When we talk about maternity leave in the UK, the conversation often centres on time. Yes, 52 weeks of leave sounds generous - even progressive. But ask almost any new mother how financially manageable it is and the cracks show quickly. Because while the leave we're given may be long, the pay is often painfully short.
In the UK, statutory maternity pay (SMP) offers six weeks at 90% of your salary, followed by up to 33 weeks at just £184.03 a week - less than half of what you'd earn on minimum wage. Self-employed mothers don't even get that. Instead, they're eligible for maternity allowance, which doesn't include the 90% top-up and still caps out at the same rate.
Only one in four mothers take their full maternity entitlement, with 40% return to work after just 12 weeks or less, according to Pregnant Then Screwed. For most, it's not a choice - it's a necessity.
As I think about whether to have another child, maternity pay is one of the biggest barriers. It doesn't feel like a real choice - more like a decision that's already been made for me.
I gave birth to my daughter in 2021. We'd done our best to save in the lead-up, but with a precarious freelance career in one hand and a tiny newborn in the other, I went back to work just five weeks after she was born. The reality was brutal: statutory pay wouldn't have even covered my share of the rent. The financial uncertainty was terrifying. I agonised over every penny - even buying a takeaway coffee on a sleep-deprived walk felt indulgent. Yet, despite the exhaustion and anxiety, I loved spending those early weeks with her. I felt so privileged to be there for every sleepy feed, every first little smile - to be there to witness her change day by day. It was fun and full of joy. And yes, I easily secured paying work again, but at what emotional cost? I can't say I truly had a maternity "leave", not really. I barely left the house. And now, as I think about whether to have another child, maternity pay is one of the biggest barriers. It doesn't feel like a real choice - more like a decision that's already been made for me.
"Our maternity system is dressed up as support, but for too many mothers, it's a trap," says Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed. "UK maternity leave looks generous on paper, but it's paid so badly that many can't afford to take it. Meanwhile, 76% of mothers are pushed into debt or forced to use savings during leave."
"Our maternity system is dressed up as support, but for too many mothers, it's a trap."
For self-employed women, the situation is even starker. With no access to shared parental leave and no enhanced benefits, most continue working through pregnancy or, like me, return within weeks. Fathers and partners face their own battles. Statutory paternity leave is just two weeks - and only if you meet the eligibility criteria. Self-employed dads get nothing. For new parents, it's a system that's deeply unbalanced - and it's families who pay the price.
And when it comes to employer support, your experience depends hugely on where you work. According to new data from Resume.io's UK Parental Support Index, which analysed 500 major UK employers, 3 in 4 offer enhanced maternity leave beyond the statutory minimum and only 58% offer enhanced paternity leave - revealing a significant gender gap.
I'm not being dramatic: that kind of disparity leaves many families trapped. If you're freelance, on a contract, in a low-paying role or without a supportive employer, your choices are sharply limited.
"Many families underestimate the financial hit," says Rubie Turner, Founder of Mystyle Finance. "Planning ahead is critical, because once you factor in childcare and lost income, statutory pay just isn't enough to match real-life costs - families often only realise the full impact after it's too late to adjust."
Brearley and fellow campaigners are calling for reform: six weeks' paternity leave at 90% pay, twelve weeks' maternity leave at 90%, and the remaining leave paid at least at the minimum wage.
I spoke to dozens of women across the UK who shared how they've actually made maternity leave work. Some relied on savings, some returned to work earlier than planned, others turned to side hustles, Vinted sales, or debt. Here are just eight of their stories. Their experiences are a stark reminder that statutory maternity pay isn't enough to live on. But like me, despite the financial challenges, some mothers also found moments of clarity and connection - a chance to slow down, reset and discover joy in the pause.
The message to mothers is clear: we'll let you take time off, but we won't pay you enough to survive while you do it.
"I long for another child - but I simply can't afford it."
Rachel Skelton, 39, Operations & Recruitment Manager, Nottingham
"Going from a high income to statutory pay was a financial shock I hadn't fully grasped. I burned through £15k in savings just to keep things going. Since returning, my earnings haven't recovered - and I know now I can't afford another baby. That realisation is heartbreaking. I dream of giving my daughter a sibling, but maternity leave set me back years. The system doesn't reflect the reality for women like me, working in commission-based roles. Motherhood shouldn't come at the cost of long-term financial stability, but right now, it feels like a luxury reserved only for those who can afford it."
