Working moms...mat. leave ?

burkems

So, my last week of leave is next week (wow, that flew by).

Should I spend the last week trying to get on a schedule of getting up/getting dressed so I'm used to getting up at 6 a.m. and getting ready in a timely matter when I go back to work or should I soak in being schedule free?

What did you do?

(If it matters at all, I have to go in to work from 7-11 a.m. on Tuesday for a training, so I do have one day I have to get up early already.)

OSUWifey09

The week before I went back was my test run week. I treated the mornings and nights like it was a regular work day, which made the transition so much easier. With it being just me and JJ after maternity leave ended, I wanted to make sure I could handle it being just the two of us, too. :P

I can't believe you're about to go back! Sheesh.

Cutiepie811

Geez, where did time go??? If I were you, I would do a test run next week to get you in the swing of things. I think your training on Tuesday will help to because you'll be getting up and going somewhere early in the morning.

doxgirl

I am planning on doing a test run the week before.  Our nanny will be starting that week so that I can help us get adjusted.

Arctic_Seal

I can't believe that you are going back already.  How do you do it????

burkems

Arctic_Seal:

I can't believe that you are going back already.  How do you do it????

...Not have money for bills. That's a pretty good push to go back.

Arctic_Seal

I'm still amazed.  Your daughter is still really young. 

justrachet

burkems:

Arctic_Seal:

I can't believe that you are going back already.  How do you do it????

...Not have money for bills. That's a pretty good push to go back.

Precisely. You do what you gotta do.

I didn't try to put myself or Nate on a schedule before going back to work. I preferred to be as lazy as possible for as long as possible. I don't regret it. 

JENFEF21

Arctic_Seal:

I'm still amazed.  Your daughter is still really young. 

I know you probably didn't mean it in a bad way, but your comment comes across just a little rude. Maybe it's just my bad mood showing, but it made me bristle just a little.

Six weeks maternity leave is pretty standard in the States.  A lot of women don't even get that much.  Businesses here are not required to give any paid maternity leave.  There is the FMLA which requires companies to hold a job for 12 weeks - unpaid.  But there are rules for qualifying for FMLA. I got six weeks paid only because because I used all my vacation and most of my sick time and my company, out of the kindness of their hearts, gave me two weeks paid.

Trust me, leaving your six week old baby with a caretaker other then yourself is the hardest thing to do.  Six months later and it still kills me that Amelia spends her days with someone other then me or DH.  But my choices were to either put my daughter in daycare, not pay bills or never have children.  And the last two, obviously, are not viable options.

Arctic_Seal

JENFEF21:

Arctic_Seal:

I'm still amazed.  Your daughter is still really young. 

I know you probably didn't mean it in a bad way, but your comment comes across just a little rude. Maybe it's just my bad mood showing, but it made me bristle just a little.

Six weeks maternity leave is pretty standard in the States.  A lot of women don't even get that much.  Businesses here are not required to give any paid maternity leave.  There is the FMLA which requires companies to hold a job for 12 weeks - unpaid.  But there are rules for qualifying for FMLA. I got six weeks paid only because because I used all my vacation and most of my sick time and my company, out of the kindness of their hearts, gave me two weeks paid.

Trust me, leaving your six week old baby with a caretaker other then yourself is the hardest thing to do.  Six months later and it still kills me that Amelia spends her days with someone other then me or DH.  But my choices were to either put my daughter in daycare, not pay bills or never have children.  And the last two, obviously, are not viable options.

Oh no, getting myself into trouble again...  I seriously have been trying really hard to stay out of trouble....

I guess because we do have the year mat leave in Canada and I look at our friends 2 month old children and I think they would be in daycare and I just wonder how you do it.  I know it is cultural in the States (and in Canada for the most part to go back to work after the leave you get) and I have read enough on the nest to understand basically the FMLA leave policy and how short it is.  It's just I find it very difficult to understand and me wanting to be a SAHM doesn't help things... 

aligator423uf

Arctic_Seal:

JENFEF21:

Arctic_Seal:

I'm still amazed.  Your daughter is still really young. 

I know you probably didn't mean it in a bad way, but your comment comes across just a little rude. Maybe it's just my bad mood showing, but it made me bristle just a little.

Six weeks maternity leave is pretty standard in the States.  A lot of women don't even get that much.  Businesses here are not required to give any paid maternity leave.  There is the FMLA which requires companies to hold a job for 12 weeks - unpaid.  But there are rules for qualifying for FMLA. I got six weeks paid only because because I used all my vacation and most of my sick time and my company, out of the kindness of their hearts, gave me two weeks paid.

Trust me, leaving your six week old baby with a caretaker other then yourself is the hardest thing to do.  Six months later and it still kills me that Amelia spends her days with someone other then me or DH.  But my choices were to either put my daughter in daycare, not pay bills or never have children.  And the last two, obviously, are not viable options.

Oh no, getting myself into trouble again...  I seriously have been trying really hard to stay out of trouble....

I guess because we do have the year mat leave in Canada and I look at our friends 2 month old children and I think they would be in daycare and I just wonder how you do it.  I know it is cultural in the States (and in Canada for the most part to go back to work after the leave you get) and I have read enough on the nest to understand basically the FMLA leave policy and how short it is.  It's just I find it very difficult to understand and me wanting to be a SAHM doesn't help things... 

I think she made it pretty clear that she's going back because they need the money. DH and I would be in the exact same position. I don't think there's much to understand about that. You do what you have to do.