I got 2 weeks full pay, 6 weeks at 90% then just over £100 a week for four months. That's in teaching, so similar social sector jobs would work same, I guess.
My advice would be that you will never be rich enough to have kids, so just do it! I think you find the money you need, so as long as you've got a bit of money behind you (which you can save while pg???) you will probably cope. You will find you don't spend that much money on maternity leave...it's the things you need to buy beforehand that cost a lot. We were lucky enough to have a lot of family who donated the basics like cot, but I think even these things can be done relatively cheaply nowadays...
On the other hand, i do agree with a lot of what's been said...we've really always wanted 3 children, but now we've got 2, we're feeling like having a third could break the bank in terms of nursery fees. If you want to keep working, more kids costs more: If you stay at home, more kids means more benefits. How crap is that?
There are ways of getting help with tax breaks on nursery fees, which I cna help with if you want it. Although I'd like some further explanation of this please....
Hey
as for nursery fees etc, if ya both workin full time, u get 80% of childcare money bk if that helps?
xxx
HOW????!!! Can you hear the excitement in my voice???
I get £125 a month child allowance for two. I think it was about £70 for just one.
Don't put off having babies if you really want them. The warmth in your hearts and family will far outweigh the occasional worries about money...