How much time are you planning to take for maternity leave?

RachelG1016

I will be having a scheduled c-section (vbac not available at my hospital) and I get 8 weeks paid time off. I am going to try to also take another 4 weeks off unpaid for a maximum of 12 weeks (most allowed for 1 leave).

 If you work, what are your plans?

 

 

Rachel

hohmanam

It's pretty likely that I will only have 6 weeks off. I am currently being moved to a position where I will be obtaining sick time and vacation in my job. However, I will not get vacation until after 6 months (shortly after my due date.) And I will only have a few days of sick time added up. Therefore, almost all of it will be unpaid. It's our first child, so I'm not sure how I will feel, but my job is very flexible. I have already discussed it with my bosses, and if I want to extend the maternity leave and can handle it financially, I will. I'm pretty lucky in that sense.

littleheaven

i'll probably only take the 6 weeks (unless for some reason i need a c-section)...either way, i'll get whatever paid time i'm allowed....unfortunately, dh and i can't afford for me to take any unpaid time off...

however, i did reach out to someone in hr....we don't normally get to carry over vacation time, but since i'm due so early in the year, i'm going to try and see if i can't carry over a week or 2 of vacation time to add on to the end...so we'll see what they say....i won't have accrued much by the time i give birth so i really won't be able to use any next year vaca time...

SEWF

I am extremely lucky. I work for a company where I get 16 weeks maternity leave. Even if I didn't get that leave, I have at least 8 weeks between sick time and vacation.

Robeano

12 months. In Canada you get a year paid maternity leave at 60% of your average wage for the last year. It goes through the government, not your employer.

chefsteph

My company makes you use up all of your sick, vacation, and personal time before short term disability kicks in. And of course, since we are having a January baby, I lose all the new time I am getting in January. I decided not to take any time before the birth (for now at least) and take nine weeks. This way, if I decide I want to go a little before or stay home a little longer, I have a three week buffer.

jjgal

I'm a teacher and planning to take off the rest of the year.  6 weeks will be paid and the rest will be unpaid.  I am going go try to take off the following year too, but we still need to figure out if that will work for our family  With DD I took off 5 months.  

LoveIsOwlYouNeed

I am taking the full 12 weeks, but I am lucky.  We get STD through work that pays us 100% for six weeks after the birth (8 if it's C-section).  And I have been with my company for more than 5 years so I have a lot of vacation and sick time to cover the other 6 weeks.  Otherwise I'd be taking time unpaid, but still the full 12 weeks I think.

jdm7

I'll be taking 10 weeks off. Its what I took last time and it was perfect because by week 9 I was ready to talk to adults again. I'll take a minimum of 8 weeks though because I'll more than likely be having an RCS. 

Kie310

I get 6 weeks at 60% with STD. Then I will take the last 6 weeks (FMLA) unpaid & then I will take a week or two of vacation before coming back to work.

With my first I was put on bed rest for 3 weeks before I was induced, so I lost 3 weeks of FMLA to that, but I still did 2 weeks of my own vacation time before coming back in.

pghctwife

12 weeks

ungraceful13

I only get 30 days unpaid for a vaginal delivery or 40 days unpaid for a c-section. I also have paid for std and that will be 30 days paid. I am unsure if that means I can take 60 altogether or if they will just pay for my first 30 days. I should figure that out in Sept.

laurapacheco

We don't get any sort of paid maternity leave, but I will have enough sick & vacation time saved up by then to take 3 months. Also I'm planning to telework full-time the last month or so of pregnancy.

AuntieKelsey07

I will probably take 8. I don't get any paid maternity leave, and legally I can have up to 12 weeks. But, I have Aflac and they cover 8 weeks, so that's probably how long I'll be out.

Oriam

12 weeks

betheppert

I have a scheduled C-section so I am doing the 8 weeks that disability covers and 1 week of PTO that I get paid for work (if the baby does come in January) for a total of 9 weeks. I hated maternity leave with my first one- so I try not take more time then what I will get paid for.

If the baby comes in December then I will just take the 8 weeks.

EAMommy

I have a unique situation in that even when I go back to work, I'll be with my baby all day, every day as I own a home daycare. However, for bonding and recovery, I plan to take 4-6 weeks. It depends on when the baby is born... I will be closing the daycare the week of Christmas and re-opening the week of Valentine's day. I'm due on the 12th and my doctor has said she won't let me go past my due date (medical reasons). If baby comes early, I'll have 6 weeks off, but at the very least, I'll have 4 weeks. Unfortunately, it's all unpaid.

brianabrad

I have no paid leave expect for the time I can cover using my sick and vacation leave. I should have enough leave to cover 6 weeks or so with pay but will likely take at least 8 weeks odd. It will probably depend a lot on if baby comes before or after Christmas. My work gives us 4 paid days around Christmas and New Years so if I could use those along with my leave I could be off a little longer.

mrsodonnell12

12 weeks for sure.... I would take more if I could. I am working on a plan to work from home starting around 8 weeks so that I can do that a few days a week and not come back for longer... we will see!

ETA: I dont get any paid maternity leave....I will use my week of sick and two weeks of vaca and the rest will be unpaid....which is scary!!

Chris&Lyzz

I originally planned 8 weeks but after talking to HR, I found out that I can use my sick days and vacation days (some rollover from this past year) and end up getting 6 weeks fully paid and then 6 weeks with 66% of my paycheck. I am definitely planning on taking 12 weeks now! Also, I work at a college and they give everyone off the week of Christmas to New Years which works out perfect for my due date of January 4th! It will be almost like 13 weeks off total! 

 

Necack

My school gives no maternity leave at all. I have 8 paid time off days to use for the whole school year. So, it looks like I'll be going the FMLA route. Not sure how long I will take. I work from home being in a cyber school, so I may go back at the end of the year, I may not.

