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Question for working moms

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  • Wickedmeowmer
    Wickedmeowmer Posts: 157
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    I work for a crazy small organization and have short term disability. Pregnancy counts for us here in TN. Def look into it. 7 days is ridiculous...
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
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    I'll probably take 12wks off (I did with both my other babies at the same company). I have about 4wks saved up between my vacation hours and PPT hours and then my company offers a benefit that my co-workers can donate their PPT hours to me for my FMLA leave so I usually can get at least 4 additional weeks that way. I also pay into short-term disability (I pay 100% of the premium through my paycheck) so that usually covers my hospital bill for the birth. The problem is I am the only one that does my job (I am the HR department for my company) so I might try and work out a work from home type set-up for the last 6wks of my leave and just have a temp in the office for the first 6wks. There are just too many end of the year reports that I must complete right and I don't feel comfortable leaving that in a temps hands. My due date is around Halloween so it looks like I'll be back in the office at the end of January. My husband stays home with our children during the day and has rental properties he works on/visits in the evenings/on the weekends so I don't have to worry about leaving my baby with a sitter.
  • Wickedmeowmer
    Wickedmeowmer Posts: 157
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    My work history is in HR and my husband is a 'slumlord' for 9 properties(I say so jokingly) as well. Random!
    I'll probably take 12wks off (I did with both my other babies at the same company). I have about 4wks saved up between my vacation hours and PPT hours and then my company offers a benefit that my co-workers can donate their PPT hours to me for my FMLA leave so I usually can get at least 4 additional weeks that way. I also pay into short-term disability (I pay 100% of the premium through my paycheck) so that usually covers my hospital bill for the birth. The problem is I am the only one that does my job (I am the HR department for my company) so I might try and work out a work from home type set-up for the last 6wks of my leave and just have a temp in the office for the first 6wks. There are just too many end of the year reports that I must complete right and I don't feel comfortable leaving that in a temps hands. My due date is around Halloween so it looks like I'll be back in the office at the end of January. My husband stays home with our children during the day and has rental properties he works on/visits in the evenings/on the weekends so I don't have to worry about leaving my baby with a sitter.
  • jamie31
    jamie31 Posts: 568 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I'm sorry, that is an unfortunate situation...I wish you the best!
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I'm so sorry you are in that situation! Being a mom with prior c-sections, recovery can be rough. I would start stashing money away now and living off of a budget because I bet you will need more than 4wks to just recover and get use to having a newborn in the house. HUGS!
  • EricaG86
    EricaG86 Posts: 28
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    my due date is 11/26, so im planning on going back to work probably in january..Most likely i'll take 6-8 weeks off..
  • jamie31
    jamie31 Posts: 568 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I'm so sorry you are in that situation! Being a mom with prior c-sections, recovery can be rough. I would start stashing money away now and living off of a budget because I bet you will need more than 4wks to just recover and get use to having a newborn in the house. HUGS!

    thanks. it does really suck , whats worse is I am the only female that works here so I really dont have anyone else to kind of have my back. I am hoping work can function without me for 4 weeks and then I can come back sometime at the end of january which is well before my busy season at work.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I'm so sorry you are in that situation! Being a mom with prior c-sections, recovery can be rough. I would start stashing money away now and living off of a budget because I bet you will need more than 4wks to just recover and get use to having a newborn in the house. HUGS!

    thanks. it does really suck , whats worse is I am the only female that works here so I really dont have anyone else to kind of have my back. I am hoping work can function without me for 4 weeks and then I can come back sometime at the end of january which is well before my busy season at work.

    Is it possible for you to work from home at all? Or ease back into work slowing if you do have to go back after 4 weeks? I really hope your work works with you on this even if they don't legally have to. HUGS!
  • FaugHorn
    FaugHorn Posts: 1,060 Member
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    Just told my boss, so nerve wracking! He was really positive and agreed with my proposal for how to work my leave, so that's a relief.

    Totally out for 6 weeks while I've got pay, then working reduced (60%) time for the remaining 6 weeks of protected leave. That should hopefully get us to a good point.

