting in an office for 8 hours a day.

 

[Sbmack]

I took 12 weeks last time and I plan on taking 12 weeks this time. I work for a small company and have been employed with them for 9 years. I got full pay last time the whole time I was out and I hope to again. When I went back to work I cut back to four days a week. I'm hoping to go down to three after this pregnancy. I realize I am very lucky for being in the USA, but I still think three months is too short. Six would be nice and a year would be even better.

 

[cheree89]

I can't even imagine getting 6 to 9 months paid to be home with my baby. That would be a dream come true.

 

[Heatherga2015]

if i ever get my i will take 3 weeks off.

 

[steele]

I took the full year with my son and by the time I went back, my brain was mush! I'll be taking 6 months off this time, maybe less if I start to feel myself going stir crazy!

 

[Lithodora]

I'm taking just under 3 months, if I don't work I don't get paid so have no choice!

 

[Ladybirdgb]

I only do two says a week I plan to finish work as I don't earn enough to claim maternity pay I will get maternity allowance from the U.K. government. I had to do this when I had my daughter as I was made redundant and the company liquidated. The only time I have ever had money from the government is when I have had a baby otherwise I have worked.

I won't be signing on either after the maternity allowance is finished

 

[bathbabe]

I will be taking 9months off 5.5 of them will be 90% and the rest 100% I cant afford to take the last 3months unpaid but id love a year off with my baby xx

 

[icegurl470]

Unfortunately, I too live in the states and will only have up to 12 weeks and hope to take at least 10 weeks of that. Luckily I have short term disability and will get the first 6 weeks 2/3 pay. I'm going to save up as much vacation time as I can, but, according to my calculations, I will likely have to take 2 weeks unpaid.

I took the full 12 weeks with my first, 6 weeks 2/3 pay and the remaining 6 weeks paid vacation time, and I would love to do the same with my second, but I will not have built my vacation time back up enough and taking more than a couple weeks unpaid is not an option..

Hopefully the US will eventually adopt some sort of mandated paid leave. A waitress at the restaurant my husband and I frequent had to return to work immediately after having her baby, ended up hemorrhaging and having to get a blood transfusion. She could have died. The first 6 weeks, or 8 weeks Cesarean, is the time it takes your body to heal from having a baby. Even if your feeling better after a couple weeks it's important to limit yourself. I'm the primary provider for my family, I know how important it is to get a paycheck, but put your health first!

 

[icklemonster]

I'll be taking a year, but 4 weeks of that will be using annual leave. Discussing with DH us looking into the new shared paternity leave rules and him taking a month of our shared leave allowance.

I loved every second of my maternity leave with DD. I took a full year, and it really surprised me how much it flew by, as I had been so career focussed before that. I didn't have any problems slotting back into my old role after year off, even though I went back 3 days.

I'll go back 3 days again after my next maternity leave.

I realise how lucky I am being in the UK. Until I joined B&B I didn't realise what a harsh deal US Mums get for maternity leave, healthcare costs etc. I thought for the western world it would be more family friendly xxx

 

[daydream]

4 weeks before, 6 weeks after is disability (full pay through employer), then 8 weeks addtl paid leave through my employer, and I'll take PTO to round out going back when baby is five months old.

 

[CarolinDallas]

I'll take the 5 or 6 weeks we have for maternity leave (short disability at 2/3 salary.) Hopefully I can take 4 more weeks of FMLA (unpaid.) I'm not very happy to send a 6 week old baby to daycare. And I just discovered DH and I have to share those 12 weeks of FMLA because we work at the same company...

 

[flamingpanda]

Either 6 or 9 months, I'm undecided at the moment and have lots of planning to do in terms of finances.

 

[Strawberries]

Nine months for sure, hopefully the full year if we can stretch the pennies a bit

 

[Lil_Pixie]

In my job I get 26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks statutory mat pay and then I can take an extra additional 13 weeks unpaid if I want to. But I can also use annual leave before if I want to leave earlier, and my annual leave still accrues whilst I'm off on maternity leave so I can add some on after as well.

This too!

I think the legal minimum in the UK is 6 weeks full pay isn't it?

I'm not sure but my employer recently increased theirs a from 12 to 26 weeks at 100% pay which is amazing. I would imagine I'd take the 13 weeks smp too but maybe not the unpaid leave (it killed us last time) although actually, we'll be saving £700 a month in childcare fees while I'm at home so maybe I will.

 

[adr75050]

Im in the U.S. so maternity leave stinks. I want 8 weeks but I work in education so no paid leave is available. I have about 4 weeks worth of paid time off saved up and will use it all in October when baby comes. I will cash in my days and still get paid. But come November, we are in trouble because I have no more days so that means no paycheck for the month of November. Im starting a new job in August because we are moving, so my benefits dont kick in until Sept 1st. Disability insurance clearly states that it is not applicable to pre-existing conditions and by the time I meet with them in August i will be 7 months so no hiding that. FMLA (12 weeks of unpaid leave) only applies if you have been employed for a year and I will be a new hire. Dont know what we are going to do.

 

[crazycatlady5]

I'm in Canada so the full year. I know they top up to 100% for the first bit but I haven't double checked how long that is yet, and then it's something like 60%. I may job share and just work half time for a few years once I go back, we'll see, I love my job but I don't think I could leave my baby full time. Also, child care is so expensive that really will it make that big of a difference??

Wow, 5-6 weeks for some of you in the states??? How do you breast feed if you're expected to go back to work at 5-6 weeks? I find that shocking...