How much time are you taking off?

andrieya · July 2014

Not sure if this has been discussed as I couldn't find anything in the forum search. Both husband and I do need to work , but I'm planning on a solid 4 weeks. Unfortunately my craziest/most money making time of year at work is October-December so I need to get back to it quickly. Also, how much time are your significant others taking off?

CherylB1201 · July 2014

My hubby will only take off a week or two, but my company has paid maternity leave for 17.5 weeks at full pay, up to a year total at partial pay. I'll probably just take the 4 months paid and then head back.

angeltennis3 · July 2014

I am taking six months off. 4 paid 2 unpaid.

MuffinMom14 · July 2014

My husband gets 180 days off (I hate him), but he isn't using it because if he did, he wouldn't be eligible for his bonus in February, and his bonus would basically pay for daycare for the entire year. So, I'm sad we aren't taking advantage of that, but we are Big Picture people.

I think, if I make it to October, I'm starting to burn PTO October 1st until my due date. Then I'll be on STD for whoever long, and then just unpaid. So, all in all around 14 weeks, because I can't go back before January because no day cares will take us that late in the year with the holidays. Thankfully, FMLA covers 12 weeks, but my boss will tack on a week or two. Sure, it's unpaid, but. I'm thankful he will work with me.

My husband will have 2.5 weeks of vacation left around that time, but then after that until Thanksgiving, he's going to work from home 3 days, then shift to working from home 2 days until I go back. Hopefully. He hasn't had that discussion yet, but they are cool with him working from home on days he has no meetings.

So, it's not a long time to have off like some lucky bitches (I think you Canadians!), but for the US, I feel pretty lucky to be able to do it.

raynes · July 2014

I'll be off for a full year, collecting EI (employment insurance, less than 40% of my normal take-home). H has recently become a private/independent contractor, so we'll see how his business is going, hopefully he'll be able to be mostly home with me for a week.

ETA: I should add that I'm Canadian.

MrsSinner402 · July 2014

I'll be out for 6 months. FMLA for 12 weeks, 6-8 weeks of that at 66% of my pay through LTD. The rest is unpaid but I'll use some Annual leave around the holidays to get paid for those. Then after the 12 weeks is up, I'll be taking whats called a Plan C leave of absence through my Union. Up to 3 months unpaid but they still pay their portion of my insurances so I don't have to mess with COBRA. If baby comes when she's due, I'll be off until end of March/beginning of April. DH is taking a full week off, then working reduced hours for a few weeks until we get into the swing of things. Then he will go back to working his overtime schedule.

JamieBui · July 2014

Hubby is in the middle of a possible promotion so that will effect his time off. If he stays where he's at he will take 4 weeks off (starting a few days before my due date assuming i don't go earlier). If he switches he will take 2 weeks off because the schedule for the promotion gives him better hours (nights and weekends off)

grazia213 · July 2014

I plan to take 6 months off (hopefully). I'll use my vacation days which is two weeks before due date in October, Then start EI which will be significantly less then what I get paid...I think it is 55% or something like that. Until Mid April next year.

My hubby is going to school in January. So, that makes it a little hard for me to stay the full year off...plus financially it would be hard, as I am currently the breadwinner between both of us.

CrisDee · July 2014

Canadian so I have great leave. My hubby will take just over 2 weeks. He is saving vacation time for Xmas.

bitsybubbles7 · July 2014

I just had my last day of work on Tuesday (business is closing and they are slowly starting to send people off), so I will be trying the sahm route. Dh was initially going to take one week off fmla; but with a rcs, part of that week will be in the hospital... so now we are trying to see if we can swing for him to do two weeks off.

ladybug0088 · July 2014

I've saved up all my sick and vacation days for 5 years so I can take off 9-10 weeks. This will put me going back to school in January.

It bums me out that DH had all these saved sick and vacation days at his old job and didn't get to use them. He was going to take 2 weeks off. He switched jobs and now will only have 2 days. Probably our delivery day and the day he brings us home from the hospital. My mom is going to help out a bunch though so at least I'll have someone.

LightBright515 · July 2014

3 months for now. Maybe four.

Liss1481 · July 2014

I have my 2.5 weeks paid vacation and then will hopefully take another 7.5-8 weeks unpaid leave (we've been saving up for the past year since mine is the main salary). No STD for my employer (very small practice) and none in PA for maternity leave

bumpuser10309732 · July 2014

I'm planning on 3 months. But I might not be coming back to work because I can't find any childcare available for that time. Sooooo it's not looking good!

narabug · July 2014

I'll be staying home. I don't make enough to pay for infant childcare that would work with my odd hours.