    Then there should be someone working from home with him between 2 and 3 days each week which should help with the daycare costs too.
  • mommyJto3
    mommyJto3 Posts: 139 Member
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    I plan on taking at least 12 weeks. 6 weeks paid with short term disability (60% of a max amount) and 6 weeks unpaid. I also work part time for an event planning company, and the CEO has already told me I can work for her from home during my leave. I plan on working for her full time, so I will hopefully quit the current job and start working for her once the baby is born.
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
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    I sure wish I would have known about this short term disability thing! Maybe next time
  • stellcorb
    stellcorb Posts: 294 Member
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    After reading these posts, I'm realizing how fortunate I am right now! I have 12 weeks 100% paid maternity leave that doesn't touch my sick or vacation time (I have up to 12 sick days a year and 20 vacation days). I never use my sick time since I can log in from home but I do intend on taking my full 12 weeks, and my full vacation (we lose it if we don't use it) but I won't use my vacation all at once. So depending on little miss's arrival date (EDD 6/23) I'll be off through mid September.
    I took the full time with my son as well and it felt like time flew, couldn't imagine taking anything less, but I understand the money issue... having a baby is expensive anyway, hard to cover all that time without pay. My husband, however, doesn't get any time outside of vacation days (he doesn't even have sick days) to take off when the baby is born. Definately glad my mother's retired and can stay for a few weeks to help out!
  • dq1479
    dq1479 Posts: 16 Member
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    I am in MA. With my son I got 12 weeks off (FMLA) - 6 weeks at 60% pay and the rest not paid. We saved up a full 3 months of my salary to be safe. It was hard to save and we ate a lot of PB and Jelly but in the end it helped so much b/c I had maternity leave over all of the holidays. We used the 6 weeks pay I received for the first few payments of daycare when I went back to work.

    I am now at a new job and it is a small office, under 50 people, so I am not covered by FMLA but by MMLA (state version of FMLA). So I get 8 guaranteed weeks but ALL UNPAID. So we are once again saving 3 months of my salary which is REALLY hard b.c we have one kid in daycare. If I give birth around my due date I would be due back the week if Christmas - so I negotiated with my bosses to use a weeks vacation that week. Then I also negotiated to work from home the first week in January. All was accepted. I am also going to speak to them about covering my insurance payments - I hold the insurance for our family. But I may be pushing it!

    Good luck - maternity leave is so hard to navigate especially when it is unpaid. If you have the time - my suggestion is to save as much as you can. Even just enough to give you a few weeks home to recover and be with your sweet baby!
  • jiggs31
    jiggs31 Posts: 117
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    I'm in the UK and for the first time ever I'm in a job where you only get statutory maternity pay.
    Anywhere else I've worked was 6 months off on full pay and then basic pay for so many weeks afterwards.
    Where I am now is 6 weeks at 95% of your salary and then about £125 per week for several weeks afterwards.

    As I earn the most, I am taking the 6 weeks and then going back to work. Then the wife will look after the baby and do part time hours when I'm at home so we probably won't see much of each other for a short while but at least we will have money coming in and we both get to spend some time at home.

    See - I knew I should have emigrated to Canada - I was meant to emigrate as a child and then again a few years ago.
    Should have done it!! :)
  • bluegirl10
    bluegirl10 Posts: 695 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I am like you were my company doesn't offer any benefits, so we are having to save up so that I can take off... Right now it looks like we can save up enough for 2 weeks and maybe 3 if we are lucky, but that's it! We can't afford me to take time off without pay either, so I feel your pain... Hang in there and we will get through the tough times ahead.
  • jamie31
    jamie31 Posts: 568 Member
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    My work has only 10 employees so I cannot even use FMLA. There is no law that my company has to follow for maternity leave. Since both me and my bf are extremely tall the dr has already warned that a C-section may have to happen. We do not make enough money for me to even take 6 weeks off with no pay, and the horrible thing is that I could end up coming back to NO job. He can replace me while i am gone. I think 2 weeks is all we can afford for me to take off, I have to stay employed because mine and the babies insurance is covered through my work.

    I am like you were my company doesn't offer any benefits, so we are having to save up so that I can take off... Right now it looks like we can save up enough for 2 weeks and maybe 3 if we are lucky, but that's it! We can't afford me to take time off without pay either, so I feel your pain... Hang in there and we will get through the tough times ahead.

    I know. Its very unfortunate that the little companies dont need to help the expecting mother. My boyfriend has been working 50 hours a week so we can save money. I am on salary so working more wont pay me anymore money, and being in my 1st trimestrer and tired all the time i dont see myself being able to do a second job
  • sarajo16
    sarajo16 Posts: 142 Member
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    Just reading some of your replies and I'm shocked at how little leave you get! I'm in Ireland and we get 26 weeks FULL pay! My company pay for the entire duration of my leave and this is more or less standard. We have to finish 2 weeks before the baby is due and then we also have an option to take an additional 16 weeks unpaid after the 26.
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
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    I've been saving up vacation and sick leave for a few years so I would have enough to take off when I got pregnant - so, as long as my supervisor agrees, I'll be taking off 12 weeks of paid leave. fingers crossed she is agreeable, though! I work for the government, so I'm entitled to at least 6 (if it's a normal birth) or 8 if it's a C-section (I would have to go on leave without pay status though if I hadn't saved up my leave)
  • Wickedmeowmer
    Wickedmeowmer Posts: 157
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    Not to get all political up in here, but MAN, I am feeling discouraged about the US right now! ;b

    I dont think all the VISA fee's would cancel out the work hardships here, but its tempting!

    *moving to a foreign country is crazy expensive, you end up paying lots to lawyers - I know because my bestie married an Australian (which BTW actually PAYS YOU to birth children in their country, whack no? Something about a crazy family tax credit...)

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