Maternity leave--perfect timing

gatorMom2014 · February 2016

The ridiculousness of US maternity leave (and lack thereof) aside--is anyone else excited that an October baby means maternity leave coincides with the holidays?! I feel like this is going to be amazing.

PeggyOlsonFTW · February 2016

I'm a SAHM, so no leave for me but maternity leave around the holidays sounds kinda crappy to me. If you're eligible for FMLA and you have baby at the beginning of October, 12 weeks brings you to New Years. Which means if you usually get time off for the holidays, you're not really getting anything extra with FMLA. And wouldn't you miss out on paid holidays too?

gatorMom2014 · February 2016

I get one day off for each holiday normally, and no paid maternity leave. The bonus for me is not having to worry about deadlines for projects and litigation, and instead getting to focus on my family through the holidays.

PeggyOlsonFTW · February 2016

gatorMom2014 said:

I get one day off for each holiday normally, and no paid maternity leave. The bonus for me is not having to worry about deadlines for projects and litigation, and instead getting to focus on my family through the holidays.

Gotcha. I was thinking you meant in terms of time off, like it would somehow equal extra time off for you. I see your point now!

Blonde1817 · February 2016

I hadn't even thought about that! That will be really nice if it all works out. I don't get paid leave, I just get 12 weeks FMLA. We have a decent amount of time off but because we are considered a hospital-type setting we don't close for holidays. If you're assigned to work them you get paid extra and if you're not assigned to work you have to use vacation time. So it'll be pretty awesome to have a lot more flexibility around the holidays to enjoy time with family (and our own little family!).

I still have a hard time thinking about this stuff because it feels like a "jinx." Superstitious I know. Last year I had a great Christmas but I was so sad that we didn't have a little one with us. I'm so hopeful that next Christmas we will!

JamieK1882 · February 2016

I actually hate the timing, because I'm a professor at a university. My first day back will be with with everyone else when we come back from break in January. It's depressing enough to go back after the holidays and this is gonna make it so incredibly hard. First world problem I know and I'm lucky to have as long as I do, just know I'm gonna really struggle.

MRSCORKER · February 2016

It all depends on when I actually deliver. If it's on my due date, my mat leave will take me up to 1 week before Christmas so I'd technically have to go in that week unless I decide to take FMLA after short term. I'm kinda hoping my boss will give me a freebie few days so I can return after the holiday. We'll shall see!

PCOSbaby · February 2016

I'm excited to be off for the holidays! I don't have to fight with my staff about who's going to work this year.

KenderTas06 · February 2016

I'm a teacher so I actually get more time off because of the holidays. My district only counts days teachers work into our leave time. At least that is how it's worked with co-workers, I'm going to check on this before I get excited.

gatorMom2014 · February 2016

@mrscorker that is a good point. My son was 3 weeks early--if that happens again mine would be a September baby. But closer to my due dat puts me into January for maternity leave.

@blonde1817 I know what you mean about thinking about these things so early. But for my last pregnancy I was coming off of a loss, and was terrified the first trimester, and afraid of planning too much. This time I'm going to try to cut myself some slack and let myself be excited. If God forbid something goes wrong, worrying myself crazy wouldn't have prevented it! I realize that is way easier said than done!

katiegeminimoon · February 2016

I am looking forward to it. November/December are the busiest months for me at work and I'm kind of excited to not have to deal with it this year.

br0co1ii · February 2016

We plan on moving across the country in July, so the likeliness of me being able to land a job in general when I'm noticeably pregnant will be slim. And if I do, then it would be unlikely that I will be able to get any sort of paid leave. At least we can just go visit family for DH's whole holiday break (he's a teacher) and not worry about me having to get back to work.

von1976 · February 2016

My student nurse position is per diem, so nothing paid, but my boss seems really understanding. She basically told me to take off whatever I needed, and to just let her know. I will probably take the first month off, then work 1-2 days per week until I start school again at the end of January. We plan for me to take the Fall semester off from school. It will just be ridiculously stressful to try to plan a birth and start breastfeeding when I'm trying to make it to class and clinical 3 days a week. It does not seem worth it. The degree can wait a semester.

DH gets ridiculous paternity leave. He can use any and all of his PTO for up to two years after the baby's birth. At any time. Without prior approval. It's kind of awesome. We plan to use his PTO in lieu of child care.

