Taking early maternity leave

[sarah2211]

I'm 18 weeks pregnant, FTM and am having a few complications. I have Lupus and am on daily injections to stop my blood clotting, I have high blood pressure, my kidneys are showing some mild signs of stress and I have pneumonia. I'm now on steroids too.

I'm a kindergarten teacher and am obviously around bugs and germs all the time. My midwife (before I got pneumonia) said she doesn't feel comfortable with me working because I am "very high risk" (I wondered if that was compared to the mostly very healthy women she sees). My GP said the same after she diagnosed me with pneumonia last week. I see my rheumatologist on Wednesday and OB on the 27th.

I'm currently signed off on sick leave for the next 3 weeks and have to make the decision whether I go back at all. My husband agrees with the doctors and we can afford for me to stop working. I feel useless though and that once again my body has stopped me doing what I want. I'm also worried I'm going to get bored, it's a long time until August!

Has anyone had to stop work early?

 

[SonnyH]

Are you not able to get signed off on sick leave? Especially if your doctor agrees you perhaps shouldn't be working? That way, you'd still get paid and be able to take maternity once baby is actually here? Or does it work differently in the US?

It is a long while til August but if you aren't well enough, then I guess you need to put your health and baby first over the worry of being bored! The months do fly by! Hopefully once baby is safely here and you recover, you can get back to work if you want too!

 

[Weebles]

I am hoping to work until I go into labor and that's because we'd be hard pressed financially any other way! I'm sorry you've having a difficult time and hope you feel better soon but you are so very lucky to have a supportive hubby and a Dr looking out for you!

 

[Savasanna]

Are you not able to get signed off on sick leave? Especially if your doctor agrees you perhaps shouldn't be working? That way, you'd still get paid and be able to take maternity once baby is actually here? Or does it work differently in the US?

I'm a little confused by this as well. I'm in the US and I was told that FMLA covered us for 12 weeks, but that's 12 weeks total, not from when the baby is born. So, if I'm recommended to go on bed rest, that time will come out of my 12 weeks I'm allotted to take. Is this true? Or is there such a thing as sick leave?

"Maternity leave" in this country is so so screwy.

 

[ARuppe716]

FMLA is your unpaid federal job protection time (if you qualify for it - work for a company with 50+ people, average 1250 hours in the past 12 months with a full year of service, etc). So yes, if you go on bed rest it would count towards your 12 weeks. Your company may have further policies protecting your job, as well as your state. I live in NJ and qualify for an additional 12 weeks of bonding time, 6 of which are partially paid by the state so definitely check your state laws and what your employer offers!

 

[sarah2211]

Sorry everyone, I should have said I am from New Zealand so our maternity leave is quite different here.

If my doctor signs me off early I get 18 weeks paid and then unpaid for the remaining 12 months. If I work until just before the baby is due I'll get paid my 18 weeks then. I don't have any intention of returning to work after 12 months so it doesn't really matter. I'll get my 18 weeks paid regardless but if I stop working now I'll lose my income between now and then.

My work have rung me today to say that I could work 2-4 days a week.

 

[SonnyH]

That sounds maybe a good option? Maybe drop your hours a bit and see how you feel? Could keep you working for a little bit longer so you still feel productive! I know I'd have gone a bit bonkers not working for months.. I've just finished and I'm taking April as annual leave. Two days in and I'm wondering what to do with myself..!

I do feel so lucky with employment laws in the UK/EU. I get 6 months sick leave, fully paid, per year! And sick leave does not affect maternity leave. I'd still entitled to a year's maternity leave. Be interesting to see how much 'Brexit' effects these benefits though..! :-/

 

[loeylo]

Do they offer amended duties or anything? Could you do a more office based role? Maybe paperwork or something?

 

[verily]

Can you talk to someone within your school district to find out what your leave options are? Since you are a teacher, I'm assuming that you are working up until the end of May/early June, so you only have about 10-12 weeks to go in the school year (depending on makeup days and whatnot). You might be able to swing a FMLA medical leave for now and then some combo of maternity leave, state leave, and unprotected leave (better than straight up leaving your job, no?) when the baby arrives.

I like to think my company offers a generous leave package for new mothers, but then I look at parental leave in other countries and just shake my head. We get up to 4 weeks of paid leave prior to the due date and then 12-14 paid weeks after the due date. We can then option unpaid, unprotected leave afterwards if there are complications (no state protections for me), but I fully trust my boss to keep my position open. He was pretty scarred from just losing one lower-level employee who opted not to return after her very, very long leave. He always asks "Did you make sure she plans to return?" when other employees go on maternity leave.

 

[crownest]

I had to give up work while pregnant I have autoimmune and joint problems. TBH with the fatigue and pain I was wiped so I planned to do little things everyday. My goal was to stay mobile and keep baby cooking for as long as possible.

I got pregnant while I was in best health in years so it was a blow to feel so tired and in pain again however I focused on how my body was doing what it was supposed to for a change and it was doing something great . I deceided to let it empower me rather than focus on what was going wrong.

 

[sarah2211]

Sonny, that's how I'm feeling now, bored! I've had quite a few jobs to do and phone calls to make so it's kept me a little busy but in a few days I'm going to run out of things to do. I'm going to speak with my doctor today about writing a letter for work. He's my rheumatologist not obstetrician so he might say it's not his field, but I'll try. If not I'll get my midwife to ask my OB. Im still exposed to the germs at work but hopefully I'll be less stressed and better rested so that I can fight them off. 6 months paid sick leave would be a dream haha.

Loey, unfortunately there's no office work or light duties.

Verily, I'm not in the states. We have a week and a bit left of this term, 1 weeks holiday, one week office work and then 11 weeks of class next term. I've got the rest of this term off with pneumonia. So I'm looking at just the 11 weeks next term and finishing in early July. Your company's leave allowance sounds pretty much the same as what we get here. Except I could start my 18 weeks paid from the date I take maternity leave.

Crownest, it's definitely hard going. I have quite a physically demanding job and also emotionally too. Our kindergartens are play based learning so we have to set up the outdoor environment and be supervising and working with children and reacting and responding on the fly. I wish I had an office job sometimes. I was the same, got pregnant when I was well and now it just feels like everything's come crashing down on me and I can't cope. But I don't want to lose my sense of self, my job or purpose between now and when the baby is born. Thanks for your reply.

 

[sarah2211]

I've been offered 2 days a week at work which my midwife has said she is ok for me to do but to be aware that I might need to stop completely earlier than I'm expecting.

 

[crownest]

I've been offered 2 days a week at work which my midwife has said she is ok for me to do but to be aware that I might need to stop completely earlier than I'm expecting.

That's perfect you can work and rest enjoy the best of both worlds

 

[sarah2211]

Yup I'm pretty happy ��