When is the best time to plan for a baby as a doctor

You need to have been working for the NHS for 12 months to get their full (pretty reasonable) maternity package, so from that perspective aiming for F2 onwards makes sense. If you stay in a hospital specialty then that always applies, but as GPs are effectively self-employed and practices can set their own pay conditions, they may not get the same package. I wouldn't aim to take time out specifically to have a baby, you can't plan when these things will happen, and you'd be missing out on significant money.

I had my first at the beginning of ST5, took about 10 months mat leave and then went back to work LTFT. I'm just about to finish ST5, which has taken 2.5 years including mat leave. Due with number 2 a couple of months into ST6!

I don't know if that's the same for all specialties or just for GPs; nevertheless, I think it is relatively common for people to have children during their specialty training.

(Using anonymous because this is quite specific info about my life)

My mum is a GP who is involved in training new GPs-to-be; several of her female trainees have had babies during their 12-18 month period as registrars at her GP practice.

I think she said something about the maternity leave pay being more generous when you're a registrar than when you're a practising GP. I can't remember the specifics though, so I'll ask her in the morning.

There is no right or wrong time. Plenty of doctors have children during training, either during foundation or later. There are some logistical things to think about - many people decide to train less than full time once they have had children, which obviously means that training takes longer. Therefore the earlier you have children, the longer you might want to train LTFT for, and the longer therefore training would be. But that's not everyone's choice, and there are other people who continue to train full time, or who only go part time for a few years.

A common theme amongst my colleagues (long training programme) seems to be to get postgrad exams done (~ST2) and then have children. But I know of enough people who've had them during med school and during foundation. Remembebr that if you're on a training programme, you'll be entitled to maternity leave.

is that 12 months as a doctor or in general because I've been working in the NHS for almost five years. But I understand, thanks for you input. congratulations on your second baby!