Allison546

I get 6 weeks paid time off and then can take another 6 weeks unpaid under FMLA.

Willow0101

I will be taking 13 weeks off. 5 weeks paid vacation, 2 weeks paid sick day and then my 6 weeks of Short term disability kick in at 90% of my salary. I will be back at work for about 3 - 4 weeks then I have the summer off! I do wish I did not have to take my vacation and sick time first because I would have liked to save those.

Jenn0810

I'm planning on taking 6 weeks. I will have maybe 3 weeks of sick days I can use, so I'll plan to use 10 of those days to have 2 weeks paid. The rest will be unpaid. I may have to take time off after winter break since I drive an hour to work each day by myself. Not sure if my doctor will be ok with that. Break is over on Jan 2nd and I'm due Jan 9th. (I teach, btw). I will be using short term disability. 

shoff_1999

My union allows up to 6 months.  I am due at the beginning of our Spring semester so I think I will just take the whole semester off instead of coming back to the chaos, I wait to come back until June. So between 4 and 5 months, the majority is unpaid.

jessrenee11

With DD I planned on taking 12 weeks, then I was put on bed rest and she came early so I only got 10 weeks at home with her. 

This week I will only be taking 6 unpaid FLMA weeks off. I am crossing my fingers that I will not have to go on bed rest again but regardless I don't think I will be cleared to work anyway until 6 weeks PP. It will be a little different this time as I only work about 25 hours a week 5 days a week now (nights and weekends). I plan on only going back 3 days a week until MH can get into a routine with 2 children on his own

brittandjp

I will get paid 60% of my salary for the first 6 weeks (or 8 for a c-section) and then I'll take an additional 6 under fmla, so that wouldn't be paid, but I'd get 12 weeks total. 

I'm a teacher and will have to return for 4-5 weeks to finish out the year, then I'll have another 9-10 weeks off before I have to be back for the following year. For the 4-5 weeks that I return to school, DH and my mom will be staying with LO. In August, we'll be hiring a nanny or possibly doing an in home day care. 

Wild_flower25

the max, 12 weeks.  I haven't figured out how much will be paid or unpaid yet, but I do get short term disability to cover half my pay for 8 weeks of it for sure.

amh04

I am looking at taking 6 weeks unpaid mat leave, and returning part time.

bennikki

I work full-time as an accountant, but DH and I also own a gym/health club together, and DH is self employed with his tree service.  I have vacation and PTO from my work, and we have hospital stay insurance and STD (similar to AFLAC, your paid to cover your personal expenses if something happens) through our businesses, so I will actually make money on my maternity leave compared to my regular salary.

I plan on taking at least 12 weeks off which means I will be missing our busiest time of the year "TAX TIME" in the US.  That also means I'll be missing out on major overtime and a huge bonus, but it will be so worth it.  

Being due in January means DH and I will be home with the LO for at least a couple months together, typically the snow is too deep in MN to take down trees in Jan and Feb.  We feel like it may be a good test run on what being a SAHM would be like to our finances.  We make plenty from the businesses, but I just like knowing I have steady work all the time when I run worst case scenarios through my head. 

st.augbride

If I have another c/s then I get 8 weeks paid, otherwise I get 6. I am expecting a c-section though since I'm on blood thinners. I'll then likely work from home one day per week to stretch out my annual leave for a total of 4 months home paid.

Mrs.AmyDylan

I own my own business that is very seasonal. I'm due in my off season, so I will be able to take off about 4 months. I do teach a few fitness classes at the health club by my house. I hope to be back over there within a few weeks (only 4hrs/week).  

silversparks

12 weeks. Not sure yet if it will be paid or unpaid.

wootownlady

Same as last time 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid. It'll be tougher because we have more expenses now with LO so that time unpaid will hurt, but it's definitely worth it.

 

If you are wavering on taking unpaid time - if there's any way at all $$-wise that you can do it - DO IT. You wont regret it and you can't get the time back after it's gone!

lifeisbetteronthered

I can take 12 months off with approximately 50-60% pay (Oh Canada), and get a "top up" to >90% pay for the first 17 weeks (by our union).  Some employers will top up for the entire year.

I will be taking my 4 weeks of holiday time the month before I'm due, and then have advised my work that I will be taking the year but may ask for early return after 6 or 8 months.

goofyteacher

I'm a teacher so I will be taking the rest of the year off.  8 weeks of it will be paid and the other 8 weeks will be unpaid.

eSynergy

I'm taking 12 weeks off. I'd love to take more time off, but it's not an option. 

 

knitsandgiggles

I'll be requesting 6 months.

financialdiva

12 weeks, 4 weeks at 60% pay (tax free) through STD, 8 weeks unpaid. 

erkie

I also work in the schools. I had planned to take my saved sick days and vacation days (6 weeks total) fully paid and then another 6 weeks at 1/2 pay through AFLAC's STD. DH would then take his FMLA time and use all his saved vacation/sick time to get us to the end of the school year.

However, I have just been offered a new job with a district in town (my old job is a 40 minute commute). If I take it, I will only get 10 sick days and then take my AFLAC STD pay, which does give me 1/2 pay for up to 3 months. DH and I will have to do some serious assessment to see if we can afford me to stay home longer than 6 weeks. MIL does not work, so we may ask her if she would step in to help with some child care to cover the interim weeks. Hard decision!!

chip22

I will take 9 months paid maternity leave (at 75% of my salary - government) my husband will take 3 months (93% of his salary - employer top-up - which is the government).  After my 9 months are up I will use "unpaid leave for the care and nurturing of young children" which in my collective agreement is up to 5 years.  I currently don't intend to return to my job but I'm not going to close any doors just in case (it's a decent salary to go back to).