What do you do for work? Do you commute to work, work from home, do a combo? Are you a SAHM or will you be when LO arrives?
*This is not a working mom vs stay at mom debate. Please be respectful!*
It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most...not where you live, or what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes... There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know! *ZBB*
I am a SAHM. With my first I went back to work when my maternity leave was up. I was an Executive Assistant. DD had just turned 1 and I worked until I was due with my 2nd when she was 3. When my maternity leave ran out when DS turned 1 I quit my job and now I stay home with the little guy while our daughter goes to Kindergarten.
I do outside sales for work. My "office" is my house, but am on the road every day visiting clients and potential clients. We're moving a few hundred miles away during this pregnancy, so I'll be searching for a new job soon. I'm hoping that I can stay with my parent company (paid leave and all that), but it's still up in the air.
I work in an environmental testing lab, preparing water samples for analysis by GC/MS. It's incredibly eye-opening work, as a large number of the samples that come through are labelled as "Groundwater" and are obviously contaminated with hydrocarbons and other nastiness.
I will definitely be returning to work as soon as I am able, unfortunately, because paid leave is nonexistent in this bullsh*t country and we cannot get by on only one income.
Me: 32 Husbando: 49 Married Since: 7/29/2012 omgosh
I work in law and am currently planning on going back to work after LO, though I'm not sure if I want to. That'll be a decision to make when baby comes. I never thought I'd like to be a SAHM but my tune has been changing recently, so we'll see how maternity leave goes and if I'm devastated to be back at work, I'll be a SAHM if we can afford it. I just wish US maternity leave was as great as England's. A whole year with job security sounds so amazing to us on this side of the Atlantic with three months of job security and none of it paid in full (that's my firm's policy, two months paid at 2/3, last month unpaid, better than the US policy of just 12 weeks unpaid but still) because you have an extra mouth to feed so yeah, you can afford to not be paid! And DH only getting two weeks to see LO. America is ridiculous sometimes.
So...that went off on a tangent. Honestly my dream job would probably be advocating for women's policy issues. I have a lot of opinions.
I work in Human Resources and Change Management. I have worked full time since I've graduated college. I love working although there are days I rather be a SAHM. I'd be fine with either but since my work allows for flexibility it's worked so far and I think I will continue to do so with baby number 2.
I work in finance at a children's hospital. I love my job, but I have always wanted to be a SAHM. DH and I have talked about it a little, but I think at this point we would like to have two incomes. I guess we'll see what happens when LO gets here.
Me: 26 | DH: 26
Married: 08/23/2014
TTC Baby #1: August 2016-February 2017 BFP 02/25/2017, EDD 11/07/2017
I work in finance for a large medical group with about 200 providers across our state. I would love to be a SAHM, but my husband is an entrepreneur and I have to provide insurance. In reality I will probably change my hours so I get out earlier and new baby will go with my mom for the morning and I will pick baby up before my mom leaves for her second shift job. Or will be home with DH whenever possible. We would like to save on daycare costs for as long as possible because we pay for daycare for two already and Catholic school for my older one.
TLDR; working mom, would love to be SAHM, but bills.
I'm currently a SAHM...but before kids I was a pediatric oncology nurse (kids with cancer) I loved it and will hopefully someday go back to nursing. But right now I'm loving being home!
Recovering big law attorney. I quit last May (at the time deployed H with 2u2 at home), and do contract work from home part time. I do not have the patience and grace to SAH full time, so this is a great balance for me!
I stay home and I'm working on converting our backyard to a kind of homestead and would like to someday make a significant contribution to my family that way.
I am an elementary school teacher. *TW* I have already burned a lot of my sick time with my miscarriage a couple of months ago, */TW* and I had to switch districts several times due to budget cuts... meaning I lost all of the time I painstakingly saved for years. I have about 6 weeks left, assuming I'm not considered high risk. I won't be able to take a very long leave and would rather be home with two kids if we are lucky enough to have a couple somewhat close together since I'm close to AMA. After the last few months, I care way more about a healthy baby than a leave, but I'm definitely with all of you that we need more time off.
It's funny how it's the little things in life that mean the most...not where you live, or what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes... There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind, this I've come to know! *ZBB*
I stay home and I'm working on converting our backyard to a kind of homestead and would like to someday make a significant contribution to my family that way.
