https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 14 May 2026 08:51:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084487 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:06:18 +0000 LuLu Mom 2084487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>none? We all returned to work out of necessity. I do have 1 friend who became a SAHM after returning to work for 4-5 months, but she was able to bring her baby with her (she was a nanny) then the youngest nanny child started school full time and she wasn't needed anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084383 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 09:09:01 +0000 autumnlove 2084383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One but she went back to work after her 3rd LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084373 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 09:04:33 +0000 Anagram 2084373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All of my mom friends in my current city knew before they went on Mat leave if they were going to return to work or stay home--I'd say it's split about 60/40, with 60% returning to work.</p> <p>I work in a public school, and in my 3 years working here, all but 1 of the pregnant teachers have returned to work. The one who didn't return told me privately she was pretty sure she wasn't going to come back after leave, but didn't tell the district until it was time for her to come back.</p> <p>In almost all of the cases I know personally, the fact that maternity leave is so short in the US really affected their choice--if they'd had a year off, many more would have returned to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084357 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 08:55:17 +0000 MoreCoffee 2084357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I definitely fantasized about not returning from maternity leave! I have one friend who returned after mat leave for a year then quit to stay home, but most who SAH went into their pregnancies with the plan to do so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084329 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 08:35:35 +0000 Ajsmommy 2084329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Out of our group of friends, honestly most of them were part time or SAH already... my co workers are a different story, obviously they were working while pregnant and all of them "intended" to return however there were 4 out of 8 that ended up not coming back. Two attempted to, one of them tried part time but ended up leaving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084320 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 08:27:27 +0000 artsyfartsy 2084320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None. Either they had planned to SAH or went back to work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084287 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 07:44:27 +0000 Adira 2084287@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None! They all work, though one works part-time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084285 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 07:43:01 +0000 looch 2084285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went on maternity leave with the plan to come back to work 4 days a week. Problem is my husband and I dragged our feet on finding daycare for our son and when it came time to enroll him, we couldn't find an option that was workable. The only choice we had was to enroll him in a center a 40 minute drive in the opposite direction of our employers and that just wouldn't work for a whole host of reasons. So I stayed at home for 2 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084223 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 01:04:59 +0000 shellio 2084223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1 acquaintance went on mat leave, went back for a week or two and ended up turning in her notice. I have very few friends who SAH. The ones who did had planned on it prior to the baby being born. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084219 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:51:17 +0000 FannyMae 2084219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>out of 6, 3 are part time work out of home (myself included) and 3 are full time stay at home. none are back at work full time, and us 3 part timers rely on grandma-care to be able to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084215 Wed, 25 Feb 2015 00:26:46 +0000 Mrs.ThinMint 2084215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's hard to judge since most of my friends from before I had a baby don't have kids yet, and the one's I've made since are all SAHM since I am. So, I haven't asked all of them why they SAH. But most that I am aware of planned it that way. I have 2 friends who became SAHM after they went back to work and hated it though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084209 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:56:35 +0000 PurplePeony 2084209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have one friend who always planned to quit and become a SAHM after having kids. One other friend went back to work for a few weeks and then decided she couldn't do it anymore so she quit and stays home. I also have a lot of friends who are freelancers, so they're not exactly SAHPs but they are home with their kids the majority of the time. The rest of us all WOH full-time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084208 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:55:53 +0000 photojane 2084208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All of my local mom friends either work part time or SAH. A few of them intended to work (at least part time) after baby, but decided to just SAH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084205 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:44:58 +0000 Corduroy 2084205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A woman in LOs playgroup went back to work at 6 weeks and hated it. She quit a few weeks after returning. She's been a SAHM/job searching since. But that is one out of three dozen or so moms I know. Everyone else stuck to their original plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084191 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:07:29 +0000 fairy 2084191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also, a few of my friends SAH because they cannot afford to pay for childcare in order to work </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084186 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:03:03 +0000 fairy 2084186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 that were not necessarily planned but then they decided to sah once baby arrived &amp; lots that planned to sah (but that is probably because most of my friends are from a local MOMS Club which is a support group for sahms) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084182 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:54:33 +0000 Torchwood 2084182@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Everyone I know who is a SAHM planned it that way. But I don't really have any friends with young kids right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084181 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:52:12 +0000 BandDmommy 2084181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084173 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:35:54 +0000 marionberry 2084173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Zero. All of us can't afford not to work. Although I think one friend may after her second kid is born. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084171 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:33:28 +0000 youboots 2084171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A few. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084144 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:11:34 +0000 Coffee-lover 2084144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None, everyone I know with kids works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084141 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:08:17 +0000 jedeve 2084141@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I quit during my second mat leave. I realized how miserable my job was making me. But technically I worked for three more months from home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084137 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:02:21 +0000 catlady 2084137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None. DH has one friend from college who became a SAHM but it was planned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084120 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 21:36:27 +0000 Grace 2084120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just one. Her 3rd and 4th were twins and 4 kids in daycare was too expensive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084098 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 21:10:26 +0000 sandy 2084098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know several attorneys that went on maternity leave intending to return - and most did return for a brief time and felt it wasn't working and quit to SAH. But i would say most everyone who intended to return to work did go back after their leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084084 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 20:59:44 +0000 Mae 2084084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>0. Except me. But at this point I consider myself more "unemployed" than SAHP even though that is what I really am right now haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084082 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 20:58:33 +0000 MrsKoala 2084082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>None. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084010 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 20:00:48 +0000 FaithFertility 2084010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My Maternity leave w/ STD would have given me 12 weeks of from Dec 14th...till March 24th, I am a teacher so me and DH decided I would just extend the maternity leave WOP and take the rest of this school year off, DD is 10 weeks old and TBH if I was going back in March I would be sick :(<br /> We are working on me being a SAHM in the future! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084006 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 19:57:06 +0000 mrsjazz 2084006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Technically, none. My bff is the closest being that she works from home about 20 hours a week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-many-of-your-friends-went-on-maternity-leave-and-ended-up-being-a-sahp#post-2084004 Tue, 24 Feb 2015 19:55:06 +0000 PawPrints 2084004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know three people in real life who are SAHMs. Two were already unemployed before they got pregnant. The third woman did indeed go on maternity leave and then realized she wanted to stay home long-term so she quit her job. Most people predicted that was what she was going to do in the first place, though.</p> <p>All the other moms and moms-to-be that I know work full time or very seriously plan to do so.</p> <p>{edit} Oh, and one of the two moms who was unemployed prior to getting pregnant is now seriously looking for full-time employment. </p>