Any mamas in Canada/Ontario area :) ?

[SweetPea3200]

We are definitely so lucky. I do agree that it will be hard to go back to work even after a year. I'm already brainstorming ways to make it easier or work from home. Any ideas?

Right now I'm super grateful for the weather. It's been spring-like since February which is really rare and I just love it. I feel like it helps cheer me up when my crazy hormones are getting me down. Hows the weather in Ontario been?

 

[mommyB]

MommyB - actually I'll be delivering at Mississauga trillium. I love my OB and that's where he's out of. ( I did live in Mississauga when I had my first) I can't say that it was a great experience. A lot Thar will be done differently now that I've been through the process. I have heard wonderful things about milton though. It's really too bad that it depends on your ob considering I never even saw him at the hospital.

Yeah Milton is good but it's small. Hopefully the new expansion will make the maternity ward bigger! But I had a great experience there. I had the same OB deliver both my boys but my first pregnancy I saw a completely different OB. I guess as long as the baby and mama are healthy that's the goal. Lol. Hope you have a better experience this time around!

 

[mommyB]

Sweet pea the weather in Ontario has been nice these past few days! Highs of 19/20. Supposed to be a nice weekend as well! Finally! Lol

 

[2have4kids]

I'm from Calgary, it's been a terrible ski season and thank goodness I didn't get a pass this year! I'm looking forward to hibernating with baby next winter. There's nothing worse than getting up at 5:45am to warm up the car with -30 windchill in my pj's!

 

[Maggs]

what are the UK/US mat leaves like!?!

We get 39 weeks which equates to 9 months and just hopefully baby doesn't go overdue! I live in Scotland now, but I'm from Nova Scotia. Expecting our 2nd boy in August.

 

[StaceyM]

I'm from Winnipeg, although I used to live in Toronto. I do miss Ontario. I'm 16.5 weeks and 39, although my husband is 31 It's my first and we are having a girl. The mat leave is great and my employer 'tops up' the 60% to 95% so it's really awesome. Also, my husband can take a full month of vacation when the baby is born so I am super lucky. At least there are some perks to waiting until you are older

 

[Tristansmom]

I'm just west of Edmonton Alberta, 32 and expecting my second!

 

[2have4kids]

I just called service canada today to get the numbers for mat leave. It seems my employer gives me 10 weeks full pay for a natural birth, 16 for a c section, then mat EI benefits kick in for 15 weeks, then parental leave for 35 weeks. I also have 4 weeks holiday in May and 2 months banked away.
I'll probably give DH at least 1-2 months parental leave if he wants it and after 6 months off we'll try for baby #2. We only need to be back at work for about 6 months inbetween mat leaves to qualify for another mat leave.

 

[StaceyM]

Uh just double check with your HR. The way I understand it, while your employer may give 10 weeks full pay, you need to use the EI maternity leave before 17 weeks following birth, so it doesn't work out to 10 + 15 + 35, but rather no more than 17 + 35 for a total of 52 weeks (1 year) regardless of what your employer gives. My school division has a 30 page package that I read closely as I also get a substantial employer top up (more than 10 weeks), but EI has very specific rules about top ups. I might be wrong, but I don't think so. The 10/16 weeks that your employer gives is likely a 'top up', not additional weeks, as EI prevents this. None of my colleagues have gotten more then 52 weeks despite the top up.

 

[YikesBaby]

Hey ladies!

I am 35, in Ajax (east side of Toronto), and preggo with #2 and #3.... it's nice to see some Canadians on here. When I had my first there weren't many of us on here.

 

[2have4kids]

Uh just double check with your HR. The way I understand it, while your employer may give 10 weeks full pay, you need to use the EI maternity leave before 17 weeks following birth, so it doesn't work out to 10 + 15 + 35, but rather no more than 17 + 35 for a total of 52 weeks (1 year) regardless of what your employer gives. My school division has a 30 page package that I read closely as I also get a substantial employer top up (more than 10 weeks), but EI has very specific rules about top ups. I might be wrong, but I don't think so. The 10/16 weeks that your employer gives is likely a 'top up', not additional weeks, as EI prevents this. None of my colleagues have gotten more then 52 weeks despite the top up.

Thanks I'll look into this. From what the service canada lady said I understood that you have to apply for mat leave within 17 weeks of having your baby. So if you're paid 10 weeks by your employer then when that's done you should still have 7 weeks left to apply for the 15 week mat leave. Are you saying that EI would forfeit pay for those 10 weeks that your company pays out? I'll call sgain on Monday and ask. In that case it's worth taking the leave before the due date and be paid out by your company.

