https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 13:41:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1459701 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:49:04 +0000 nadsia 1459701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm pretty sure in the US it's 1250 hours or365 days. As a professional I would say at least 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1459669 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:26:47 +0000 sslm 1459669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rubies: @mskeee: @Beebug: @Sapphiresun: thanks for weighing in ladies!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1452592 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 21:24:05 +0000 Sapphiresun 1452592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I kind of wanted to be back at my job at least the better portion of a year before announcing I'm pregnant again. I'm still on maternity leave at the moment but we're actually debating DH taking the last 4 months of our parental leave portion to ensure that this happens. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1452583 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 21:22:12 +0000 Beebug 1452583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My employer requires I work after the leave to keep my top-up, so I know it's not what you're asking, but if you're currently being topped up, just make sure you are in the clear with them in that regard!</p> <p>I would say a year would be sufficient if changing jobs, wonder if you could/want to be upfront about where you are at life stage-wise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1452536 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 21:07:41 +0000 Rockies11 1452536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would want to be at a job a minimum of a year before I got pregnant (I am a lawyer). I do know people that got pregnant right away at new jobs, and employers weren't thrilled, although it's still sort of medieval profession from a love of mat leave perspective. I came back really part time at 7 months, because we want to start trying again at a year, and have 4 kids close together, so I am trying to see if that's professionally possible! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1452445 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:30:03 +0000 Rubies 1452445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went back to work and a few months later became pregnant. By the time D2 arrived, I worked a full year. Granted, though, it wasn't a new job. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451931 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:11:31 +0000 Freckles 1451931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: Nope, they had a feeling since they knew i had recently gotten married and in "child bearing years". If they were annoyed, they hid it very well! One thing to note is that i made it clear i was coming back to work and requested my access to remain open so i could look at emails and keep in touch with what's going on at work. I find that it helped quite a bit, and i even attended a planning session halfway through my mat leave. I think if you have a good track record and are well-respected, it shouldn't matter. But it really depends on your manager/company.</p> <p>I was at a leadership forum halfway through my pregnancy and someone DID make a comment out loud, "Will you have even worked long enough to be eligible for top-up?" Ugh, whatever! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451929 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:10:58 +0000 Anutka 1451929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got pregnant 3-4 months into my first engineering job out of school, so i went on mat leave (I'm in Canada too) after working for just over a year.<br /> I was very nervous telling people at work, but everyone was super nice about it. My boss was even happy to let me work from home 1-2 days a week when my leave was up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451904 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:03:13 +0000 sslm 1451904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: thanks for weighing in! Did you feel like people were annoyed you got pregnant so quickly? I guess I'm concerned about my reputation... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451899 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:01:48 +0000 sslm 1451899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Not sure for top-up purposes, probably have to be there at least 6 months for that...</p> <p>@heartonastring: I haven't looked into it but I assume it's probably 6 months like most places. I wouldn't be comfortable starting a new job pregnant. I was think a year to 18 months too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451552 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 15:26:41 +0000 Silva 1451552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the US so things are different maternity leave wise, but professionally I'd want to be there at least 18 months before the baby is born. I'm taking 18 months of with this LO, and already am nervous about how it will look professionally. I plan to do some online trainings, and am maintaining contacts, so that when I return I am "up to speed." Things can change quickly in my field, and I'm at a disadvantage if I don't keep up with those changes.<br /> It's a tough call. Luckily we don't want our kids to be that close in age, so if everything works out as planned I will be at my new job 18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451438 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:58:46 +0000 mrsjyw 1451438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Even without a long maternity leave, my goal was to be back at my job for a minimum of one year. I don't think they mommytrack here, but just wanted my own personal insurance. </p> <p>It's just been a year since I've been back .DS is 15 months now and we won't TTC until he's 17-18 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451431 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:56:16 +0000 looch 1451431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: thanks, that makes perfect sense! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451408 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:53:58 +0000 Freckles 1451408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As long as you worked 600 hours in the last 52 weeks prior to going on leave (or from the time you came back from another unemployment leave, whichever is later) you qualify. Your earnings also have to be reduced by more than 40% by going on leave. </p> <p>This will qualify you for 15 weeks of mat leave and 35 weeks of parental leave benefits. </p> <p>So if you started the job 3 months pregnant and work until your mat leave, you should qualify for the full government mandated benefits, depending on what your hours of work are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451376 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:45:19 +0000 looch 1451376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: So, explain it to me (not Canadian)...if I begin a new job on Jan 1 and am 3 months pregnant, what would I be entitled to take as leave? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451362 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:42:12 +0000 Freckles 1451362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got pregnant a few months after i started my new job, so i worked just shy of one year before going on mat leave. </p> <p>It really depends on your company/manager. If it makes you feel better, i was not mommy tracked!</p> <p>@heartonastring: @looch: I know that as long as you worked the minimum hours, you qualify to receive government mat leave benefits (EI), but top-up benefit qualifications would be different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451271 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:16:36 +0000 MrsH 1451271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Several years if I wanted to not be mommy tracked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451260 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:14:53 +0000 heartonastring 1451260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: Hmm..well the first thing I'd look into (and you probably already have) is the new organization's mat leave policy. Most organizations require you to be there at least 6 months to a year before they'll give you mat leave top-up.</p> <p>I would probably want to be there at least a year to 18 months before going on leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451253 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:12:56 +0000 looch 1451253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What are the requirements for you to take the leave...do you have to work there a year or something? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451252 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:11:54 +0000 Mae 1451252@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, taking a year is certainly different than taking 12-16 weeks like I plan to (although that's sort of a long time for the US). Regardless, I'm a lawyer and 30 weeks pregnant and I have a job interview tomorrow. Is the timing ideal? Ummmm no. haha. It really sucks. But if the right job comes along I feel like you should go for it and let the logistics work themselves out-- or not. It seems like if you haven't even gotten pregnant yet you're fine because regardless you'd have 9 months there, which is a pretty long time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/professional-moms-with-long-mat-leave#post-1451241 Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:07:45 +0000 sslm 1451241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long do you think you'd want to work at a new job before getting pregnant?</p> <p>I'm an engineer and my career is somewhat important to me but family is #1. We always thought we'd have kids close together but I may be starting a new job. I'm conflicted on what this means for our TTC plans since I'm Canadian and would take a year off. </p>