DH might be taking a week. We'll have to see what he has left for vacation. He already had to use 6 days for a mandatory closing earlier this month and they're talking about doing it for a week again in August. So it's not looking good.

cshade07 · July 2014

5 months for me, probably just a week or so for my DH. His dad owns the company he works for tho, so I'm sure it's up for negotiation..

MrMrsandBaby · July 2014

10-12 weeks depending on when baby comes.

wildflower75 · July 2014

I am taking off 4 months and then 1 month before going back to work at the office I will work from home so technically 5 months (unfortunately most of it will be unpaid). My husband will take time off sporadically (his office is just a block away from our house anyway).

archi35 · July 2014

4 weeks prior to EDD + 16 weeks as given + 3 additional saved from OT and Vaca. Contrary to popular belief not all Euros are given years at a time - sadly.

Still better than the US, but not the year+ I was hoping for...

AmandaJean12 · July 2014

Being self employed, I can't actually be "off" or too much would fall apart. But I told DH I'll basically do the bare minimum I can until New Years. Then I'll get back to working more.

MrsL2B · July 2014

I'm planning to take the 12 weeks of FMLA. I have 8 weeks of PTO saved up, and I bought into a STD policy that will pay 60% of my salary for a few weeks, so I should be ok.

Roseypants · July 2014

My DH is going to take 2 weeks off, and I will take 6-8 weeks off. Only 2 of those will be paid by the vacation time I have left for the year.

mrstorrestobe · July 2014

I'm taking off 3 weeks before baby's due date and then I'll go back to work when he's just about 4 months old. DH will take off 6 weeks once the baby is born. This will all be paid for both of us thanks to California's disability and Paid Family Leave laws for baby bonding and of course my hard earned PTO hours. Now, I also consider the disability and Paid Family Leave pay hard earned because of the insane amount of taxes that have come out of my checks over the last 9 years that I've lived and worked here in California.

But, definitely feeling blessed to have that time off, paid when I see so many other women have to go back to work 6 weeks or less after baby is born. I seriously don't know how y'all do it! I could not!

megaddie · July 2014

I get up to 4 weeks prior to delivery and 6-8 weeks post, on my disability leave. I won't be able to use the full four weeks, probably though, due to when school starts and my due date. Luckily, my husband is a sub and is flexible plus he's going to stay home with baby once I go back. I could take up to a year off, unpaid, but we need the money.

Wino411 · July 2014

I'm so jealous of all this time alot of you have off. For some strange reason my STD only pays for 4 weeks for vaginal delivery & 6 weeks for C-section and I have to take 2 weeks off (either PTO or unpaid) before that kicks in. I just knew I'd have at least 6 and 8... Thankfully I'll have about 5 weeks of PTO saved up by my due date so using a total of 4 weeks PTO and STD (4 or 6 depending on type of delivery). Hoping I can go a week past my due date so I can be out through Christmas (that's what I say now, I might feel differently around 40 weeks!)

PBJellyTime · July 2014

I will be taking off 8 weeks, unpaid. I wish I would get some form of compensation, but I don't, so it is what it is. DH will be taking off 1 week, but we aren't sure if he will be able to take the week off that I have baby, or if he will have to wait a week or two. (He will be in the middle of a major project at work) He will be meeting with his superior next week to figure out a game plan.

I wasn't originally planning on returning to work after having baby, but now I'm not so sure. I may still change my mind!

crystal8503 · July 2014

I stay home and my husband will be taking off 6 weeks.

DreadGamerWife · July 2014

Two months off (combination of vacation and STD) and then a little over a month working PT from home (mainly in the evenings when DH is home and can look after Schroeder). I don't want to return to work with no leave built up as I know that I will need to take some unexpectedly for Schroeder's care when she is ill. Day care doesn't start until the beginning of January, so the amount of PT work will depend on when Schroeder arrives.

DH is planning on taking one week off (maybe two) and then working PT for a few weeks after that. How much will depend on how long my Mom can stay with us after Schroeder is born.

MsMacual · July 2014

Not sure yet! I contract and happen to be between contracts right now. I have some pretty solid possibilities that would start in August so I'm leaving a range of options on the table to discuss once we are in the negotiation phase. At this point, I'm thinking it will be 2 weeks off and then 4 weeks PT from home and back FT at 6 weeks.