"I spent 10 years building up savings - and burned through them in months."
Cat Hartland, 40, Growth Consultant, London
"Statutory maternity pay didn't even cover my half of the mortgage, so I saved for nearly a decade before having a baby. Watching those savings disappear was emotionally crushing. I had extended pay at first, but still had to cut back on everything - no fitness classes, no new clothes, no eating out. Now, childcare costs £1,400 a month and my partner and family help cover the gap. People think you're getting paid to be 'off work' - but I lost 87% of my salary and now work fewer hours just to afford the childcare I need to be able to work."
"It gave me space to reset."
Nadia, 37, former teacher turned baby sleep coach, West Midlands
"My maternity leave gave me the time and distance I needed to realise I didn't want to return to the classroom. I was burnt out long before I got pregnant, but being at home helped me tune into what I really wanted - more flexibility and more presence with my child. I retrained as a sleep coach during nap times and weekends and slowly built a small business I love. It was hard financially, but emotionally, it has been transformative."
"I just didn't expect the emotional strain it would put on me and my family."
Emily Tully, 33, Learning and Development Manager, Bury St Edmunds
"I'm pregnant for the second time. This time, I'll get better maternity pay, but the pressure is still huge - especially with a growing child, a newborn on the way and a mortgage that's jumped by £700. I've cancelled plans, skipped skincare, sold what I can on Vinted (addictive!) and signed up to surveys and taste testing just to ease the strain. But the emotional cost hits hardest. You lose your social connection, question every purchase and sacrifice parts of yourself just to make it work. The truth is, it's not just budgeting - it's constantly carrying the weight of your family's future on your shoulders."
"I never really got the maternity leave I hoped for - we were just surviving."
Harriet Young, 38, Tattooist, Manchester
"As a self-employed couple, we got almost no support. I received £156 a week, my husband got nothing. We used savings so he could take a month off and I returned to work after just three months - not because I was ready, but because I had to. We've scraped by, sharing childcare, cutting everything non-essential and still I feel guilty spending £15 on myself. I see peers who had a year off, and I feel envious. Maternity leave felt more like survival mode than bonding time. There should be better support - especially for self-employed families like ours."
"Maternity leave gave me the breathing room to build a business I love."
Zoe, 34, copywriter and business owner, Leeds
"I wasn't sure I would go back to my day job after maternity leave and I was lucky - my boss was supportive and I received enhanced maternity pay. That gave me just enough breathing room to turn my freelance work into a real business. I used my leave to reflect, reshape what I was doing, and launch a Copyshop concept I'd been sitting on. I saved the difference between statutory and enhanced pay in case I needed to repay it, but ended up returning part-time for six months, which meant I could keep the cushion and invest in growing my business. Crucially, I also had informal childcare through my mum and partner, which made all the difference. I know how fortunate I was - I had time, community, and support. That's what made it possible."
"Not every contribution to the family is financial - that's something we've had to learn."
Kylie-Ann, 36, Brand Designer, Orpington
"With my second son, I couldn't afford the childcare for two kids, so I gave up enhanced maternity pay and took statutory instead. I've been home with them for two and a half years, working part-time, freelancing when I can. We've dipped into savings, bought everything secondhand and postponed house projects. Emotionally, it's been harder than I expected - especially watching my career stall and my partner carry the financial load. But we've learned to value time, effort and parenting as contributions too. A coffee out with the kids feels like a treat for the work I do at home."
"I had twins - but only got one maternity allowance."
Emily de Groot, 44, Creative Operations, London
"I was self-employed and older, so I'd saved enough to take a full year off. But using all my savings was scary - especially knowing that if I'd had two separate maternity leaves instead of twins, I'd have received double the support. That still feels unfair. We didn't go on holiday, bought secondhand and did a lot of park walks. I was offered work partway through but chose to focus fully on the twins - and I'm glad I did. If you're planning for maternity leave, don't feel pressured to spend. Save, buy secondhand and trust your instincts."
Ella Delancey Jones is a freelance journalist who covers motherhood, parenting, societal issues, and the justice system for Stylist, Grazia, Insider, The Independent, and more. She's also a copywriter and social brand director helping solopreneurs, agencies, and corporations get ahead of the game on social media.
