Maternity Leave - When are you starting?

lynnlynn21

Let me preface this by saying I'm in California, so I guess we have one of the more generous maternity leave timelines in the US.

For you STM(+)s, when do you recommend starting your leave from work?  FTMs what's your plan?  I can get 4 weeks pre-birth (based on due date of 2/9) through SDI (with PDL & FMLA job protection), and while earlier in my pregnancy I was soooo sure I'd work right up to at least a week before she's due, now I'm not so sure I want to anymore.  If I don't use all 4 weeks its not like I can tack it on to my leave after she's born either.  

Pay wise, after birth I'll still get a full 12 weeks (combo of SDI + PFL).  I'll also tack on a few weeks of vacation and sick time I've been hoarding throughout the year. :-)

So ladies, what's your plan?

bhjones1980

I will do the same thing I did with DS, my maternity leave starts when I go into labor.

I didnt want to waste one day of my leave on sitting around waiting for him.

nbad311

This is the current baby topic of conversation/debate in my house right now between DH and I.

 

My place of employment has a nice, generous leave policy and I'm very thankful for that.  I get 13 weeks paid maternity leave, and I can go out early (a week or so before my EDD) if I want, but maternity leave will start then.  But we also get up to an additional 12 weeks, unpaid but with keeping benefits and your position, to take within the first year of birth, called "child care bonding leave" or something.  I really want to take advantage of a part of this time, but am unsure as to when to do it.  Connect it to maternity leave and take something like 15-20 weeks off in a row?  Or use it around Christmas time?  I'm curious to see what STMs say about leave.

I do plan to work until the contractions come though!  So no going out early for me.

schnitz9

I'm gonna start working from home feb 1st.  Due feb 16th and will work from home until I go into labor. After little guy comes will take full 12 weeks and then work from home til june 8th (earliest we could get him into the daycare we chose). My whole leave is unpaid. Since I make salary +commission I'm saving all my commission so that will cover my mat leave. I do get 4 weeks paid vacation but I wanna save that so I can use it after I go back if he or I get sick and to take some vaca days too. 

bhjones1980

I am hoping my boss will let me work from home the last week or so (he did with DS) since I have such a long commute (90 minutes each way) and have nightmares about going into labor when downtown at work.

FlowerPower16

bhjones1980 said:

I will do the same thing I did with DS, my maternity leave starts when I go into labor.

I didnt want to waste one day of my leave on sitting around waiting for him.

This exactly.

nbad311

bhjones1980 said:

 I have such a long commute (90 minutes each way)

You must have amazingly superior patience!  Is it at least an actively moving drive, or are you sitting in bumper-to-bumper for only a few miles? 

michelle142

I can take 12 weeks FMLA (4 weeks are paid I guess) - my maternity leave starts when I go into labor unless my MW says I need to stop before that for some reason.

freegiraffe

I get 12 weeks and I'm planning to work up until I go into labor. I already work from home full time and my boss is pretty understanding about setting boundaries when my due date is getting close so there's no reason not to continue working.

bhjones1980

nbad311 said:

bhjones1980 said:

 I have such a long commute (90 minutes each way)

You must have amazingly superior patience!  Is it at least an actively moving drive, or are you sitting in bumper-to-bumper for only a few miles? 

the 90 minute commute is when I take public transit and includes getting to park and ride bus stop, waiting for bus, bus ride and walk to work.  it is also an issue of schedule since the buses run pretty limited (only start at 3pm) so if something happened in the middle of the day I would be stuck.

If I drive it is about an hour, but I have to leave really early (by 6am) and leave work by 4pm or it gets much worse with traffic.  I have mixed feelings about having to navigate city traffic in labor.

modernfairytale8709

I plan on working til the baby is crowning.

But seriously, I'll work as long as I possibly can. My job has kind of a shitty leave policy that makes me use all my accrued PTO in conjunction with my FMLA and STD.

I'm thankful to have 65% STD and FMLA, but I wish I didn't have to use my PTO to supplement. I'd much rather live on 65% of my salary for 6 weeks, and have the option of using vacation time to extend my paid leave. As it stands now, I'll be back to work after 6 weeks with no remaining PTO for the year. Blech.

maryxc1

With DS I was a little different because I wasn't going back to work after he was born. But, whenever I quit the pay checks stopped so I wanted to work as long as possible. I stopped working one week before his due date and he was a week late, so I was off two weeks before he came. I was very glad to have at least a week to get all the last minute stuff done. Then after he was born, I didn't have to worry about deep cleaning the house, taking recycling to the dump, organizing, etc (those sorts of things that need to be done but not every day) for a while.

mle106

I'm hoping to work until I go into labor (unless I have to stop sooner) and then take 12 weeks FMLA. If I go out before baby comes, that chips away at my time off so I'm gonna try to stick it out!

agm04

I also plan to work until baby comes unless I can't.  I get 16 weeks paid leave, and I know I'll want every last second with her.

yesiknowwhatcausesthat

With my first two I stopped working about 3 weeks before my due date. Now I work from home (daycare), so I am able to work right up until I go to the hospital. I don't get any paid maternity leave (my choice to write my policy that way though).

