Maternity leave?

katester91 · February 2015

So ladies, maybe it's to early but I've been thinking a lot about maternity leave. I'm from PA and I plan on taking the full 12 weeks. 6 of those are covered by short term disability and I plan on using 2 weeks of vacation and the other four would be unpaid. My question is, do any of you plan on working up until you go into labor? That's my plan and I'm hoping I'm being realistic. I work as a nurse and am on my feet all day but so far I've had a normal pregnancy. I want to take all my time off when baby is here and not before if I can prevent it.

karaelaine1991 · February 2015

Yep, unless OB says I can't!

finchfeeder80 · February 2015

I plan on working until D-day, unless my doc says otherwise. I only get six weeks, I'm hoarding that precious little time for when my baby is here.

MamaBish · February 2015

I'm going to work as long as possible. I get 8 weeks to use within the first 2 calender years so I will probably use 7 weeks right after and save the last week for something like if the baby gets sick before the end of this year. I will only get paid for the first 3 weeks because I have vacation time so I'm trying to save up money now.

klkonwi · February 2015

Yes! Nurse here! I am working up until my induction date

I'll be crabby but it'll be worth it right?!?! Someone tell me it'll be worth it!!!!! Lol

mamahawk12 · February 2015

Yep! Definitely don't want to waste those precious squish days to just sit around my house all fat and miserable.

ksimo6 · February 2015

I worked until the day of my c-section with my daughter. I plan to do the same this time provided my son cooperates. I'm taking about 16 weeks for leave and I want every last day with the babe!

Addelie · February 2015

I am stunned that some of you ladies only get 6 or 12 weeks. It never ceases to amaze me that that's the case in the US.

In the UK we get a full year (though the last three months for me personally are unpaid). I need to take all my holiday before the baby is born (due 21st). So, I won't work from 1st June 2015 to 22nd July 2016 and my employer legally has to keep my job open for my return. It's pretty similar across Europe/Australia/Canada I believe.

I wish you all the best those of you with short maternity leave and hope the law changes for you guys soon. I have huge respect for those of you who have to go back to work so soon with little ones.

KaLikeAWind · February 2015

Addelie said:
I am stunned that some of you ladies only get 6 or 12 weeks. It never ceases to amaze me that that's the case in the US.

In the UK we get a full year (though the last three months for me personally are unpaid). I need to take all my holiday before the baby is born (due 21st). So, I won't work from 1st June 2015 to 22nd July 2016 and my employer legally has to keep my job open for my return. It's pretty similar across Europe/Australia/Canada I believe.

I wish you all the best those of you with short maternity leave and hope the law changes for you guys soon. I have huge respect for those of you who have to go back to work so soon with little ones.

Yes. I read an article about a year ago about how seriously bad we here in the US have it for maternity leave. So many good policies in other countries, and so many good support options in other cultures. Made me sad, at the time, and I wasn't even pregnant yet.

For myself, I will work as late as I can to have the extra $ coming in, but my job is at a seasonal place where business slows way down in the summer, so I may be cut loose earlier than anyone else there since they know I probably won't be back in September right away. Since I work nights daycare is not an option and the people who work the day shift have held those shifts forever. I probably won't be back to work for at least a year. At least, my current work. It would be nice if I could get a job at a vet here, go back to my old gig, I miss it, and the hours would be more conductive to working and the possibility of using daycare.

katester91 · February 2015

Thanks everyone! I'm happy to know I won't be the only one that possibly goes into labor at work!

Katerina&Baby · February 2015

My due date is June 4th so I made my last day at work the Friday before memorial Day (so I'll have the final week in May off). I'm an attorney so I wanted to have a bit of cushioning to transition my work to my client teams and still be available for any initial questions/issues that come up so hopefully I can be fully off the grid when my tiny human gets here. My "mat leave" policy here doesn't kick in until birth so I'll be using vacation days between that Friday and the actual day (I have 27 to use during 2015 so no issues there).

thepalindromicone · February 2015

Addelie said:
I am stunned that some of you ladies only get 6 or 12 weeks. It never ceases to amaze me that that's the case in the US.

In the UK we get a full year (though the last three months for me personally are unpaid). I need to take all my holiday before the baby is born (due 21st). So, I won't work from 1st June 2015 to 22nd July 2016 and my employer legally has to keep my job open for my return. It's pretty similar across Europe/Australia/Canada I believe.

I wish you all the best those of you with short maternity leave and hope the law changes for you guys soon. I have huge respect for those of you who have to go back to work so soon with little ones.

