Canadian Moms

lifeislove87 · August 2018

I don’t want to exclude anyone of course but I want to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone is fortunate enough to get to choose between a 12 month and 18 month Mat leave (although I know unfortunately not all Canadians qualify as well). Does anyone have any idea of what they are taking? Is anyone splitting with their SO?

megpeg0621 · August 2018

I’m going to take 18 months this time. I did 12 with my first and I wasn’t ready to go back at that point. They’re only little for a short period of time so I want to take as much as I can. We are so fortunate to have these options!
My husband is self employed so he can’t take paternal leave.

ChloandCoco · August 2018

I’m planning on taking 12 months with an extra month of leave without pay, so 13 months total. The daycare that DD goes to doesn’t allow babies younger than 13 months, so that’s why.
I would like to take 18 months, but we wouldn’t be able to afford our lifestyle with such a large decrease in my pay.

Also, we should do a monthly Canadian check-in to see how everyone is doing since the health care system is so different from the states.

cali1710 · August 2018

I’m having twins so I don’t plan to go back to work until they are in kindergarten. Daycare for two infants would be crazy expensive and not something we can afford. but I’m just taking the 12 months

becks_726 · August 2018

I'm torn. I need to sit down and do the math but I know off the bat that 18 months will be very tight. I'm also kind of hesitant to be away from work for so long and I hate feeling that way. It shouldn't be a factor!
If we can swing 18 months I'd love to share with DH but he is starting a new position 2 weeks before my EDD and he has no idea whether he'll feel comfortable taking time off. Odds are he'd take some of it towards the end. Ideally I'd like to overlap a bit and then have him stay home with LO for the last couple of months so I can go back to work around 14-15 months. We both get top ups from work so that might actually be the only way to make it work financially.

We're so lucky to have these options but it's still complicated...

bhou · August 2018

I am going to do the 1 year. It's definitely still not easy for me taking a full year off i'm sure that things will change but right now, it's tough to see myself not working for an entire year when i've spent the last 8 here dedicated to my career! It's a hard thing to get my head around...i'm sure my view on this will change!

ohsunnydays · August 2018

I'm lurking (I'm in the US) ... just in awe of the 12 mo/18 mo options! My father is a Canadian citizen... maybe he should have had us move!

So happy for you ladies that your country values you and your children.

kdrn913 · August 2018

Not canadian but I’m just so jealous that you guys are talking in months instead of weeks

cmjenkies · August 2018

Gosh, you guys suck. I hope you all get the worms on your extended leaves.

cmjenkies · August 2018

But really, I’ve been over here sweating about whether or not we can afford for me to take off the whole 12 weeks again or if I’ll need to drop to 10. You northern gals are so blessed that your country gives a shit about your well
being after childbirth.

etnyah · August 2018

Makes me regret ever moving away from Norway. Then again, if I hadn't I wouldn't have been pregnant so...

Venessa88 · August 2018

I shared with DH when I had my DD. I'll be doing the same this time. I'll be taking approx 8 months and he will take some time after that. We can only really afford the 12 months and so that's all we will be doing. With DD I went back at 4 months because of my style of work and the job I was at. This time I work somewhere different and it's much better. They allow me to work a bit from home managing some of my client's which will allow me to take longer.

bhou · August 2018

We are pretty lucky!

lifeislove87 · August 2018

@grebretso Norway’s maternity leave policy makes ours look lame, I often envy them from afar.

lifeislove87 · August 2018

I plan on taking 12 months and DH will take the last six. Financially we are fortunate because we will get a top up from my employer making it more feasible. That being said money will be tighter. My daughter is 14 months so my biggest concern right now is getting enough hours for EI. All my health complications make it hard for me to stay at work the whole nine months. Does anyone know if vacation counts towards your EI hours?

lifeislove87 · August 2018

@ChloandCoco I agree we should do this often!!! I’ll try to remember

lifeislove87 · August 2018

@bhou I was also super career driven and planned on only taking 9 months max with my first. I was put in bed rest halfway through my pregnancy and then I loved parenting. I ended up asking for an extra 6 months unpaid which I’m glad was declined because here I am pregnant again

cas060 · August 2018

18 mos for me without question even if hubs has to get a pt job

...

sarahlynlaf · September 2018

I am one of the unfortunate few that doesn't qualify. I became self employed a year and a half ago and didn't realize I had to pay into EI on top of the insane taxes I already pay. So...by the time I found out I was pregnant it was too late to apply. Luckily, both me and my bf work from home and will split our time as best as we can to be able to keep our income.

mommin135 · September 2018

We aren’t positive yet what we are doing.... We were initially thinking I will take due date (approx) until June 1 off and my SO will take the remainder of parental leave off (we would do 12 months). I’m eager to go back for career reasons - however, SO only gets 10 weeks topped up to 100%. I would get the entire year at 98%... lots of pros and cons to weigh and it will probably depend on how well we save these next few months.

cas060 · September 2018

@mommin135.. im coming to work with you! I thought 75%top up was good for 12 months but 98% is amazing!!

ChloandCoco · September 2018

@mommin135 Wow! 98% for 12 months!? That’s amazing!

lifeislove87 · September 2018

Holy crap, I thought my top up of 85% for 6 months was fantastic, those are great top ups. We’ve decided DH is going to take 6 months (of the 18) but not sure if he’ll get the top up too because we work together (wondering if it’s a baby thing or a per person thing )

mommin135 · September 2018

Unionized position with a pretty family-focused organization - definitely a perk I’m not taking for granted!!!
@lifeislove87 hopefully it’s a per person thing - super annoying if it isn’t.

becks_726 · September 2018

@lifeislove87 I would be shocked if if it were per baby.

I thought my top up was top notch but that's amazing, @mommin135! I feel really lucky to have mine, and this makes me super spoiled, but particularly because EI represents a serious pay cut.

Since I last posted in this thread DH has happily agreed to take at least 4 months of leave so we are going to share the 18 months. I'll take the first 14, we'll overlap for 6 weeks and travel, and then he'll stay home for the last 3. I'm thrilled that we won't have to send the little one to daycare too early and that DH also gets some quality time to bond. It also gives me a little freedom to stop work a little earlier.

cas060 · September 2018

Id imagine its a per person thing.. i cant see hr being able to justify a per baby rule. Awesome for you guys!

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