Maternity leave!!

alexxajams · December 2023

Ok, so my job released a new policy for maternity leave..
Basically if I decided to take it at 37 weeks, and I don’t have the baby till like two weeks later, then I only get 10 weeks of Mat leave.

I had my own business when I was pregnant with my first .. so I don’t know the rules or if that’s normal. Also when is everyone taking theirs ?!

ceclarlinetlo · December 2023

This is probably depressing for you to hear but you getting 12 weeks is actually really lucky. Most people I know, if they get any it’s 6 weeks.

SpartanCat · December 2023

I'm starting my leave the day of my c section. If I start early it would cut into my overall leave. I'll get 8 for the C-section and then 6 from my company

cmill828 · December 2023

I work for a small business and I get 0 mat leave. The owner is generously gifting me a month off with pay, anything I choose to take off after that is going to be without pay, so I'm trying to work up until I absolutely can't anymore.

farm_mama · December 2023

I won't have any leave and I will work from home. I work for a very small nonprofit where I am paid hourly as well as being self employed. I am working really hard to get ahead right now and going into it knowing I will need a lot of grace during that time

I actually didn't have any leave with #2 or #3 either because I was working as an attorney and there was no one else to cover my clients. I scheduled things out the best I could but I worked some the entire time. It isn't the best, but it is doable.

Why are you thinking 37 weeks? I would work until it is uncomfortable or you aren't feeling well if possible. You don't want to be exhausted or anything, but I would probably maximize postpartum time. Do you have any flexibility to work part time or ease in or out? Do you have any sick leave or unpaid time you can take?

kmw611 · December 2023

Unfortunately that seems pretty normal for those who get paid leave, many don’t. With both my boys I could take as much time as I wanted but it was unpaid unless I had sick time or pto saved. The state offers 12 weeks paid parental leave now but I’m not working anymore. My husband will get it though which will be nice. He went back to work the day after DS2 and I were released from the hospital. Like @farm_mama said I would try to work as long as possible to keep the time for postpartum.

alexxajams · December 2023

farm_mama So with my first, I worked till a Monday.. we went to Disney a few times that week and then I ended up having her that Saturday. I had her at 37+5 days. I did 37 the first time to prep mentally and get stuff ready around the house and try to rest.

I went into natural labor on my own but water didn't break, I was dilated 5cm, but she was breech/transverse. So obviously had a C-section. But it was a scary first week home being in and out of the hospital with her so I was extremely exhausted. I was lucky enough to basically get 6-7 months at home with her though.

So this time my ob has been pretty vocal about early labor again and I’ve been working out a lot and my job already has me standing a lot.. so I was thinking I’ll do 37 again to be on the safe side. We cant break up the 12 weeks at all.

Also this policy was just made in October , because before the policy, I basically would’ve been quitting because I’ve only been at this place 6-7 months and I’m part time and I wasn’t even covered under leave of absence or fmla.

alexxajams · December 2023

@SpartanCat that’s good you get the 8 for the C-section at least !

ceclarlinetlo yes I knew some ppl barely got 6 weeks 😱 which is so terrible.. that’s why I was curious about the rules of mat leave cause I know it varies

cmill828 you definitely have an amazing boss! 💓

kmw611 yeah the 12 weeks they’re giving me is unpaid. That’s great that your husband is getting paid 12 weeks! My H job, complained when he stayed home with our sick daughter once 🙄
I also am a Vbac so that’s also tripping me up as well.. cause there’s so many variables and I just want to be as prepared as possible

halfanewt · December 2023

Our state does 12 weeks partially paid now + another 4-6 if you’re ama, have a c-section, etc. Feeling pretty fortunate as they didn’t have it at all with my 1st (6 weeks unpaid!) and my job was up in the air with my 2nd so I didn’t get to take full advantage of it. This time I’ll just count back weeks from the end of the school year and take it starting then, as long as baby doesn’t come earlier than that!

I know people that have taken leave early and some loved it, some hated it. Probably dependes on if you feel like you’ll enjoy the time to relax and prep or if you’ll get bored/anxious being at home on baby watch.

SpartanCat · December 2023

@alexxajams yeah the 8 weeks is for short term disability, it would be six for a vaginal birth. Then my company has parental leave so I'll take my 14 weeks and then my husband has six so we don't have to worry about daycare until bebe is 20wks old

hedgepig · December 2023

Add me to the no paid maternity leave group 🙄 (Well, we get 2 days of paid leave, plus we have to use up all our sick leave, and then I will get differential pay for some part of it.) Even though my state does have paid leave, teachers aren't eligible. I will take the rest of the school year off (my position will be protected), and then I am planning on taking a leave of absence for a year. With my first 2 I went back after 12 weeks (unpaid), but was able to patch together childcare through grandparents, but with twins I can neither afford childcare (if there was even anything available here, which there isn't - literally not a single daycare), nor ask family to watch them, so it will be me for the first 18 months, then MH and I will switch and he'll stay home for a year, then they will start school. And we'll just be broke for a few years 🤷🏻‍♀️

night_nurse · December 2023

Maternity leave talk is always so depressing to me. Like a literal gut punch.

My state has no legislature around paid leave and my employer does not offer it. My position will be protected for up to 12 weeks by FMLA. I can get 4 weeks of short term disability paid by insurance which pays at 50% of my base hourly pay.

As the income earner for our family it’s extra stressful trying to balance taking time off and keeping the household afloat.

alexxajams · December 2023

@night_nurse yes I am discovering that as well. I can’t imagine trying to balance everything on top of everything else.

bdc2024 · December 2023

I'm debating taking mine at 37 or 38 weeks.... not sure how I'll feel by then, but I work in a warehouse and the bathroom is a little walk away. (Could get annoying/risky!)

alexxajams · December 2023

@bdc2024 that’s what I’m struggling with. I don’t want to be having my water break in the middle of someone’s highlight 🤣

bdc2024 · December 2023

@alexxajams RIGHT!? Maybe 37 weeks is best. Worse case scenario, more time to rest up before the sleep deprivation! 😆

knottieaf36f7240616bc97 · January 2024

Found all of this to be soooo intriguing and interesting how much it changes by State.

I’m in Canada so very fortunate to have maternity leave. We have a lot of options for maternity leave… in my case I’m taking a six month paid leave (government assisted) and the company I work for will top up my pay to 80% for the first 22 weeks I’m on mat leave. Then my husband will go on paternity leave for the last six months and his company will top up his pay for the first 15 weeks.

rmruilova · January 2024

What state do you live in? I would look into your states benefits. I live in NJ and my company gave me 12 weeks overall, but through my state i qualified for 4 weeks paid prior, 6 weeks after (8 for c section) which counts as disability. THEN state gives you 12 weeks of family bonding. Obviously different jobs have different policies in terms of how long you can be out and guarantee your job, but this may be a good option if it’s a situation where your job is just not willing to pay you more than those 10 weeks

alexxajams · January 2024

Texas, but I haven’t been at my current job long enough. They barely added the new policy in October. Before that, I wasn’t even covered under Leave of absence. I was going to have to quit essentially.

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