maternity leave question

lisap0924 · December 2014

Do you plan on taking off any extra time before your baby is born?

Some woman say they loved having the week off before birth to get all those last minute things done, and others say they were so anxious they wish they were working.

Im still trying to decide what I want to do.

Im curious as to what you ladies are planning.

2Swanns · December 2014

I'm planning to work right up to the end so that I can get paid for the full 3 months. I have to use Short Term Disability, so I will work 2 weeks using my PTO days and then 10 weeks at something like 67% pay.

Since there is a chance of going late, or even early, I don't see the need to take time off myself. I have been getting a lot done now so there won't be a mad rush at the end. I've even been washing clothes and bedding as I get them. The nursery is close to being finished - my glider arrives in January.

Bostonchelle · December 2014

If the time before baby comes counts against your total time off I'd consider working until you deliver. My daughter didn't give me a choice of time off before as she showed up a week early but I was happy none the less to have more time with her than sitting home waiting before she was born. If you give yourself a week before your due date and baby is late you could be waiting at home for a few weeks- to me that would drag on. I'm in a different situation this time as Im self employed but still plan to work until delivery.

mandi195 · December 2014

I plan to work until LO gets here

lisap0924 · December 2014

zebraleg4lunch said:

I'm taking off March and April. It was easiest way to do things for my work so I'll have some time before my due date (3.11). I think it'll be for the best though since I primarily work on my feet which is already getting uncomfortable.

I work on my feet a lot too! and im up and down stairs all day. im getting a bit uncomfortable too and wonder how I will huff and puff up the stairs in 2 months

lisap0924 · December 2014

geordie314 said:

I'm not going back to work so I gave my last day as a week before my edd. I am fully aware I could go early but I'm also more than happy to have a week or two on the couch with my dog before life gets crazy.

Im not going back to work either, and im thinking I may enjoy some time before life gets crazy too. although, it is already crazy with my 8yo SS LOL

lisap0924 · December 2014

cwbandthenewbie said:

I work up until the end. Seriously, the end is like the fucking slowest time. You're over being pregnant and you notice every ache, every drop of cervical mucous (contraction?? Mucous plug?? AAHHHHH!!!). I did work from home the last 2 weeks so that I could piddle around the house and tie up any loose ends. Plus for me, I needed to use all my time once the baby arrived. And I was 8 days late, so it seriously would have killed my maternity leave if I had started my leave the week before my due date.

as much as I like the idea of having some time before baby, I think I may go nuts sitting there waiting for labor LOL

I am already a bit of a hypochondriac so yes, im sure every ache or pain will also drive my H crazy!

071115 · December 2014

I took a month with my daughter it was heaven. I am only taking 2 weeks this time.

Whitfry · December 2014

My EDD is March 3, and I'm working until the 2nd. Unless baby J comes late February for some reason. This potentially leaves me with up to 2 weeks before he comes, if I'm overdue. We'll see how things go.

CarterWA · December 2014

I will be taking the month before off because most of my job is having to carry things and bending down and getting up and things like that. So it won't be very easy to work until my little guy arrives. That's what I did with my first baby as well. But if I had a different job I would probably work up until my due date. Oh and the fact that I was two weeks early with my first baby.
I think it really just depends on what your job is and how long you think you can stand doing it while pregnant.

DM718 · December 2014

I'm currently planning on working until the end, but my commute is about 45 minutes to an hour each way. Based on some comments in another thread, I'm not sure I'll be as confident in my plan in February as I was yesterday.

drudolph11 · December 2014

I'm planning on working up until my due date which is a Monday. I normally have off Sunday and Monday so my last day will be that Saturday. Although my job requires me to walk up and down 3 or more flights of stairs from time to time (i deliver food for a restaurant) so as far as my plan goes im going to have to see how big i get and how i feel in month 8 and 9. Now everyone else involved thinks im crazy and that i should take time of before my due date but I'm stubborn and determined. I have that empowered "just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean i can't do everything i did before i was pregnant" mind set right now but that's prob because I'm A FTM and have no idea what I'm in for towards the end lol. So i guess I'm gonna play it by ear which fortunately i have a job that will allow me to stop at a moments notice.

finallyourturn2 · December 2014

flmama622 said:
I am working until I deliver. I only get 12 weeks (6 paid through Insurance) and I'd rather have that with my baby than alone. Plus last time I went over 2 weeks early so I couldn't have planned something like that if I wanted to. I was all ready to go at that point so aside from sitting on the couch, I'm not sure what I would do for that week or so.

