https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:47:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-477274 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:03:19 +0000 blackbird 477274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm still pregnant, but I get 6 weeks paid and then I can take 12 more weeks on top of that for FMLA. I set a date to return in Mid-July. I'm due late March. This way if I have her a little early or anything, I still know when I'm returning and it makes it easier to tell daycare I will need care on a specific date. I'm not using sick or vacation time because I am sure it will get used up over the year for a day or two here and there. "mental health days" and whatnot</p> <p>It was an easy decision because I make good money and I am contracted to stay there for 24 months after receipt of my masters in May, since the company paid for it. Breaking that contract means owing a crapload of money. Like, 30K+. SO not worth it! I could go part time, but I want to save that option for when we have a second kid in a couple years. I currently like my job and position, and the hours are great, so I don't see why part time would really be useful for us yet. Maybe down the road, though. DH is home by 3pm, too! So we can get lots done in the evening. If he worked much longer hours, I would heavily consider it now, but it's moot for our situation. </p> <p>This has been the plan all along, so DH doesn't have any surprises about it, either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-477132 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:20:52 +0000 rachiecakes 477132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since DH works out if the house he agreed to be a WAHD. I went back at 7 weeks to get him used to caring for DS in longer stretches solo. For two weeks I did half-days at work, then went back to regular schedule. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-477115 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 06:45:15 +0000 lomom 477115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My plan is 12 weeks then I'm returning to a modified schedule (3 days a week). I think I'd enjoy staying home but DH just isn't on board. I think this modified schedule is a good compromise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-477030 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 01:51:32 +0000 sera_87 477030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i'm on week 23 of a 50 week paid leave. (i think. holy, my leave is half over already?).</p> <p>I need to find a better paying job with more 'normal' hours when I go back, and DH has expressed some interest in taking some of the remaining leave time, but we haven't discussed specifics yet. My goal is to keep LO out of daycare for as long as possible, and in a super ideal world, I would be able to work 3 or 4 days a week so I could still be at home with LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476967 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:22:04 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 476967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took a few months off and then worked four days a week, two of them at home, until LO was 10 months. Now I am a SAHM because we moved -- DH landed a new job. I've been looking and have interviewed a few times, but no luck yet. I'm freelancing, though, and am considering really trying to do more of it and potentially getting a little bit of part-time care for LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476939 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:48:21 +0000 lemong 476939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took almost 5 months off - originally intended only to be 4.5 months but then LO arrived early! I'm going back to work on Monday after being off since early August. I wanted to wait until the holidays were over since I knew I'd want to spend them with the family. And I am going back to my previous job in the same position. My boss was very understanding with the extended leave, though I had to take all my sick and vacation leave, and then the last 3 months were unpaid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476892 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:11:15 +0000 pastemoo 476892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: I thought this, too! My job was supposed to take me back at 3 months and I was ITCHING to go back then. Later they finally had a spot but I would have only been there for 2 months AND he was so fun---I just didn't do it.</p> <p>Next time I think I want 12-13 weeks and they work (assuming I like my job again.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476243 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:32:43 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 476243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took 12 weeks, 8 of which were unpaid, and I went back to the same job. I have a very understanding boss who's wife had a baby recently, so he understood that I wouldn't be working as hard as I did before I left, because I would have to take lots of breaks for pumping. </p> <p>If I have the option next time, I definitely want to try to stay home 4 more weeks. I didn't feel comfortable putting my baby in daycare at 2.5 months old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476237 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:28:48 +0000 GrapeCrush 476237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i took 12 weeks because that's the most they would allow(4 was unpaid) i went back to the same job and position because we couldn't afford me not to work. i have a work at home arraignment and the grandmas do babysitting duty the 2 days i'm in the office, so we don't have to pay for daycare. we still don't know what's going to happen when #2 comes along because it'll be extremely difficult for me to work with a 1 1/2 year old and a newborn. but we can't afford daycare for 2...so we'll see.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476127 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:47:40 +0000 MaisyMay 476127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm taking 6 weeks, all unpaid. I'm going back to a different position, but that's because I got a promotion right before I left. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476081 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:36:55 +0000 Alivoo01 476081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my maternity leave is only 12 short weeks, but I'm going to see if I can work from home part time for a few months after my maternity leave to ease me back in. We get insurance through my work, so I can't quit. Otherwise, I'd be a SAHM in a heartbeat!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476030 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:22:28 +0000 tororojo 476030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm leaving my job next month because I'm over it and having a baby is a great excuse! When I do go back to work, I want to work in a different field but I have no idea which one. Would have to earn quite a bit more to justify the cost of daycare, so I have no idea if/when things will change. