So far I haven't complained too much about my company. I was able to find an insurance policy that covered most of my IVF costs (the most expensive part for us was the drugs). My insurance has also covered almost 100% of my prenatal care. I have had no problems getting out of work to attend doctor appointments and it wasn't a problem when I had to leave work to rush to Labor and Delivery because I was bleeding.
However, when it comes to maternity leave, my company makes me sad and frustrated. Unless I use vacation time and sick time, I will get paid exactly $0 during my maternity leave. The ironic thing is that because we have been trying for almost three years, I have not been blowing vacation time or sick time so I have lucky saved up a bunch in case I did finally get pregnant. Chalk up the one good thing about being infertile!
I will be taking the entire months of December, January, and February off to spend time with the baby. As long as the baby does not decide to join the outside world early, my first day back at work will be Monday, March 3rd. I will basically use up almost all of my sick time and vacation time because we can't afford for me to not get a paycheck.
I have discussed with my boss the possibility of trying to have at least a few half days mixed into the maternity leave where I am working from home, basically just checking emails to make sure that all is well with my projects. Some mothers that I have talked to think that this sounds crazy. My own mother thinks that it is totally doable because two weeks after having me, she had a trial (she is a lawyer). The day took longer than expected and she was breastfeeding so she started to leak through her suit. But my mom is supermom and I am certainly NOT so I don't know if I will even be coherent enough to do this. I guess I will just have to assess after about a month or so?
What do you think? I would like to save at least a little time in case I get sick or the baby gets sick....not to mention that a vacation next year would be nice (if we can afford it of course)....
15 comments:
My thinking is that you'll be fine doing some random half days in there if that is what you want to do. My mom, also kind of a supermom, wrote her dissertation in the first few months after my birth. I thought I'd be able to work some from home, too, but with two I'm throwing that idea out the window.
Truthfully, newborns sleep a lot. And, yes, there will always be you to take care of and laundry to do and sleep to be had. But as long as you're not doing it everyday, I think it's totally doable.
Going back for half days is a great idea. I actually checked in a lot at work while I was on maternity leave because babies sleep a lot. I wanted to go back at 8 weeks 1/2 time and stretch out my leave, but my company policy didn't allow for it. Also, I had short term disability and still only got paid for 4 weeks at 60%. Yes, that's better than 0, but it's still not much. Had I not had a c-section it would have only been 2 weeks.
It's so unfortunate that you have to even make a choice like that (and why on earth don't we have maternity leave here???), but at least everything finally worked out and there's a baby on the way!
I went back to work when Oli was 10.5 weeks old. I would have gone back earlier but the daycare wouldn't take him any younger. But, everyone is different. Don't listen to folks who are trying to discourage you form it. Set it up with your boss to ensure that you could do it if you get to that point and want to do it.
Your situation is very similar to what mine will be when I finally get pregnant. I'll be lucky if I have 6 full weeks of paid time off when the time comes, since most of it is being eaten up by IVF appointments at a clinic 3 hours away. I could take unpaid leave to help fill in the gap, but we just drained our savings for IVF, so I'm not sure that will work. I've thought about a work from home arrangement, or even bringing baby to work for the first few months. Whatever you have to do to make it work!
I so wish the US would have better maternity leave.
But yes, half days would probably work.
I would not have been able to handle half days until about 8 weeks, but I think for many the point where things become a bit easier is six weeks. I say this because, in my moments of desperation, that is what all the books, blogs, aunts, sisters, friends and experts said - it will get easier at six weeks! It may all depend on the personality of your little baby and what he or she likes! And how much they sleep. Family leave in the US is a joke.
I will definitely be interested to see how this works out and that is awesome that you thought ahead and planned for time with the baby.
Unfortunately at my job, we don't have ANY company polices, maternity leave etc. Our vacation does not roll over either. I have a feeling that if the time ever comes I will only be able to take about two weeks off. Luckily my husband has paternity leave and can stay home for about six weeks.
My company has zero maternity leave as well. I also don't have any vacation or sick time either, sooooooo.....we lose 100% of my income. I don't know how this is going to work but we are planning for me to be off for 3 months anyway. Believe me when I say that is not something we can afford! But we are going to try to extend Hubby's income as much as possible. I don't see why working half days, especially from home would be a problem. If you are able to do that from home, I absolutely say go for it! I wish I had that option.
I did some freelance work while on maternity leave with Callum and also a few small editing jobs for my then-job. It was totally fine. The trick is to do things that have a deadline, but don't require you to be available at a specific time. As long as you have the flexibility to get your work done while the baby is sleeping and you have the time and energy, rather than needing to be available between X and Y hours even if your baby needs you at those times, I'd say it's fine. Of course this is all dependent on your baby's personality... so if it is a super high-needs non-sleeper who always wants to be held you can reassess your plans to work. But hopefully yours will be a bit more mellow than that!
I've thought about doing the same thing and, like you, have been warned repeatedly not to do it. I don't know. I know I CAN do work after a few/several weeks, just deciding if I want to...
Half days especially as you get closer to the end of your time may be a good way to ease back in. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do, because as a contract worker (which almost all therapists in Georgia are), I don't even get vacation or sick time.
I work freelance so I don't get paid during my maternity leave. I am getting disability from the state for now. Sadly, because the babies came early I won't get it for as long. I think it ends 8 weeks after a c-section and I was supposed to be getting it for the end of my pregnancy when I couldn't work. Oh well.. Not sure what we'll do when that runs out because I can't imagine going back to work until January.
I think working half days is doable. Not at first, but once you get used to it all and get into somewhat of a routine. Your half day of work will be spread out over the day. But it can be done.
So much of the 1/2 day and/or check in thing depends on you, the baby you get, and your recovery. I personally wouldn't recommend 1/2 days prior to 6 weeks, 4 at the very earliest, if you can help it, but email? That's really up to you. I know a few people who have done it, and it IS possible, but again, so much of it depends on the kid you get and how you recover.
I didn't get paid either. And my lovely short term disability paid me a whopping 2 weeks of pay, even though I was gone for 8. I'm not even sure how that worked out but that's what they do. Jerks..
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