Maternity leave? short or drawn out

Hbowers16 · December 2010

Ok be honest, who is taking the normal 6 weeks, If all works out. And who is thinking extended? I don't think I'll be able to bare my job (which I hate) after I meet my little one. Although if quitting is an option, I will work out a notice. I don't know if financially we can handle it with just my husbands salary, but I am willing to compromise. I have worked for 8 years in a factory, Its a higher level job and comes with good benefits and respect. But I have to be at work at 4am (that means alarm goes off at 230am) I am just so ready for a break! Am I being selfish? Anyone else in the same boat?

sleepingbeauty825 · December 2010

I thought the normal was 12 weeks?

I took 11 weeks with my son, I don't really know what I'm going to do with this one.

scaneiki · December 2010

I'm taking my 12 weeks just like with DS (if I go back). Actually, with DS it was about 16 weeks because I was on modified bed rest and worked from home. I can't stand less time than that.

gymnst1013 · December 2010

I get 6 weeks paid (70% of pay anyway) with a 1 week waiting period, so 7 weeks total. I guess I could use PTO for another week if I wanted or take some time unpaid, but I don't think I will. I really love my job and both MH and I work at home so I'll likely start back after 7 weeks.

MrsB*7*21 · December 2010

We somehow managed to have end up with an April due date and since I'm a teacher, I'm using about 45 sick days that I have accumulated so that I can be home with them from April - mid August. If my due date would have been much earlier, I would have used 40 sick days and gone back to work for the end of the school year.

Hbowers16 · December 2010

My human resource said the normal leave where we work is 6 weeks. That seems impossible to me, I will at least take 12 weeks. Then they offer extended child care

mayowife · December 2010

In NJ you get 6 weeks partial pay from short term disability if you qualify for state benefits. Under FMLA you are allowed to take 12 weeks, although it may not be paid.

I would personally never consider only six weeks for maternity leave. IMO twelve weeks is barely long enough, but for many people that is all they can afford.

Mrs.Saxy · December 2010

sleepingbeauty825:
I thought the normal was 12 weeks?
I took 11 weeks with my son, I don't really know what I'm going to do with this one.

for us it's 6 weeks for vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for c/section. You can use FMLA for 12 weeks, I think.

May0111 · December 2010

I'm taking 12, but I am really hoping that I don't have to go back to my job. I am going to be doing serious job hunting while on leave because I just graduated and I HATE my job...we'll see how that goes.

nic5606 · December 2010

I am taking 12 weeks off and hopefully I can come back to work part time or per diem. (Currently full time 42-48 hr work week at a hospital).

frogyie · December 2010

I'll be taking 8 weeks if my customers can stand it. I am in sales so I will have to adjust accordingly

Nadiaz · December 2010

I'm taking 12 weeks and then taking a 1 week vacation (that is a christmas present from my bro and SIL) 2 weeks after I return (as long as that gets approved)

Aaron and April · December 2010

I took 5 weeks with DS only because he was born in January and I am a teacher and was out of days. We didn't have the money for me to pay $140 per day out of my paycheck.

With this one, it will be born one week after school is out (the beginning of June) which means I will have about 8 weeks before starting work again and won't have to use days.

I don't think you are being selfish and if we could afford for me to quit or take more time, we would.

Loreali2010 · December 2010

I get six weeks 100% paid disability and could take up to 12 weeks under FMLA. I am taking eight weeks off and I am using vacation for the addition two weeks. I would love to take the whole 12 weeks if the work world would freeze, but oh well. The longer I am gone, the more of a mess I come back too! I do love my job though.

sleepingbeauty825 · December 2010

Mrs.Saxy:
sleepingbeauty825:
I thought the normal was 12 weeks?
I took 11 weeks with my son, I don't really know what I'm going to do with this one.
for us it's 6 weeks for vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for c/section. You can use FMLA for 12 weeks, I think.

Ah yes, you're right. It's all coming back now. Wink

RachieTK · December 2010

I will be home for 5 months. I am a teacher, and I get to use 60 school days paid (since I have enough sick days), and then it will be summer vacation. The timing worked out perfectly - I'll use about 55 days before summer comes. I could theoretically take off 5 days at the beginning of next year, but that would not be fair to my class IMO.

katlizabeth · December 2010

I have a plan to go 8 weeks, but it barely counts because I'm a teacher and I'll only go back for like 2 weeks and then I'll be off this summer. I only have like 3-4 weeks paid though. It is important for me to take more than 6-I was a walking zombie at 6 weeks with ds.

akayf · December 2010

I plan on staying home until Jan 2012. I'm a teacher and most of my leave will be unpaid.

