How much time did you take off from school/work for maternity leave?

[starshinebby]

(I posted this in Third Trimester, but kind of figure that I'd find more ladies can relate to this here)


I'm in college right now, the quarter ends April 4th and my due date is April 30th. Our quarters are 11 weeks long and I planned on just taking one off for maternity leave but I'm not so sure that'll be enough time. I plan on EBF, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, all that good stuff. If I take two quarters off I'd be going back in October and not July, which isn't too bad and it's for a good reason of course. My son should be around 6mo at that time.

Just wondering what everyone's opinion was on my situation. Either way I do plan on going back and will be finishing next year, just a little later. So, 11 weeks off or 22 weeks off for maternity leave?

 

[magic93]

I would take 22 weeks.
I dont think your goin to want to leave your baby soo soon after their born. Im undecided on what im goin to do, I am not in school, but I have a job I can take up to a year off. But id like to go to college full time in september 2014.

 

[starshinebby]

I would take 22 weeks.
I dont think your goin to want to leave your baby soo soon after their born. Im undecided on what im goin to do, I am not in school, but I have a job I can take up to a year off. But id like to go to college full time in september 2014.

Thanks.

I've been thinking that as well. I think giving myself the extra time will be extremely benificial to both of us, but then I worry that it'll be harder to leave him when I do, lol. (I know that would happen with either 11 or 22 weeks off)

I think that since I do plan on breast feeding, 22 weeks would be better for that as well. I just know I'll have to work my butt off to graduate next summer, which isn't such a bad thing, and I think I could handle it.

I'll start off with 11 and see how I feel when the time gets closer.

 

[magic93]

Yeah do whatever works best for you and baby. Its guna he hard no matter what, jus remember hard work pays off

 

[starshinebby]

Yeah do whatever works best for you and baby. Its guna he hard no matter what, jus remember hard work pays off

Thank you!

 

[mco88]

I'm writing an article about young people planning for the future, would be great to talk to you as you are so clued up!!

 

[starshinebby]

I'm writing an article about young people planning for the future, would be great to talk to you as you are so clued up!!

Awe, really? Yeah, I have no problem with that. You can message me if you'd like with any questions you have.

 

[cammy]

I took a semester off which is about 16 weeks I think plus holiday.

I would recommend taking 2 quarters off, especially if you can't do your course online. You will probably not want to leave bub so soon and bub probably won't be ready for you to be gone either. It's also tricky to be getting into a routine with bub and a routine with school at the same time. In the first year they go through a lot of sleep regression and growth spurts which will effect your studying.

 

[starshinebby]

I took a semester off which is about 16 weeks I think plus holiday.

I would recommend taking 2 quarters off, especially if you can't do your course online. You will probably not want to leave bub so soon and bub probably won't be ready for you to be gone either. It's also tricky to be getting into a routine with bub and a routine with school at the same time. In the first year they go through a lot of sleep regression and growth spurts which will effect your studying.

I could do some courses online, but I tried that before in the beginning of my pregnancy and failed the two classes I was taking. They were tedious and harder than I had thought they'd be. It didn't help that my focus was more on sleep than anything at the time. And being home has so many distractions, I'd imagine doing it with a newborn wouldn't be much easier so I'd like to stay away from that option. The classroom setting is much easier to cope with for me.

And your right, I'd like to get into a good routine with him. It helps that my OH will be able to take a full paid month off from work. But yeah I, I'd like to spend as much time with my LO as I can.

I think I will take the 2 quarters off in the long run, and start back either part or full time depending on how I'm feeling and the classes I'd be doing. This quarter was fairly easy with only four classes, I managed to pull straight A's. Hoping to keep that trend going.

Thanks for the input.

 

[cammy]

Your very welcome.

I'm trying to figure out what I am going to do too. OH wants me to take a year or differ indefinitely once this bub is born. But I feel like if I do that, I will never go back and will forever be a SAHM. :S

 

[starshinebby]

Your very welcome.

I'm trying to figure out what I am going to do too. OH wants me to take a year or differ indefinitely once this bub is born. But I feel like if I do that, I will never go back and will forever be a SAHM. :S

I don't see why you'd have to differ indefinitely. You're young, like me, we have plenty of time to finish school and raise a family. Personally, I'd love to be a SAHM, but I want a career under my belt as a fall back. I'll be getting a job straight after to help save up to purchase a house, but by the time we plan for baby #2, I might end up being a SAHM after having them.

