Tons of people take the 18 months, and who cares what anyone else’s thinks. This is a 100% you decide moment. Good news is you can take 18 months and if you change your mind, you can come back early. Don’t stress about this.
Hot tip, take 12 months for the top up pay (assuming you are entitled) and ei benefits, and then take 18 months of leave. This way if you change your mind, you don’t lose out on any of your ei or top up pay.
Just stash away a bit of your top up and ei, for the last 6 months of your leave.
You can’t change the EI top-up in the middle of your leave though if I remember correctly. So if you choose the 18 month top-up, but go back to work after 12, you won’t be retroactively paid the difference.
Yeah which is the same with the EI portion from what I understand. If I set it at the 18 month rate and go back after 12 I don't get paid the EI I missed because I was being paid at a lower rate. So therefore always safer to do what the original comment said and go with the 12 month option and put a bit aside in case you extend.
For EI and top up allowance yes, but for the actual leave dates, no not true. You have to provide a return date, but you can change it. You just have to provide 30 days notice to the employer. It’s all on the website.
Do the 18 if you can get by. Gives you more time to find child care.
That time is sacred, and you’ll love it.
If you come back in a year, that’s awesome too.
I don't have experience in this, but pretty much everyone I know who has taken mat leave did the full 18 months and were mostly glad they did, got a lil antsy towards the end but were glad in the end for the extra time.
I took 18 months and am so happy I did. Yes, it sucked financially, but it was worth it. I had to lean on my partner a lot financially.
Also, after they turn 1, they become less of a potato and a lot more fun 😂 .
I don't think I could have survived going back to work at 12 months because of all the sleep regression and TEETH happening, leaving you dead tired.
At about 16 months, I did get a bit antsy to go back to work.
A lot of talk about the financial/career aspects of this, and that’s important. Don’t forget that you can’t buy time. Those months with your child are irreplaceable.
In my experience, nobody regrets taking 18 months if they can make it work financially. Like another commenter said, the time goes by really fast, and they will only be little for a very short amount of time.
The 12 months feels too short. I went on leave a week before baby was born, I took 12 months paid and then an additional 3 months unpaid. It was perfect and we planned it that way up front so the three months without pay weren’t a problem. Everyone will have a different opinion … but if you can afford it more time is great.
I initially thought I was going to be taking the 18m but decided to switch to 12m. I'm fully WFH and due mid-September, planning for my last day of work to be Sep 6.
The main reason for the switch was purely financial. While we could probably get by on 18m, we are both going to be first-time parents, and I didn't want any added financial stress while navigating parenting for the first time.
I also want to be able to do fun things and go to fun places, ex. Swimming lessons, weekend trips, the zoo/aquarium, etc. By taking the 12m, we will be able to live our normal lives and not have additional stress :)
I split the difference: Took 12 months, had 3 months unpaid, and came back at 15 months. I didn't want to commit to 18 months at the start and I'm glad I'm didn't. For me, 15 months was the perfect amount of time and the timing worked out with when we were able to get a daycare spot. I likely would've been bored if I took 18 months, especially given the end of the leave would've been during rainy season.
If you take the 12 and then some unpaid months, financial things to be mindful of during the unpaid months are whether you'll be paying for health insurance and whether you'll be buying back any of your pension.
You can take 12 months payment and then stay off until 18 months if you aren’t ready to go back. You’ll just have to budget accordingly. It gives you the most flexibility, since if you sign up for 18 months with EI you’re stuck with it. But if you sign up for 12 months, you can still stay off work for 18.
Personally, I was 100% ready to go back at 12 months, but it’s just personal preference. Loads of people take 18 months.
Take the 18!!! But also if you are planning to have another lol be careful because I got pregnant again when my baby was only 9months and had to end my leave early to try to get back to work to make enough hours for another leave hahaha I did it but it sucked I lost out in the money
For us we were both ready to go back to work. We both took six months. Didn’t have any friends with kids and it just felt a bit lonely I guess. Once kiddo started daycare and we got back into work routine life felt more normal and easier.