Maybe I'd feel differently if the laws were different in the states... but I imagine I might get a little stir crazy with that much time off of work... but who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself.. I plan on going back after Labor Day (due June 5th) 14 weekish depending on when baby comes....working until I can't work anymore!

annatta79 · February 2015

I worked a full day on Friday, DS1 was born on Saturday. I have a desk job, so I wasn't on my feet, but it is possible. I thought about taking off a little early to have some time before the baby came, but he was 13 days late, so I would have ended up wasting maternity leave. I want to be able to stay home with DS2 as long as I can (my firm offers 8 weeks. I may try and take a bit more with sick/vacation time) so I imagine I'll work right up until delivery this time too.

jbatch · February 2015

With my daughter I worked Monday and my water broke in the middle of the night that night. Honestly I don't think it was that big of a deal. It is exhausting but I would be bored stiff if I was home waiting. I think it would make the last few weeks feel like forever.

Addelie · February 2015

@thepalindromicone‌ I know what you mean about being stir crazy - i'm an attorney and so am used to hard work, but friends have assured me that i'll be kept busy

i can go back to work as early as i want to, it's just that the option to take the year is there if women want it.

@mellymar‌ crazy that you could be discriminated against because you may be back later than others when work picks up in September. That would be a first class ticket to a law suit here in the UK. Good luck with switching jobs if that's what you do - i always wanted to be a vet

rklinge0 · February 2015

My edd is June 2nd so school should be out before then. I don't get maternity leave but I have summer break. I don't have enough days saved. If l.o. comes on time I get 10 weeks.I

KaLikeAWind · February 2015

@Addelie‌ its not really that I'm discriminated against, its more that I'm the newest employee and everybody else has been working there for years and years. I was going to 'lose' my job for the summer anyway. I might have worked 1 day every 2-3 weeks when someone needed a day off and been on call. So as business slows down my hours will be cut a little bit here and there until there is only a 4 hour shift when someone needs to leave early, etc. I already work part time as it is (2-3 10 hour shifts per week) so its not like I prop the place up or anything. I also don't get any actual maternity leave - the business employs only 10 people so once I'm gone I'm not entitled to pay or any of that. Once I take off for Ewok, I've basically quit. I'm sure that I could still work there again afterwards (September), but I won't be able to because they need people to work evenings / overnight and I won't have childcare. Just a bad play of circumstances

p.s. - I've worked *for* vets, not as one. I don't think I could be an actual vet. But the animal care field is really rewarding. I did it for 10 years and loved every minute.

Addelie · February 2015

@mellymar‌ ah i get you - sounds like a bad play of circumstances - i hope it works out for you. Sorry - i misread your "at a vet" for "as a vet". Either way animal care is indeed awesome - am watching Cesar Milan as i write

rolson8947 · February 2015

I work in ICU so I feel your pain about being up all day on your feet haha. I plan on working until my little one arrives and I definitely plan on taking the full 12 weeks off for maternity leave. I'm hoping I can work right up until I have her, so far everything has been easy and healthy so fingers crossed it will stay that way

allstagg · February 2015

I plan on working all the way up to delivery and taking a week off post delivery and resuming work right away. However, my work situation is very different as I am a remote sales manager with obligations for heavy domestic travel. Per my doctors orders, he doesnt want me flying past 28 weeks and needs me to be close to home during the month of my anticipated delivery date so no business trips to Boston for me (I live in CT)! He is taking extra precautions because i have PCOS.

my employer does NOT offer maternity leave whatsoever so i basically have no choice unless i want to take 3 months off unpaid under the family medical leave act and try to get some short term disability payout as income which isn't enough $$. anyone else have the same troubles?

finchfeeder80 · February 2015

@allstagg‌, my company doesn't have technical maternity leave. We're covered by fmla to hold our jobs, and you can get short term disability for six weeks at 60% pay.

megtyrrell · February 2015

I'm going to work as long as I can. I'm saving for my maternity leave because I won't be getting paid for any time off.

KarasTwin · February 2015

I hope to work until delivery. My employer doesn't offer paid maternity leave, just FMLA. I'm trying to hoard my personal time as I have to use 7 days worth before my short term disability kicks in. I pay for the short term disability and I'll get around 80% of my paycheck. I'm not sure how it works, I think it has to be deemed medically necessary for the short term disability to pay the whole time so I don't know if I'll get to take 3 months or not. Hoping to have lots of personal leave biult up as we acrue 2.5 hours per week. I don't plan on taking any time off before so unless I get sick or something happens, I'll have a decent amount. Since we're salaried as long as we work a couple hours, we get paid for the whole day so I don't have to use my time for doctors appointments

Kbchavez23 · February 2015

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

MCRM14 · February 2015

I plan to work up until the Friday before I am due which is a Tuesday but I am an assistant produce manager and am on my feet and lifting all day...and my boss doesn't seem to get that I can't do it all so hopefully we can figure it out and I can work until the plan goes.

KonaCoffeeBean · February 2015

Kbchavez23 said:

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

I'm not clear on this, does your OB recommend stopping work at 36 weeks for every patient regardless of the difficulty of the pregnancy or nature of employment? Why? That must be very frustrating to women who have a limited amount of time off available to them.

