https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:27:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115921 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:43:19 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2115921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, 12 weeks was not enough, and I would have been fired for taking any longer. I've heard rumors of our policy changing by the time #2 arrives, so I'm hoping I can take advantage of that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115911 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:28:54 +0000 Modern Daisy 2115911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. 12 weeks was not enough, not even close. It is disheartening that our country continues to ignore this, but at least I know to plan on 6 months next time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115813 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:42:59 +0000 cascademom 2115813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first leave was 12 weeks. It was tough, but definitely didn't feel like enough. My company just amended the leave policy, so I can take 16 weeks now. I'm excited for an extra month since we'll probably be in the middle of a move and adjustment at that point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115807 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:41:31 +0000 snowjewelz 2115807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Heck to the no! 12 weeks and I was NOT ready! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115801 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:40:40 +0000 Mrs. Toad 2115801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, it was six weeks. However, he stayed home with my DH. I will be taking a minimum of 8 weeks and making sure the next one takes a bottle easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115784 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:35:11 +0000 MrsBananaGrabber 2115784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are a lot of long leaves posted above!</p> <p>I haven't taken maternity leave yet, but everyone so far at my company who has done it has taken 1-2 months max. Most have chosen to come back early from their scheduled leaves. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115734 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:08:26 +0000 mrsjyw 2115734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, I took 3 months. I was only "ready" to come back because I had a flex schedule that let me be wfh a few days a week. This time I will be taking 4 and will be wfh when I come back for a couple of months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115701 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:46:19 +0000 MrsKoala 2115701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. I had 6 weeks. That will never be long enough. I was incredibly distressed about being away from my LO and I know that I was not a good employee the first month or so that I was back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115682 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:38:18 +0000 avivoca 2115682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. I took 12 weeks and it was not enough. I would have liked at least six months. I wasn't a productive employee until she was 6-7 months old because I was so exhausted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115677 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:35:34 +0000 catlady 2115677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, I got 14 weeks (and that was through negotiation since I was really only supposed to get 12 weeks). I came back right as LO entered the 4 month sleep regression and my whole first month back at work was spent battling 8+ wakeups per night so I was a useless, grumpy zombie. 6 months would have been perfect, I think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115676 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:35:15 +0000 CakeLady 2115676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I has 12 weeks and was happy to be able to have that long, but would have liked to have 6 months. I'm not sure I would have wanted to be home for a year except that I hate pumping SO MUCH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115645 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:21:37 +0000 MoreCoffee 2115645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS1 I took 14 weeks and while it wasn't enough, going back to work forced me back into a routine and helped me feel more "normal".</p> <p>My company now offers 16 weeks paid leave and I plan to use a combination of PTO and unpaid leave to stretch it to 20 weeks. Enough time to get through the 4 month sleep regression, build a freezer stash, and (hopefully) have the baby sleeping mostly through the night. 6 months would be ideal but I don't think we can swing it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115640 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:17:48 +0000 creativemomma15 2115640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took 3 months with DS and went back 2 days a week. It was fine considering I was going back PT, but I would have liked longer. With DD, I went back 1 day a week at 8 weeks and then 2 days at 12 weeks. I would have liked longer. Ideally, 6 months would be great. If/When we get pregnant with #3, I think it would be short &amp; sporadic maternity leave but I now work for a flexible family business with WFH time and the office 2 minutes from my house so it would be easy to put in a couple hours here &amp; there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115632 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:12:18 +0000 DillonLion 2115632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have liked 6 months instead of 3, but we all survived. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115629 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:09:58 +0000 Ajsmommy 2115629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No. 13 weeks was not long enough.. I wish I could have 6 mos- 1 yr... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115616 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:01:43 +0000 blackbird 2115616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Meh, i mean....12 weeks is 12 weeks. it's good in some ways, shitty in others. I was getting bored and lonely by 11 weeks and ready to have some human interaction again. But then i was also a zombie months 4-5 at work, and i would've much rather have been home to rest. Catch-22 for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115609 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:58:11 +0000 MenagerieMama 2115609@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went back at 50% by 9 weeks and then my full schedule (30 hrs/wk) at 13 wks. Not long enough! I definitely would have wanted the full year. 6 mo at the very least. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115581 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:38:21 +0000 bpcmarj 2115581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I quit my job when DD was born and went back to work when she was 15 months old. To me, that was perfect. I didn't have to pump because she was able to go all day without nursing. That alone was worth the long leave :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115580 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:37:30 +0000 NovBaby1112 2115580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, 6 months would be ideal. A 12 week old is still so young and waking upat night, taking more naps, etc. By 6 months it would have been much easier I think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115576 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:35:20 +0000 Smurfette 2115576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think so. I would have liked more time but she was a hard baby and I was sick of being home by myself all day. I needed adults to take too. It was still really hard leaving her at day care. I can't imagine having to do it sooner. Most of my co workers only took 6 weeks of leave and I don't know how they did it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115569 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:31:50 +0000 lawbee11 2115569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was off for 6 months and thought it was the perfect amount of time. I was still anxious about going back to work, but staying home was starting to get lonely so I really enjoyed being back at the office. And it was a great age for LO to start daycare because she could sit up and interact with the other babies but she wasn't having stranger/separation anxiety yet so she didn't cry at all at dropoff. I think a year would've been too long for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115560 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:28:48 +0000 Anagram 2115560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope. I would prefer something from 6 months to 1 year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115546 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:18:45 +0000 looch 2115546@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In theory, it would have been long enough, but I ended up not returning to work after my 7 month leave was over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115523 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:04:23 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2115523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been on adoption leave for almost 4 months and I go back next Tuesday. I am ready! I was getting pretty bored at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115520 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:02:59 +0000 Mamaof2 2115520@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went back at 14 weeks and it was fine - I was still just so exhausted and that sucked - but it was nice to be back on schedule and around adults </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115479 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 06:27:44 +0000 Adira 2115479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, not even close. 12 weeks is definitely not enough time. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115455 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 06:02:39 +0000 MrsB2012 2115455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was off for a year as well. I was starting to go a little stir crazy around 9 months off and wanted to go back early, but I didbt. I had a ton of anxiety when I did go back, but really enjoyed being back at work. Now I'm on my second year leave and I'll be off for the year again. I'd like to go back part time after this leave, but it depends if there is a position available. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115408 Fri, 20 Mar 2015 01:01:54 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2115408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>5 weeks was definitely not long enough!</p> <p>I only worked 26 hours a week, but still, it was tough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115372 Thu, 19 Mar 2015 23:09:47 +0000 Sapphiresun 2115372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was off for a year as well. I would have preferred to return to part time a couple months earlier, but a year was good. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-your-maternity-leave-long-enough#post-2115334 Thu, 19 Mar 2015 22:16:28 +0000 Grace 2115334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was off for 10 months which was 1 month too long. But that was probably a good thing, because it meant I was really really ready to go back. </p>