Maternity Leave Calculator

Planning your start date

Deciding when to stop working is a real trade-off, and there is no correct answer — only the one that fits your job, your pregnancy, and your priorities.

Starting leave earlier means more time to rest and prepare, which matters more in physically demanding roles or a difficult pregnancy. Starting later preserves more of your leave for after the birth, which is when most people wish they had more.

The common choice is somewhere between one and four weeks before the due date. It is worth remembering that only around 4% of babies arrive on their due date, and first babies more often arrive after it — so a plan built around the exact date will usually need adjusting.

Entitlements vary enormously

What you are entitled to depends heavily on your country, your employer, and your length of service. This calculator handles the dates; the entitlements are something to confirm with your HR department or national guidance.

Worth checking specifically:

• Statutory versus contractual pay — many employers offer more than the legal minimum, and the difference can be substantial.
• How pay tapers — leave pay frequently drops after an initial period, sometimes sharply.
• Keeping-in-touch days — many schemes allow a limited number of paid working days during leave without ending it.
• Partner or shared leave — several countries allow leave to be split, which is often underused.
• Accrued holiday — annual leave usually continues to accrue during maternity leave and can often be added to the end.
• Return-to-work conditions — some enhanced schemes require you to return for a minimum period or repay part of the enhancement.

The financial planning that matters

The gap between your normal income and your leave pay is usually the single largest financial event of the first year, and it is far easier to manage if planned in advance.

Work out your actual monthly income at each stage of leave, since pay often changes partway through. Then compare it against your outgoings, which will also change — commuting costs fall, baby costs rise.

Saving the difference in the months before leave starts is the most effective preparation. Even a few months of setting aside part of your salary makes the reduced-income period considerably less stressful.

Also check what benefits, tax credits, or childcare support you become eligible for. These are commonly underclaimed and can meaningfully change the arithmetic.

Practical things to arrange before you go

At work: a written handover, notice given in the required format and timeframe, confirmation of your leave dates and pay in writing, and a clear agreement on whether and how you want to be contacted.

Childcare: if you plan to return, start looking early. Waiting lists in many areas run six to twelve months, and the best options fill first. Registering costs nothing and can be withdrawn.

Admin: registering the birth, adding your baby to health insurance, updating wills or beneficiaries, and applying for any child benefit all have deadlines that are much easier to meet if noted in advance.

Returning to work

The return is often harder than expected, and it helps to know that in advance rather than being surprised by it.

A phased return — starting mid-week, or part-time initially — makes a real difference where it is available. If you are breastfeeding, most jurisdictions require employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for expressing; it is worth arranging this before your first day rather than on it.

Many people also find it useful to plan a trial run of the full logistics — nursery drop-off, commute, timings — a week before returning, when a delay costs nothing.

Finally: feeling conflicted about returning is extremely common and does not mean you have made the wrong decision. If low mood or anxiety is persistent rather than occasional, that is worth raising with your GP or health visitor. Postnatal depression is common and treatable, and it affects a substantial number of parents around the point of return.

Common Questions