When did you go back to work?

[BellyBelly]

After you had your baby, how soon did you go back to work? Was it out of choice or necessity? Did you change your mind and decide to go back home, or go to work afterall? Discuss!

Those of you who went back to work, vote in our poll to see how long mums are taking maternity leave.

[Astrolady]

technically i have not gone back to work. when i fell pregnant with Kameron I was only working for a temping agency so quit when i was 4mths pregnant as going between jobs all the time was getting stressful.

My mum makes the installation parts bags for roller doors and has done so for the last 20yrs. Inside each of that bags that she does is a small bag that has tiny nuts, bolts, washers etc so when I quit work she asked if i wanted to make up the smaller bags for her as it saves her time. So I said yes and she pays me to do it and the best thing is I can do it all from the comfort of my living room

Love

[Mum 2 Three]

I have been so lucky with my employers. People bag lawyers, but the firm I work for have been great to me. When I went back to work after my first child (when she was 6 months old) I was able to negotiate permanent part time hours, 5 days per week, 9.00 am to 2.00 pm (perfect for school hours). However I was trying to fit a full time job into part time. When this didn't quite work out, they put in a computer at home for me and I did about an extra 6 hours or so per week from home at night which worked reasonably well. Loved this job.

When I had my second child, I went back when she was 9 months old, still working from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm. This time I did a slightly different job and did not need to work extra hours.

I am currently on maternity leave with my 3rd child. Although I am not officially back from maternity leave, I have started working a couple of days per week basically when I can make it (translation: when I feel like it )!

[Cass]

I am really lucky - I work for a Medical group - Surgeons etc and we have after hours appts. So I work 3-4 days a week from 4pm till 7pm! Its good cause dh is home from work at 3.30pm and I then zoom off to work \/ With this great arrangement - I was back at work when Rinn was 6 weeks old

[mouse_9_2001]

i worked purely out of nessecity.. needed the money..
it was hard though i was wrokign closes at mcdonalds so my hours were 7pm till 2am and then nathan my ex had to go to work from 730am till 6pm so i had josh all day too.. if i had a choice i wouldnt of worked

Lesley

[barbie-up]

Hi - I went back to work two days a week when Caitlin was nine months old, knowing I was going to be retrenched ten weeks later !

I now work three nights a week, close to home, out of necessity. When I was at home, not working, I used to spin out all the time about not being able to save anything for Caitlins future. I now work close to home and hours that suit.

Barb.

[christy]

I plan on going back to work around 10 weeks for Saturday work only, so Matilda will be with DH for the main part of the day...

[nic]

I went back to work when DD was 6 months old, out of necessity. DH's contract had finished and couldnt find anything, and my previous employer called to see if I wanted to go back part-time. DH looked after DD for 2 weeks then finally found a job.
When DH started his new job, I continued to work.
MIL looked after DD, and I did this until DD was almsot 2 years old.
I loved my job, but found it highly stressful.
I also found that I was missing out on things like the first time DD crawled and DH forgot to tell me!

Nic.

[Vanessa]

Well, I chose to go back part time(2 days) when Liam was 4 months old. My decision was due to the fact that although I am back at work earlier, I am now able to afford to stay at home for (5 days) for a couple of years, rather than go back full time after twelve months. I am a primary school teacher and I like my job, that played a big part in my decision.

[tmum]

Hi,

I had no choice but to return to work after 10mths. The company I worked for was making many changes at the time and they forced me to come back early only to be told my job was redundant. They wanted me to work full time which I couldn't so they forced me to resign.

I am better off now as I work close to home and only work 4 days a week, which I would like to change. It is getting a bit hard at the moment - very tiring.

Talk some more soon

Wendy

[peanutter]

I took 10 weeks off with DS (1 week before, 9 weeks after) and will get 12 weeks with Ziggy.

As I will probably be having a c-section this time around, we will decide much closer to the time when I will start my mat leave.

If I and Ziggy are doing well, it would be good to work right up to the date, so I have as much time as possible to bond and establish breastfeeding etc - but of course it will very much depend on how well we are beforehand, and what is best for Ziggy and me.

[meow]

I haven't gone back to work but I did have to do a nine week work placement for my degree. I planned to do it part time when my first was one but once we got there he was WAY too young in my eyes. So I put it off a year and did it two days a week when he turned two. I was pregnant with #2 then and now I have no plans to work till he's at least three.

[chody47]

I went back to work at 6 months. Partly money reasons, and partly because I felt like I was going crazy at home just doing baby things (I don't really have any friends with babies at the time, although there are some around now.....). My maternity leave could have been stretched out a bit longer, but we chose to take it at a higher rate of pay over a shorter period of time. TBH, at the moment I'm kind of wishing I didn't have to go back. I mean, I know that for us we need the money to get by (the effect of having an expensive house in a desirable suburb I suppose, but we wanted to get the house before having kids as we figured it would be harder once they were born ITMS?). I sometimes wish we had more financial freedom though. I'm actually wondering if we should move before having #2 so that I can stay home with them both for longer....

[Amity]

I agree that lawyers can be great to work for.

I started going back to work (and took Alex with me) when he was three weeks old. I worked half-days, three days per week, basically whenever it suited me. My employers were very happy to have me back, as they were snowed under with work at the time.

Alex started day care when he was 14 weeks old, three days per week.

My hubby then got a four day a week job, so we both did four days per week for a while. This actually worked out really well for both of us, as we each had our "own" time with Alex. Alex loves daycare, too, which helps.

Alex is now 18 months old, and is in full time day care because DH had to move from Shepparton to Melbourne for work. I work full time as a family lawyer (yeah, I know!!) and love my job.

When #2 comes along, we plan that DH will be SAHD (at least part time) and I will go back to work, because I earn 50% more than him, and we can't afford to have me not working.

I might try some part time work when the kids are a little older.

[Magic]

When I first fell pregnant DH's work was offering voluntary redundancies and because he was going to be a SAHD he took it. Due to Nicola being an IVF baby we didn't think we would have the chance again so we both took 9 months off and travelled around Australia a bit.

The last leg was in Sydney so that we could do SIVF.

I returned to work when she was around 10mos old, I find it hard eventhough I don't have to use daycare. When she is happy to see me leave for work I get upset and when she is crying I get upset- can't win!!!

She is 2 and half now and thriving on the love and attention that her father gives her daily - I'm envious of their relationship...

If we fall pg again I will probably go back to work after 6 week check up - oh hum...

[mumofbundlezofjoy]

Hi with the twins went back 30 hrs a week night shift when they were 3 mths old (financial necessity) BF both til 14 mths. Just expressed at work, and DH gave them bottles, Found it great, didn't miss out on much of their lives, coz I worked whilst they slept!!
With DD#3 went back to 32 hrs a week night shift when 3 mths old ( again had to) BF til 2 weeks ago (17mths)
With DS to come am going to go back at 3mths again. Again 30 hrs night shift. Can earn good money, but not lose more than 2 days a week that I have to sleep, when bubs is up n active. Works fab for the family, but would like to not have to. My dream is to win tatts and be a SAHM. One day hey???

[nellbe]

I can finally answer this post lol.

Went back to work when Matthew was 6 1/2 months, (last week) I am back part time, a couple of days a week.

[kirsty]

I went back to work when DS was 8mths old ~ we had planned it to be 6mths but because he came 2mths early I got to stay home for an extra 2mths with him.