Maternity Leave

[Bella2]

Bit early for me to be thinking this lol but just wondered if any of you had thought about when you'll start your maternity leave? As I have a desk job I'm hoping to work right up until the end of September which will be 3 weeks before my due date, that way I get more time to spend with baby once he/she is here Will probably only take 6 months maternity leave as I only work for a small company and all I get is statutory mat pay how poo! Then plan to come back just on a part time basis all being well. What are your plans ladies?

 

[Mummy2Adam]

Im like you hunny, im planning on staying in work untilbabout 2 weeks before baby is due, i did the same with Adam, ive not decided on the length of time im taking off just yet, i get 18 weeks full pay plus i get my holidays during this time so i might add some onto the end x x

 

[Bella2]

18 weeks full pay is great! I do get my full holiday allowance, still have about 16 days left to take this year then will have next years allocation so I may well do the same and tack some of that on to boost the money! x x

 

[Coco pops]

Hi girls!

I am going on Mat leave 4 weeks before, I have quite a generous holiday entitlement so will be taking that before so my mat leave will not kick in till just before my dues date. I will be taking 9 months as like you Bella2 I only get statutory, we are saving now to cover the loss of my earnings. I want to come back part time but I haven't discussed that with my employer yet I will do that nearer the time

xx

 

[Bella2]

I'm the same coco-pops, doing all the saving I can now! Just seen our due dates are only 2 days apart! Exciting! x x

 

[Coco pops]

Very exciting and also a little terrifying at how quickly the time is going!!

 

[Bella2]

I know eek! x x

 

[Bunnykins]

I only have 39 working days left (64 calendar days!) until I go on maternity leave!! sooo excited!!!
I'm finishing work on 5th August and taking 12 days hol, then 7 days full pay for the bank hols I accrue whilst off, so my official mat leave starts 2nd Sept.

I'm taking 9 months cos I get 12 weeks half pay then the rest is stat mat pay so after 9 months obviously the pay goes to zero and I cant afford to do that it will be hard enough as it is! but I still have another 17 days hol left so will tack that on the end and probably wont start work again until 28th June 2012!!!!

I have to go back full time for 3 months though as otherwise I have to pay back the 12 weeks half pay, but after then I will try and get it changed to part time.

 

[tinks77]

I'm going to finish a week before due date. I get 6 months full pay and then my leave so should get full 7 months at home

 

[Sassysugar]

I finish 4 weeks today . I'm taking July off as annual leave, then my maternity leave is kicking in at the beginning of August. I only get smp so I will take the 9 months and then go back to work at the beginning of May (will have some leave and bank holidays to take then, so will use that up and then go back)

I'm a big worrier and have been getting myself in a tizzy over things, so thought it was best to go off slightly earlier so I can just relax before blump comes along!

 

[PrincessPeanut]

Not to piss you all off but I start my leave on the 14th June!! Yip that's only 8 days left at work

I'm taking leave I'm entitled too for this year then starting my mat leave a bit earlier as we'll be moving house come july/august and I know it's gonna take an age as i'll be working at a snail pace by then. I also am very very lucky that I get 52 weeks of full pay whilst on maternity. I'll be due to come back to work, July next year, but will then have another 5 weeks leave to take plus the bank holidays that I can take back. However, the way the business is at the moment, if I come back, I think I'll be coming back to a redundancy package xxx

 

[Coco pops]

Not to piss you all off but I start my leave on the 14th June!! Yip that's only 8 days left at work

I'm taking leave I'm entitled too for this year then starting my mat leave a bit earlier as we'll be moving house come july/august and I know it's gonna take an age as i'll be working at a snail pace by then. I also am very very lucky that I get 52 weeks of full pay whilst on maternity. I'll be due to come back to work, July next year, but will then have another 5 weeks leave to take plus the bank holidays that I can take back. However, the way the business is at the moment, if I come back, I think I'll be coming back to a redundancy package xxx

OMG thats amazing!

 

[Sassysugar]

Thats fab PrincessPeanut, I want to work for your company!!!!

 

[mum2b410]

I haven't sorted a date yet with work but discussed it with MW and since I do a physical job she reckoned I should aim to stop by 34 weeks, so I think thats early to mid September. I hoping to take A/L first and then start mat leave nearer due date. The plan is to take a year off but I wont get any money for the last 3 months so we will have to see how we go on OH's salary......it certainly wont be easy and if circumstances change I'll have to go back earlier.

Bella we have same due date ..............I was orginally hoping to work longer and start mat leave later like you so I had longer with bubs, but work is so knackering as it is at this stage I just can't see how I'd manage it later on!

It's all v exciting tho........although it has felt like an age in some ways in another it seems that I only got my BFP a few weeks back! lol

 

[excited]

I share the same due date too mum2b410 and Bella! I am hoping to work until the end of September and then have a weeks leave before starting my mat leave. I would love to have a year off but will probably have to go back after 9 months as I get SMP.

In order to use up all of this year hols I have managed to book at least a week off every month between now and then!!!

 

[Binzy]

By law in Italy I have to start my maternity at least a month before so I'll be going on 22nd August if I still feel as well as I do now.
I also have a couple of weeks booked off in July so it shouldn't be too bad. I get the one month before and 4 months after at 80% pay then I can take another 5 months at 30% pay. The 5 months at 30% is going to be a bit of a struggle but it'll still work out cheaper than nursery (and I want to be at home for the first year or so) Then I'll have holiday to tag onto the end of the maternity leave too. I'd love to go back part time but my company don't want any part timers at all so I'm going to look for another job whilst I'm off.

 

[DW1978]

I don't get any paid maternity leave so I will be working right up until the last possible minute!! I did it with Lennon too. Worked in the morning (I used to only work till midday anyway), had my hair cut, cleaned my house, painted the kitchen, sat down with two punnets of pineapple to watch Jerry Springer/Maury/some other crap in teh afternoon and then went into labour at 8pm that night!! LOL.

ETA: I'm hoping to take off about 5 months (same as I did with Lennon). I only get £132 pay for 18 weeks from our government (which, don't get me wrong is great but when the mortgage is £1200/month, doesn't really go far) but we are hoping we'll be able to take a mortgage break this time round to help out. The rest I'll have to save for.

Then I will go back part time from 9am - 3pm the same as I do now. My dad and his wife have offered to have the baby for us which is amazing as we were paying about £800/month for childcare fees for Lennon. Eeeek!!

 

[Binzy]

£800 a month childcare and a £1200 mortgage and you only work till 3pm, wow!

 

[Hemera]

i've penciled in the 29th Aug as my first day of mat leave, but have a week off before that, and have booked a day a week off between now and then to drop my hours down a bit/ I also do quite a physical job but am hoping they will find me a space in the office when i need it as i'm already struggling being on my feet for 9 hours! I'm planning on taking off the year, only get SMP but we both think its best if i can stay home with the baby if possible. I've said i may go back part time after this but will have to see how far the money goes.

 

[Bella2]

Yay that we all have the same due date Mum2be & Excited x x