https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 12:07:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750887 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:51:57 +0000 pregnantbee 750887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My work wouldn't let me take unpaid time without first burning through all of my vacation time. I had no choice but use it all. The kicker is that I saved 1 week of upaid leave to use right before LO's first bday. And guess what?? If I want to use it, I also have to simultaneously spend down all of the vacation time I just accrued. Had I known that, I would have just returned to work a week later. I'm also waiting for July 1 for my sick time to reset. Blerg. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750880 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:48:16 +0000 swurlygurl 750880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: Oh yes, THIS too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750878 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:48:03 +0000 swurlygurl 750878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have slept more and taken looots more pictures. I can't believe how few pictures I have of those first few weeks, and most of the ones I do have are just phone pictures. So lame. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750872 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:46:51 +0000 bunnylove08 750872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: I agree with you on this one</p> <p>I also would have asked for more help, being at home with DD was rough. DH couldnt take time off since he was taking 2 months after I go back to work to stay with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750867 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:45:20 +0000 birdofafeather 750867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would have started pumping more regularly to have a bigger stash. but i HATE pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750849 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:37:34 +0000 ladyfingers 750849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have complained less. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750617 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:59:18 +0000 looch 750617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have tacked my overtime onto the end of my maternity leave, instead of having had it pay out. I had to pay taxes on it, which was ridiculous, considering it could have been another month or so off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750609 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:58:00 +0000 MamaMoose 750609@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was lucky and rolled 2012 vacation onto my mat leave so when I came back in March I still have all of my 2013 to take this year.</p> <p>There was a previous thread like this and @mediagirl: you had the same answer as me. I wish my husband could have been home with me for the whole maternity leave! I was spoiled as it is and he took two weeks totally off and then worked from home for the next three weeks but I would have loved to have him around even longer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750591 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:52:43 +0000 littlebittyhouse 750591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish I had asked more questions about short term disability. I actually got hosed out of an entire week pay :/ My benefits administrator gave me the wrong information so we had less $$ than we thought we would and had to pull from savings. </p> <p>Thankfully I was able to make it work so that I had some PTO when I returned. We accrue time through the year which makes it a little easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750567 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:46:22 +0000 avivoca 750567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I won't go on leave until October, but we do have to use up all of our paid time concurrently with our unpaid time. The only saving grace is that I'm coming back in January and my time will regenerate. It really sucks because I won't have any sick time after all of the doctor's appointments (I use comp time for those too), so I will likely only get paid for two weeks of my 12 week leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750554 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:42:43 +0000 mediagirl 750554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlek: yes. It's awful. AWFUL. They teased me at the end of the year and said they were changing it to end in December and we would all have our PTO regenerated on Jan 1 but then they took that away. ARGH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750541 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:41:16 +0000 Foodnerd81 750541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have the option of taking unpaid but saving vacation time-- I can take longer than the vacation I have saved up, but must first use all the PTO I have accrued. So-- maybe you don't have that option anyway? </p> <p>I haven't started leave (mid July!) so can't really comment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750538 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:40:45 +0000 littlek 750538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: fiscal year company?</p> <p>I would have taken unpaid time as well, having no vacation is rough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-change-anything-in-your-control-about-your-maternity-leave#post-750528 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:37:06 +0000 mediagirl 750528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If there was anything you could change, that doesn't have to do with getting better benefits, what would it be?</p> <p>I would take 2 of the weeks unpaid so I wouldn't use up all of my PTO. I have been stuck with no PTO time since I came back to work in September. I wish I had kept 2 weeks of PTO so I could use it on days like today when my baby is sick. For now, I wait until July 1 to get my PTO time regenerated again. </p>