DH- not 100% sure what he's planning on doing. He took 2 weeks off with our first so I'm guessing he'll do something similar this time.

I took 12 weeks off with my first (5 paid through STD and another week or two were covered by vacation and sick time. The rest was unpaid) and I realized at about week 8 that it was too much time off for me. Don't get me wrong, being home with my son was great, but in retrospect, I would have gone back sooner and tried to work out some time off later on or PT for a few months until my FMLA was exhausted.

MrMrsandBaby · July 2014

andrieya said:

Not sure if this has been discussed as I couldn't find anything in the forum search. Both husband and I do need to work , but I'm planning on a solid 4 weeks. Unfortunately my craziest/most money making time of year at work is October-December so I need to get back to it quickly. Also, how much time are your significant others taking off?

@andrieya - just a thought, if you have a c-section or a rough birth you may not be physically ready to work after only 4 weeks.

MrsMac613 · July 2014

I plan on taking 12 weeks post baby and 2 weeks before. The 2 weeks before will be a combination of vacation time and comp time. The 12 weeks after with be a combination of sick leave, std and unpaid leave.

DH is planning on taking between 2-4 weeks of vacation

russinangl · July 2014

I am taking 12 weeks... 8 are paid by the school district and 4 will be through FMLA and I will get paid through my short term disability plan through AFLAC

Leysin97 · July 2014

Augh that just reminded me I need to make an appointment to meet with payroll to figure this out. I would like to take all 12 weeks of my FMLA and with the holidays and such that allows me at my work to be out until mid Jan. It just depends on what we can afford though. I have LTD too which will help.

nikkiey18 · July 2014

Taking 12 weeks of FMLA my job doesnt have maternity leave so I need to continue to build up my annual leave, sick leave and como time to carry me some of the way

andrieya · July 2014

@MrMrsandBaby‌ I know! Here's hoping everything will be (relatively) smooth sailing!! [-O<

lrobi13 · July 2014

My bosses are giving me 1 afternoon off to have the baby and then they said I can just bring him to work with me.

They are joking, I think. It looks like I am having this baby during the last week of September. I will go back to work the first week of December. Only 20 days will be paid (I have been hoarding my pto this year) and the rest of the time will be unpaid.

My company's std policy will cover me in April so this baby is 6 months too early for me to take the entire 12 weeks that I could. But 9 weeks is going to have to be enough.

DH will only get a couple of days. But my aunt is coming to stay with us to help me the first couple of weeks.

When I do go back to work, lo will be just across the street so I can go nurse at least once a day and get some snuggle time in!

pushgal84 · July 2014

I'll be SAH once LO arrives, but DH, who does not have any paid paternity leave through his employer, will be using PTO for 3 weeks, then 2 weeks of half-days. That way it's more of a transition for all of us. He's saving his last week's worth of PTO for the week of Xmas through New Year's Eve. Looking forward to the extra time to spend as a family during baby's first Christmas.

MrsTinMKE · July 2014

Ill take off the week of my due date (our entire team is out of the office for our bi-annual meeting which I can't attend because it is in Vegas) Then I get the standard 6-8 weeks @ 100% pay thank God

then another week or so of vacation.... so 8-10 weeks depending on when the baby comes and if I need a CS or not. DH is taking 2 weeks off unpaid.

cinnamin922 · July 2014

I plan on working right up until my scheduled C-section as long as they don't pull me out for health reasons (modified bed rest 3 weeks prior to birth with my 1st). I'll then be taking about 9ish weeks and going back the beginning of January. I have 4.5 days of Banked Medical Leave, plus any PTO that I will have left at that point and a STD that will pay out a lump sum of my salary. I carry insurance on myself and DD though, so I will have to use a good bit of my STD payment to "pay back" my insurance from when I'm off.

Lindzoid · July 2014

6 weeks and I will work until I deliver. DH will be there for the first day or two then back to work. I usually don't spend more than 24 hours in the hospital so hopefully this baby comes on the weekend!

Cutiecruz327 · July 2014

I get the 6-8 weeks of disability (depending on vaginal or cesarean) then 6 weeks unpaid. If I go early, I told work I'm not coming back until the new year. I'm so jealous of the time off some of you get, even more jealous of those who get to be SAH.

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