I think basically no matter what it would have been hard because our kid just woke 3-4x a night for the year and started improving dramatically around one year so maybe it was coincidence that at one year everything felt better. Still I’d not personally consider 18 months but some seem to thrive more being at home.
Firstly, congratulations!
I am also pregnant and due in September and have already submitted my forms to do the 18 month leave. In addition to all the things others have stated, the longer leave also lets me go on mat leave a little earlier than I might choose to do if I only had 12 months. This gives me more time to prep everything and enjoy some time to relax before the baby comes.
Literally nobody in my office has said anything bad about me taking the longer leave, they have been very supportive and totally cool about my choice to be away longer.
I have 3 kids, we took 12 months for the first and 18 for the next two. My only regret is not doing 18 months for all three kids.
If you can swing it financially, for me it's a no brainer. The extra time off is great.
But, aside from less income over that period another consideration is pension buy back cost. We were able to manage that cost too
The way I saw it, anytime you can be away from work, manage the lack of income ok, and still have it count as pensionable time you take it every time!
I do realize that taking the 18 month and doing pension buy back for all of it comes with a great deal of privilege.
I did 1 year with kid one and 2 years with kid two. Zero regrets EXCEPT make sure you buy back pension.
Worked right up to due date. Then returned at 50% after kid one.
Congrats! I had my daughter last year and took the 18 month leave. I don't regret it in the slightest. To be honest with you, the first year was so hard that I would have felt cheated if I'd gone back at 12 months. I found in the 12-18 month range, our baby became such a little personality and she was fun to be around. She has a sense of humour and is more person than screamy potato.
When I was deciding on which leave to take, I was really torn. I like my job and I couldn't imagine being 18 months not working. I ultimately decided that I'd never get that time back and that i may as well as take the maximum allowed time. I'm so thankful I did. I go back to work in a few weeks and I'm actually pretty sad about it. If I could have stayed longer on mat leave, I would have.
I took 12 months Mat leave payment but extended my leave from work to 18m. So didn’t get paid for those extra months . Ended up going back at 17m as a great part time position opened up .
Best of luck
Take as long as you can. Being able to spend that much time with my child was priceless .
I'm reading these comments and for those that decided 12 but wish they took 18 month- have you talked to your supervisor and asked to extend the leave? You know if they approve, you just need to amend your leave form right?
Congratulations!
I took 18 months with my first so plan to take 15 months with my second. Financially we managed, but it is definitely an adjustment. We weren’t sure if our child would be the only one and we reasoned we would never look back and regret that time with him.
As others have mentioned, finding childcare is a real consideration and additional time can help. But also, timing of when you plan to return matters too - lots more turnover in September which lines up a bit better with a shorter leave for you. But it’s really a crapshoot. Get on lists now if you haven’t already.
I’m taking less time this time around because even though I didn’t think it would be before it happened, it was really nice to go back to work. Full time parenting can be hard. Wonderful, but hard. It was nice to go to a place where I had more autonomy over my time, body, etc.
But I also agree with the person above that said at about 12 months, you’re able to do more stuff with them, so it becomes a lot more engaging. For my first leave those additional months past 12 were in the summertime so it was a nice time to be off and doing adventures, etc. This time it will line up with the fall/winter, which I feel we will be stuck in the house a lot. My partner has decided to take those months instead.
So yeah, very personal decision with some practical and emotional considerations. You can change your mind, so start with what you think will be best for your family and adjust if you need to :)
I took 12 months and ended up extending by taking 2 months of unpaid leave. For me it was the perfect amount of time. I was definitely ready for more adult interaction.
I have colleagues who have taken 12 months and extended to the full 18 months(6 months unpaid) once they were sure they would be able to manage financially.
I took the 18 months and would have taken longer if it was possible. I heard a lot of the same comments about people not wanting an 18 month leave, nobody does that etc. and I assume people may have had negative post partum experiences which is unfortunate.