My thinking is exactly this. I would rather not waste my paid maternity leave alone since I get 6 weeks total. I would rather be with babies for those 6 weeks. Also, I will probably have them early and my work only allows 4 of those weeks (I think) to be before my due date if the babies haven't been born yet.

lisap0924 · December 2014

CarterWA said:

I will be taking the month before off because most of my job is having to carry things and bending down and getting up and things like that. So it won't be very easy to work until my little guy arrives. That's what I did with my first baby as well. But if I had a different job I would probably work up until my due date. Oh and the fact that I was two weeks early with my first baby. I think it really just depends on what your job is and how long you think you can stand doing it while pregnant.

that's my thought. idk how long I can do my job. I want to do it as long as possible.

I work as an ABA 1:1 with 2 different kids.

one kid is LOTS of work. he is a bolter, hitter, kicker, throw myself on the floor and tantrum 8 year old with autism.

one of the kids is easy as pie. just requires a small amount of redirection. he does not have "behaviors" and is not aggressive or physical.

currently the plan is to hire a sub to take my spot and transition me away from the "tough kid"

I am putting in my request for maternity leave tomorrow. the sooner I request time, the sooner they will find me a sub and hopefully I can work with the easy kid the rest of my time.

Skrittens · December 2014

I will be takin off 2 weeks before my due date (company policy). I may work from home or take vacation the two weeks before that - for a total of being home/off of work for up to 4 weeks before my due date. I have to work long hours at times and I am already uncomfortable so am going to take advantage of an opportunity to not have to leave the house in possible bad weather.

jnowosielski · December 2014

My company strongly encourages us to start leave 2 weeks before our due date. I'm going to try to work as long as I can. Fortunately I have a tiny bit of flexibility to work from home so we will just have to see what my client situation is.

cygnet15 · December 2014

I also plan to work until I deliver. I get 6 weeks of maternity leave at full pay, and we can't afford to lose any of my salary. I can bear to face such a short leave because I only have to power through a month and a half back at work before my long summer break arrives, but you bet I want every day of those 6 weeks to be spent with my daughter. I work 90 minutes from home and hospital by car, but my mother works at the same school so she'll be on call to drive me if I go into labor at work.

And I work two blocks from an excellent nyc hospital in case any emergency comes up.

Whitfry · December 2014

@lisap0924‌

I work in the same field as you do. I do it through a private school, so I have a lot of very supportive therapists and teachers to help me. And since I was pregnant when I was hired and disclosed that, I've been purposefully placed with nonviolent clients.

So I can sympathize with your position. I hope they're able to work with you regarding getting your more physical client another ABA to work with. I got a hell of a head butt a few weeks ago. I wouldn't want it to be a daily thing!

massiejs09 · December 2014

I plan to work up until I'm in labor...which might happen at my desk, who knows. I'm taking 12 weeks of maternity leave using a mix of PTO, short term disability, and leave without pay. HR has already sent me a packet of stuff which outlines who to notify and when. I guess I have to officially announce my intention to take short term disability and leave without pay 30 days prior to my due date. I'm just glad I got approved for the time.

copperrose · December 2014

I work at a university teaching so my adjunct will take over at my due date. I do plan on doing something online my last class and have everything wrapped up in terms of grading before that in case I go early. I plan on working from home/taking it easy that last week. That just means though I need to get my ass in gear and get as much done as I can ahead of time.

starsailorr26 · December 2014

It depends how I feel. With DD I worked until just past 37 weeks but my fluid was getting low so the OB put me off work. I used the time to do baby laundry, some last minute organizing and cleaning, and less than two weeks later she was born.

This time I'd like to work until 37 weeks again but my OB's standard practice is to put you off at 36 weeks. I would love to have a few weeks to rest and do last minute things before baby arrives but if I go past the due date I thunk I'll go stir crazy. I'll just have to see how I feel when the time comes. California is really generous in terms of pregnancy leave so the time I take prior to the birth won't impact the time I take off post partum.

cesquer · December 2014

I am hoping to work from home the last 2 weeks before my due date. We'll see how that goes.

jnowosielski · December 2014

etoille said:

jnowosielski said:

My company strongly encourages us to start leave 2 weeks before our due date. I'm going to try to work as long as I can. Fortunately I have a tiny bit of flexibility to work from home so we will just have to see what my client situation is.

heh my sister's company not only encourages it but they pay for it. Doesn't come out of mat leave or anything.

