Work after baby??

[luckyme225]

I always thought after we had our son that I would go back to work 3 days a week but now that I'm finding it hard to find part-time daycare I might just work six days a month. Also, as I am getting closer to the end of this pregnancy it seems like the thought of being away from my baby is harder and harder! So heres my question.... What are you/ did you do when your baby is born? Work full time, part time, or stay at home and what helped you come to that conclusion. Thank you ladies

 

[DeeStar03]

My husband and I have agreed that he wants me home with the baby... he doesnt want an infant baby in daycare.. I only get 9 weeks maternity leave.. so Im going to come back and put in for my 2 weeks and not have to work until my little guy is a bit older to go to day care on his own.. I don't want to leave him by himself... and this IS MY FIRST pregnancy so I want to be involved in a lot of it... so I will NOT be going back to work... I will be a stay at home Mommy!!!... hope this helps!

 

[acv_17]

I'm not pregnant yet, but I have thought of what I'm going to do. I want to take 3 months off, and go back part time, maybe working for like 6 hours a day in the early morning, and be off before OH has to go to work at 1:30...that way someone will always be there with the baby, and I'll be home most of the day. I work at wal-mart so I'm hopeful they'll be able to work with me there. I'd love to be a stay at home mom but with our incomes we wouldn't be able to afford it unless Adam gets a management position, lol

 

[ColtonsMom]

With my job I wasn't making enough to even worry with it. I didn't even make enough money to pay for gas, lunch, and a babysitter! So instead of saying, "I'm taking a maternity leave", I just put in my two weeks. They all understood, as I also drive over an hour to get there, for only 6.50!
I think we are going to try it with me being a stay at home mother for awhile, and if we need the money (which we probably will, we will cut it REALLY close with only Jamie working; even if he gets a full 40 hours, which he hasn't been getting here recently) then I am going to go apply for jobs around town, and try and talk my mother into babysitting when I am off that way we dont have to pay a babysitter

 

[Holldoll]

I'm in a different situation in that I own my own business, so I can't just quit. We are going to hire a nanny for 2 if not 3 days a week. I won't be gone all of those days (hopefully, just 4 hours a day, twice a week), but I still have to run my business so I might need someone here that 3rd day so that I can get stuff done, extra appts., blah, blah, blah

 

[snugglemuffin]

I went to college when my son was 8 months old with allot of help from goverment! I had my son at 17 and realised I needed to set a good example and set us up for a brighter future. I also realised with being so young there will be so many years of my life where he is all grow up and won't need me around so i needed to make provisions for a life for myself. I got all my GCSE's and then had to work as i could no longer fund the childcare.Me and Joshuas dad had broken up before i found out i was preggers and still has an awsome relationship with josh but does not contribute finantially as he is just not capable and has a family of his own nw that he is struggling to support and i knew he couldnt to begin with and accepted this and knew it was up to me. Me and my partner were not living together until recently and i didnt expect him to have any financial responsibility. so i started to work to fund the childcare and get enough together to get back into education. I have an exhibition 2 months i think after baby is born, I am working and going to university with this baby. I will be taking my maternity leave and dropping hours to bare minimum whilst doing my degree part time. But basically because of the order i have done things i really didn't have to much choice or i would be on benefit for the rest of my life. my partner obviously does his part now and is looking for his job now he has his education finished
Childcare is all sorted already but just me and baby until october! I can also do allot of my degree at home.

I wonder did i just totally ramble there? Im still at college now to and will have to take my work in a week after baby to get marked and sorted for uni interviews mmmm Joy! Ill take my rubber ring i think

 

[luckyme225]

Thanks for the responses ladies! I'm finding them to be very helpful!!

 

[BurtonBaby]

I'm going to stay at home for a little bit when LO is born... But then go back at least part time. Luckily, between DH having a flexible schedule, my mom living right near us, and my sister going to school, they are all going to help with childcare since we dont want an infant in daycare either. With the stories you hear these days, its too scary. And it would be hard to be away from LO a long time too. Before being pregnant, I worked atleast 9 1/2 hours a day... since I was always working on moving up. I would work for 2 weeks or more without a day off... NO WAY am I doing that after baby is here tho.

 

[luckyme225]

I know this is such a tough decision!! I just know if I feel this way now there is no way I'll be able to leave my little guy when he comes! I think I'll just have to work a few times a month on days my OH has off so he will be home with our boy.

 

[CK Too]

I´m planning on staying home for the first year and then hopefully will go back to work just 25%. Over here they bought in a new law at the beginning of this year, basically to make having children financially easier for the first year, as the birth rate had dropped so much. I get paid 67% of my pre birth wage for the first 12 months, if your partner takes paternity leave as well, you get the payments for 14 months. That makes a hell of a difference. I can take up to three years off work (but the other two years would be unpaid) and still be able to go back to job afterwards.