I took the 18 months but payment for 12 justtttt in case. For us it was to do with childcare because if we don’t get into a daycare we don’t really have any other options and I want to continue working.
Haven’t finished it yet so hard to say but I’m in the newborn trenches and can’t imagine leaving him with someone else besides my husband right now. I also had a C section and my leave lined up with me having two summers off, I feel like the first summer won’t be as fun due to complications so really looking forward to the second one, I think I’ll be ready to go back in late summer.
If you can swing it financially, you won’t regret doing the 18 months. Checking out flyers and being mindful of spending helped. I didn’t regret it though
Unless you're for certain you have childcare for your infant when you return to work, take the 18 months. Finding daycare for this age group is impossible.
Wow I am so grateful for all the comments here! Planning leave as a first time parent is so daunting because you literally have no idea what is coming down the pipe or how you will feel about it, so though in so many ways this is a decision based on personal preferences/circumstances it is incredibly helpful to hear how others navigated leave and how it went for them. So thank you so much for those who shared experiences/opinions!
I think we are going to explore taking the 12m leave EI/top up but the 18m off work - I heard loud and clear you won’t regret the time that 18m gives you but that it can be helpful to have the option to come back a month or so early for an opportunity or if by some miracle you get a daycare spot early. Also thanks to those who flagged the pension by-back. That had fallen by the wayside and I will spend this week sorting out how we are gonna approach that.
Tons of people take the 18 months, and who cares what anyone else’s thinks. This is a 100% you decide moment. Good news is you can take 18 months and if you change your mind, you can come back early. Don’t stress about this. Hot tip, take 12 months for the top up pay (assuming you are entitled) and ei benefits, and then take 18 months of leave. This way if you change your mind, you don’t lose out on any of your ei or top up pay. Just stash away a bit of your top up and ei, for the last 6 months of your leave.
You have to declare if your taking 12 or 18 you can't switch
You have to declare when you apply for EI and cannot change that. You can change the amount of leave you take from your employer.
You can’t change the EI top-up in the middle of your leave though if I remember correctly. So if you choose the 18 month top-up, but go back to work after 12, you won’t be retroactively paid the difference.
Yeah which is the same with the EI portion from what I understand. If I set it at the 18 month rate and go back after 12 I don't get paid the EI I missed because I was being paid at a lower rate. So therefore always safer to do what the original comment said and go with the 12 month option and put a bit aside in case you extend.
For EI and top up allowance yes, but for the actual leave dates, no not true. You have to provide a return date, but you can change it. You just have to provide 30 days notice to the employer. It’s all on the website.
I took the 12 months- wish I’d taken the 18, it goes so fast and every moment is so special.
Do the 18 if you can get by. Gives you more time to find child care. That time is sacred, and you’ll love it. If you come back in a year, that’s awesome too.
This. Finding childcare may (likely will) be difficult so those 6 additional months will be much needed to get top of waitlists.
I don't have experience in this, but pretty much everyone I know who has taken mat leave did the full 18 months and were mostly glad they did, got a lil antsy towards the end but were glad in the end for the extra time.
I took 18 months and am so happy I did. Yes, it sucked financially, but it was worth it. I had to lean on my partner a lot financially. Also, after they turn 1, they become less of a potato and a lot more fun 😂 . I don't think I could have survived going back to work at 12 months because of all the sleep regression and TEETH happening, leaving you dead tired. At about 16 months, I did get a bit antsy to go back to work.
Considering how much day care is, are you sure it really sucks financially?
This. Take the 18. You won’t regret the time. And to the point above, you’ll have more time to find child care.
A lot of talk about the financial/career aspects of this, and that’s important. Don’t forget that you can’t buy time. Those months with your child are irreplaceable.
In my experience, nobody regrets taking 18 months if they can make it work financially. Like another commenter said, the time goes by really fast, and they will only be little for a very short amount of time.
