Maternity planning -to cover 6 months off

rebekahR_2

Hi all 

I’m trying to plan and prep in advance 
looking at my companies policy etc it’s 18 weeks full pay 

thinking if I tag holiday/ kit  etc can push to 6 months off maybe 7 

how did you plan for how much you might need ? 

For anyone who took a shorter time how did you find it ? 

Any tips for planning for mat leave most welcome , thanks in advance 

cjdew

Hi

Well done for researching. 

All i can say is save as much as you can! 

If your baby doesn't sleep well, like many babies, i think as a first time mum going back at 6 months will be very hard. You could be up 3 times between 11pm to 6am for example at that time still. 😬 

I think that you can get by in maternity by buying nearly everything second hand, or for free. Don't be drawn in to loads of expensive clubs, go to the plenty of free ones and also hand pick the chargeable ones. 

A wildcard option is saving on formula, it hadn't occured to me until someone said it in pregnancy. If you can't get a latch for breastfeeding consider expressing, but this is very hard work at times. It's dual purpose giving them your own milk and also "free". You can get machines second hand, just sterilise. You can stop at any time and combi feed with formula. 

Also don't forget nursery fees when returning, save for this.

A drastic option i know some people have done is to find a job with a better maternity package and have a child slightly later (drastic though).

Lastly, look at what you can cut back on financially to add to your savings pot whilst pregnant, e.g. Takeaways, subscriptions etc. 

Good luck! 

tooldle

I went back to work when mine was 4 1/2 months. Maternity leave was much shorter in those days. I saved to make up some of the difference between the statutory maternity pay and my normal salary and I bought as much stuff in advance as possible I.e. big stash of toiletries, nappies, clothes etc. 
Going back was ok. I worked for a heavy manufacturing company with very few female employees. Part time working was unheard of but I did manage to knock a few hours off my working week, after a long battle. When it comes down to it, you just kind of get on with it. My view being the nursery years were the easiest. A straight forward drop off and pick up. When the school years start it’s a whole different ball game. I changed job at that point to be closer to the school, ditching the commute.