I am in management for a large public company and in my department, our busy time of year is typically September-February. My daughter was born in June, not because we necessarily planned it that way, but just got lucky. We want to TTC in the next few months and so this would put baby #2 born and maternity leave right in the middle of the busy time of year. Part of me feels bad about this, and part of me does not care and don't want to put my family life on hold because of work. I am confident I can get most of what I am responsible for done prior to leave, and would be available during my leave if things get really crazy or they need me (and I know they would call if they needed me, plus I tend to stay pretty in-the-know just beause I had missing stuff).
What do you think? Did/do you plan when you want to have your kids around your work? And why/why not?
Re: Do you plan TTC around work?
If my "busy" season was maybe a month-3 months, I might try to plan my ML around then, but frankly, your busy time is half the year. .. so that's not realistic.
I did miss my busy season at work - December - February, but whatevs. . they managed, they ended up having to hire a consultant come in PT to help out - but I don't think that reflected on me.
I know, it is kind of rediculous. I work in HR and between benefits annual enrollment, year end performance management, and salary planning, I do more work between September and January than I do in the other 8 combined. But it does not all fall just on me, and there are back ups around to manage much of it.
Will baby #3 be another girl?
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Sad but true.
Both of my babies are planned around tax season.
May 25th- and Sept 19th. lol
We will/did around DH's schedule.
He works retail, so October-January is off limits for due dates and infertility treatments.
My job has no real "busy" time.. I can't really control when large construction projects go out to bid... But I kept in the know while I was out last time.
I work in HR too. I'm a benefits manager, so missing Open Enrollment really wouldn't be good. I planned my first son around it, and this one was a surprise, but timing works out okay. Our Open Enrollment happens in the spring, so hopefully it will be okay.
I am considering telling my boss very soon because it does affect long term plans if I'm not here.
http://oi62.tinypic.com/2w73hq9.jpg
My busy season is Sept-February too and though I didn't plan for my DH to be born out of that window, he was born at the end of March so it worked out work wise.
I will admit these are the things I tried for and will try for with #2 next year when we TTC:
1) I don't ever want my last trimester to be in July/August/September. It get's too hot/humid in Chicago then. I refuse to be huge in 100 degrees.
2) I always feel bad for kids who's birthdays are near Christmas, so I try to aim for no due date from late Nov-Mid Jan.
3) I actually was aiming for more of a June due date with DS b/c I wanted the summer off!!! We started TTC Memorial Day Weekend thinking it would take 3 months or so and I got pregnant on the second try in June...so March it was and instead, I was trapped in the house my entire maternity leave b/c it was cold and rainy all of April and May here in 2009. Oh well!
Can you tell I'm a planner???? LOL!
The next one will be... but not planned around work. DH and I show horses as a hobby. One of the show circuits has 5 shows between Memorial day and the first weekend in Aug, so the plan is to try for conceiving next July. The I'd be due in April ish. I would probably miss the first 1 or 2 shows the following year since they're usually back to back weekends.
With DD I stopped riding about 7 wks pg after my dr suggested I didn't ride due to fall risk and my trainer said she'd prefer me not to ride, but ultimately left it up to me. So, I didn't ride after 7 wks pg.
Normally I do ride all winter too, we `have `an indoor arena at home, so snow and cold don't really affect me riding.
Haha, you and I sound so alike--plus we live in the same city! I totally agree with you on all points--this is why we are really hoping for for an October/November due date this time around (so will start really TTC in December--we got lucky on our first month of trying last time around and hopefully are this lucky again). My last baby born in June and it was seriously the perfect, perfect time--I literally had my maternity leave from memorial day to labor day.
Will baby #3 be another girl?
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Cam 6.6.10 - Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Mixed Receptive/Expressive Communication Disorder
that's a pretty darn long busy season. I would not plan my children around work, but i am also not married to my job. I like my job, don't get me wrong. I say start TTC #2 and if it falls during your busy season - oh, well.
DH and I both teach. Due to m/c our first was born in the fall, but this time we are due at the end of April-ish. I like it because I will have 3 1/2 months off before I have to return to work.
I had planned to try to accomodate my work schedule of traveling three times a year and our busy season of July-September when we decided to try for #2. Well I ended up pregnant with #2 way before we planned and it just happened to work perfectly with my travel schedule. Since I work for a really small company (there are only four of us) and my position is pretty specialized it would have made me very uncomfortable to have put such a burden on them. As it was I only took two weeks off (stayed in touch by email) and then went back to work PT 3 days a week bringing DS#2 with me until he was old enough to join DS#1 at daycare.