PWC has the most insane maternity benefits I've ever seen.

::goes off to re check benefits because now I'm confused::

JCWhitey · December 2014

I planned to take a week off, but my kid had other ideas and came at 38 weeks. I ended up going into labor at work. I'm actually happy that happened. I can't imagine sitting at home for week just waiting for the baby to arrive. So if I stay low risk I will be working until the end again. However, if I become high risk or if she's breech at 36 weeks I have to take off from 37 weeks and temporarily move closer to the city where there's a full service hospital. Which will suck because that means only 3 weeks of maternity leave on the other end if she goes until her due date.

ETA: I can take as long as I want off for maternity leave but am opting to take only 6 weeks off so it's all at full pay.

lynndavid6912 · December 2014

As of now, I'm planning to be off for about a week before my EDD. I did the same with DD and went into labor at 39 weeks 3 days. I have the time saved up and it will take me through the end of the school year, then I'll have most of the summer so it doesn't really impact time at home with the baby for me. Plus, I'll be in the process of transitioning all my cases beginning the end of January so hopefully there won't be much left for me come mid-March.

marthah05 · December 2014

I am due 3/28, and my Doctor put me out of maternity leave already due to the physical demands and risk factors of my job. I am 9-1-1 Responses EMT. I love my job, and am going to miss it dearly. I hope I don't go stir crazy!

Skrittens · December 2014

@jnowosielski‌ - ygpm

wishiwaspreggo · December 2014

I'll work until I deliver, provided I'm comfortable enough sitting at my desk and doing my job. I may start taking periodic naps on my little sofa if I find it's unbearable. That or I will request to work at home. Luckily my job is relatively flexible. But I'd rather spend my time with the baby for as long as I can.

WinningColors · December 2014

Seeing as how I'm not getting paid for any time off after baby is born, I will be working until I deliver. I might try to work at home for the last few weeks if possible.

Enigma87 · December 2014

I am due March 14 so I will be working up until I start my maternity leave on March 10 unless LO comes early. I am taking 2 weeks vacation and 6 weeks paid maternity and want to spend as much time with LO as possible before going back.

ciaobellat · December 2014

I'm working up until the baby comes. I would just prefer to have more time with him then getting little things done. I'm trying to get as much out of the way now.

lifeisnot2fear · December 2014

I'm scheduled to work up to my due date and I'd like to work past it if he's still in there. The more days worked, the less unpaid days I have to take.

[Deleted User] · December 2014

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lisarst · December 2014

Taking a month off before due date, but here in Canada we get a year off so I'll have 11 months left if all goes to plan. That's pretty standard here.

gardinet · December 2014

lisarst said:

Taking a month off before due date, but here in Canada we get a year off so I'll have 11 months left if all goes to plan. That's pretty standard here.

So envious of you all in Canada! I will be having a c-section and apparently our Short term disability now only covers 6 weeks (which is really 5 weeks pay, one week leave, at 60% of pay). I think 8 weeks is too short a time, but that's my goal at this point, and I'm not sure how we will make it work. The Child Dev Center here just raised our cost for day care for my almost 3 year old to $900/month.

tabitha722 · December 2014

With my first, I took off starting a month before my EDD, he was late... and it was the longest month of my entire life.

With my second, I was already a SAH, so it didn't matter. But he was 2w+1 late, so that would have been worse.

With this one, I plan on working from home starting March 1, but will work until delivery. I would prefer all of my time off to be with LO.

kellbell1982 · December 2014

With this baby I'm on disability so I'll be home. With DD I was still active duty Navy, thankfully Id been transferred to a desk job for the third trimester but before that, my pregnancy duty was to drive around base in a huge truck with other pregnant service members looking for trash that we would pick up with an ez reach lol it sucked. The day I was admitted to L&D I worked all day and when I got home my headache had gotten so bad I went to L&D like my doc had to told me to do if I had a headache since my BP had been high. Anyway, turns out my BP was so high that next thing I knew I was surrounded by 5 doctors and induced at 36 weeks. I nearly lost my life having my daughter and I worry about this delivery as it nears. It's been ten years but still feels fresh. I often wonder what would have happened if I'd just dealt with the headache like my exh had told me to do. He thought I was just impatient to have my daughter and that's why I wanted to go to L&D. It was so nice to prove his dumb ass wrong. I'm praying I naturally go into labor with this baby and that I don't go over my due date because the end sucks enough as is.

jacqueleen1 · December 2014

Ill work up until my water breaks!

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