what month do women usually take maternity leave?

SDuodu · May 2015

I was wondering what month women usually take maternity leave on because I would like to work for as long as possible before taking maternity leave

kmama37 · May 2015

My best friend is still working at 39.3 lol! I plan to work till I can't anymore

prayingforanother · May 2015

With my first child, I worked until the day before I was induced.. I plan to do the same with this baby.

smlowe9311 · May 2015

With dd I worked until I went into labor. She ended up coming 10 days early and my water broke around 4 am but I had always planned on working right until the end so that I could have as much time home with her as possible. (I'm the main bread winner and only get as many paid fmla days off as I have vacation or sick time; the rest of the 6-12 weeks is unpaid)

ChristyD6 · May 2015

I worked past my due date bc I was still feeling ok and wanting to save all my FMLA time for when baby was here. I think it depends on how you are feeling. I had friends that stopes work at 38w just because that was their plan but then baby was late and they were actually bored.

aah1013 · May 2015

I worked until the day i had the baby. I wanted to save all my leave for after baby arrived.

mrsdhouse89 · May 2015

I worked till the day before my induction with my first. I would have worked that day but my bosses wouldn't hear it and actually laughed at the fact that I wanted to work.

Cupcakesandquilts · May 2015

I worked the day I went into labor. I got off work, made dinner, took a 2-mile walk with the dog, and bam! Water broke and baby was on the way.

crbpjb · May 2015

It depends on your job. I wanted to work until the day I went into labor, but I am a teacher and they have to give a contract to my maternity leave sub. The unfortunate thing with that is that if I am late I will be waiting for baby AND burning maternity leave days.

rue:D · May 2015

I'm planning to work up until I go into labor/have a C-section as long as there are no complications that keep me from doing so. I have a desk job so much less stress on the body.

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

I plan on working til my due date if possible. I'd rather use my time off to spend with my baby once he/she is here.

Jdelli27 · May 2015

I'm leaving work a month earlier so at 36 weeks. I did the same with my daughter. I was very uncomfortable driving my hour commute. I pay into disability insurance so I was able to do so. Plus I make nothing compared to my husband so we were financially okay to do so.

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

Jdelli27 said:
I'm leaving work a month earlier so at 36 weeks. I did the same with my daughter. I was very uncomfortable driving my hour commute. I pay into disability insurance so I was able to do so. Plus I make nothing compared to my husband so we were financially okay to do so.

Really? I have short term disability through my employer also. I will have to look into this. I assumed it only covered after the birth.

nsaid4u · May 2015

With my first 3 pregnancies i worked up until 2 weeks before my due date..with this pregnancy i am taking my 6 weeks paid vacation (as of august 13th) then starting mat leave officially on October 1st..(my due date is Oct 6th),

I try and wait as long as possible to take mat leave so i can spend more time home with baby. Im in Canada so we get a year off. So i try be on mat leave until babys first birthday.

VioletandRose · May 2015

MirandaC1984 said:
I plan on working til my due date if possible. I'd rather use my time off to spend with my baby once he/she is here.

Ditto.

baconlady · May 2015

nsaid4u said:
With my first 3 pregnancies i worked up until 2 weeks before my due date..with this pregnancy i am taking my 6 weeks paid vacation (as of august 13th) then starting mat leave officially on October 1st..(my due date is Oct 6th),

I try and wait as long as possible to take mat leave so i can spend more time home with baby. Im in Canada so we get a year off. So i try be on mat leave until babys first birthday.

so jealous! a year is AWESOME! Can we all have Canada's maternity leave? working till my water breaks here. lol well maybe not that drastic but as much as I can.

babymazzei · May 2015

I have an hour commute to work so I'm starting my leave on October 5th (due date October 21). I'm really short and drive a standard so I'm honestly not even sure if I'll be able to reach the pedals once my belly gets big considering I already sit so close to the wheel haha. The struggle is seriously real! We also live in Canada so we're fortunate enough to get a year off which makes it easier. This is also just if everything goes as planned. My mom went to a psychic (lol) and she believes I'll need to go on leave much sooner than I anticipate... Apparently.

allyx1029 · May 2015

My doctor said work until due date unless there is a complication. Off 6 weeks after.

KLHauck12 · May 2015

I have to work until baby comes. I wanted to start my leave earlier. I'm a teacher but I work in community ed so im hourly and it turns out my contract does not allow me to take personal leave. I can only take an FMLA leave once baby arrives (unless the doctor puts me on a medical leave earlier). But I have already reduced my hours down to barely anything so I can return to less after my maternity leave....so I don't think that schedule will be too hard at the end of my pregnancy.

edavis926 · May 2015

It can depend on your employer too. My actual maternity leave won't start until baby is born. If my doctor pulls me before that it'll be short term disability but won't count against my maternity leave. That surprised me but HR made it really clear.

I'll have 24 weeks off total after baby is born but only 10 paid unless I use vacation time.

Jdelli27 · May 2015

forgot to quote!

Jdelli27 · May 2015

MirandaC1984 said:

Jdelli27 said:
I'm leaving work a month earlier so at 36 weeks. I did the same with my daughter. I was very uncomfortable driving my hour commute. I pay into disability insurance so I was able to do so. Plus I make nothing compared to my husband so we were financially okay to do so.
Really? I have short term disability through my employer also. I will have to look into this. I assumed it only covered after the birth.

