How long was your maternity leave?

EML0907

  I'm going to be telling the bosses in a couple of weeks and I want to have my plan all laid out for them.  Just curious as to what everyone took and if my thinking is irrational. 

DuffOliver

12 weeks. Only 8 weeks was paid, but I can take up to 16 through FMLA.

(I just felt like it was frowned upon to take the full 16 if we could have managed it financially - the example set at my company by other moms is 12w).

RamaS718

I took 16 wks w/DS...however, 3 ended up being early disability for bedrest. 

This time around I am definitely taking 10, as I know I won't be ready to return any sooner after having my c-section.  However, I have stated that I might be looking to do week 11 and 12 part-time.  I feel much  more guilty this time around, as I am the only full time physical therapist at my facility.  Where I used to work, there were 3 FT PTs in my clinic, but there were 20+ facilities in the state where they could have gotten coverage from.

carrieongrove

I took 16 weeks: 8 paid, 8 unpaid.  I could've taken up to 6 months (2 paid, 4 unpaid from FMLA) + accrued vacation (7 months approx total?).

jamelyn1979

8 weeks paid but could take up to 16 total for FMLA - I took the full 16 weeks then ended up not returning due to conflicts with commuting and my hours.

mrs.condo

I took 12 full weeks with both boys. 8 weeks paid. With JT I had 4 weeks unpaid & Mattingly 2 weeks unpaid (used 2 weeks of vacation).

With both boys I went back to work 4 days a week & had Friday's off-unpaid. Did this for 20 weeks with JT (using the rest of the 4 weeks of unpaid time). With Mattingly I only did it for 8 weeks (using the rest of my unpaid leave seeing as I had used PTO for 2 weeks)

Eligible for up to 16 with JT & only 12 with Mattingly (2nd time was within 2 years so I did not qualify for 16 again).

Dee79

I guess I?m a sad case because I have all that mentally planned out and I?m not even pregnant yet. At least I?m prepared!!

My goal is to take the full 16 weeks. 8 paid, 8 unpaid but I?ve already started socking $$ away in my bank account to accommodate the extra time off.

 

At my company, we?re allowed (Per the managers) to come back part time for several months. If I?m not mistaken up to 6 months. Depending on how things go, I?d love to take at least 2 or 3 months  and work part time. This job use to be PT before they made it FT and hired me. So we?ll see what happens!!

aes

I planned to take 10 weeks, was bored out of my mind by week 5, and wound up coming back at 8 weeks, and b/c I didn't have a daycare opening yet, worked from home PT until daycare was ready.

Also, it was 6 weeks paid (through STD) and then my vacation time.  My last two weeks would've been unpaid but I thought it was silly to take them if I wanted to come back to work.

Lucknow

I took 8 weeks and only 3 weeks were paid because I used my vacation time I'd saved up...my company kinda sucks in the maternity leave department (as in they have none!) plus I wasn't covered under FMLA, so it was nice to have any leave at all.

kln10105

my plan was 8 weeks, which 3 woukd've been pd using vacation pay. ended up 12 weeks, 3 pd.i'm with lucknoow...no leave

LisnJon

12 weeks with 8 of that paid.  I got 8 paid due to having a c-section otherwise it would have only been 6.  I also had to take 4 weeks off prior to giving birth through a medical leave of absence because with twins my doc said I couldn't work past 34 weeks.

LizzyTiish

I'm actually taking a pretty long maternity leave.  My baby is due on October 10th, and I'm not planning to go back to work until the following September, so about 11 months.  I'll be paid by my employer for the first 6 weeks (8 if I have a c-section) and I can use 6 weeks of my sick time.  Essentially after the new year, I'll be unpaid and on leave for another 8 months, until the new school year starts. 

DH and I have saved money for this time already, and we'll continue to do so until the baby comes.  It's really important to both DH and I that I take this time and spend at home with the baby since we're thinking we'll be able to swing it financially.  We didn't want to put the baby in daycare until they are a bit earlier, so this works out well for us. 

How long were you planning to take off?

girl4sean

My situation is a little bit different bc I work in a school and am having a baby in July.   The district will pay for up to 6 wk, in my case they pay for 8 days.  I am planning on coming back at the end of October or mid-November, which would be about 8-10 weeks.  I can take up to 16, but it would all have to be paid by me.

Danse

Most people here take 12 weeks. We have to use time we've accumulated though. I plan on having the 12 weeks to take.

amber&tim

I had only 7 weeks off  because none was paid and that is all we could afford to take

EML0907

My ideal is 16 weeks.  Looking at our policy, STD lasts for 15 weeks.  Nine weeks are paid at 100%, six at 65%.  With my pto, I'll have 11 weeks paid at 100%, how well/much we can save will dictate if I can take the additional 5 at 65%.  The cool thing is it's stated in the policy that after the "disibility", your manager is required to give you a flex schedule, so I'm hoping to go back part time for at least a month when I get back.

august282005

I was out on maternity leave for 13 weeks and 2 weeks of "disability" prior to actually giving birth, (actually 3 but my bosses let me work from home for 1 week). 8 weeks were paid (6 weeks maternity leave at 60%, 2 weeks of vacation).  I could have taken the 6 weeks maternity leave, any accrued vacation time and 16 weeks FMLA (so basically 6 months) but we couldn't swing it financially.  My leave seemed about average for my employer, but I know ladies who came back after 6 weeks and others who took the full 6 months. 

 The flex schedule once you are back will be great!

ilovescottd

I hope to take three months when the time comes.

cadmjr

I am taking 6 weeks. I go back in a week in a half I am so sad. I tried to take more time off but apparently if you don't sign up forthe family medical act leave before the baby my board of ed makes you come back in 6 weeks. If I could I would have atleast taken 8 weeks off.

JanAndShawn

Because I had a c-section, I had 8 weeks fully paid and then I used 3 weeks of vacation time....so 11 weeks total.

alyssak

as a school teacher I can take 6 weeks paid (though it essentially is accured sick time) and 6 weeks unpaid

you can take off additional time - up to a year, I believe? but you aren't guaranteed your exact position, just a job in the district (that is if you are tenured)