YisraelAmmi23 · December 2010

We get 6 weeks for natural birth 8 for c-section. I'm planning on adding to my leave with FMLA though, and hopefully not going back at all after the 12 weeks Wink

Hbowers16 · December 2010

Does that involve much sacrifice with your family? I just would like to know that its ok to do without (unneeded shopping) in order to stay home.

BetchySprout · December 2010

YisraelAmmi23:
We get 6 weeks for natural birth 8 for c-section. I'm planning on adding to my leave with FMLA though, and hopefully not going back at all after the 12 weeks

You might want to check into the laws in your state, sometimes you can be required to pay your mat leave back (if they paid it and it wasn't your unused vacation, etc.) and pay back any insurance money they paid out for you. I have seen more than one woman on the Money Matters board panic because they didn't plan for this (they get a lot of drive-by panicked people there!)

I am a teacher and luckily am due in May, about 6 weeks before school is out. I will probably start my leave 1 week before my due date and I will get paid because we have sick bank and I have about 10 sick days I can use (when you have a toddler, having any is a miracle).

kewltif · December 2010

I am hoping to take 15 months. I work in a school and would like to take the following school year off (unpaid but with job security). If not, then I might go back in January, which would be about 7 months.

Hbowers16 · December 2010

Thanks for the input ladies, keep it coming. Just wondering if taking an extended leave will be hard, but worth it I'm sure (financially).

lauralovesbob · December 2010

I have a crappy schedule too, I work about 60 hours a week. I'm taking 6 weeks PTO and 1 week of vacation. Any more time off isn't paid, and we can't afford to live off just my husband's salary. Additionally, my job is part work and part training, so if I take additional time off I fall behind in my schedule. However, this is all assuming I'm having a healthy baby and vaginal delivery. If I end up with CS or baby isn't well, we'll obviously have to work something out.

YisraelAmmi23 · December 2010

Hbowers16:
Does that involve much sacrifice with your family? I just would like to know that its ok to do without (unneeded shopping) in order to stay home.

It won't really be a big hit to us because DH just got a new job a few months ago and makes what we made together all by himself, so my money's just mad money anyways

laurakaz13 · December 2010

I get 8 weeks paid. But have at least 6 weeks vacation time I plan to take as well. On top of that I will get half days the 8th month of pregnancy.

I love my career and don't want to give it up. It would not be easy to go back if I took too much time off. I wish I could take like 6 months off and go back. Too bad the U.S. doesn't have better maternity leave policies. :-(

erbear · December 2010

Your job sounds...challenging...with a newborn. I don't think you'd be selfish to stay home if that's what you want (as long as you tell them before you leave that you're not coming back!)

I took 6 months off with Kate and I wanted to kill myself...it was too long and I never wanted to be a SAHM (and I love my job). I'm doing 11-12 weeks with this one, depending on when he/she comes, then back for 7-8 weeks, then home for the summer again.

JessicaG56 · December 2010

i have taken 12 weeks off with both boys and i will with this one! 12 weeks goes so fast! you are allowed by law to take 12 weeks of FMLA IF your company qualifies. i would def. check into it bf you decide

DrDPM · December 2010

Lurking from 9-12 mo. I had 5 weeks with DS1, which was way too short (I was in med school). I had 7 weeks with DD, which was better. I was home 13 weeks with DS2 and it was too long. I love my LO's, but I'm not cut out to be a SAHM. I love what I do, which makes me happy and a better mommy. If we havea 4th, I'll plan on 8 or 9 weeks.

Ciaram22 · December 2010

I get 6 weeks paid leave or 12 weeks unpaid. I'm going to take the 6 weeks and then 2 weeks of paid vacation for a total of 8 weeks paid. I will also have to take medical leave at some other point in the year as DS is going to need at least 2 surgeries in his first year to correct his cleft lip and palate so who knows how much time I will be off throughout the next year.

karenmarie20 · December 2010

I went back to work (PT) when DD was a little over 4 months old, only 6 weeks was paid by disability. I'm hopeful to do the same with this LO.

sarita28 · December 2010

We get 12 weeks paid leave where I work. I'm going to do a combo of things. I'll take 6 weeks off completely. Then, the last 6 weeks of paid time, I'll stretch out over the rest of 2011 so I'm only working 70% but getting paid 100%. Then, hopefully I can stay 70% when that runs out. I wouldn't mind being a SAHM, but I've had too much schooling and have too many student loans to payoff. I need to make money a while longer.