Hillzy30 · February 2016

That is awesome! A well timed maternity leave makes a world of difference. With DD I was still teaching. My due date worked out where I just didn't come back after spring break and then my 12 weeks took us right to the end of the school year - summer off! - so I basically got an extra week and a half off which was super nice.

And then I resigned in August to be a SAHM.

Jen080916 · February 2016

Yes I'm so excited that I will have time available around the holidays. Working for a hospital means mandatory holiday shifts, so I'm thrilled I'll be able to spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. I may end up stuck with new years but I don't care much about that holiday anyway (I haven't gone out for new years since before I was pregnant with my 8 yr old and I don't miss it lol).

cbamama641 · February 2016

My current three kids' births have all allowed me to have the holidays off from work which is amazing! I'm a nurse and we're blacked out from taking days off the two weeks surrounding Christmas. This one I will have to work pretty much right up to my due date which is fine- I'll still make it through Christmas at least

Or I might take a week of PTO at the end of September and then have FMLA/STD start in October.

waitingforkiwi · February 2016

I also work at a university and one of our busiest times of the year is going to be right after I get back. So much so that I'm having to consider going back earlier with staggered days of FMLA if my boss lets me. I only get the 12 weeks, no pay.

DH has lots of paid vacation days saved up from travel, so we'll be getting paid at least while he stays home. By staggering our days off after like 6 weeks or so, we might have more time to find a good daycare out here.

mrsman2018 · February 2016

I am loving the timing. I have a year maternity leave, but love that baby will be born around my birthday (Oct 6, which is also my due date) and Oct 11, Thanksgiving, so family can meet him/her. I like the baby's first Christmas when they are so small. So the timing is great.

PCOSbaby · February 2016

cbamama641 said:

My current three kids' births have all allowed me to have the holidays off from work which is amazing! I'm a nurse and we're blacked out from taking days off the two weeks surrounding Christmas. This one I will have to work pretty much right up to my due date which is fine- I'll still make it through Christmas at least Or I might take a week of PTO at the end of September and then have FMLA/STD start in October.

I was wondering if I can do this. I would like to use 3 weeks of PTO before my FMLA kicks in. That way even if I have the baby in September, I will still be out until after the New Year.

I need to email HR.

purelex · February 2016

Do most places allow for PTO and THEN FMLA? For some reason, I was under the impression that the two were inclusive of each other (i.e. if you use PTO, it replaces FMLA time, not adds to it). Or does it vary by company or something?

KenderTas06 · February 2016

For me I have to use ALL my sick/personal days then FMLA kicks in. They do this so if we don't come back after they don't have to pay out our days.

br0co1ii · February 2016

@purelex I think it depends on the company. The ones I've worked for have varied, but generally require the 12 weeks fmla to be used at the same time as pto and/or st disability.

PCOSbaby · February 2016

I heard back from HR. We have to use all PTO before STD kicks in. We also have the option to have FMLA start after out PTO runs out.

I'm pretty sure the policy varies from company to company.

SuperKristy85 · February 2016

I hadn't thought about that! However I was under the impression my leave was only 6 weeks... Im not sure why, I guess I should find out. I am hoping that my boss will let me work from home once I have the baby as I have no reason to need to be in the office and a lot of other people in my position get to work from home.

queen_frostine · February 2016

I was so psyched my last pregnancy (that failed) because I was due at the end of April and would have had the whole summer before I had to go back. With an October baby... well I'll have until mid-January. I guess at least I'll get the next summer off. Timing could be worse.

nsquaredlife13 · February 2016

DS 1 was born December 2014. It was awesome, I went on leave the 1st week of December and didn't return to work until May. I maxed out the full leave, which included several weeks without pay. Hubby and I saved our holiday bonuses, tax returns, and other bonuses so that we could stretch our money. It makes me so so sad that the US has such a shitty maternity leave system. I'm fortunate that I work for a company that offers such great benefits.

I was high risk last round, and had to be put on bed rest during my company's largest event of the year (November 2014). I went from playing a major role in my teams portion of this event, to sitting on my ass during the week long ordeal eating ice cream and macaroni and cheese. I definitely felt the guilt, although no body said anything, it was there.