I don´t think we could afford to do that though. The only snag with me going back to work, is that I work as an air stewardess, so my job is shift work, not 9-5 and sometimes I´ll have overnights. If I got back to work just 25% or 33% its basically 6-7 days a month. As we have no family in the direct vicinity, we´d have to pay for childcare and at the end of the day I´d have to see if the amount I´d earn would just cover childcare or childcare plus a bit more. If I´m just paying for childcare, then theres no point and I´d just have to stay at home. Ideally I´d like to stay home for the first two years - but as usual its finances that dictate what we´ll have to do!!

 

[anita665]

I'm still pregnant with my first but I can't see myself going back to work for a long time. It makes me a bit sad because I enjoy working & I'm already itching to find a new job.

Childcare costs too much though and also I'd like to make the most of my baby growing up. I might consider doing a few mornings or evenings a week eventually though but otherwise it won't be till he's in school - and if my plans work out I'll be wanting to ttc again around then too so who knows!!

I'm nervous about spending so much time out of work and then trying to get back into it though.

 

[clairebear]

im going to be a stay at home mummy but maybe get an evening job to help pay the bills xx

 

[luckyme225]

I'm still pregnant with my first but I can't see myself going back to work for a long time. It makes me a bit sad because I enjoy working & I'm already itching to find a new job.

Childcare costs too much though and also I'd like to make the most of my baby growing up. I might consider doing a few mornings or evenings a week eventually though but otherwise it won't be till he's in school - and if my plans work out I'll be wanting to ttc again around then too so who knows!!

I'm nervous about spending so much time out of work and then trying to get back into it though.

I know what you mean~ thats the scariest part about staying home. I just hope I'm not out of my field so long I forget everything =/ luckily with working 6 days a month when my maternity leave is over might help keep me on my toes. Everything is always changing around the hospital.

 

[KarenLV]

I resigned from my job when I found out I was pregnant. I loved my job but I will love this baby so much more. I want to give my baby all the attention he/she needs and I know if I went back to work I would just feel guilty all day long. I dont have a 9-5 job,so it is hard (I'm a flight attendant). On some ultra long flights I stay away from home upto 11 days. That is not fair on a little baby who is innocent. So,now I looking forward to being a fulltime mommy! My husband is also hoping that I would become a domestic goddess but he can dream on...he-he.

 

[Linzi]

Id love to be a stay at home mum, but we can't afford to. if we got a smaller house in not as nice an area then I possibly could but we want to stay here as its such a nice area to bring a child up in. In the long run it means he can go to our local school which is a really good one as well.

I also like to be a bit independant. I like to have my own time and money, even if its not a lot, and I think if I gave up work I couldn't have that.

I would love to stay at home but it's just not practical for us.

xxx

 

[Vickie]

I'm going to be staying home for a while after the baby. My paycheck isn't even enough to cover the cost of childcare here so there's really no reason for me to go back right away.

 

[Always&4ever]

I thought about being a SAHM but finances put an end to that, I'm planning on going back part time at the moment, but who knows what will happen when she arrives, I wouldn't want to leave her with anyone besides my hubby, luckily my mum would be there to help out when we needed her

 

[BeanieMummy]

I stayed at home with my oldest my finances forced me back full time. I am very lucky though I take my children to a lady in the neighborhood that stopped working to watch her own grandchildren. She was been watching my 8 year old since she was 18 months old and I dont know what i would do if she decided to stop doing daycare. She is as much a part of my family the youngest thought she had 3 grandma's

 

[lady3]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. All I can think about is being at home with the baby, but I've also worked very hard for my job/position. I got put in a leadership position where I work just this year, which is really good. I then got pregnant (accident) a month after I was appointed. I'm enjoying my job, but I do work long hours, and I don't want to go back to the same high position after the baby comes. HOWEVER, saying that, I also know that I have worked my bum off for this, and I don't want to not be able to get back into it.

I think, for now anyway, I will be taking at least 6 months off (more if we can afford it) and then go back 4 days a week. For childcare my MIL has talked about taking the baby 1 day a week, which is great. I would also put the baby in childcare as I think it's good for the baby to be around others for social/play skills, even building up immunity with other children!! Still I'm not totally sure on any of this. Guess I have a LOT more thinking to do!

 

[luckyme225]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. All I can think about is being at home with the baby, but I've also worked very hard for my job/position. I got put in a leadership position where I work just this year, which is really good. I then got pregnant (accident) a month after I was appointed. I'm enjoying my job, but I do work long hours, and I don't want to go back to the same high position after the baby comes. HOWEVER, saying that, I also know that I have worked my bum off for this, and I don't want to not be able to get back into it.

I think, for now anyway, I will be taking at least 6 months off (more if we can afford it) and then go back 4 days a week. For childcare my MIL has talked about taking the baby 1 day a week, which is great. I would also put the baby in childcare as I think it's good for the baby to be around others for social/play skills, even building up immunity with other children!! Still I'm not totally sure on any of this. Guess I have a LOT more thinking to do!

I agree... this is a very tough decision when you have such a good job. I'm at high risk for preterm labor so I know if he does come early theres NO WAY I could put him in childcare his first year of life. I also plan on breastfeeding so I know it would be hard to be at work at breastfeed. At least working when my OH is off would give him time to bond with our baby as well as give me a little time to myself.

Hearing everyones responses is very helpful