Hi all,

Gate crashing from Pregnancy, but wanted your thoughts and experiences on maternity leave and going back to work full time.

Looking at my maternity policy with my job, I'm only going to be able to afford to take about 18 weeks maternity (plus 3 weeks annual leave). I'm really lucky really as for those 18 weeks I pretty much get the same amount of pay as I would if I was working. But after those 18 weeks, the pay drops to just SMP, which we cannot afford for me to take.

When I go back to work, I'm HOPING (boss has okayed this, just need to chat to personel now) that I can have every other Friday off (and hubby will do similar for the other friday) but not actually drop hours, just extend my hours for the other 9 working days in a fortnight (if that makes sense?!). My mum has then offered to have baby for two days a week, and we'll use a child minder in the area that I work (as I can easily leave work if there's a problem, hubby can't. Typical really as he works about 5/10 minutes from home, and I work about 40 mins, but hey, can't be helped.) for the other 2 days.

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit worried that 18 (21 with annual leave) weeks is really short. Whats going to happen with LO going onto finger foods and things. I'm sure the child minder we choose will have plenty of experience with that type of thing, but I still wonder. Plus, with baby's evening meal and bed times and things (reading you ladies on here to look at normal bedtimes and evening meal times etc) and that I won't be finishing work until gone 5, then having to pick LO up and drive home...I just can't see how timings and things will work! I feel like I'll hardly do anything with baby during the week!

Can you please share your experiences and how you work your week?

Thanks

C xxx
17+2

Hi I can't offer advice but I am in a similar boat, My boss has suggested I can work flexible hours and partly work from home but as I am only 12 weeks I haven't ironed all these things.

However I only get SMP, so that is just six weeks at 90%, can't afford to live after that point, hoping to roll two weeks over from this year, plus use a couple of weeks from next year but I am still at only 10 weeks. Most nurseries I am looking at are from 1 year onwards so really not sure what I am going to do.

I have no family locally who can help with childcare so I will have to pay for it all, can't really afford an inhouse childminder, so need to find a nursery that will take from a few months old :-(

Really stressed about it and don't know what to do. On paper hubbie and I earn too much money to get any help but we live to our means and have our mortgage to pay.

How are we supposed to afford kids??? x x x

Hiya sorry to hear your not goin to get long off. I went back to work part time when my lo was 4months old it took sum gettin used to but once we'd got used to the routine it was jst normal.

I then started full time when lo was bout 9 months old, I work 9-5 at the moment my work won't let me change my hours which is annoyin, but at least i've got a job. I drop my lo at the childminders at 8.30 and in the morning its a bit of a rush but we manage, i try to organise stuff in the eve, but it doesn't always happen. I then pick my lo up and 5.30 we go home and she generally goes to bed bout 6.15 6.30ish so we don't really get a lot of time together during the week, but unfortunately we have no choice. My childminder gives lo her evening meal as well as it's b too late if i did when we got home. The childminder should take your wihses on board within reason, mine sticks to my lo's routine pretty much altho my lo doesn't always sleep alot there cos she's too nosey, and as you said hopefully the childminder will have lots of experience.

Good luck with the rest of ur pg xx

I'm self-employed so couldn't afford to take any time off as it would be detrimental for the business. I was back to work running around to meetings and chasing clients just after 3 weeks (I had c-section). I've got a childminder in the house since week 1, have changed a few since the beginning - my DS is 4 months old now. Of course I miss him if I'm out and about all day, same as my partner when he comes back home. We just try to make the most of it when we are home - take him for walks, take him to playgroups, go swiming at weekends, play and read books before he falls asleep around 10-1030pm. We've got routine in place and have just started weaning, I'm also breast-feeding twice a day. He's always really happy to see us, but he likes to just play in the gym and see other people. As long as the childcare you arrange is good - whether Ofsted registered or not - you will be fine. Children are a lot more adaptable than us and I think it's mostly us moms worrying about it all and struggling to let go and not be around LO's all the time. Good luck!