 

[StaceyM]

Ok. So Service Canada is very tricky. I would suggest that you speak with your HR instead as they are more likely to try to give you the most they can. Read the website carefully as well as it says something different than what the Service Canada rep said. It says "A maximum of 15 weeks of EI maternity benefits is available. The 15 weeks can can start as early as 8 weeks before the expected date of birth, and can end as late as 17 weeks after the actual date of birth". Then your parental leave of 35 weeks starts which can be split with your partner as you wish. My union also said that Service Canada will try to convince you to waive the initial 2 week waiting period. They advise that you do NOT do that as your SUP (Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan) will be suspended. The SUP is the top up that some employers provide, and which is what *I believe* that you have. The employer SUP has rules that are set out by EI, so even if your employer wanted to give you extra time he would not be able to. I have tried to read over everything as closely as I could, and the booklet that my union gave me was very helpful. I do believe that EI could forfeit some of your benefits - OR you could lose your SUP if you do something wrong - yes that is what I am saying. I think that the total of 15 weeks maternity MUST INCLUDE THE SUP, so taking it before or after is irrelevant. It's 15 weeks total. What your employer gives you is not likely to be 100% pay for 10 days, but rather a 'top up' TO 90% or 100% AFTER the EI benefits are applied. So EI pays like 60ish% and your employer pays 40ish% for those days. Now it's possible that my benefits are different from yours, but I have a really, really good package, and I think all of these SUP plans work the same way and must follow the same rules. What most people do here is we apply to start leave the day of the child's birth (you can pre-apply and then call Service Canada to inform them later of the ACTUAL date of birth, and mat leave will then start on THAT day), and then when your doctor advises you to stop working (2-3 weeks before due date) you get a note and take sick leave. Most companies have sick leave built in and sick leave pays at 100% ( I assume you will have sick leave if you have a job that is good enough to get a SUP). I can't say anything for sure because this is my first baby, but I am lucky enough to have a union rep that specializes in mat leave with whom I can speak to. I would suggest speaking to your HR instead of Service Canada, and/or another employee who has taken leave at your job. I just want to make sure that you get a good answer and don't get screwed out of something you are supposed to get. If it turns out that it is somehow different in your province for whatever reason, then at least you will know. Ask your HR/employer if the 10/16 days is a SUP (i.e. top up) and exactly what it covers.

 

[2have4kids]

Ok, I have a gf on mat leave right now working for my co. I'll ask her. She did say that it's 10 weeks of our S&A which is our short term sick leave benefits button I'll ask HR for certain. :thumbsup:

 

[carebear1981]

My work is topping up my EI for 15 weeks. They let me know that my job will only be held for 52 weeks though.

 

[Bug222]

My SUP is for the first 4 months of my leave- so basically the "maternity leave" portion. Last time my two week waiting period was waived as I went on medical,leave at 25 weeks- but I still received my SUP.

 

[treeroot]

Central Ontario (soon to be) Mom here.

30 years old with #1.


And wow StaceyM! I should seriously get myself a union job lol

I'm off work in two weeks --better get my papers in order!

 

[StaceyM]

This thread got moved to a weird place...

 

[2have4kids]

I can understand the move, it's a group thread and not particular to second tri.

So I cleared it up with HR and you are correct StaceyM, 10 or 15 weeks (depending on vag or section birth) will be topped up by my company of the Canadian EI mat leave. And then I'll take 23 weeks paternity leave (I'm giving my partner 12 weeks of it to stay home with baby and I in til after Christmas). Then I have 2 months vacation time for a total of 46 weeks off. I'll be working hard at getting pregnant again while on mat leave as I only want to be back for the bare minimum 6 month between leaves

 

[carebear1981]

Huh... I didn't know they moved threads.

Glad u got ur mat leave sorted!!

 

[SweetPea3200]

Another thread I'm part of got moved as well. It was called .... now in first tri, and we're all well into our second and aren't stopping chatting so I assumed that's why it was moved.
I have read that the government only pays you until 52 weeks after your baby is born. Not sure about specific language or loop holes though.

Does anyone know if IV's are common practice in Canadian hospitals? Apparently they are common to get during labour in the US but none of my mom friends have ever mentioned having one. Also, do we have anything like "gas and air" that I keep hearing all of these british momma's talking about? I'm not really sure what they are referring to.