That's pretty much my dream. My family has a few hundred acres in Ohio, we live in Florida though, and I am persistent in bugging DH to move so I can just have a little sustainable homestead. Eve Kilcher is my spirit animal lol
I'm a mostly SAHM. I was an X-ray tech before DS was born and was also serving. I cut down to just serving for a few reasons so now I wait tables 3 nights a week and also babysit a toddler for another family in my house 3 days a week. DH is a chef so we keep odd service industry hours around here for sure.
I work in advertising, currently at a midsize agency where I do production work (tv commercials, radio spots, etc.) But like I've said in previous posts, we will be moving in a few months for my bf's dental residency. I'm definitely worried about trying to find a new job in a new state while 5 months pregnant. Guess we will see what comes up. We are planning on me staying home from October through the new year at least to take care of LO. In a perfect world I'd like to continue working in advertising but do my work from home.
I work in research at an academic medical center, with my primary focus being compliance, ethics, human subjects protection and scientific integrity and merit. Dh also works there and we commute together. We have a fairly long commute and will probably need to make some changes to our schedules when LO arrives. Hoping we can still commute together so we can save $. It's actually the thing I am most anxious about, right now we work compressed schedules so longer work days in exchange fir EO friday off. My boss is very flexible but DH is management so his schedule is less flexible. Ahh! Just typing it is causing me intense anxiety. I also can't decide if I should do daycare near work or near home. So many factors involved.
I'm an attorney. Unfortunately, I do not even have the option to be a SAHM if I wanted to due to our finances. In our marriage, I bring home the money. I offered to let DH be a stay at home dad when our last little one was born, but he opted not to.
I am a RN on an ICU step down unit, really sick people who can go either way and plenty of crazies (heavy detoxers, psych, dementia... etc.). I havent told anyone at work that I'm expecting, I fear that it'll slip if they assign me a TB patient or one who can't have a pregnant caregiver. Do like the hectic job, a little more cautious now with patients as we tend to need restraints and security on some of them, I think my threshold for B.S. has severely been lowered. SAHM isn't in the cards for us, H has a job he usually likes but it doesn't bring in much so he's considering a change.
I manage a part of a small not for profit that helps children from low income families. We provide meals everyday, after school programs, and opportunities to learn and play on sports teams, support and extra care, family support programs and youth employment programs, etc.
Lucky to be Canadian, so I'll have a whole year to decide about going back or staying home!
I work full time as an Executive Assistant. I have a small business that I work on at night after I put DS to bed that I am hoping will become my full time gig by the end of the year so I can work from home. I need to work for us to survive in this area so being a SAHM isn't in the cards right now.
I was a SAHM until DS was one. I'm now working full time since we moved back home and DH is going to school full time. I work at Unishippers as a Senior Shipping Consultant. It's a pretty decent job and I have absolutely wonderful management that are so excited and supportive of this little one we have on the way!
I taught middle school orchestra for 8 years and am now a SAHM. I had been teaching private violin lessons but stopped in December since we were TTC and knew it would become even more difficult with if I became pregnant. There are days I love it and days I don't, lol. Plan is to go back to work eventually or at least be an active volunteer in my children's schools as I so appreciated that help when I was an educator.
I work for an online website building company, full time - I do get pretty good maternity leave for the United States, though (4.5 months paid). I plan on using all of it and then going back to work full time. Then, have my partner cut back on their hours a bit so someone is always able to be home. I can also work from home with my job, which will help for days I can't go into the office.
Me: 28 DW: 23 Dating: 10/23/2013 Married: 6/13/2014 TTC since June 2016 BFP #1: 3/2/17 - MC 5/22/17
I'm a RN who now works as a Recruiter/ Staffing Specialist. I recently started working from home few days a week, so I'm very excited about that. I have a lot of time saved, so I should be able to take a couple of months off and then hopefully be able to essentially work part-time hours from home for several months. DH also works from home so the extra help with a newborn and a 3yo will be nice.
I work full time as a communications director for a nonprofit. With my first I got 12 weeks off unpaid and then went back full time, and it felt way too short. This time around I want to take a longer leave, but I'm not guaranteed job security beyond 12 weeks, so I'm not exactly sure what will end up happening. My job can be stressful but overall I enjoy working and feel like it makes me a better parent.
I am a loan officer for a small home improvement company. I absolutely love it. I do not have what it takes to be a SAHM. By the end of my maternity leave with DS I was dying for adult conversation and interaction.
I was a pediatric immunization nurse before I had DS. I was originally going to go back, but DH was set to deploy when DS was 10 weeks old, so we thought it would be better if I stayed home. When I put in my notice, they offered me a PRN position, so now I work a few shifts a month, but I am primarily a SAHM. I intend on going back to nursing eventually, but for now I am enjoying my time with my tiny human!