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476015 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:17:06 +0000 winniebee 476015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, and we can't live off of just my husband's salary yet. I took a 25% paycut to work 4 days a week and even with the paycut I still make significantly more than he does. So, staying home was really not a question. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-476013 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:16:11 +0000 winniebee 476013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I do think it would have been a little easier going back at the 3 month mark. At 5 months, he was SO MUCH FUN. But, I am back 4 days and it's a good balance. Some days I really wish I could be home but other days, work isn't that bad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475977 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:02:25 +0000 littlek 475977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took off 4 months and then returned to the same job. I left it 2 months later because I've been wanting to leave for a long time. It's tough going back to work but the money is great. We could live off just DHs salary but we are used to living a very nice life and DH likes to have my salary contributing towards our lifestyle, eventhough I make 1/4 less than he does. However, I make way more than the cost of daycare, so that's not really a reason not to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475976 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:02:05 +0000 MsLipGloss 475976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@WinnieBee: I so wish I had more time! The only thing that helps is knowing that my LO is with my MIL during the day. Although truthfully, I really think that if I had taken 6 months of leave that I would not have been able to go back to work. I give you serious props for being able to go back when you did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475962 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:58:58 +0000 yoursilverlining 475962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went back after 12 weeks. I probably could have gotten a bit more time, but that was as much as I felt comfortable taking. I went back to my former position, and then transitioned into a new (better) position as soon as I returned – we had arranged for the change prior to my leave though so it wasn’t a surprise.</p> <p>I wouldn't be comfortable taking a year off or an undefined amount of time off because I don’t think it will be easy to get equivalent work and salary coming off an extended, voluntary employment absence. </p> <p>12 weeks seemed like a fair amount of time to me and I was fine with going back to work then. I also wouldn’t mind working from home dedicated 1-2 days a week, which I might bring up with my employer next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475944 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:50:13 +0000 winniebee 475944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My law firm allows 6 months of maternity leave (8 weeks paid). I went back at 5.5 months when our finances were getting tight. I always knew I would take more than 3 months, but probably less than 6 months. I've been back a few months....it was really hard going back and some days are still difficult. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475940 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:49:26 +0000 Cherrybee 475940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can take an entire year off if I want and I have the option of taking a "career break" and having even longer off without losing my job- but only 3 months will be paid and we just can't afford to live on just DH's wages. So the length of my time off will be dictated by money. Sob sob. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475927 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:47:48 +0000 LuLu Mom 475927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took 12 weeks as it was the maximum amount of time allowed by my business, I returned to my same position. I would have loved to take longer, or at least had the option to come back parttime or work from home, however it was not an option. I wasn't in the position to leave my job, as the chance of me finding another job with similar pay was pretty slim. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475916 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:44:17 +0000 MsLipGloss 475916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took 12 weeks of maternity leave because it was as much time as I could take under the maternity policy at work (although I am sure if I needed to take more time that I could have arranged to do so). I returned to the same firm I was working in during my pregnancy. </p> <p>The problem I face is that leaving my career (lets say for a year or two or three) makes it incredibly difficult to return to work after the extended absence. I have seriously thought about going part time, but wanted to give myself some time to see how working full time pans out. </p> <p>I have been back at work for a month now, and am still having a hard time coping being away from my LO. I struggle with trying to reconcile the short-term heartache with the long-term advantages my career (and extra income) can provide my family and my LO, even though my income is not a necessity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475913 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:43:34 +0000 Foodnerd81 475913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am still pregnant, but we agreed a long time ago that I would stay at home for a while after each kid. The time frame is still pretty vague, but at least a year. This means I will have to quit my job, since they would only hold it for 3 months or so, but I'm fine with that. Like you, I wouldn't go back for the amount I'm making now-- with day care, I'd barely come out ahead anyway.<br /> I think I will eventually go back but it a different career. I'm kind of tired of this one! DH has gotten some pretty big raises in the last year or two, so we should be fine financially, but it still does make us both a bit nervous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/returning-from-maternity-leave#post-475888 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:35:24 +0000 pastemoo 475888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How did you decide when to go back to work?<br /> Did you go back to the same job or get a new job? Was this because you waited longer than your maternity leave or because you wanted a change.<br /> How long did you take for maternity leave?</p> <p>DS is 7 months and I am looking for a job--in a different field. I want to make more money and use my degree. If I don't make more money I would rather just stay at home!</p> <p>And for any dads reading this... were you surprised by your partners work plans? Did you end up changing your own work plans? </p>