Can you look for work that you can do from home or on a casual basis? Doing sales consulting for party plans, MCN rep etc could be an idea just to keep some money coming in while you are on leave?
if your partner isn't technically clearing anything (or much) from the business when you take out expenses (profit and loss) you'll be eligible for assistance. if he is clearing less than 1400 per fortnight (you should be able to work this out from his last tax return where expenses have been taken out), you'll qualify for an amount of parenting payment partnered. if you qualify for this, you'll also qualify for max rate ftba (around 150 a fortnight) and part of ftbb (depending on how much ppp is paid) - anything up to 130 a fortnight
i think your partner has to take of his rose colored glasses and wake up to what raising an infnat is really like. you simply cannot expect them to fit in with your work from home hours if you're working 18 hours a day. they don't need a feed just because it's lunch time and you have half hour off the puter! they are demanding, and NEED constant attention!!
if i were you, i'd be putting my foot down and simply saying no, we'll make it work, but i'm not going to have our child be an inconvenience to you in your work day. If, after the baby arrives, he pulls his finger out, can keep his business going AND take time out that is sufficient for the baby, then maybe you can rethink it, but i'd be making it clear that, until the baby arrives and you see how things are going, you're not "planning" a return to work at all!
Just thought I'd add that I got a job when I was 5 months pregnant - they knew full well that I was UTD and they were more than happy to hire me. I finished up with them 1 week before DS was born, and I didn't get maternity leave of course. It suited their needs and it suited mine too.
Don't assume that no-one will want to hire you when you are pregnant, you should still try. You might be surprised.
Oh, and a SAHM is a great job too - tougher than your DP thinks! One day without you around, and he'll change his mind, i'm sure.
My DH was the opposite. He knew it was going to be financially tough as did I. But this was one of his main reasons for not wanting to try for a baby. I then saved my butt of for 2 years and saved $ just to prove to him that we could afford a baby and now our baby is almost here.
As for Centerlink. The new baby bonus 'means test' will affect you. If you both earn more than $75'000 combined income over 6 months then you wont get any assistance. But if you earn under that combined you will get some assistance. And I think it is something like $380 a fortnight. My DH is in IT and although he does not have his own business he is on OK money. But because I will not be earning a living in that first 6 months we will be under the $75'000 combined income so we will get some assistance for at least the first 6 months.
I will go back to work part time after 3 months (at this stage) but I can work from home. Then after 3 months of doing that I am back at work full time but some days in the office and some at home. I feel very blessed to have such flexibility but still the thought of feeling like I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK is frightening. So I can sympathise with you on that.
And if your anything like me this will eat at you until you both meet a compromise. I went through this at your stage of pregnancy and I lost sleep over it until we sat down and I explained how worried I was. In fact when we booked into the hospital I had a quick sych evaluation for the possibility of post natal depression (hospital policy) and while DH sat next to me the nurse said my results came back border line and I think it was then that DH realised just how worried I was about work and money.
My long winded post simply says. Try and sort out a compromise soon cause although things will change when the baby comes. You still have the rest of your pregnancy to go and you don't need this playing on your mind when you need to be looking after yourself!
His whole world will be turned upside down. DH works from home and although he never wanted me go back to work it made him build an onsite office to get out of the house, he couldn't concentrate on his work with DD around.
He is in IT too so I think you will find your hubby has the same problem, it was too hard for him to focus on his work when DD was awake.
Hi hun I agree that your DP will probably be shocked by how much time a baby needs! I have hired pregnant people plenty of times for contract roles or temp roles and it can be a great arrangement for both you and the employer. One because you know you can work for x number of the months and your employer is safe in the fact that you won't be off trying to get a full-time job which happens a lot with temp employees! Start scoping around now at agencies and see if you can get some level of comfort around potential temp roles just in case you need it.
Goodluck!
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