How much time before and after birth are you taking off?

[Mabv812]

I'm 22 weeks right now and just starting to think about how much time I'll take off. I know for sure after the birth. But I can't decide how much to take off before the birth. What's has worked for you in the past or have you heard worked well for most? (California mom here) Tia!

 

[luz]

I have had 3 babies and have worked up till the day i've given birth with all 3 of them. With my first two I took 6 weeks off, and with my third I took 8 weeks. This baby is my last so I think i'm going to take about 10... maybe the full 12 FMLA allows. I'm not really sure. I'm a teacher and I'm thinking about going back the first of November (i'm due Aug. 25), so we'll see how many weeks that ends up being once the baby is born.

 

[DobbyForever]

I'm a teacher in CA. Per my contract my leave starts on my due date. If I need to be out before my due date, I need a doctor's official recommendation. My old district used to allow up to a week before due date. Luckily for me, I'm due in July and school ends in 12 school days. So I'll be off at 34 weeks.

As for going back, I get 45 school days off (using my paid/sick leave then going on differential pay). You are entitled to FMLA up to 12 weeks (the district leave equates to about 9). Still trying to understand the verbiage lol. We start school 8/30 (baby will be 4nweeks if he comes on his EDD), and then the 45 days takes me to end of October. But I'm going back mid October so I can be prepared for conferences and observations. So 4 weeks of summer vacation plus 6 weeks of mat leave, I'll be going back when baby is 10 weeks. I'm still on the fence about staying out the whole 45 school days (takes me to 13.5 weeks). But my mortgage is $3200/month so differential pay will hurt. So leaning towards mid October

 

[HopefulVR]

I'm childless, and completely oblivious to the laws around this...

But 6 weeks? Props to you!! That's a short amount of time where I'm from.

In canada they just passed a law to increase our leave from a year, to a year and a half.

Did you find it hard going back after 6 weeks?

 

[jessmke]

I am starting mat leave at 39 weeks, and will take my one year of maternity leave. In Canada the laws are changing so we can either get 12 months maternity leave at 55% pay (up to a maximum of about $500 per week), or 18 months maternity leave at 33% pay (up to a maximum of about $350 per week). We couldn't manage with me only making 33% of my wage, so I will only be taking one year of maternity leave, plus I don't think the 18 month option is going to actually come into effect for a while yet so I don't think it'll even be an option for me.

 

[justmeinlove]

Canada sounds amazing! Am in UK, and will take 2 weeks before then 8 months after. I could technically have a year but the last 3 months are without pay so....

 

[gingmg]

Canada does sound amazing! I really do live in the wrong country. I went out at 38 weeks with my first and went back when he was 12 weeks old. I'll most likely do the same this time. It's a crime mothers have to leave their babies so young.

 

[MindUtopia]

With my first, I stopped work at 36 weeks and then went back when she was around a year. 9 months of that paid (though not at full salary) and then the other 3 months unpaid. But she was born at 37 weeks, so I only really got a week off before, which was probably just enough. Next time around, I'd probably plan to stop around the same time (36 weeks), anticipating I'll likely have another early baby, and then I get 9 months paid leave (full salary for a bit and then partial salary) and then a further 3 months unpaid. I don't honestly know how people go back sooner than that. There's no way I could have coped with only 6 weeks. I was struggling to brush my teeth and make it out of the house without forgetting to get dressed still at 6 weeks!

 

[Lirpa11]

With our first, I had almost a month off before he was due, and I went back when he was 4.5 months old.

With this one, I don't know. I plan on working until as long as possible, and then ideally I would like another 4/5 months off (in the US here, no paid wages for that period).

Baby is due Nov 26, and I work as a tax accountant. February/March/April are terribly busy at work with tax season... so I imagine I will be working some then to help out at work. I am trying to wrangle it so I can work from home for a bit though.

 

[Savasanna]

I'm hoping to work right up until delivery, as any time I take off before the baby arrives will be deducted from after the baby is here. I was originally planning on taking the full 12 weeks, however with my sick/earned time I'm only able to cover myself for 10 weeks, and the last two would be unpaid. After diving into the costs of daycare some, I'm thinking about going back after 10 weeks and using the money I was saving for the 2 unpaid weeks toward daycare instead.

