A question for you working moms

[kerpupples]

Hi ladies,

I've got a date scheduled for my C-section, Friday May 1st. I'm trying to decide whether to take that whole prior week off. I'll have 12 weeks maternity leave and am not sure if I want to spend a whole week of it before the baby is born. If I do work that week I'll only work through Wed. April 29th.

Thanks for your input!

[CT_Michele]

kerpupples- I am a teacher and I was fortunately off for the summer for my due date. I also had a scheduled c-sec. If I had been working, and was going to get a leave, I would have stayed in work as long as possible, so I could have as much time as possible at home with my new baby. I felt fine up to my c-sec, and felt I could have worked. If I got really uncomfortable at any point, or my job was strenous, I would have taken a couple of days off before, just to relax...so I guess a lot of factors come into play. Good luck with everything.

[riogirl71]

I had two weeks of disability prior to my c-sec my advice is - take as much time as you can! You will have major surgery and a baby! So get some rest if your belly allows and take it easy!
Good luck! I am very excited for you!

[kerpupples]

Michele - that's where I am with things now - don't want to use up my 12 weeks leave.

Rio - I would take the disability if that was an option because I don't think that it counts toward the 12 weeks. What reason did the doctor have for putting you on it? I have a previa and maybe if I asked her the doctor would be OK with requiring home bedrest. I haven't spotted or anything. Honestly, I could go on part time or disability now and be perfectly fine with things because I am having difficulty concentrating on work.

[Warren Dew]

My wife worked on the day labor started. She wanted to have all 12 weeks with the baby.

[bdantonio]

i hd planned on working during my pg but unfortunitly was on complete bedrest but i took 14 weeks before goint back after the baby was born and then only went back parttime until i had to go full time which was in november and she turned on in february

[riogirl71]

I don't know if California is different but we get 2 weeks before birth that don't count for the 12 weeks. So the time before birth is a use it or lose it time. I was covered under short term disability for that. Check with your employer and state laws...

[2ndtimer]

California is different. I got 12 weeks only, so I waited right up until the birth. In fact, I ended up getting a "semi" emergency Csection. My water broke but I never started labor. I saw the MD that morning & was told I had 2-3 hours to get to the hospital. So I went back to work and sent out an email to everyone, answered a few calls, then onto the hospital.
It wasn't as hard as I expected to be at all and I was so glad to have the extra time with the baby. My advice is to work until you just can't anymore and save the time to spend with your baby. As tired as I know you are now, remember it's just temporary.
Good Luck, your real adventure is about to begin!
Take Care,
2nd timer

[loopie]

Hey Kerpup! Wow! right around the corner-CONGRATULATIONS!!!! if I may, is there a medical reason you are scheduling csect? is everything ok?


I stopped going to work/school 4 days before my due date, but then didn't have him until 5 days after that! I got sort of antsy with all the waiting, but once the due date was past, I just started planning stuff to do again and actually got a great deal of things taken care of prior to his birth, however, I should have rested a bit more to be prepared for the work of delivery.

I say- work, go out to dinner, meet with friends, spend time alone w/ dh, get a pedicure, spend time by yourself - you'll not get the chance to do much of that for some time after baby is here.

best!
loopie

[kerpupples]

rio - I'm pretty sure that's a CA thing, haven't found anything like that either here in CO or in MA where my employer is. However....

To answer your question loopie, I have a complete placenta previa so my OB wants to deliver ~37 weeks to avoid me going into labor and bleeding. I'm very fortunate to have had no bleeding at all yet.

Because of the previa, my OB on Tuesday told me that she'd put in a request to cut back work as much as I need to. I have another visit on the 21st and I think then I'll ask her if she'd be willing to request that I be put on home bedrest. If she is able to do that, my short term disability will cover the period between April 21st and the delivery on May 1st and it won't count towards my 12 weeks.

I really am quite lucky, I work from home so exertion is not an issue. But I'm still getting very tired and having a hard time concentrating on tasks at hand.

Thank you all for sharing your stories with me, it means alot!