Waiting and waiting...2016 mommies-to-be!

[CantHrdlyWait]

Hey ladies!!! She's great!! We are finally falling into some sort of schedule. I'm going back to work on 9/8 and really not looking forward to it!! I'm really enjoying her, and sometimes wonder how we'd do with two kids! But that's why I'm going to start seeing where we are at in 2016.

 

[tverb84]

You're going back to work already? Here in Canada both parents can take off six months or the mom can take the whole year. I'm pretty sure it's paid paternity leave.

 

[WhiteKhocol8]

Thanks for the support, ladies. Got blood test #3 and an ultrasound done on Monday; physiologically speaking everything is fine but it turns out my thyroid is messed up again so off to the endocrinologist I go in a few weeks to see what can be done about it. They say no effect on conception or pregnancy... But it has had an effect on my weight which is supposedly a factor in conception... Ehhhh. Trying not to think about it.

In other news, I've lost the MUST HAVE BABY NOW bug and am quite content to wait until 2016 - for the time being! Am picking up extra study and looking at resigning from my job so I can try somewhere else next year (the doctors think this is a great idea as if my thyroid isn't the issue, stress is quite possibly a contributing factor to my cycle going wacky). Also getting some of my bucket list ticked off - going to see Les Miserables with my mum in October, quite probably flying to France to see my brother next year after he moves, etc.

 

[CantHrdlyWait]

Tverb- yeah. The USA has awful maternity leave. Most people only get 6 weeks paid. You can take another 6 weeks but it's unpaid. For women in the USA to take 12 weeks? That's pretty rare.

 

[krissie328]

Yea, maternity leave her is awful. I went back when Christian was 6 weeks old. My next one I want to line up my maternity leave with summer vacation (I work in the schools) so I can have closer to 4 months off.

 

[tverb84]

I heard the US is the only first world country that doesn't have paid paternity leave.

 

[krissie328]

I heard the US is the only first world country that doesn't have paid paternity leave.

I believe it is, and maternity leave doesn't have to be paid. And you only qualify for maternity leave at all if your job has over 50 employees.

 

[CantHrdlyWait]

Yep. No paternity leave here. It's just awful.

 

[Symphony7]

My husband's company is one of the few that does paid paternity leave. I am going to be a SAHM so luckily I won't have to think about maternity leave, but 6 weeks is laughable, isn't it?

Hey everyone, I am under two years! My ticker turned Tuesday. Can't believe it, it seems like it's going by so fast. I started at three and a half years. Now that I'm in my internship I'm sure it will go even faster. My first week of school with the kids is over half way done already (and I know all of their names in just a day and a half, yay!).

 

[kksy9b]

both companies I have worked for offers 4 weeks of paid paternity leave that could be used anytime in the first year. With that, I think the average of what I've seen at a lot of places is 2 weeks. My DH works for a small company with unlimited vacation and wound up taking a week. I was given 12 weeks paid but quit afterwards so it worked out well

 

[tverb84]

I'm so glad I live in Canada because I don't think I could part with my baby when their only 4 or 6 weeks old.

Here's a webpage comparing maternity leave in Canada and the US.

https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0512/maternity-leave-basics-canada-vs.-the-u.s..aspx

 

[kksy9b]

Symphony- congrats on being under 2 years!! That's so exciting! I have no idea when we will start trying...we fell pregnant last time on the 3rd cycle so I'm thinking July in hopes of catching the eggie by Sept/Oct so we would get a June/July baby.

tverb- interesting read! maternity benefits are definitely lacking in the US. There was no way at 12 weeks I was ready to leave my DS, let alone those that have to do it at 4 or 6 (like my best friend who has a 1 week old and is only getting 6 weeks). Makes me even more thankful that we waited until I could stay home

 

[Symphony7]

I agree, it's a shame we don't put any value on motherhood or having a family in this country. It's almost like it's an inconvenience that people have children, heaven forbid we don't work non stop.

I'm glad we are waiting until I can stay home too. I know now that I'm back to work that I wouldn't be able to send my child to daycare. I'm not great with splitting my time and focus.

 

[krissie328]

I wanted so badly to wait until I didn't have to work but we waited 8 years already and still there was no end in sight. I don't regret working but I so wish I had more time with him. I am hoping when we have our next one I can work half time and have more time with my babies. I think that would give me a good work life balance.

 

[CantHrdlyWait]

We could not afford for me to stay home. Ever. We just don't make enough. Maybe if we both had our cars paid off, but they are relatively new so it'll be years before that happens. *sigh*

We are still not sure another child is going to happen, but everyone says that when DD is older I'll want another, but my husband and I argue a lot about middle if the night feelings and what is "fair". It's just been rough. We will see in time, I guess.

 

[krissie328]

My best friend had a baby girl and everyone said she would want another. But her girl is almost 10 and she is very happy with just her. She now enjoys my little guy and
and then gives him back.

I couldn't imagine life with only one but for some it works great. Gotta admit not going through the first few weeks again is a bonus.

 

[kksy9b]

More power to you gals that are working outside the home..I don't know how you do it all! At the end of the day I'm exhausted and that was without having to get up and go into work and then come home and take care of baby and be up at night too. I'm not downplaying being home because that has its own sets of challenges, but I have a lot of respect for momma's who are making those sacrifices, whether by choice or not

 

[WhiteKhocol8]

Our mat leave policy for teachers is pretty good, if you have ongoing employment.

If you're contracted like me you get nuthin'... But if you're ongoing you are required to step down from the classroom (active duty lol) six weeks before your due date and cannot return for six weeks after your due date. You get paid for those twelve weeks. The school is then required to hold your position for you for seven years (unpaid). It is a freakin' sweet deal.

There is a lot of date negotiation - the ideal is to be due around mid-March as then you get paid all the way through the Christmas holidays, and all the way through Term One. Then you only have a term to get through before you get your tax return!

Hence why one of my major goals is 'Operation Moolah For A Doula' - get ongoing at work so I get that three month block paid for!

In other news, I'd forgotten what I ordered but I got a school book club order today - I bought a set of Marvel Comic levelled readers to put away in my baby stash! The Khocolateman keeps saying he won't read to our kids, but I figure if I get him books he will like reading there is at least a chance he will do it! So far I have the levelled readers and a set of Dr Who books.

 

[xx Emily xx]

Hi ladies, can I join?

We are WTT till May 2016.

We are in th middle of buying a house but hubby is posted away with the army and will be 7 hours away from our home... Making conception slightly more tricky.

If that wasn't enough we needed IVF for dd. I have severe endometriosis.

The plan is...
April 16 - coil removed
May 16 TTC
Nov 16 go for IVF if no BFP
We don't want to try for more than 6 months coz my endo can come back once my coil is removed.

Em xx

 

[tverb84]

More power to you gals that are working outside the home..I don't know how you do it all! At the end of the day I'm exhausted and that was without having to get up and go into work and then come home and take care of baby and be up at night too. I'm not downplaying being home because that has its own sets of challenges, but I have a lot of respect for momma's who are making those sacrifices, whether by choice or not

When I was a baby my mom went back to work so my grandparents watched me and my mom's aunt and uncle. I can't remember what she did when she had my brother but I'm guessing she went back to work. As for me, I'm not sure what I'll do when I have children. If I am working in a daycare which I plan on going to school for next year maybe I'll bring my children there.