 

[dairymomma]

We are self-employed and I'm due smack dab in the middle of our busiest season so I'll be working right up until the day I deliver. Maternity leave is dependant on baby. My rule is I get a minimum of 6 weeks off but our baby has to be sleeping at least 6 hours straight at night before I can go back to work because otherwise I cannot function. With DS, I was back at work at 6 weeks post partum. With DD, I had 8 weeks off. With LO, I had 11 weeks.

 

[TTCfirstovr30]

This is my first and am also a soon-to-be Cali mom here!

I plan to take exactly what I am entitled to and gives me my job protection.

So 4 weeks before baby is born, then 6 weeks of FMLA after baby and then the full 12 on CFRA (bonding). Obviously more time will be taken if I have a c-section. But overall looking to take the full 22 weeks CA offers.

I only have three more working weeks left and I couldn't be more excited!

 

[xdxxtx]

I live in NJ, and I qualified for nothing. Not even FMLA (company was too small). I worked up to and including the day I went into labor and came back when my baby was 2 days old, bringing him with me (he was exclusively BFing). I went to work with him every day until I quit when he was 6 months old. If I couldn't have taken him with me, I had planned to quit at 38 weeks to give me some time to get everything done and relax a little. I went into labor at 38+2, though, so it wouldn't have done me much good. I'm so jealous that some of you get so much time!!! We all should!

 

[Savasanna]

We are self-employed and I'm due smack dab in the middle of our busiest season so I'll be working right up until the day I deliver. Maternity leave is dependant on baby. My rule is I get a minimum of 6 weeks off but our baby has to be sleeping at least 6 hours straight at night before I can go back to work because otherwise I cannot function. With DS, I was back at work at 6 weeks post partum. With DD, I had 8 weeks off. With LO, I had 11 weeks.

Good luck - I have a 7.5 month old at home and she's not even sleeping 6 hours straight yet!

(or rather, she is.. but they're not the same 6 hours that I like to sleep during )

 

[verily]

My company allows up to 4 before and 12 afterwards. It's fully paid and protected leave. I can't imagine working past 36 weeks; I already have hip problems with this pregnancy and I'm sure my doctor would sign off on me being out.

 

[Savasanna]

Verily, that's amazing! Good for your company!

"maternity leave" in the US is shameful.

 

[Lirpa11]

Verily, that's amazing! Good for your company!

"maternity leave" in the US is shameful.

Maternity leave is shameful in the US. Maternity and Paternity! Even dad's should be allowed a portion of time off. Even just a week, or two! Whether they take that with mom and baby or on their own within a year of baby being born!

The USA pays so much in taxes for no benefits to be covered. It is terrible

 

[Symphony7]

I had to stop at 36 weeks because I just couldn't do it anymore with all the issues I've been having. I'm taking the whole next school year off. This is all unpaid, we don't have any maternity pay beyond my sick leave which was only a few days worth of pay. Luckily we budgeted to be able to do this but I know many can't afford it.

It kind of sucks because baby is due June but I started with the school district in august so TECHNICALLY I haven't worked a year, even though I really did since school obviously is almost over. So I had to resign from the county and will have to reapply. I'm not concerned, there's plenty of jobs andvailable andvailable my principal said she would take me back. But it's still kind of crummy.

 

[JessyG]

With my first i finished up at 36 weeks i think and she was born at 39 weeks. I took 8.5 months off after she was born.

This time, assuming all goes well with the pregnancy, i plan on finishing about the same time 36/37 weeks but i fully intend to take the full year off even though the final 3 months are unpaid (i am hoping i can use some accrued holiday to minimise this!)

I feel for you guys in the US, that really is scandalous. I could barely open my eyes after 6 weeks.

 

[saphiresky]

1st time I finished 1 and half weeks before baby came via c-section. I took the full year off plus my holidayson 4wks so had 13 months all together. I have saved money for my final 3 months which are unpaid. We have to pay for full time childcare when I go back to work so keeping baby at home as long as possible made the best sense for us.

This time round I will finish up about 1 week before due date (all going to plan). And take the full 12months mat leave again. Our first child will no.longer be in full time childcare when I go on mat leave so we will be saving on those bills! And he will start school Aug 18' when I'm due to go back to work and baby number 2 will start nursery.