PB: speaking for myself: I didn't have access to any paid Mat leave... but economic reasons did play a part. My DH earned too much for us to receive more than about $2 a week in child care relief... and we couldn't afford to pay $600 a week (to have two children in full time care) upfront. I know we would have got 50% back eventually... but I did the sums and it simply wasn't worth it to work outside the home. Also having worked in childcare I had a bit of an insiders perspective and good places were virtually impossible to get into anyhow. Staying at home just made so much more sense. And actually... being at home for my teenager after school has, in reality, been just as important as being home for my younger ones.