UK Benefits Question after having Baby

[Coco H]

I went back to work after no1 - stumping up the costs for my son to be in nursery part-time whilst I brought home a fair amount of money seemed a good compromise. I worked for less than 18 months befor no 2 was born. I went back even more part-time after no 2 for (now this is embarrassing) 3 months before I had to be hospitalised whilst I was expectign no3. I do deserve a good slap for poor planning and messing work around.
I am now on maternity leave and I can't see how I can ever go back.

I would like to retrain but I was in a very highly paid specialised profession. Everything is a step down financially - or if not the training is vastly expensive and long.

We can't claim any benefits or help and we are now living on 60% of our former income. It's ok but the mortage suddenly seems large!

[Lemmonie]

Coco H said:

I went back to work after no1 - stumping up the costs for my son to be in nursery part-time whilst I brought home a fair amount of money seemed a good compromise. I worked for less than 18 months befor no 2 was born. I went back even more part-time after no 2 for (now this is embarrassing) 3 months before I had to be hospitalised whilst I was expectign no3. I do deserve a good slap for poor planning and messing work around.
I am now on maternity leave and I can't see how I can ever go back.

I would like to retrain but I was in a very highly paid specialised profession. Everything is a step down financially - or if not the training is vastly expensive and long.

We can't claim any benefits or help and we are now living on 60% of our former income. It's ok but the mortage suddenly seems large!

sounds exactly like us only i wasnt silly enough to go in for a third ;-)

I like you worked in a specialist field and was paid well etc. I actually did retrain two years ago and set up a business working from home when the kids are in bed. It did cost a fair bit and my first year I was running at a loss but now at least I earn a little with none of the crippling childcare costs.

Again like you we are living on a grossly reduced income (even more so that husband works in sales and the recession hit the motor trade hard and his salary went down about £15K per year) and yet the mortgage is the same and the food bills have gone up. It's a struggle for us during these year but im sure as time passes and school arrives I can work more and the childcare costs disapear. Things will get better!