When did you go out on Maternity Leave?

Wow!! Maybe I should pack up and move to the UK!!

Seems like a good plan lol! We do have it quite lucky here I guess!!

Hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy! Hope everything goes well for you!!

Brian and I were talking about this....

Want a laugh?

He believes at the end of the second trimester is when I should stop working.  He quote "doesn't want me working past like 6 months because it's ridiculous"

I informed him of my 12 week disability (I do have it, part of lehigh's package) paid thing....and he was SHOCKED...and that would mean I would use up all of my time and have to go back, what 2 weeks or so after the baby was born.  I think not.

Good luck!

LOL ahh our boys! I think that Chris would want me to stop now if I could! I am guessing though that I am going to be here until the bitter end. I want as much of my time at home WITH my newborn, not before. MAybe I can work from home the last week or 2 (which right now would be between Christmas and New Years.)

Thanks ladies!!!

PS - maybe Brian will want to be my babysitter?

As it stands right now, we are seriously considering him being a full time stay at home dad if we can manage, or have him get something soley on weekends/days that I am off.  Why not throw him directly into the fire and have him take care of yours (and then ours if and when)?!  Sounds good to me.

But...seeing as though yours is definately coming first...I might suggest me and/or you being home w/ him for the first weeks or so.....lol

lol so true!!! Chris has never been around a newborn, he is in for SUCH a shock! Infact I don't even think that he has HELD a baby other then a friend of his' daughter for about 2 minutes before I stole her! lol

Bearing in mind that my son is 14 and some of the maternity leave laws have changed or didn't exist back then....

I worked until a week before my son was born.  The only reason I stopped was because my friends were afraid I'd pop at work.  I was fine...no sickness...not tired...no problems (I had a pretty sedentary job...mostly at my desk...with a few trips to get files by the cartloads and box them up).  My work was extremely flexible.  Our pay periods are two weeks...so once I went on leave, I took one week w/pay, one week w/o pay every pay period for five months.  This kept my portion of the insurance paid up and my work paid their portion.  I could have taken LWOP for several weeks and they'd have still paid the entire insurance, but then I'd have been whacked with a bill when I came back to work (they'd have let me make payments) to pay back my portion of the insurance during the LWOP.

When/if I get pg again - and manage to stay that way - if I'm not back in the U.S. by then (don't know when/where I'm going next...other than by the end of this year I should be leaving Indonesia), then depending on where I'm at...if the local medical care is not deemed sufficient for giving birth in whatever country I'm in, they would medivac me back to the States at a maximum of 34 weeks...and because I have to have a c-section when/if...and because of a previous uterine surgery...I would likely even be medivaced a little earlier than that.  I don't know if they'd let me work temporary in the U.S. at another office rather than make me start leave at that time...or if I could just take sick leave or get temp disability for that time.  I'd have to do some research when/if it happens to see what NY State laws are re short term disability since NY is my home of record.


Anyways...long story short...if you can stay at wor****il immediately before you're due - if your health allows it - then it's just more time w/your baby afterwards.  If your employer is willing to work with you and let you stretch any 'paid' time out by taking part of the pay period w/leave and part of it w/o leave (thus keeping any insurance - if it's through your job - paid up)...I'd talk to them.  Sounds like they are willing to at least think about being flexible.

Honestly...you may think it's too soon to think of it...but I think it's good to think of it now and start making plans and alternative plans depending on the situation.  It'll be here before you know it.  Look at how many people you 'know' right here on this board whom it seems just announced their BFP and are now getting ready to welcome their babies.

I know my cardiologist's last day was Friday and she had her son on Mother's day. She had planned to wor****il today with her due date being Monday. I am hoping to work as close as I can to my date but who knows with my health. I am lucky that I work for a large company that has all different kinds of leaves that I can take to help us out.