It only pays after the birth but it lets you take 30 days before. I'll have enough sick days to cover the 30 days because they count weekends too so you don't actually need 30 sick days.

SDuodu · May 2015

How long is the maternity leave in the US in the UK along with Canada we get a year off feeling a bit skeptical about taking the whole year since this job is new

millette2015 · May 2015

Another Canadian mom and I'm taking mat leave starting in the beginning of September - I'm also not returning to work after the mat leave is over, so I'm not too concerned about losing time with the baby. I also work within the school system and wanted to skip the beginning of the school year chaos/stress.

millette2015 · May 2015

@SDuodu - if you are entitled to a full year, And can financially handle it, I'd encourage you to take it! The job will still be there when you get back. Just my opinion.

swelniak · May 2015

I worked until the day before I checked in for my induction. I wanted all of my leave with my baby. Plus, when you're at the end, you're counting the hours in the day until they're born, so sitting at home to twiddle my thumbs seemed like a terrible idea lol

aiden0516 · May 2015

SDuodu said:
How long is the maternity leave in the US in the UK along with Canada we get a year off feeling a bit skeptical about taking the whole year since this job is new</blockquot

it's usually whatever vacation you have accumulated throughout the year. We have FMLA which let's you take up to 12 weeks..but it doesnt pay anything. You only get paid for whatever vacation time you have, and after that runs out...you dont get paid until you come back to work. That's why a lot of mamas on here are only taking 6 weeks. If you have short term disability. ..a lot of times the company will pay part of your salary while off...but hardly ever all.

There are a few....very few...companies that will pay 100%maternity leave...but I doubt it's more than 6 to 12 weeks.

vamomtobe · May 2015

Worked until and including the day I went into labor to max out on days home with baby. My boss let me telework more frequently towards the end, which was a huge help.

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

SDuodu said:
How long is the maternity leave in the US in the UK along with Canada we get a year off feeling a bit skeptical about taking the whole year since this job is new

My employer doesn't offer "paid" maternity leave. We have to use our earned paid time off. The max is 12 weeks that is covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It is a shame the US doesn't catch up with the rest of the world as far as maternity leave is concerned. Many women take only 6 weeks (sometimes less) depending on their financial situation. Our federal governemnt does not provide any kind of paid assistance for time off for maternity leave however some states do. My state does not.

Rebaone · May 2015

6 weeks is ridiculous. I'm in South Africa and our basic according to the law is 4-6 months, the last 2 months unpaid if you don't have vacation days. I like Canada and the UK.

Yippee for me my hubby insists I stay home as long as I want. Dd only started daycare at 18 months.

SDuodu · May 2015

@aiden0516 @MirandaC1984 Ive got a job at a hospital so the NHS give us get 26 weeks paid and 26 weeks unpaid. Up to 8-18 weeks is full paid then 18-26 weeks half pay if you've worked with them for a year but since I've just started I'll probably 90% of my pay for 33 weeks

nsaid4u · May 2015

babymazzei said:
I have an hour commute to work so I'm starting my leave on October 5th (due date October 21). I'm really short and drive a standard so I'm honestly not even sure if I'll be able to reach the pedals once my belly gets big considering I already sit so close to the wheel haha. The struggle is seriously real! We also live in Canada so we're fortunate enough to get a year off which makes it easier. This is also just if everything goes as planned. My mom went to a psychic (lol) and she believes I'll need to go on leave much sooner than I anticipate... Apparently.

Yes its true...some of us will be put on 'bedrest' by our doctor weeks or months before our due date.

gatorgrad2007 · May 2015

I'm due October 15th. I plan to make my last day October 9th. I won't go back to work until the beginning of the New Year.

LiveNLove44 · May 2015

I was due 9/5 with DD and went back to work for workshop week as a teacher at the end of August. I went into labor after the first day of an all day, no AC, heat wave, workshop day

DD was born a week early, so she must've wanted to join us before Labor Day weekend!

This time I plan to work as long as possible. I hope to go into labor at home and not at school, but who knows. I saw someone mentioned that their school has to give a contract to the Long Term Sub, and that isn't the same in my district. It might vary by district, so I encourage other teachers to be sure they look into it! I know in my district, they'd rather have me in that classroom as long as possible than a temporary, no matter how good that person may be.

Kristyhana · May 2015

California is a bit different too. We get up to 4 weeks prior and 6 weeks post birth paid by the state disability program then an addl 6 weeks paid from PFL. As for total job protection we have 2 programs FMLA for 12 weeks then CFRA for additional 12 weeks. These laws do not include pay and start whenever you start your leave.

photomomma0488 · May 2015

I am hoping to work up until the baby comes if possible - I am currently a temp and will more than likely be hired as a permanent employee by the company I am with before baby comes, but will likely not have any paid time off. So I want to save as much time to spend with baby as possible!

kim1228 · May 2015

I can't decide what I'm going to do yet. I get all unpaid time off, but my boss told me that I can take up to six months leave if I wanted to (I don't think I will though...can't afford that!). I may take a week or so off before my due date though. I want a bit of rest and time to get everything ready before everything changes!!

Kbabs47 · May 2015

I'm due October 1st and will be starting leave Septemeber 1st and then will return to work mid November. I have a physically demanding job and I am already having a rough time at 19 weeks. After standing for 12 hours my ankles are the size of softballs it's awful. So my doctor may even have to put me on leave earlier but we shall see when we get to that point.

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