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Minimum: 16 weeks (if we didn't have all the weird feeding issues that we have. as it stands she's 19 weeks and won't eat from anyone else so I'm still not comfortable ever leaving her).

Ideal: 1 year (I think? But I'm only 4.5 mo in.)

I went back after 6 months and it was great. I was ready to go back. I would want a minimum 12 weeks, but I think a year is too long.

I went back at 10 weeks.

I'd say minimum 10 weeks
Ideal 6 mos- 1 yr

I went back after 10 weeks (and I started mat leave 5 days before LO was born so he wasn't quite 10 weeks old yet) and it was really hard!
4 months would have been better!

Minimum for me is 10 weeks, ideal is 4-6 months.

I'm not sure about ideal, but I'll be going back four weeks after this one is born. I just can't take that long off of work. I am lucky that I have a fairly flexible job. With my first, I took three months off, and I think that was just right. But I had the luxury of being between jobs and simply delayed my start date. No such luxury this time around!

ETA: We also saved like crazy for a 3 month maternity leave. Is saving money now to accommodate some extra time a possibility?

I was scheduled to go back after 5 months (combination of maternity leave and PTO) and thank god I had that time because the first two months she was in the NICU. I ended up not going back because we moved. But if I was working again, my ideal would be 1 year.

That's when I felt the most comfortable leaving her with someone.

I already had my huge rant earlier about how maternity benefits suck in the US... I get no benefits whatsoever except being able to take 12 weeks FMLA, and make $170 a week from NYS for 6 weeks

Right now I'm planning on maybe working from home at 6 weeks, and going back between 8-10 weeks.

@HolisticMama: I'm with @Silva: you have no idea how you're going to recover never mind adjusting to life with a baby. I had a vaginal birth and it took my almost a year to "recover" and still 2+ years later have issues (pain, nerve damage, etc.) that bother me from it.
That said, I went back at 7 weeks but my job was really flexible. I pumped 3x a day, could go home for lunch with DS.

If your DH hasn't already, he should speak with your midwife/OB about recovery. It's physical/emotional/the whole shebang.

I took 8 weeks off.

By 4 weeks, I was going stir crazy. I really would have gone back to work much earlier.

I went back at 6 weeks, which worked out fine. I actually felt better after going back, it was really a return to normalcy, although I was dreading it beforehand. I realize I may be an anomaly, and I have several factors which made it easier for me. I also think it would have been harder to go back to work the longer my leave was, because LO keeps getting more fun.

I also highly recommend a conversation about finances. At the very least, you should have access in case of an emergency, especially with an LO.

I loved having a year. The first six months were slow but after she became more mobile and engaging it was really really fun. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did! But I realize I am lucky to get a year. Minimum would be 16-20 weeks..earlier than that and I was still a hormonal zombie.

I was able to successfully breastfeed after going back to work at 6 weeks, and I never had an oversupply, although I did have a good supply. Until 12 weeks, I nursed LO at lunch and pumped twice a day. I transitioned to pumping three times a day, and shortly to twice a day. In my early days I was pumping significantly more than LO was eating, so I built a good stash. I was able to use that stash when my supply declined later, and I never had to supplement. My stash ran out on LO's first birthday. It was something I was worried about, but it is possible.

@mdf106: Agreed. It is possible. I went back at 6 weeks without any freezer stash and I didn't have an oversupply either. I've been able to build my stash to 200 oz and we are still going strong breastfeeding/pumping at almost 8 months without ever supplementing.

I went back when Liam was 4.5 months old and I wanted more time. It was really hard at first. Ideally, I'd like a year, but 6 months would be good, too. With breastfeeding and pumping, before 6 months is hard when you are their primary source for nutrition.

@MrsKoala: @mdf106: It's tripping me out that you both have koala pictures!

If you are able to pump significantly more than your baby needs at work and build a stash without extra pumping sessions, you technically do have an oversupply! Not that that's a bad thing but it is uncommon to be able to pump extra with just a couple pumping sessions at work, so @Adira: had a really good point.

I started to feel ready-ish at 4 months, which is when I would have gone back had I not taken the semester off. I'm going back at 9.5 months instead.

I am at 6 months right now, and this would be a great time to go back. He's more independent and less high maintenance (ie, he allows people other than me to feed him and put him to sleep, hurrah), but hasn't developed any real stranger/separation anxiety yet.

I'm also starting to go a little crazy being home.

Ideally 6 months. Anymore than that and it would have been much harder on me to go back to work, as she became easier and so much more fun after 6 months. It was easier for me to go back to work when things were rougher; if that makes any sense! lol

In reality, I went back to work after 13 weeks off which was fine. I was itching to get back to doing something mentally stimulating during the day.

I was off for three months w ds. I also worked from home the last five wks of pregnancy. I went back to a flex schedule of wfh and woh and the transition was smooth. Next time I plan on taking an extra month off.