preciousgrl120 · December 2010

I get 6 or 8 (natural or c-section) weeks leave and can use up sick days to cover my pay but can sign up for FMLA leave up to 12. I will probably only be taking the 6/8 because I'm a teacher and my due date is exactly 5 weeks from the current last day of school.

bear2115 · December 2010

FYI: FMLA guarantees 12 weeks unpaid leave as long as you have worked with the company for at least 12 consecutive months, the company has at least 50 employees and it doesn't cause an undue hardship for the company. You should always double check with your HR department before you assume that you qualify for FMLA. Also, you need to check with your HR dept. about what happens if you have a paid LOA (not unused vacation) and don't return when you say you will. There can be penalties and there may be requirements on how long you have to be back to work before you can quit after your leave without penalties.

virginiagirl11 · December 2010

My company doesn't qualify for FMLA and my state doesn't offer anything so I am taking 2 weeks of paid vacation followed by 6-8 weeks unpaid leave depending on what we can afford by then. I will work 4 hours a week for those 6-8 unpaid weeks to avoid things hitting the fan while I'm gone. I haven't gotten the official word from HR yet, but I assume I will be expected to pay for my health coverage during my unpaid leave time so we're saving for that as well.

I'm hoping to return to work part-time for a couple of months and then ease back into full-time after that with 2 days a week working from home.

JgButtahz · December 2010

I have to fill out an extended leave form if I am going to be gone for more than 4 weeks, so I am pretty sure I will just fill that out and take 12 weeks. I hope to get LO on a schedule within those 12 weeks so work wont be more tiring than it already is.

shanatait2be · December 2010

virginiagirl11:

My company doesn't qualify for FMLA and my state doesn't offer anything so I am taking 2 weeks of paid vacation followed by 6-8 weeks unpaid leave depending on what we can afford by then. I will work 4 hours a week for those 6-8 unpaid weeks to avoid things hitting the fan while I'm gone. I haven't gotten the official word from HR yet, but I assume I will be expected to pay for my health coverage during my unpaid leave time so we're saving for that as well.

I'm hoping to return to work part-time for a couple of months and then ease back into full-time after that with 2 days a week working from home.

My company doesn't qualify for FMLA either. We only have about 24 employees. I work part-time as an office manager, 2 to 3 days a week, so it isn't anything too strenuous, but Fridays are payroll and it is alot to it. When I talked to my boss about being PG (who is a wonderfully sweet guy who always says to put family first and whose wife is 11 weeks PG as well he said not to worry, we would figure something out about payroll. So, we'll see. He mentioned maybe working from home, but I really don't see how that would work out. I am hoping they will just use a replacement for the time I am out. I will be having a repeat C, so I really am hoping for 8 weeks.Preferably more if we can manage it. But, like I said, Alabama FMLA laws suck and the company doesn't qualify anyway. I don't know how the pay will work out. I am planning to not receive any pay. If I do, it will be either because I am working from home some or because my boss is being super charitable But, with ds#1 I was a student and worked part time at a bank, so I was in the same situation. I took 8 weeks off and received no pay. We just saved up money to use while I was on leave. IMHO, 8 weeks goes by SOO fast. I would love to be out longer or maybe take one week before the scheduled C date, then 8 after and then maybe go back to work just on Fridays for another couple of weeks. The problem is, DS#2 will have to go to daycare on Fridays, so I don't think I will be ready for that at 8 weeks Guess I better talk to my boss again, huh?

jc51723 · December 2010

I just checked into it today and I am not eligible for FMLA because when the baby comes I won't have been here for a year. So it looks like 6 unpaid weeks it is

I am already pretty sad when I think about the fact that I will only have 6 weeks at home with my girl ;(

melgrady · December 2010

I am planning on taking 12 weeks plus 4 or 5 weeks of leave that I have saved up.

LittleEgypt · December 2010

Yikes, 6 weeks sounds impossibly short! With my first, I took 20 weeks (8 paid, 12 unpaid). My job was awesome! It was still agonizing going back to work, which is why I decided to SAH after about 6 months back.

I would plan for as much leave as you can negotiate, and I doubt anyone will hassle you if you want to go back sooner. What I learned was that you just don't know how you are going to feel. I had a great job that I loved, and that I do miss, and I never expected to want to leave it. You might find the same, or you might be itching to get back to work after a few weeks, but you will not know until you get there.

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