When did you go out on Maternity Leave?

I know it is WAY early to even be thinking about this but right now time off sounds like heaven so I am fantacizing! lol My boss is still deciding what our maternity leave plan is - I am the first and probably the only person in the company to ever be in this situation. I told him back around the beginning of the year out of courtesy that we were thinking of starting a family in the next year so he could give it some thought. Now when I tell him the end of next month that I am pregnant and will be going out sometime in Janaury *god willing that all goes well in the next 8 months*. But anway - when did you go out on maternity leave with your first baby. I will get somewhere between 6-8 weeks I think. I am going to try and save 2 weeks vacation to use then too (I get new vacation May 1st of every year) I would much rather be home with the baby then before the baby but this is my first go at this so I don't know what is "normal"

Oh and particulars - Hospital and OB office are about 1/2 way between work and home -30-35 minutes from each.

Thanks Ladies!

Liz

I was 7.5 months preggers when I left!
I couldnt wait to leave!
I hated the place lol!
I never went back either :-)

last day was 10/10... actually i went home sick that day... had him 10/11

Here in California we get 12 weeks of FMLA and 12 weeks of CFRA.
For a normal pregnancy you can go out 4 weeks before your due date and be off for 6-8 weeks afterwards depending on what type of delivery you had. This time frame runs with FMLA and is paid by state disability. After state disability ends you can receive PFL (Paid family leave) from the state for another 6 weeks and will run with the remainder of your FMLA and your CFRA. the only thing that kinda sucks is that you can not  save the first 4 weeks for after the birth. It is 4 weeks before you due date take it or leave it, and once you have your child (even if it is a week into the begining of your leave) your 6-8 week recovery time frame starts. This is what I did with my first daughter, went out 4 weeks prior, but had her 2 weeks in to it with 6 week recovery so only had 8 weeks of my FMLA paid by state disability.

This time I had to go out at 32 weeks. I am on FMLA and State disability until the 6-8 weeks after I deliver, whenever that maybe, than onto PFL/CFRA. My employer has agreed to let me be off until the end of October.

Hope that helps!

wow!
I am so thankful to be in Canada!
Were allowed to start out leave at 7  months.
I took the entire 12 months off but never returned back!
I couldnt afford daycare!
Crazy that people cant afford to go to work!
Sounds strange but its so true!

you are both lucky! There is no paid disability leave for pregnancy in PA! It is based on the employer and your personal disability coverage (of which I have none) and I work for a small family owned company so there really isn't any laws as to what they "have" to give me.

Ugh! That is sucky!!!

Man - I wish I lived in Canada!!!

With my first son, I worked until 3 days before I had him.  It was at a Vet clinic and it was 1 hour away from home.  I carpooled with my husband alot of the time and especially since it was winter driving in the mountains in Feb.  It was alot of standing and running around, and I was so tired at the end of the day. 
This time, I only work one day a week and it is mostly driving in the car.  I am pretty tired at this point and not sure how long I can keep doing it.  I am going to try to stick it out until 35 or 36 weeks.  My mom will cover for me after that. 
I would try to save as much time for after the baby comes, but it can be hard at the end to keep up with the normal full time schedule.
Chrissy

DS #1 - out at 35 weeks due to PE, took 12 weeks after baby arrived. And used short term disability to cover my leave, and supplemented with vacation days each week to make almost full salary (STD is only 60% pay).

DD - I stopped work on a Friday and had my csection on a Monday. I took 8 weeks off, using vacation and sick time only and decided not to return to work after.

Hope it all gets ironed out soon. If you're like me, you're a planner and having these details decided is crucial.

exactly! A planner to the core!!

And since there isn't a reason not to yet, I am looking at a vaginal delivery, which from what I read can be 2 weeks in either direction of a due date - so we are talking Christmas to the middle of January here! My luck I'd go out a week early and the baby would be 2 weeks late!