Maternity Leave - How Much Time Should I Take Off!?

ssklar8

Hi Everyone!

I am currently in my first trimester with baby #2 and I am having a lot of anxiety about telling my boss about the pregnancy. I wasn't working when I had baby #1 and started my current job when he had turned 1. 

I work for a fairly small company; approx 10 people, myself and the owner in the office only. Which makes taking time off difficult. I feel overwhelming guilt when I book a vacation for more than 3 work days.... the thought of leaving the owner for a year is unimaginable to me. He would likely hire a temp for while I am on Mat. Leave, but how much time should I be taking off? I know of course it is all up to me in the end and whatever I am comfortable with... legally I am entitled to 1 year... I just feel way to guilty about being away from my job for that long.... but will I feel even more guilty about being away from baby if I go back to work too soon?

This is all new to me, so please share how much time you took off and how you told your employers.

PS- My husband works nights so is home with our son during the days now and he will be starting kindergarten in September.

Sarah

jasminelorraine20

First, can I say how jealous of you I am?! I had to return to work after only 6 weeks with my baby and it was extremely difficult the first week, but I managed to keep myself busy and the time flew. If I had the option to stay home for a year, I think that I would take the full year. I was a breastfeeding Mom and I would have loved to EBF for the entire time and not have to pump. The year with your baby is one that you'll never get back, and you will be there for every milestone. I'd take that any day, especially if I had a guaranteed job to return to. The way I see it is, the job will always be there and that first year will not. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!

MyCousinVinny

First, you need to find out how much paid maternity leave you are entitled to.  Second, you need to decide whether or not you can afford for you to be home for any unpaid leave you want to take.

Finances are huge so this is the first place I'd start.

jasminelorraine20

MyCousinVinny said:

First, you need to find out how much paid maternity leave you are entitled to.  Second, you need to decide whether or not you can afford for you to be home for any unpaid leave you want to take.

Finances are huge so this is the first place I'd start.

I didn't think of finances. I assumed you get up to an entire year of paid leave. I agree, that would be a large factor in my decision making process. I also would tell your boss as soon as possible that you're pregnant so they can start making arrangements early.

ssklar8

Thanks for the input, yes the 1 year I am entitled to is paid through Employment Insurance. It is 15 weeks of maternity leave and 37 weeks of parental leave. 

Another idea I have been thinking about is possibly requesting to do some work from home between say 5-8 months. That way the strain on the company wont be as bad.... I would just have to do some research and see how that will affect the EI I would receive. Or possibly "bank" the hours for when I return fully.

As we are a small company, I am the only woman who works here and has ever worked here lol so this is all new for both me and my boss, so I want to have as many options as possible to work through and find one that fits with both the company's needs and my own.

I do plan to breastfeed, but I plan to pump and bottle feed basically straight away as my first would not go near a bottle or soother which meant I couldn't go out for more than a couple hours at a time. 

justiasana

jasminelorraine20 said:

First, can I say how jealous of you I am?! I had to return to work after only 6 weeks with my baby and it was extremely difficult the first week, but I managed to keep myself busy and the time flew. If I had the option to stay home for a year, I think that I would take the full year. I was a breastfeeding Mom and I would have loved to EBF for the entire time and not have to pump.

I'm having my first child and will have to go back to work after 5 weeks. Can you tell me more about what made it difficult going back to work at 6 weeks (other than missing baby, of course)? Was it fatigue? Needing to pump frequently? Something else? Any tips?

jasminelorraine20

justiasana said:

jasminelorraine20 said:

First, can I say how jealous of you I am?! I had to return to work after only 6 weeks with my baby and it was extremely difficult the first week, but I managed to keep myself busy and the time flew. If I had the option to stay home for a year, I think that I would take the full year. I was a breastfeeding Mom and I would have loved to EBF for the entire time and not have to pump.

I'm having my first child and will have to go back to work after 5 weeks. Can you tell me more about what made it difficult going back to work at 6 weeks (other than missing baby, of course)? Was it fatigue? Needing to pump frequently? Something else? Any tips?

Congratulations!! I think that it was difficult for me because the bond that I made with DS while nursing him was so special for me, and I was just getting to know my baby- so going to work and being a part from him was a little rough. I was already used to little sleep before DS was born so being tired was nothing that coffee couldn't fix. As far as pumping, my job gave me a conference room with a door that locks to pump in and I would go in probably every few hours. I had no issues with that. My advice is to keep yourself busy! Try to engage in adult conversation while at work (by that I mean talking about something other than the baby). I got through the days because I was able to go to DS during lunch and nurse him- so that helped.