Maternity Leave question

KochavKatan

When are you planning to start your maternity leave?  How far along is "too late"?  My job is about 2 hours away from my hospital so I am nervous about working all the way though and having labor start at the office!  LOL.  At the same time, I will only be getting paid for 3 weeks of time off which means the remaining leave time will be unpaid, so I don't want to start my leave too early. 

jroll2lo

My job is an hour away from my hospital (with bad traffic around 2 hours), so I understand your anxiety.  I'm going to try and work up to 2 weeks before my due date, depending on how I feel.  I asked my doctor and he said to go with how I'm feeling. This is my first, so I have no clue how uncomfortable I'll be making the drive in so my plans may change. We'll see... Luckily my job has been flexible and is not requiring me to give a firm date. 

abundancenow

Lots of women work up until they go in to labor. I'm happy to get 4 weeks before my due date. 2 hours from work to hospital seems far if you go in to labor at work. Have you discussed it with your doctor?

ADC1979

I'll just be taking off 1 week before I'm due, because it takes time away from my 12 weeks of FMLA and I want to be able to spend as much time with baby as I can before having to go back to work.  I'm more worried that he'll end up being late and I'll have wasted more of my time with him.  But since I don't have a magic 8 ball to tell me when he'll make his appearance, I'm going to err on the side of being comfortable the week before he's due.  I'm only 33 weeks and feel as big and awkward as a house, can't imagine at 39 weeks.

jnnfrrose6

I worked until the day DS came last time around and plan to do the same this time. Sure, I was/am concerned about the possibility of going into labor at work, but if it happens, it happens. A coworker will drive me to the hospital and I will spend all of my time off with LO.

Junebaby614

I would ask your doctor/midwife's opinion. Two hours is a long time in the car and doesn't sound very safe if you're in labor! Good luck!

FrodaBaggins

jnnfrrose6 said:

I worked until the day DS came last time around and plan to do the same this time. Sure, I was/am concerned about the possibility of going into labor at work, but if it happens, it happens. A coworker will drive me to the hospital and I will spend all of my time off with LO.

This. I want every day of my 12 weeks with the baby! My job is low-stress and not physically demanding, plus it's only 20 minutes away from the hospital and any of my coworkers would take me.

LyndseylovesHugh

I worked until the day I was induced (unplanned induction like PP, I found out a few hours ahead of time) but I would have worked until I went into labor on my own if I was not induced.  We live about an hour from the hospital and my midwife knew that so she was going to just adjust the point that she wanted me to come in at given the commute. 

ready-or-not

I worked up until the day I was induced with the last 2, & I was exactly 1 week late with both. Every single day when I walked in people would say "what are you doing here?" & "still pregnant??" lol I work about an hour from my hospital.

I figure misery lives company & I might a well be getting paid while I wait. Plus like others have said I wanted every second of my 12 week FMLA with my babies.

enpowers

I am 39 weeks currently and I started my leave the week of my due date. I have a very physical job that was requiring me to do lots of things that just made me miserable- and my boss is an ass. So i last week during my 38th week I decided to use vacation time due to being miserable. If I weren't so big and shitty feeling I would have worked until the week of my due date. It all depends on how you feel. I'd just wait and see.

bewilderingstar

I'm working up til 38wks (6/20) and will be getting paid w/ a state run temporary disability insurance until after the baby is born. If we didn't have that, I'm sure I would work right up til the baby is born but thankfully I have the option of leaving at 38wks.

Always remember you have the FMLA too.

Scottwswife

I'm nursing state pregnancy disability leave for all I can. I get 4 weeks paid pre baby and 6 weeks after under state disability, and I'm taking 3 weeks before my due date, then paid state family leave for 6 weeks, both at half my normal pay. If I were in a sitting down job I wouldn't take so much pre-baby time off, but I'm a preschool teacher, and am constantly on my feet, or crouching down to talk to toddlers and it's already getting to be a bit hard at 31 weeks.

AMcLaws

I'm having a RCS on 7/22...last day of work is 7/18

JSS1002

RCS on 9/3, last day will be a week or two before that, unless I get put on bedrest for the last month like last time!  

Ceridwen21

I'm going to stop work 4 weeks before my due date (but I get 14 months off so that decision is an easier one to take).  If I lived in the US I would probably try to work up until my due date.

cookieinva

I worked up until the day of my induction at 41 weeks. My work was about an hour from my hospital. This time I will again work up until induction/labor. Don't want to waste any of that leave.

Maladroit

I'm a nurse like another PP working 12 nights as well, but I work at the hospital where I plan on delivering. I am going to work until I deliver...and with my luck, it'll probably happen WHILE I'm working.

Lynnja616

I will work up until I deliver, but I also work in the hospital where I will deliver so it makes that aspect much less stressful- I am in the right place!  I worked past-due with DD and am 2 days past due now.  I feel fine, and I want every day of leave to be with baby and my family, not sitting around waiting for something to happen.

KochavKatan

Thanks for all the input ladies!  I will definitely bring it up with my midwife and will take it one week at a time, unless my job makes me give them a firm date, which I hope won't be the case.

mamabird19

I am personally working as long as I can and am taking some vacation days or half days here and there to help me get through. I just want as much time with the baby and everyone always tells me how fast that time goes by. That being said, I am am having a home birth and work 10 min away so I can understand the feeling of wanting to be closer to home!

Pepper6

I was originally planning to work up until I went into labor, but decided a few weeks ago that today is my last day (I'm 39 weeks).  Part of it was because I'm starting to get uncomfortable, but mainly, it was difficult to schedule the temp who is covering me while I'm on leave because she had to give a start date to her kids' daycare.  I'm still taking the a full 12 weeks after the baby is born, so total, my leave will be 12-14 weeks depending on when she's actually born (none of it is paid though).

naturaloaklandmama

I am lucky to get 4 months off after baby comes and I get up to 4 weeks before (plus any additional time after due date). If my job weren't expecting me to work as long as I could, I would be done as soon as I was 4 weeks out, which is next week. But I probably will work until the following week still giving myself about 3 weeks off in advance -- contingent upon how things go at work and how I am feeling. I was originally planning to work until the end but at 35.5 weeks, I am already incredibly uncomfortable sitting all day despite switching between chair, exercise ball, standing, and going on frequent walks to break it up. Not to mention the fact htat I stopped sleeping regularly about 2 months ago. I get 55% pay from the state and then my work allows me to use my accrued sick time to get to 100%, which is the only reason I am able to take the full 4 months off of disability + FMLA. Well that and the fact that I live in California so get 55% pay for 6 of those 18 weeks. Really lucky on all counts for that as would not be able to take more than a handful of weeks if it was unpaid. 

JelloBean1

Are you able to work from home? I started working from home at 37 weeks and will continue to do so until I'm in labor. Then I will call our leave administrator to tell them the date to start my leave of absence (12 weeks FMLA). I have to use my saved vacation time and sick time which totals 3 weeks pay, and then I'll get some short term disability pay for a few weeks, with the rest unpaid. 

argonne

I am working until I have this baby.  As I get closer, I will evaluate whether I should start working from home.  For example, if I'm dilated 3cm, 50% effaced, yet not in active labor, I will work from home.  However, I only work about 25 minutes away from the hospital and if I start going into labor at work, I don't plan on hanging around.

Russiandea12

With my DS I worked untill the Friday before had my son.  I am planning on doing the same this time, as I have a RCS for a Monday, I am planning on working till the Friday before.  Also, my hospital is closer to my work than home.