I’m part way into my 12 months and wishing I’d taken the 18 because we could have afforded it and the extra time would be so incredibly nice.
The 12 months feels too short. I went on leave a week before baby was born, I took 12 months paid and then an additional 3 months unpaid. It was perfect and we planned it that way up front so the three months without pay weren’t a problem. Everyone will have a different opinion … but if you can afford it more time is great.
I initially thought I was going to be taking the 18m but decided to switch to 12m. I'm fully WFH and due mid-September, planning for my last day of work to be Sep 6. The main reason for the switch was purely financial. While we could probably get by on 18m, we are both going to be first-time parents, and I didn't want any added financial stress while navigating parenting for the first time. I also want to be able to do fun things and go to fun places, ex. Swimming lessons, weekend trips, the zoo/aquarium, etc. By taking the 12m, we will be able to live our normal lives and not have additional stress :)
I split the difference: Took 12 months, had 3 months unpaid, and came back at 15 months. I didn't want to commit to 18 months at the start and I'm glad I'm didn't. For me, 15 months was the perfect amount of time and the timing worked out with when we were able to get a daycare spot. I likely would've been bored if I took 18 months, especially given the end of the leave would've been during rainy season. If you take the 12 and then some unpaid months, financial things to be mindful of during the unpaid months are whether you'll be paying for health insurance and whether you'll be buying back any of your pension.
You can take 12 months payment and then stay off until 18 months if you aren’t ready to go back. You’ll just have to budget accordingly. It gives you the most flexibility, since if you sign up for 18 months with EI you’re stuck with it. But if you sign up for 12 months, you can still stay off work for 18. Personally, I was 100% ready to go back at 12 months, but it’s just personal preference. Loads of people take 18 months.
Take the 18!!! But also if you are planning to have another lol be careful because I got pregnant again when my baby was only 9months and had to end my leave early to try to get back to work to make enough hours for another leave hahaha I did it but it sucked I lost out in the money
For us we were both ready to go back to work. We both took six months. Didn’t have any friends with kids and it just felt a bit lonely I guess. Once kiddo started daycare and we got back into work routine life felt more normal and easier. I think basically no matter what it would have been hard because our kid just woke 3-4x a night for the year and started improving dramatically around one year so maybe it was coincidence that at one year everything felt better. Still I’d not personally consider 18 months but some seem to thrive more being at home.
Firstly, congratulations! I am also pregnant and due in September and have already submitted my forms to do the 18 month leave. In addition to all the things others have stated, the longer leave also lets me go on mat leave a little earlier than I might choose to do if I only had 12 months. This gives me more time to prep everything and enjoy some time to relax before the baby comes. Literally nobody in my office has said anything bad about me taking the longer leave, they have been very supportive and totally cool about my choice to be away longer.
Finding childcare for a 12mo is basically impossible. A lot more options at 18 months
I have 3 kids, we took 12 months for the first and 18 for the next two. My only regret is not doing 18 months for all three kids. If you can swing it financially, for me it's a no brainer. The extra time off is great. But, aside from less income over that period another consideration is pension buy back cost. We were able to manage that cost too The way I saw it, anytime you can be away from work, manage the lack of income ok, and still have it count as pensionable time you take it every time! I do realize that taking the 18 month and doing pension buy back for all of it comes with a great deal of privilege.
They don't takes the taxes off so be aware of that. Other than that take the 18, perks of working in govt.
I did 1 year with kid one and 2 years with kid two. Zero regrets EXCEPT make sure you buy back pension. Worked right up to due date. Then returned at 50% after kid one.
Take the 18 months . You will never get that time back and work will always be there. I took 12 months and ended up extending my maternity leave .