IsabelC687

modernfairytale8709 said:

I plan on working til the baby is crowning.

But seriously, I'll work as long as I possibly can. My job has kind of a shitty leave policy that makes me use all my accrued PTO in conjunction with my FMLA and STD.

I'm thankful to have 65% STD and FMLA, but I wish I didn't have to use my PTO to supplement. I'd much rather live on 65% of my salary for 6 weeks, and have the option of using vacation time to extend my paid leave. As it stands now, I'll be back to work after 6 weeks with no remaining PTO for the year. Blech.

same. Ugh. Wish my job offered something better. At this point I pretty much have FMLA (promise not to fire you for 12 weeks) and getting paid is all on me.

jaztastic

BellinghamMama said:

I will do the same thing I did with DS, my maternity leave starts when I go into labor.

I didnt want to waste one day of my leave on sitting around waiting for him.

^^^^ this!

Add me to this list. My OB office has a coop of doctors, one of which is pregnant and due late January. Im hoping to see her in December and get her to write me out of work for some condition that will be covered under ST disability. Pregnancy to Pregnancy might get me some brownie points. Otherwise I will just go out when labor starts and use my 12weeks starting then. 

firelizard83

I am working until I pop! Actually hoping to start labor while at work since it will keep me active /distracted, and I work about 2 blocks away from the hospital! That's way closer than the 20 minute drive I have from home! But yeah, there is no pay for me on leave (could use my whole 4 pto days for the year). So I will be working again as soon as I am cleared, probably after 4-6 weeks. I can't express how mega jealous I am of you guys with such super generous policies! Please milk it and enjoy it for those of us who can't!

Oem617

I plan on working as long as possible. With DS I left about 2 weeks prior to his due date. I was only paid 55% (From the state of CA) for the time until he was born. I get 12 weeks fully paid once baby is born. Depends on how I feel and how much we can afford, but right now I plan on working as long as I can stand it or until the baby comes.

PeaceofKia

When my doctor tells me to stop, or until "labor day" /c section. I was going to stop Dec 1st, but I've decided to make it work until winter break starts because I'm pretty sure that when it's time to return to work(Jan 5th), they'll be ready to arrive...

CdnFarmGirl08

I said my last day is Jan 26 (my due date is Feb 9) but I get a year off too. I may be done at Christmas, and just take some sick time.

junebugjam

I'm a teacher. I have a fear of going into labor in front of my class, but I also don't want to take off too early and waste time waiting. Plus there's the issue of needing a replacement, so I'm sure they don't want me to just "wait and see" anyway.

I'm due the 19th, so my plan is to work until the Friday before I'm due, which is the 13th. If the baby comes late I'll end up with a lot of wasted time, but I plan on taking the rest of the school year off anyway, so I figure it's not a huge deal.

HailsMom

My plan is the same as it was with my first - work until time to go to the hospital.

Now, with Hailey it didn't work out quite that way. I worked Monday and Tuesday, but left work early on Tuesday because I wasn't feeling great. Called out Wednesday still not feeling great. Got up Thursday to get my shower and go into work and my water broke in the shower. Hailey finally made her appearance on Friday. 

I want as much time after birth to spend with Reid as I can get. I will probably even still send Hailey to daycare at least part-time. I will have to come back to work after 6 weeks or so- depending on what is going on with daycare.

PippyLongstocking1

My plan is to work up until labor. Ideally I will go on maternity leave on my due date if I go over though, but I guess that will all have to be a wait and see kind of situation. My short term disability will pay 70% of my pay for 6 weeks, but can be started before birth if the dr recommends, so maybe I'll talk with her about that and see what she thinks! I'm planning on taking 2 weeks unpaid so that I can stay home with my little for 8 weeks, which I still don't think will be long enough

Angeldcf

I get 12 wks with FMLA and will have about 6 wks paid from my PTO.  I hope to work up to 40wks but have no idea. 

With DS, I took off (all unpaid) at 38wks and was going crazy.  This time, I like the idea of having going out at 39wks to (possibly) have some 1:1 time with him before an infant is thrown in the mix.

Irishcurls

I'm actually quitting my job two weeks prior to EDD--academic funding issues FTW! We're moving 8-12 weeks PP so I'm not able to finagle maternity leave through my job anyway. 

If I wasn't, totally would be team "work up until the last minute."

