Maternity Budget Calculator

3,500 pre-leave monthly income drops to 1,000 during leave = 2,500 income gap. Add 500 new baby costs = 3,000 monthly shortfall. Cover with savings, partner income, or pre-planning. Running numbers before pregnancy reduces the financial panic.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using pre-leave monthly income of 3,500, leave monthly income of 1,000, new baby monthly costs of 500, leave duration of 9, the calculation works out to 3,000.00. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Pre-Leave Monthly Income, Leave Monthly Income, New Baby Monthly Costs, and Leave Duration — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Adjusting one input at a time toward extreme values shows which ones move the result most.

How the math works

Income gap plus new costs. Multiply by months for total needed.

What the number doesn't include

Life events generate side costs: time off work, travel for guests, aftercare, lost weekends. The figure here covers the direct costs. Noting the indirect ones alongside avoids the post-event surprise.

What this doesn't capture

Life events generate side costs the figure doesn't include: time off work, lost income, travel for others, aftercare. Add 10–15% to the direct number as a buffer; the items you haven't thought of usually fill most of it.

Related calculations worth running

Plans get firmer when you triangulate. Alongside this one, the new baby monthly cost calculator, the returning to work calculator, and the maternity leave budget calculator tend to come up in the same conversations. Running two or three together exposes inconsistencies in any single assumption — which is usually where the useful insight lives.

Worked example

A person earning 4,200 per month returns to work reduced income of 1,800 per month during a 12-month leave period. New baby costs run at 600 per month. The income shortfall is 4,200 minus 1,800, which equals 2,400 per month. Adding the 600 baby costs gives a monthly budget gap of 3,000. Over 12 months, the total savings buffer needed is 36,000. This illustration shows how the three variables — income drop, baby costs, and duration — combine to form the total figure.

Common scenarios where this matters

• Planning savings before leave begins, to understand how much liquid funds to set aside
• Comparing the financial impact of different leave lengths — 6 months versus 12 months produces very different totals
• Testing whether partner income or flexible work can reduce the monthly gap
• Checking whether leave income (statutory payments, employer top-ups) materially narrows the shortfall
• Understanding the cost of a new baby in isolation from income changes

What this result does and does not capture

What it captures: The monthly cash shortfall created by reduced income and new baby expenses. The total savings buffer required to cover the entire leave period at that monthly rate.

What it does not capture: Partner or household income that may cover part of the gap. One-time costs (nursery deposits, equipment). Changes to existing household expenses (childcare for older children, commuting costs). Tax or benefit impacts. Irregular costs like vehicle maintenance or home repairs. Inflation or cost changes across the leave period. Income variations month to month.

Educational note

This calculator illustrates one financial dimension of maternity leave. The result is an estimate for planning purposes, not a forecast. Actual spending and income often diverge from projections. Use this output alongside a detailed household budget and professional financial or tax advice specific to your circumstances.