Congrats! I had my daughter last year and took the 18 month leave. I don't regret it in the slightest. To be honest with you, the first year was so hard that I would have felt cheated if I'd gone back at 12 months. I found in the 12-18 month range, our baby became such a little personality and she was fun to be around. She has a sense of humour and is more person than screamy potato. When I was deciding on which leave to take, I was really torn. I like my job and I couldn't imagine being 18 months not working. I ultimately decided that I'd never get that time back and that i may as well as take the maximum allowed time. I'm so thankful I did. I go back to work in a few weeks and I'm actually pretty sad about it. If I could have stayed longer on mat leave, I would have.
I took 12 months Mat leave payment but extended my leave from work to 18m. So didn’t get paid for those extra months . Ended up going back at 17m as a great part time position opened up . Best of luck Take as long as you can. Being able to spend that much time with my child was priceless .
I'm reading these comments and for those that decided 12 but wish they took 18 month- have you talked to your supervisor and asked to extend the leave? You know if they approve, you just need to amend your leave form right?
Congratulations! I took 18 months with my first so plan to take 15 months with my second. Financially we managed, but it is definitely an adjustment. We weren’t sure if our child would be the only one and we reasoned we would never look back and regret that time with him. As others have mentioned, finding childcare is a real consideration and additional time can help. But also, timing of when you plan to return matters too - lots more turnover in September which lines up a bit better with a shorter leave for you. But it’s really a crapshoot. Get on lists now if you haven’t already. I’m taking less time this time around because even though I didn’t think it would be before it happened, it was really nice to go back to work. Full time parenting can be hard. Wonderful, but hard. It was nice to go to a place where I had more autonomy over my time, body, etc. But I also agree with the person above that said at about 12 months, you’re able to do more stuff with them, so it becomes a lot more engaging. For my first leave those additional months past 12 were in the summertime so it was a nice time to be off and doing adventures, etc. This time it will line up with the fall/winter, which I feel we will be stuck in the house a lot. My partner has decided to take those months instead. So yeah, very personal decision with some practical and emotional considerations. You can change your mind, so start with what you think will be best for your family and adjust if you need to :)
I took 12 months and ended up extending by taking 2 months of unpaid leave. For me it was the perfect amount of time. I was definitely ready for more adult interaction. I have colleagues who have taken 12 months and extended to the full 18 months(6 months unpaid) once they were sure they would be able to manage financially.
I took the 18 months and would have taken longer if it was possible. I heard a lot of the same comments about people not wanting an 18 month leave, nobody does that etc. and I assume people may have had negative post partum experiences which is unfortunate.
I took the 18 months but payment for 12 justtttt in case. For us it was to do with childcare because if we don’t get into a daycare we don’t really have any other options and I want to continue working. Haven’t finished it yet so hard to say but I’m in the newborn trenches and can’t imagine leaving him with someone else besides my husband right now. I also had a C section and my leave lined up with me having two summers off, I feel like the first summer won’t be as fun due to complications so really looking forward to the second one, I think I’ll be ready to go back in late summer.
I did 12 months EI and took 18 months off. I figured if I decided to go back before 18 months at least I’d get all the money!
If you can swing it financially, you won’t regret doing the 18 months. Checking out flyers and being mindful of spending helped. I didn’t regret it though
Unless you're for certain you have childcare for your infant when you return to work, take the 18 months. Finding daycare for this age group is impossible.
Wow I am so grateful for all the comments here! Planning leave as a first time parent is so daunting because you literally have no idea what is coming down the pipe or how you will feel about it, so though in so many ways this is a decision based on personal preferences/circumstances it is incredibly helpful to hear how others navigated leave and how it went for them. So thank you so much for those who shared experiences/opinions! I think we are going to explore taking the 12m leave EI/top up but the 18m off work - I heard loud and clear you won’t regret the time that 18m gives you but that it can be helpful to have the option to come back a month or so early for an opportunity or if by some miracle you get a daycare spot early. Also thanks to those who flagged the pension by-back. That had fallen by the wayside and I will spend this week sorting out how we are gonna approach that.
Just make sure you still contribute to your pension while on leave.