I work in a neonatal intensive care unit. I am full time now and will return full time after LO in born since I am the major breadwinner in the family.
@artificialred OMG homesteading is my dream. Unfortunately we move too much for me to do that, at least for now.
@ebelknap I'm also worried about looking for a job when pregnant. I'll be about 16-20 weeks when we move.
Currently I'm a DoD contractor and manage a computer lab on base part time. On my days off I substitute teach at the elementary/middle school on base. We move in May and I'd like to find a new job, even something part time to give me some spending money and to cover my car payment. I could be a SAHM but I think if I find a part time job I'll go back to work. My B.S. is in Economics and my MBA is in Project Management. I'd like to get into banking and be a branch manager or a loan officer but I don't have any bank experience. I plan to try and get a job as a teller and then get my grad certificate in finance (and later M.S. in finance) and slowly work my way up either at that location or apply elsewhere.
I said it in a previous post but I work in retail. I was a department manager before I got pregnant with DD. When I went back after leave I decided to step down to part time meaning I had to go back to being just a sales associate. It meant not having to pay for daycare as I or my DH was always with her. The pay I lost wasn't much more than what we would have had to pay for daycare so it was a win-win.
As for when this one comes, I hope to be able to stay at home full time. I don't work enough hours to qualify for an FMLA. I may quit well before this one comes depending on DH's job. He's on the fast track to move into management (also in retail) and his hours will have to be flexible.
I went to college for graphic design but after graduation we moved close to my MIL and I basically cared for her after a major stroke. Then we were TTC and we had always planned on me being a SAHM if we could afford it, so that's what we did. Good thing too, since my pregnancies have been so complicated (I was on hospital bed rest with our rainbow for 5 weeks, followed by spending most of the day with him in the NICU every day for 6.5 weeks). I'm also a photographer on the side, and occasionally design birthday party and baby shower invitations as well.
April Siggy Challenge: April Showers
About me:
29 y/o Married 6.26.11 BFP 12.23.13, EDD 9.2.14 - baby girl, born too soon at 22w6d due to a placental abruption on 5.5.14 BFP 8.4.14, EDD 4.15.15 - rainbow son, born at 30w4d due to a placental abruption on 2.8.15, healthy 3 y/o now! BFP 2.28.17, EDD 11.8.17 - baby girl, miscarried at 11 weeks on 4.21.17 BFP 11.28.17, EDD 8.8.18, delivering in July - another rainbow baby boy!
I am a supervisor for a investigation unit for child protective services. With my first pregnancy, I was an investigator which meant in the field home visits, long hours and sometimes unsafe situations. Now I'm generally in an office and 9-5. I wish I could be a SAHM but it's just not in the cards for my family. We rely on two incomes to live a comfortable lifestyle. There's always the lottery I guess!
i went back to work when my son was 13 weeks but only 4 days a week. Still so so so hard though. My husband and I decided I will only work part time going forward- I am thankful my job allows that!
Love hearing what all you ladies do! We have a huge variety represented. I'm a mental health therapist in a community health clinic. I work mostly with Spanish speaking patients and I absolutely love my job. When DD what born I went down to 4 days a week and that is what I work now. I plan on continuing 4 days a week after baby #2 as well. I have a much longer commute than I did when DD was born (she went to daycare at my previous job which was so great!). It will be hard dropping a itty bitty baby off and then driving 45 minutes away, but one worry at a time. I will take the full 12 weeks off but hope to enlist family help for weeks 13-16. I would love to not start daycare until 16 weeks.
@slaven forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn/telling you things you already know or have looked into, but if you're interested in finance, you seem super qualified for a financial analyst position! With a BS in economics and an MBA, you could be an analyst almost anywhere. We have financial analysts at my law firm who only have their undergrads and one of them is in economics. I recall you're not moving to a big city so maybe it'd be harder but if there are openings and you like the idea it sounds like you'd be great at it!
@DuchessOfCambridge Oh no problem at all, I love suggestions. You're right that the problem is that we aren't going to a city or anything. Syracuse will be over an hour away which is too long of a commute for me, especially in winter. I have the education for a lot of different positions but am limited to what's available in the area unfortunately.
I am a mental health services researcher at a large university. I work with community mental health centers to improve their programs. With #1 I was off 10 weeks then went back for a week, so I got paid for winter break. I haven't decide how many weeks off this time. I may do the same as last time and come out of FMLA right before break, but just work one day this time. I can work from home and I can also have a baby in my office with me so I have a fair bit of flexibility. Because I am the lead on most of my projects I can't really go 100% off the grid, so maternity leave for me includes some working. While I love being a mom, I found maternity leave to be lonely and boring, so I don't find it that enjoyable past about week 6.