Plus it's not going to take that long. Well, at least for me, what are you going to school for btw? I'm doing medical assisting, but plan on continuing on to specialize in something (not sure what, I'd do everything if I could, lol).

 

[cammy]

Yeah that is the same with me. I would at least like to have this bachelor finished so that I do have something to fall back onto if we need it. I will definitely be trying to get a job when I am finished so that we can save a lot of money on two incomes and hopefully get enough to get a house loan and be financially comfortable.

I'm studying primary education to become a teacher for little kids. It's a 4 year bachelor. I have already done one year. How long is yours?

 

[starshinebby]

Yeah that is the same with me. I would at least like to have this bachelor finished so that I do have something to fall back onto if we need it. I will definitely be trying to get a job when I am finished so that we can save a lot of money on two incomes and hopefully get enough to get a house loan and be financially comfortable.

I'm studying primary education to become a teacher for little kids. It's a 4 year bachelor. I have already done one year. How long is yours?

That's good. It's great to hear young parents planning for the future. I know too many young moms that don't have anything planned.

Awe, I wanted to be a preschool teacher at one point. Studied all about early childhood development, but switched to the medical field. At least all that knowledge won't go to waste, lol.

I should be done by the end of next summer. It's a two-year program, I'll be getting my AAS degree for Medical Assisting.

 

[PregnantTeena]

Ive been kinda wondering the same thing. but im in high school and school will start when imo n bed rest and ill be giving birth a few weeks into school not sure how muchi should miss and since its a new born i dont want anyone to watch him/her. ivethought about waiting about a mnoth then going back. but i dont know if you can bottle feed and breast feed but bottle feeding breast milk.

 

[teenmommy15]

my school offers 2 weeks off before the baby comes i dont know how much you'd get for work though. and pregnantteena you can bottle feed and breast feed and also you can bottle feed your baby breast milk

 

[lizmageeful]

This is gonna sound awful, but im hopefully only taking 2 weeks off after baby is born before returning to high school... since Im only doing a month and a half after that of school before the end of the year (then going to pursue my GED), I feel like I really need to commit to the month and a half...

 

[lorynn]

I was in college for my first two kids, for my first I did the whole school year (I got pregnant at the beginning of my freshman year of college). I think I was about 36 weeks when I left after finals. With my second baby, I was a little more exhausted (and bigger, this one was 8 lbs) but somehow I stayed until about 33 weeks or so. Now that I'm expecting twins, I left work two weeks ago, and I'm due in May. So I guess every pregnancy is different. Whatever works for the mom I guess!

 

[starshinebby]

I was in college for my first two kids, for my first I did the whole school year (I got pregnant at the beginning of my freshman year of college). I think I was about 36 weeks when I left after finals. With my second baby, I was a little more exhausted (and bigger, this one was 8 lbs) but somehow I stayed until about 33 weeks or so. Now that I'm expecting twins, I left work two weeks ago, and I'm due in May. So I guess every pregnancy is different. Whatever works for the mom I guess!

I'm leaving at 36 weeks too! Next week are my finals and I'll be 36 weeks on Tuesday.

How long did you take off of school though? After finals.

 

[starshinebby]

This is gonna sound awful, but im hopefully only taking 2 weeks off after baby is born before returning to high school... since Im only doing a month and a half after that of school before the end of the year (then going to pursue my GED), I feel like I really need to commit to the month and a half...

Oh wow, you're very dedicated already. I applaude you and your efforts! And although it's going to be hard (emotionally and physically) to go back so soon, it is well worth it. You should be very proud of yourself.

 

[starshinebby]

my school offers 2 weeks off before the baby comes i dont know how much you'd get for work though. and pregnantteena you can bottle feed and breast feed and also you can bottle feed your baby breast milk

I don't work, I was just lumping the two together in case anyone wanted to share the time off for maternity leave their work provided them with.

Two weeks seems so short, but I understand as you're probably in high school, correct? They must not want you to fall behind too much, I assume. A lot of high schools (at least where I live) aren't very understanding and usually send the pregnant girls off to a continuation school. Which is helpful as they have a sort of child care/day care class where the students and teachers will watch the babies while the moms go to their other classes and they'll have a set class period where they come in and help out as well. It's nice since they teach the moms proper child care as well.