MaddScientist

working until labor. I have a shitty paid leave policy - so while I plan to take the whole 12 wks FMLA, only like 4.5 will be paid. Since we survive mostly off my paycheck, I need/want to get the most baby time out of my unpaid leave.

kismetjess

I also only get 12 weeks FMLA...no pay. BOO. I'll work as long as I can, and plan on putting in a few hours from home here and there once baby comes. Double BOO.

dees14

I work at the hospital I'm delivering at, so I plan on working until the last minute. I'm taking 12 weeks. 6 is paid, 6 using vacation time.

animalcrckr

I worked up until labor started with my first two pregnancies.  

My water broke in the middle of the night with DS1.  I proceeded to take a shower, pack a bag and put on comfy clothes (with a towel stuffed down my pants to soak up the amniotic fluid).  DH looked at me like I was crazy and asked me why I was going to wear sweat pants to work.  He assumed I was going to work to see my morning patients.  He must of been in denial that we were hours from having a baby:)  

With DS2, I casually stopped by L&D during my lunch break since I worked in the hospital just to have them check me for a potential leak and they would not let me leave.  I didn't have bag packed or anything (did have my lunch though).  DS2 was born later that day. 

I was totally fine working up until baby time.  I did not want to use my vacation time before baby b/c I knew I was going to want to use any extra days to stay home afterwards. 

psychobutthead

HailsMom said:

My plan is the same as it was with my first - work until time to go to the hospital.

Now, with Hailey it didn't work out quite that way. I worked Monday and Tuesday, but left work early on Tuesday because I wasn't feeling great. Called out Wednesday still not feeling great. Got up Thursday to get my shower and go into work and my water broke in the shower. Hailey finally made her appearance on Friday. 

I want as much time after birth to spend with Reid as I can get. I will probably even still send Hailey to daycare at least part-time. I will have to come back to work after 6 weeks or so- depending on what is going on with daycare.

I think this is the first I've heard your sons name will be Reid. I really like it

chicagojackie

I was put on bedrest with DD at 37 weeks and had her at 38 & 2. So that started my 12 weeks.

This time hopefully no bedrest and we can do a scheduled induction close to 39 weeks. But we shall see. Short answer: I know I can take 12 weeks but how many of those are post partum depends on the whole medical situation.

flyster

I'm hoping to work up until labor but I can do lots of work at home so if I start feeling shity or get put on bed rest I'll do that. I usually stay home a bunch in the winter anyway...tiny car that does not handle snow well and unless we get a new car by then I plan to be a weather wimp. I'm working out with my manager right now my leave. I can get 3 months paid with combo of maternaty leave, disability and accrued vacation time. I might do a few more weeks unpaid and then come back part time for a few weeks to adjust.

BeckyP005

I will hopefully work up until labor. I'm getting no maternity pay unless boss decides to help out some. I'm a nanny and have to talk to them about this. Will have to go back at 6 wks

mishka29

Jan 16 and I'm due the 28th and I get a year.

Mego04

modernfairytale8709 said:

I plan on working til the baby is crowning.

But seriously, I'll work as long as I possibly can. My job has kind of a shitty leave policy that makes me use all my accrued PTO in conjunction with my FMLA and STD.

I'm thankful to have 65% STD and FMLA, but I wish I didn't have to use my PTO to supplement. I'd much rather live on 65% of my salary for 6 weeks, and have the option of using vacation time to extend my paid leave. As it stands now, I'll be back to work after 6 weeks with no remaining PTO for the year. Blech.

Your STD won't kick in after you use your pto?

mommaa1615

I work from home so I'm working until it's time to go to hospital. I then get 6 weeks paid and am taking 6 unpaid. Actually printed all my paperwork today.

mom2xover2002

I'm a contractor at my job. So I'll work until I go into labor. I'm only taking off 8 weeks of work and I don't get paid for any of it. My boss and I will start making plans in January for when DD comes.

SaraL1175

My former employer gave paid leave starting at 38 weeks and going 12 weeks after delivery (with extenders for twins, c section, and any accumulated vacation). However, I chose to become a SAHM to my 4 boys (including a 3 and 1 year old) right before I found out I was pregnant. I'm happy to be at home but I get ZERO time off and my family doesn't live close. DH can take his vacation days or unpaid FMLA if I need help here or there. I think we are really going to struggle, though.

lizjennings81

I work 1.5 miles from home and my hospital is only a mile from work, so I could drive myself from there (maybe). But my husband yelled "I have ONE JOB I'm not supposed to fuck up!" when I said this to him, heh.

That said, I'll work up until labor hits (my boss this morning: "Soooo, you're going out, like, February 10?"). The husband and I will probably work from home the closer we are to my due date.

cloe111479

I'm jealous of the people with lots of leave.  

My office is small, and doesn't qualify my for FMLA.  I get 6 weeks, all of which will be paid since I have to use all my sick/vacation days.  (office doesn't offer short term disability, and I was not eligible for it on my own-- believe me I tried) 

I plan on staying til labor.