Returning to work after babies?

[Staceysparkle]

I was wondering how everyone feels about the thought of having to return to work after maternity leave as it is one of my main concerns and reasons I'm WTT. The thought of having to go back to work and leave my baby with a stranger terrifies me and I really don't know how I would deal with this. My OH is on £14,500 and it would be impossible for us to live of this alone but if I went back to work nearly all of my wages would go on childcare and this seems pointless having to work to pay all my wages to a childminder. We are both trying to save as much as possible to enable me to stay off work as long as we can afford but I only earn £16,000 myself so after rent, bills etc there is little left to save. I just wondered if anyone else had the same concerns?

 

[lozzy21]

Im not to botherd, We earn less than you but could afford it if i go back 3 days a week with my mam looking after lo.

 

[fuffyburra]

Same as Lozzy, or I've been thinking about being a childminder for about 5 years anyway so when wem ove out that's something to think about Things always work out in the end, no point fretting. Hope you feel better soon xx

 

[plutosblue]

I'm worried about that too hun, I think if I scrimp and save and we watch our money carefully I may be able to return part time to work instead of full time but its still scary to try and have to live off one wage and tid bits. I am just going to bug the family and try and get one of them to play babysitter

They all know we are trying this April and it will be the first granchild on both sides so hopefully they know what they are in for!

 

[Strawberries]

I plan to take as long as possible for maternity leave, and then just go back part-time until all of my children are in school 9-3. I think, with being careful we should manage fine on OH's wage and my half wage.

 

[Blob]

Hmmm Im not going back to work until they are older we just kinda use money wisley and then i will go back to uni so that we can afford the school fees

 

[LadyofRohan]

I'm not returning to work until the babies are in school. We plan on having at least two so I'll be out of work for a bit! We can live off of DH's salary, especially if he gets the promotion he's applying for (cross your fingers!). It just means keeping a budget and no holidays for a while

 

[Blob]

Fingers crossed for you!!

 

[goddess25]

I wish I could stay at home but i pay the mortgage and we cant afford it, unfortunately with my job you cant just go part time there has to be a part time job advertised and then you apply with everyone else, so i will be going back to work full time 12 hour days and nights which i am stressed about as we can fine NO ONE to do childcare. There are no nurseries that do the hours i need so husband is thinking about staying home we will see... he earns less than me! I just dont know what to do!

 

[Lexx]

I am worried about this to. Is there any social workers out there that work flexi time or are just about to go back to work after met leave?

 

[fairygirl]

I'm planning to do 3 days a week and OH have 2 of them as his day off (does mean he works every weekend though) and hopefully have my stepmum do the other day. If not I'll have to go back for 2 days. No way we can afford for me not to work.

 

[bunnyg82]

I am really hoping that I will only have to go back part time, but we haven't worked out the ins and outs of exactly how part time and how we are going to afford it. I guess we should look into it, but I wouldn't know where to start and I think it's happier burying my head in the sand for now! ha!! x

 

[Sooz]

We are also having to consider me going back to work part-time or flexi-time. Not sure what my company will think though and it might mean a demotion too as I can't really do my current job part-time. I know we can just about live off one of our wages as we did it when DH was made redundant and we earn about the same as each other now, but it would mean a lot of sacrifice.

Alternatively I could do nights and weekends full-time as DH works 8-4 but it would mean never seeing each other or aving family time. It's a tough call.

 

[PeanutBean]

Well I returned to work last week after my maternity leave. I didn't want to to but like others my job doesn't come in the part time form and I am the main earner so we couldn't afford for me not to return. So I've had to return full time. It's not great and I'd rather be home but it's been easier than I thought. Even Byron has settled in at nursery well. I've got loads of holiday so am onyl working two days a week until next year but then Byron will be in nursery for three days, with his Dad for one and my Mum for the other. It's very expensive!

 

[mandaa1220]

i won't want to go back... but i will definately have to... benefits are too wonderful as a teacher.

 

[Staceysparkle]

Thanks everyone its good to hear I'm not the only one concerned about this and I feel much better hearing I'm not alone. My OH's boss has just resigned so he is going to apply for the job which would mean a much better salary so if he got that we could probably manage on his salary alone even though it would be a strugle. If not we'll just have to keep saving I guess and hope we can manage on his wage. Both our parents work full time so would have to find a childminder if I went back to work which I'm not prepared to do but I might look into becoming a childminder myself after hearing some of you mentioning it. Thanks everyone I'm feeling much more positive now