Maternity rights and stuff

**BlondeMoment** · 30-10-2011, 10:44 PM

Hi everyone.

Just found out I'm pregnant with my first baby

Very excited

I'm just wondering, what happens with maternity leave etc.
Can I claim any sort of maternity pay and does anyone know how much it'd be and how long for?

How long should I take off?

Has anyone had to take a maternity leave whilst being a childminder? Did you loose all your children?

Any advice or experiences shared would be great.

x x x

**Roseolivia** · 31-10-2011, 05:55 AM

Congratulations.

If you've been paying N.I you should get Maternity Allowance. Look on the website below for more info:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...en/DG_10018869

I took 9mths off and lost all my children although 1 is starting back in Jan as his mum been on maternity too. There was only 1 other child i should of been getting back as all my others were finishing anyway due to various reasons. It's quiet where i live so am struggling to get other mindees but it will work out in the end.
It's up to you how long to take, i liked the 9mths as it meant i spent more time with Rose before she started reception as well as Alfie.

**mrs_scottydog** · 31-10-2011, 09:13 AM

Congratulations! I've recently applied for MA, as mentioned earlier as long as you've been paying your NI it's very easy. I just filled in the form they sent me and got a letter back from them about a week later saying when payments would start. You get about £128 for 39 weeks.
Take off as long as you want to, one thing to remember though this is your first baby and nothing anyone says prepares you for how tired you can be in the first few weeks. I'm taking about a year off, this is our second baby but I want to spend lots of time with them like I did with our son. As for my mindees they are all with new minders now as their parents still needed childcare.
Good luck with your pregnancy whatever you decide to do about time off. Hx

**kindredspirits** · 31-10-2011, 09:33 AM

congratulations!

only you can decide how long to take off - you don't need to decide straight away, however, so give yourself some space to get used to the idea of being pregnant first and having a baby 2nd! lol
I am nearly 33 weeks with my 2nd baby and will be taking 2 weeks off for maternity leave, my husband is my assistant so we don't have a 2nd income to fall back on and I cannot afford to be off longer, sadly. i am sure it will all be fine but being your first baby you may want to take longer off - i will still have to be up and doing stuff for my 4 year old son, so having 2 extra toddlers in the house will not make a vast difference - i did really enjoy just sitting on the sofa staring at my DS when he was a baby - if you took longer for maternity leave you would have this time

(in my case having my 2 mindees around will end up being a bonus as my DS will have someone to play with and they sort of entertain each other so I won't feel so bad about having to sit around breastfeeding etc!)

obviously be prepared for the fact that if you decide to take off several months many parents will arrange alternative care as you can't expect them to chop and change their childcare to suit your time off - but there will always be plenty of opportunities to find new clients when you have a new baby if you go and network at the baby groups!

**loocyloo** · 31-10-2011, 09:34 AM

congratulations!

i was childminding when i had DD, i took about 5 months off, and the majority of my children left me, alot would have moved on anyway, and 2 yr old twins i cared for left as i would have been over numbers ( although, thinking about it, i could have had a variation! doh! ) a couple of children went to other minders for the time and then came back.

i would have taken longer off, but came back to have the afterschoolers, and then got asked to have others!

**snufflepuff** · 31-10-2011, 12:39 PM

Congratulations!

I wasn't a childminder when I had my son but had about 16 months off in the end, then started minding.

We are planning on having another sometime soon, and I will be taking off as long as possible. I'm not worried about keeping mindees, as lovely as they are- it's more important to me to have that time with my baby. Plus maternity allowance isn't a great deal less than what i'm earning now- and that's before expenses so I won't be any worse off!

**BlondeMoment** · 31-10-2011, 12:47 PM

When I first started minding last year I knew this would happen eventually and always thought I'd take just 3 months to minimize the risk of losing everyone. But thinking about it, my baby is due in June, and one of my mindees will be starting school the September, and another going to a nursery. I'm losing another two in February anyway, and the others are all schoolies. So if I'm going to loose them all anyway I may as well take as long as possible.

Thanks everyone.