So yeah, I'm having serious anxiety about the timing of my LOA for Number Two. I work for a company that is insanely busy from the end of September through December. My job specifically is probably one of the most impacted on my team during those months, and sadly the last time we hired a TA for my position, she was pretty terrible.

In terms of how long we get. This may not be for everyone, but here was the breakdown of my CA Maternity Leave:

CA Maternity Leave (22 weeks total)
FMLA (Federal Family Medical Leave Act) - 12 weeks
-1st 12 weeks - 55% pay for 10 weeks covered under EDD

CPDL (California Paid Disability Leave) - 10 weeks
-1st 2 weeks/up to when baby is born(coincides with FMLA) - 25% pay for 2 weeks covered by Employer's Insurance*
-2nd 8 weeks after baby is born (coincides with FMLA) - 25% pay for 8 weeks covered by Employer's Insurance*

CFRA (California Family Rights Act) - 12 weeks
-2nd 12 weeks, begins after CPDL ends - 55% pay for 6 weeks under California Paid Family Leave, remaining time was covered by Vacation, Sick Pay and unpaid job protection.

*This was a benefit of my Employer and considered a "buy up" on my insurance for Short Term disability

coffee89 · February 2016

SAHM here so no time off. It does work out for my husband though who gets I think 6 weeks paid leave (I can't remember exactly how long he was home last time) and he can take it here and there. I'm towards the end of Oct so he'll take probably 2 weeks off again then use the rest part time with some saved up for doctors appointments later on, and still get his paid holidays.

SuperNerd42 · February 2016

Not going to lie, being off work for Thanksgiving and Christmas will be pretty magical! My husband's work schedule is equally crazy that time of year, so we'll only have one schedule to balance for holiday planning. Score!

ejmo68 · February 2016

@KenderTas06 That is also how my district does it. So it works out really well for me because the week of Thanksgiving doesn't count against me nor does Christmas break. So I actually get to 13 weeks with my baby before I go back to work in January.

mizzkbrat · February 2016

I'm pretty excited about the birthdate!!! One it will be a Libra and I'm a Libra so I'm biased on thinking they are the best. LOL but if I can swing it to be off the rest of the year, that would be amazing too!

Kaytee1087 · February 2016

I get 6 weeks of some paid leave: the first 2 are at full pay and the next 4 are at half pay. DH and I have saved enough combined with that paid leave to take 10 weeks total. That's what I took with DD and it seemed perfect.

We do have to take all offered vacation time before the paid leave kicks in, but if I take all my vacation days ahead of time, then that pay kicks in immediately. Or I might try to schedule my vacation at the end of my FMLA (so I'd take a total of 11 or 12 weeks) to take me through the end of the year; if my EDD stays around 10/14, 10 weeks takes me to the week before Christmas! Although we do get off Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, so even I went back, it would be like easing in because I wouldn't have a full work week back until after Jan. 1.

I dunno what I'll do. I don't think I can decide until we get closer anyway. But to talk about it is fun!

UponAStar16 · February 2016

I think I have a general idea of my leave benefits from the last time I asked and of course will be looking into it again but, I'm wondering if anyone else isn't sure what their childcare plans are once they have to return to work? To me it seems early to have it all figured out but I know I'll need to eventually, and it seems like such an unpleasant decision to have to make!

gatorMom2014 · February 2016

UponAStar16 said:

I think I have a general idea of my leave benefits from the last time I asked and of course will be looking into it again but, I'm wondering if anyone else isn't sure what their childcare plans are once they have to return to work? To me it seems early to have it all figured out but I know I'll need to eventually, and it seems like such an unpleasant decision to have to make!

This is my second, so I know what I'm doing this time. For the first though, figuring out childcare may have been the most stressful and confusing thing I have ever dealt with. I don't know where you live, but around here most good daycares have a have a 2+ year wait list...so nuts. It's never too early to get that all figured out for your peace of mind!!

kalebaby · February 2016

I agree with @PeggyOlsonFTW. I might try to go back right before Christmas so I don't get cheated out of my paid holidays.

jlwickes · February 2016

Agreed! My EDD is Oct. 16th, and I'm looking forward to not having to save any extra vacation days for holidays this year... it will already be taken care of. YAY!

annabenanna · February 2016

nsquaredlife13 said:

DS 1 was born December 2014. It was awesome, I went on leave the 1st week of December and didn't return to work until May. I maxed out the full leave, which included several weeks without pay. Hubby and I saved our holiday bonuses, tax returns, and other bonuses so that we could stretch our money. It makes me so so sad that the US has such a shitty maternity leave system. I'm fortunate that I work for a company that offers such great benefits.

