I did as well, to a limited extent. I had two months off in total, comprised of two weeks paternity, two weeks holiday and then four weeks of my partner's maternity leave. Working for a small company, they had no history of shared parental leave or HR person to provide advice, so I did most of the research and groundwork. However, it was fairly straightforward as I gave my company 7 months notice of my intention and they were supportive.
I would thoroughly recommend it to any new father with the flexibility to do so. It gives you so much opportunity to create that early bond with your child. A rare opportunity without the background pressures of worklife. For your own sake too, being able to take a few weeks off and treat it as a mini-career break gives you the chance to reset. The only minor negative was the return to work; purely because I am self-sufficient in the office and colleagues covered my absence around their own roles. Returning to 8 weeks worth of someone half doing your job - well it took a week or so before I was back in the groove.
Enjoy your leave
@platypus. Make the most of it!