Frogger5 · February 2015

Kbchavez23 said:

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

I would hate that. Why? That seems extreme. What country are you in and what's the leave situation?

Frogger5 · February 2015

KonaCoffeeBean said:

Kbchavez23 said:

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

I'm not clear on this, does your OB recommend stopping work at 36 weeks for every patient regardless of the difficulty of the pregnancy or nature of employment? Why? That must be very frustrating to women who have a limited amount of time off available to them.

Yeah, this! (I should have read a little further!)

mccall35 · February 2015

Frogger5 said:

KonaCoffeeBean said:

Kbchavez23 said:

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

I'm not clear on this, does your OB recommend stopping work at 36 weeks for every patient regardless of the difficulty of the pregnancy or nature of employment? Why? That must be very frustrating to women who have a limited amount of time off available to them.

Yeah, this! (I should have read a little further!)

I read it that she works as an OB nurse or something? And possibly her place of work starts leave 4 weeks before DD?

I'm just grasping at straws.

vic8504 · February 2015

I planned on working until I popped. The doctor suggested that I stop about 2 weeks before my due date due to swelling in my legs but it wasn't bad enough that I had to stop. Finally the Friday before my due date, the following Monday, I had enough and stopped working, come 40 weeks staying at home and just relaxing is super enticing. I only had 2.5 days of relaxation but I am so glad I had a couple days off work before DD came.

I am going to have to have a c-section again this time and thinking about taking off 2 days before my scheduled delivery to just relax and spend some quality time with DD.

Frogger5 · February 2015

mccall35 said:

Frogger5 said:

KonaCoffeeBean said:

Kbchavez23 said:

OB takes everyone off 4 weeks before due date. And I am VERY happy with that!

I'm not clear on this, does your OB recommend stopping work at 36 weeks for every patient regardless of the difficulty of the pregnancy or nature of employment? Why? That must be very frustrating to women who have a limited amount of time off available to them.

Yeah, this! (I should have read a little further!)

I read it that she works as an OB nurse or something? And possibly her place of work starts leave 4 weeks before DD?

I'm just grasping at straws.

I read it that her doctor gets all of his/her pregnant patients out of work four weeks before they are due, regardless of medical necessity. Which is it, @kbchavez23?

katester91 · February 2015

My maternity leave will be similar to what @finchfeeder said. I'll use FMLA which holds my job for 12 weeks. 6 will be paid using short term disability at I think 60% of my pay and I'm going to use 2 weeks of vacation time so the other four will not be paid. I have a savings account started so I won't have to worry about money. I have to talk to my HR dept tomorrow but everyone that I've talk to about it that I work with says it works this way. Thanks again everyone for the input!

Kbchavez23 · February 2015

Calm down ladies...they recommend it, you don't have to, but I will take it. I hate my job! Sorry for not being crystal clear.

Frogger5 · February 2015

Kbchavez23 said:

Calm down ladies...they recommend it, you don't have to, but I will take it. I hate my job! Sorry for not being crystal clear.

It's OK.

kaycorey89 · February 2015

I live in Canada and we get a full year. I'm due the first of June but I got a good feeling he'll be coming early. Measuring bigger than how far along I am. And there is no other day I got pregnant, but all the boys on my boyfriends side of the family were big boys. So we will see. I am gonna be done work the 1st of may as long as I can work that long. My feet have really started to swell lately from standing for 8 hours. I sit when I can bit hard when it's busy. Cankles are my new thing. But usually once I get home and get my feet up within a couple hours the swelling goes down. I do plan on taking the full year, but may tell my employer than if there if an emergency or needs someone to come in for whatever reason then I can be on call. All depends on how much I really care once the babes is here, haha

biancaRN2385 · February 2015

Also a Nurse...working 12 hour night shifts...I told my co-workers I was working til my water breaks as long as its ok with my doctor and its safe for the baby (i.e. My blood pressure stays normal, and I can still breathe)! Good luck!!

mrs1374a · February 2015

I am a SAHM now but with her I did work until the day before I had her. And that was exactly 40 weeks. Wasn't that bad.

ElRuby · February 2015

This thread makes me wish I lived in Canada.

MamaBish · February 2015

ElRuby said:

This thread makes me wish I lived in Canada.

Ditto!

mccall35 · February 2015

Kbchavez23 said:

Calm down ladies...they recommend it, you don't have to, but I will take it. I hate my job! Sorry for not being crystal clear.

Haha. No problem. But is it your OB that recommends it, or your workplace? No judgement, I'm just curious.

samanthajoanne · February 2015

Wow.. Can't believe you guys in the US get such a short time off... I will get 7 months off, entitled to 1 year but all unpaid so can't afford any longer. Such a great deal of respect to any woman who goes back to work with a new born baby.

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