I was high risk last round, and had to be put on bed rest during my company's largest event of the year (November 2014). I went from playing a major role in my teams portion of this event, to sitting on my ass during the week long ordeal eating ice cream and macaroni and cheese. I definitely felt the guilt, although no body said anything, it was there.

So yeah, I'm having serious anxiety about the timing of my LOA for Number Two. I work for a company that is insanely busy from the end of September through December. My job specifically is probably one of the most impacted on my team during those months, and sadly the last time we hired a TA for my position, she was pretty terrible.

In terms of how long we get. This may not be for everyone, but here was the breakdown of my CA Maternity Leave:

CA Maternity Leave (22 weeks total)
FMLA (Federal Family Medical Leave Act) - 12 weeks
-1st 12 weeks - 55% pay for 10 weeks covered under EDD

CPDL (California Paid Disability Leave) - 10 weeks
-1st 2 weeks/up to when baby is born(coincides with FMLA) - 25% pay for 2 weeks covered by Employer's Insurance*
-2nd 8 weeks after baby is born (coincides with FMLA) - 25% pay for 8 weeks covered by Employer's Insurance*

CFRA (California Family Rights Act) - 12 weeks
-2nd 12 weeks, begins after CPDL ends - 55% pay for 6 weeks under California Paid Family Leave, remaining time was covered by Vacation, Sick Pay and unpaid job protection.

*This was a benefit of my Employer and considered a "buy up" on my insurance for Short Term disability

Gosh, I was just trying to understand all of this. I work for a small company (no more than 15 employees), so I don't think I qualify for FMLA, I also don't know if I qualify for CPDL?

From what I understand, I can file for PDL (or State Disability Insurance) for 55-60% of my pay... I can take 4 weeks before the birth, and 6 weeks after the birth (so I have 10 weeks at 55% pay)

Then when that runs out, I can qualify for PFL for 6 weeks (vaginal delivery) at 55-60% of my income.

Assuming I work till the day I give birth, and assuming I give birth around my EDD (10/14), I can take 3 months off and be back around January 15!

Pretty stoked on this.

What's crazy: At only 6 weeks pregnant, I have put myself on 4 daycare waitlists here in San Diego, because apparently the waitlists are 1-2 years long! Insane!

nsquaredlife13 · February 2016

@annabenanna it is truly confusing but definitely talk to your HR rep about California Paid Disability, Family Leave and California Family Rights Act! I'd imagine that smaller companies may not have the same offering, but it's still worth digging into. I work for a large entertainment company with some pretty kickass benefits but everything they told me was the maternity leave dates were standard. I was given an excel file from my HR rep before my last maternity leave that broke down all of the different benefits we get in California. I used it to plug in all of the data broken down above, and it has me off until March 15 assuming I start 2 weeks before my EDD and have a Cesarean (less 2 weeks for Vaginal). My last maternity leave started December 1st and returned May 7th.

And that's nuts about the daycare wait. A few of the good ones near me have a long wait and cost a small fortune.

KatTheGreat · February 2016

I felt terrible the first time I thought it -- but I did a little happy dance when I realized that my EDD of Oct 11 has me off until Jan 3rd. I work as an ICU nurse, so we have to work either the eve of a holiday or the holiday itself. Off Thanksgiving Eve, work Thanksgiving. Work Christmas Eve, off Christmas. You get the idea, and the rule applies for every legal holiday. And since my entire family lives a 6 hour drive away, it's been a couple of years since I've seen them for any holiday.

I'm grateful to our little guy for having a reassuring heartbeat at the last appt, and I'm also grateful to little one for their stellar timing!

runningmama14 · February 2016

I'm an independent contractor, so I already set my own hours and get no paid time off. The nice part about this timing for us is that we already budget for me not working the week of thanksgiving, Christmas, and new years, so that makes all the unpaid time a bit easier to manage!

annabenanna · February 2016

@nsquaredlife13 , thank you! Once I tell my boss about the pregnancy, I'm gonna get started on the HR related stuff. So much paperwork to wade through it seems like!

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