Less than 12 weeks pregnant club! Part 4!!

sweetilemon

Looked up the maternity info on my work computer today. Noticed we can take 52 weeks but only get paid for 39. Does anyone know if these weeks are completely unpaid or if you can claim anything? MA or something? Its a long time with no money but I really want the full year. Hoping I can earn enough for SMP for my 2nd job or things will be really tight! Especially with having to move house to make room for our little one.

LittleMoog

No sweetilemon, SMP or ma are only for 39 weeks, so the final 13 weeks are totally unpaid. I went back to work when my dd was 8 months, but hoping to prolong it a bit this time around, hopefully to around 10 months if we can manage a month or 2 unpaid. Will depend how much we can save during the paid months!

sweetilemon

LittleMoog wrote: »

No sweetilemon, SMP or ma are only for 39 weeks, so the final 13 weeks are totally unpaid. I went back to work when my dd was 8 months, but hoping to prolong it a bit this time around, hopefully to around 10 months if we can manage a month or 2 unpaid. Will depend how much we can save during the paid months!

Oh bother, I was worried that would be the answer. I better start saving then! Really don't want to go back that soon but we'll see how finances go.

laura_hoggle

Thanks guys! LittleMoog, sorry to hear you've been feeling crappy I found the sea sickness bands helped me out a bit, once it got the, in the right place! They might be worth a go? I got some from Boots.

Sweetilemon, make sure you read the maternity payment policy very carefully, so you know the landmarks for what amounts you get for how long. I work for the NHS, and have done for 11 years. I get 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP, 13 weeks SMP, then 13 weeks of nothing. I am also entitled to annual leave which is accrued during my time off-so I think I'll end up taking 3 weeks of annual leave before I go, a year off, then 6 and a half weeks of leave tagged on at the end. I made a spreadsheet to work out roughly what money we would need over the year, and have started saving now ready for the weeks I'm getting paid SMP or nothing.

Black_Ribboner

Scan went well! Ultrasonographer agreed I'm around eight weeks (GP and midwife dismissed irregular periods and put me down as 15 weeks :eek:) and we heard a strong heartbeat of 185 :T

There's still a way to go yet of course, but I'm feeling much more positive (and very relieved that it's not all in my head!)

1. Laura_Hoggle EDD 01.03.16 - early scan 16.07.15, booking in appt 27.07.15, scan 18.08.15
2. Niptuckfan EDD 07.03.16
3 . Highlandlass EDD 11.03.16 - early scan 16.07.15 & 29.07.15 booking in appt 03.08.15 dating scan 01.09.15 9am
4. Bean83 EDD 12.03.16 - booking in appt 29.07.15, dating scan 04.09.15
5. Littlemoog EDD 13.03.16? early scan 21.07.15; consultant 13.08.15, MW booking in 21.08.15, dating scan 09.09.15
6. me-charlotte EDD 14.03.2016, booking in 18.08.15; scan 28.08.15
7. Sweetilemon EDD 14.03.16 early scan 13.8.15, 12wk scan 3.9.15
8. Pootle_3 EDD 04.03.16 12-13 week scan 03.09.15
9. Black Ribboner EDD 29.03.16, booking in 14.08.15, scan 20.08.15, dating scan 17.09.2015

Thread graduates:
frozenpenguin EDD 19.01.16
Rambos mum 16.01.16
Littleskintdragon EDD 2.01.2016
DoodlePip EDD 12.01.16
Devildolly5 EDD 20.01.2016
Pinkshoes EDD 25.01.2016
ShopkeepWife EDD 01.02.2016
michbright EDD 04.02.2016
Cinny91 EDD 15.02.2016
japmis 14.02.2016
Saffagal EDD 19.02.2016
TamVilla80 EDD 27.02.2016

*niptuckfan*

great news blackriboner!

Rambosmum

sweetilemon wrote: »

Looked up the maternity info on my work computer today. Noticed we can take 52 weeks but only get paid for 39. Does anyone know if these weeks are completely unpaid or if you can claim anything? MA or something? Its a long time with no money but I really want the full year. Hoping I can earn enough for SMP for my 2nd job or things will be really tight! Especially with having to move house to make room for our little one.

Delurking from other thread, but it's a topic which has been widely discussed over there as you can imagine!

Stat mat pay is 90% of your salary for 6 weeks and then 33 weeks at SMP and then 13 weeks unpaid. SMP is currently £139.20 - or £600 per month :eek:

Most of us on the other thread need £3k to cover the SMP shortfall then an extra £2k if we want to take the whole year off. No way I'll be able to take the whole year off.

Don't forget that you accrue holidays AND bank holidays which you can add to the end of your mat leave (so either have 12 months off - and get paid for the last month as technically it is holiday and bank holiday). Or take 13 months off, the last being paid.

I'm taking the 39 weeks off (9 months pretty much) then using my annual leave and bank holiday to take another month off paid, so I go on annual leave on 19th December, mat leave starts 12th Jan unless baby comes sooner, baby due 16th Jan, mat leave ends 8th October, take annual leave and bank holidays and return to work 1st November. I have to do it that way due to my leave year and stuff.

LittleMoog

Great news Black Ribboner, glad it went well. Will they rescan you when you're 12 weeks?

I've managed 2 whole days at work, but luckily I'm working at home tomorrow for the midwife, I'm absolutely wiped out and fed up of trying to throw up silently in case anyone hears me! WAH on Monday as well as I've got a cleaner coming for a trial, yay! Just need to resist the temptation to nap instead of working

LittleMoog

I'm doing similar to Rambosmum. I plan to have maternity leave officially starting on due date if possible as my DD was so late. I'll officially return to work at start of December but use holiday to extend my return until the new year and carry over some extra holiday days into 2017 as we're allowed to take 5 over. Anything extra I'll have to take before my mat leave starts, but will probably use it to do part time for the last month.

me-charlotte

I'm also planning on starting mat leave as close to due date as possible and hopefully (money permitting) having the full 12 months off, while substituting my wage shortfall while on smp with savings etc. then taking annual leave to cover a few more weeks, and probably having a few weeks unpaid again covered by savings. My matt leave will finish around the march so will still want some leave for later in the year.

On another note, a small victory for me yesterday, I managed to finish a meal with only 1 pause to let the nausea pass instead of about 20 :T wooooooo. lol

Had a dream last night that at my dating scan (booked for next friday) there was definitely 2 in there. don't know whether to panic or if my head is winding me up about it. Its obviously playing on my mind, thats for sure.