Re: GTKY: Work
Married 9-19-2009
Baby Karrot 2.0 - 6.25.2015 - He's here! Via VBAC @ 36 weeks.
I will definitely be returning to work as soon as I am able, unfortunately, because paid leave is nonexistent in this bullsh*t country and we cannot get by on only one income.
Married Since: 7/29/2012
omgosh
So...that went off on a tangent. Honestly my dream job would probably be advocating for women's policy issues. I have a lot of opinions.
BFP 02/25/2017, EDD 11/07/2017
TLDR; working mom, would love to be SAHM, but bills.
TTC 9/2016 BFP 12/9/16 EDD 8/21/17 NMC 1/8/16 at 7w6d
TTC 2/2017 BFP 3/6/17 EDD 11/17/17 DS born 11/25/17 via ECS
TTC 12/2018 BFP 6/2/19 EDD 2/12/20 NMC / BO at 7 weeks, low progesterone
TTC 7/2019 BFP 8/21/19 EDD 4/22/20 CP at 5 weeks
TTC 8/19 IUI #1 w/ Clomid + Ovidrel + progesterone BFN, IUI 2 and 3 w/ Letrozole + Ovidrel + progesterone,
IUI 4 Follistim + Ovidrel + progesterone BFP 1/9/20 EDD 9/18/20
AMA, ITP in pregnancy, vWD type II - low Factor VIII, unexplained RPL and secondary infertility
I'm a mostly SAHM. I was an X-ray tech before DS was born and was also serving. I cut down to just serving for a few reasons so now I wait tables 3 nights a week and also babysit a toddler for another family in my house 3 days a week. DH is a chef so we keep odd service industry hours around here for sure.
Eta spelling matters
Wow you all do such amazing things!
I manage a part of a small not for profit that helps children from low income families. We provide meals everyday, after school programs, and opportunities to learn and play on sports teams, support and extra care, family support programs and youth employment programs, etc.
Lucky to be Canadian, so I'll have a whole year to decide about going back or staying home!
Dating: 10/23/2013
Married: 6/13/2014
TTC since June 2016
BFP #1: 3/2/17 - MC 5/22/17
You all have such amazing and interesting jobs!
***TW Living child and loss mentioned***
13 March 2017: Loss at 4+6
@artificialred OMG homesteading is my dream. Unfortunately we move too much for me to do that, at least for now.
@ebelknap I'm also worried about looking for a job when pregnant. I'll be about 16-20 weeks when we move.
Currently I'm a DoD contractor and manage a computer lab on base part time. On my days off I substitute teach at the elementary/middle school on base. We move in May and I'd like to find a new job, even something part time to give me some spending money and to cover my car payment. I could be a SAHM but I think if I find a part time job I'll go back to work. My B.S. is in Economics and my MBA is in Project Management. I'd like to get into banking and be a branch manager or a loan officer but I don't have any bank experience. I plan to try and get a job as a teller and then get my grad certificate in finance (and later M.S. in finance) and slowly work my way up either at that location or apply elsewhere.
TTC since August 2018
As for when this one comes, I hope to be able to stay at home full time. I don't work enough hours to qualify for an FMLA. I may quit well before this one comes depending on DH's job. He's on the fast track to move into management (also in retail) and his hours will have to be flexible.
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
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About me:
Married 6.26.11
BFP 12.23.13, EDD 9.2.14 - baby girl, born too soon at 22w6d due to a placental abruption on 5.5.14
BFP 8.4.14, EDD 4.15.15 - rainbow son, born at 30w4d due to a placental abruption on 2.8.15, healthy 3 y/o now!
BFP 2.28.17, EDD 11.8.17 - baby girl, miscarried at 11 weeks on 4.21.17
BFP 11.28.17, EDD 8.8.18, delivering in July - another rainbow baby boy!
I wish I could be a SAHM but it's just not in the cards for my family. We rely on two incomes to live a comfortable lifestyle. There's always the lottery I guess!
i went back to work when my son was 13 weeks but only 4 days a week. Still so so so hard though. My husband and I decided I will only work part time going forward- I am thankful my job allows that!
TTC since August 2018
Because I am the lead on most of my projects I can't really go 100% off the grid, so maternity leave for me includes some working. While I love being a mom, I found maternity leave to be lonely and boring, so I don't find it that enjoyable past about week 6.