Is everybody going back to work?

[LadyBug923]

Is everybody continuing work as normal after the little one arrives? I'm considering stepping down positions and dropping to part time hours after my maternity leave. But I feel so guilty about it! Also super nervous to take the cut in pay. But child care would be half of my monthly income... The other half would go to rent and bills so I would be paying to work full time. If I get the part time position I want then my MIL can watch the baby so I would have free child care.

Is anybody else considering going back to less hours or not going back at all?

 

[ay2808]

I know very few people who have gone back full time, that's not to say it can't or shouldn't be done. I think it depends on your job and childcare arrangements.

 

[Becky1987]

I went back part time after my first. I would bloody love to give up if we were in a position to....I think if we are lucky enough to have a third then I wouldn't go back whilst they were all little. If you can afford to I don't see why not? Some people unfortunately don't have a choice. Do what's right for you and your family and don't worry about what people think. X

 

[captainj1]

I'm having 6 months off and then going back full time. DH works full time too but I'm the main breadwinner. We could cope without him working but he doesn't want to be at home so that's that. We can afford the childcare.

 

[Mintastic]

I'm hoping to take about 3 months off and then go back only part time at first. But we'll see how it goes and how money is doing by then...

 

[tulip1975]

In the US, we have it a little different than the UK gals, so I'll give you my take.

This all depends on whether it's a just a job or a career. Personally, I would not step down positions to take part time work. If I could swing it in the same position, I would definitely consider it.

Yes, now your full-time salary only covers the day care differential, but will you be foregoing an increase in earning capacity and career progression during the time you are at the part time job? Will it be more difficult to resume once you are ready to go back full-time? Those are the real questions - not just how short-term money balances out.

There's no right or wrong answer, but just be aware that may be more considerations than what happens in the next 3-6 months if you are nurturing a career.

I will be back full-time after leave, but I also have a career where I've been able to increase my earnings by 30% in less than 4 years and the number of years sitting in my position means a lot.

 

[Cattia]

I have gone back 4 days a week after both my children and will do the same after this one. I'm the main earner so there is no choice. I've been working in a temporary promotion before taking maternity leave this time around. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I loved it. Now the job is coming up permanently whilst I am on maternity leave and I have to decide whether to apply or not. I should be able to do it on four days still. It's a job I like, and it's more money but I am worried that with more responsibility there will be extra hours and it will affect my family time more. For example it means 8 days less summer holiday (I'm a teacher and this is a management position so comes with less holiday). I'm torn and unsure whether applying is the right thing. It's very hard to balance work and family, especially if you earn more than your partner and you enjoy working.

 

[Christina86]

I have to go back at least PT. I don't work now though. I am doing my internship and going to school FT. So once I graduate with my BSW, I will look for a job in my field. There is no way we'd be able to last financially without me working. I will most likely hope to find a job when baby is 3-4 months (I can probably find one sooner but that is the latest in the timeline of lasting without running out of money). I'll start out PT as long as we are okay financially. I'll probably do that until baby is ready to start school and then go back to work FT. (If I have to do FT right away then that is what I'll do)

 

[SarahBear]

My husband is the stay-at-home parent around here, so I will be returning to full time work when the baby is about 2 months old.

 

[FlowerFairy]

I'll be going back full time on 5th October even having 4 kids.

 

[dom85]

I'm not planning on returning to the employer I've been working for while I've been pregnant, but I am planning on using the time that I am on paid leave to spend some time learning and hopefully building my own business in an area that I've wanted to for a while that's more creative.

We would be ok with me not working at all but I do like working, I just want to work in something that will make me happier. I would see how you feel when baby is born, I went back to work early last time even though it was basically only covering child care and bills because I found I needed the environment where I wasn't Mum but i was myself.

 

[Mintastic]

To tulip - I'm not really sure how that is a US perspective. I am in the US and my job is my career job.
Not all careers are cutthroat business careers that don't respect parenting.
In fact, if all goes as planned, after doing part time for a while the plan is for me to be promoted to a higher position than I am in now. I held off on starting that position when they offered it to me initially as I knew I would be needing maternity leave soon enough so we worked it out this way.

 

[aknqtpie]

I am planning on not going back to work full time until after 4th of July weekend. But I might transition and work part time before that, just depends on how I am feeling. Assuming baby shows up within a week of her due date.. that will be about 10 weeks off.

 

[pansorie]

Only working on the weekends after LO is born. So looking forward to it!! The department drama at my job is insane but I have too much time there under my belt to quit.

 

[misspriss]

I hope not, the plan has always been for me to be a SAHM after the second is born, but DH has not has the luck finding a good job we had hoped.

 

[zorak]

To tulip - I'm not really sure how that is a US perspective. I am in the US and my job is my career job.
Not all careers are cutthroat business careers that don't respect parenting.
In fact, if all goes as planned, after doing part time for a while the plan is for me to be promoted to a higher position than I am in now. I held off on starting that position when they offered it to me initially as I knew I would be needing maternity leave soon enough so we worked it out this way.

I'm in the US too. With my first I considered doing less hours but my boss told me not to she is happy for me to do a shorter day and still get paid the same. I just need to make sure if something needs attention I do it from home in the evening. Its been brilliant .

With this baby we are relocating back to the UK and this will allow me to be a SAHM.

 

[bump2be]

I'm going back full time. I need it for my sanity, wallet and going part time is not an option .

 

[DebbieF]

I went back part time after my daughter was born. It only lasted about 3-4 months and then we decided it was better for me to stay at home with her full time.

 

[butterflywolf]

I'm a stay at home mom already. We decided with child care cost I would have to make 1600 or more a month. With what I was working I was making 1300 a month. So my husband works full time while I watch our child and soon to be children. We are fine with this arrangement and it has been my dream to be a stay at home mom. I worked hard in my earlier years to save a lot of money so we could make this work. (Was able to have our monthly payments for our house be 450.00 due to the large down payment we could put down on it).

 

[mrs_park]

I have not been back to full time work since having my first. We have a small business that we run from home that supplements my husbands income. If money gets tight I will focus on building that up more.

I also want to study once this baby is around 3 or 4.