If you've taken maternity leave, how soon did you start?

[Artemesia's Garden]

My baby is due on the 3rd January and I'm trying to work out how to stay on payroll for as long as possible! I feel as though I'm either going to get made redundant or I may leave, so these final weeks of income are quite important. I have 15.5 days of holiday left to take this calendar year otherwise I'll lose it. I've heard that most women overstep theri due date by about 2 weeks, is this true?

[Aienhime]

I live in The Netherlands, so I had 6 weeks maternity leave before I had my baby and then 12 weeks after as per government regulations. The 6 weeks before were fine, but I felt the 12 weeks were too little afterwards. Thankfully my employer allowed all pregnant women to work 50% for their first month after their leave.

Sorry about your situation. It always breaks my heart a little to see you US folks struggle with this. My second baby was 4 days later than his due date, I don’t know anyone who went more than a week over. (My first was induced at 38). Good luck with everything dear!

[Artemesia's Garden]

Thank you, Aienhime that's helpful. I'm actually in the UK but yes it's not usual to take leave before the birth. It seems like a good idea though.

[Aienhime]

The final weeks can be hard, physically but I also noticed both times I really felt the urge to retreat into my own house, if that makes sense. I hope everything works out for you! Good luck dear.

[kestral_kitsune]

can't really pipe in cause never been pregnant but i've had co-workers work up to and on delivery day cause -america- and were back at work 2 weeks. later



I wish you a healthy pregnancy and healthy delivery

[Artemesia's Garden]

Eep, :on: delivery day! And two weeks later! It's good to know. I think that we also have two weeks compulsory mat. leave after the birth, but people do take longer.

[Artemesia's Garden]

Update: I had 15 days of holiday left so I decided to take it all in December and then go on mat. leave. So my final day will be 2nd December. Only 8 weeks to go, whoop!

[nessa16]

Congratulations!!

Yes, the US’s lack of nationally required PAID maternity leave is frustrating at best. It’s wonderful that the Netherlands requires 6 weeks BEFORE and 12 after. Is it paid?  We get 12 weeks job protection (able to return to same position) by our Family and Medical Leave Act but it is unpaid unless your employer offers some pay for it and/or have short term disability insurance.

I got 8 weeks paid from my employer and STD with a little over a week paid by my remaining PTO. My last 3 weeks were unpaid. Since I had used part of my FMLA in June last year, only 8 weeks of my 12 were protected under FMLA and the rest were a personal leave. I am not going to lie, half expected them to make negative changes to my job before I came back since it wasn’t protected. My friend was basically pushed out of her job because 6 of her 12 weeks after delivery were not FMLA because her supervisor made her start it earlier in her last 6 weeks of pregnancy because she was having preterm labor. We don’t have obligatory holiday either unless offered by our employer. I am so jealous of these things in other countries.

Anyway, I worked up until delivery, which is basically expected in the US. I work at an OBGYN clinic and there has to be a really good medical reason for a doctor to put you out of work before delivery and it can take away from leave after delivery. 12 weeks is not enough for after. Medically, 6 weeks is given for a vaginal delivery and 8 for a c-section for recovery. Those who do not qualify for FMLA or whose employer doesn’t offer maternity leave or don’t have STD, they may not get much leave at all and no pay.

I delivered at 38w4d for both my kids, spontaneously for my first and induced with my second. Every pregnancy and individual is different but some women deliver around the same time, whether before or after their due date. Only about 10% of women actually deliver on their due date. Not sure how doctors work in other countries but our doctors get nervous if their patients get more than a week overdue due to increased risks.

Hopefully, that was pertinent to your post. I could go on and on given my employment.

[Artemesia's Garden]

Congratulations!!

Yes, the US’s lack of nationally required PAID maternity leave is frustrating at best. It’s wonderful that the Netherlands requires 6 weeks BEFORE and 12 after. Is it paid?  We get 12 weeks job protection (able to return to same position) by our Family and Medical Leave Act but it is unpaid unless your employer offers some pay for it and/or have short term disability insurance.

I got 8 weeks paid from my employer and STD with a little over a week paid by my remaining PTO. My last 3 weeks were unpaid. Since I had used part of my FMLA in June last year, only 8 weeks of my 12 were protected under FMLA and the rest were a personal leave. I am not going to lie, half expected them to make negative changes to my job before I came back since it wasn’t protected. My friend was basically pushed out of her job because 6 of her 12 weeks after delivery were not FMLA because her supervisor made her start it earlier in her last 6 weeks of pregnancy because she was having preterm labor. We don’t have obligatory holiday either unless offered by our employer. I am so jealous of these things in other countries.

Anyway, I worked up until delivery, which is basically expected in the US. I work at an OBGYN clinic and there has to be a really good medical reason for a doctor to put you out of work before delivery and it can take away from leave after delivery. 12 weeks is not enough for after. Medically, 6 weeks is given for a vaginal delivery and 8 for a c-section for recovery. Those who do not qualify for FMLA or whose employer doesn’t offer maternity leave or don’t have STD, they may not get much leave at all and no pay.

I delivered at 34w4d for both my kids, spontaneously for my first and induced with my second. Every pregnancy and individual is different but some women deliver around the same time, whether before or after their due date. Only about 10% of women actually deliver on their due date. Not sure how doctors work in other countries but our doctors get nervous if their patients get more than a week overdue due to increased risks.

Hopefully, that was pertinent to your post. I could go on and on given my employment.

Of course, it's so good to hear from you on this topic, many thanks. Only 10% of women! That's good to know, I didn't know that. Sorry as always about the squeeze on your maternity life in the USA. It only takes up a few short months but it's such a massive part of life, you'd think they'd give ladies a bit more of a break. We were just talking about work in another thread. The French say we shouldn't live to work, only work to live. I wish working life could be a bit kinder for everyone.

[Aienhime]

Yes, the US’s lack of nationally required PAID maternity leave is frustrating at best. It’s wonderful that the Netherlands requires 6 weeks BEFORE and 12 after. Is it paid? 

Yes, it's paid! And dads get 6 weeks of paid leave, too, although that's quite new (since this year I think, it wasn't like that with our first 2 in 2017 and 2019. As this is our third and last I'm glad we get to enjoy this!). It's paid through the government though, so my employer pays me but they get the money refunded by the government. We also are allowed to take some 'care' leave in the first year for about 70% of your usual pay.

Artemesia's garden, I'm glad you got it worked out! Good luck on the final weeks and I hope you enjoy your leave