Looking to hear stories/experiences of ladies who have gotten pregnant shortly after starting a new job. I just learned a little more about my new company's STD policy, so we will be NTNP until Dec/Jan and then might ramp things up a little perhaps.
1. How long of a leave did you get? Was it paid?
2. How did your new work handle the news? Were they supportive?
3. Do you think it de-railed your career? Or did you feel they didnt take you as seriously?
cantaloupe / 6869 posts
I don't know if this is what you are looking for but I started my current job at 14 weeks pregnant.
1. I got 6 weeks. 3.5 weeks were paid with vacation and sick days and 2.5 weeks were unpaid. The policy here is that you have to be employed for a year before STD kicks in or a longer maternity leave. It sucks but I knew that going into it. The next baby, I will get STD and 16 weeks.
2. They were a little surprised and didn't talk about it much in the beginning but were very supportive over time. I think I kind of had to prove myself a bit first.
3. I don't think it affected my career in any way. I haven't been treated any differently because of it but I think I do work in a more family friendly industry (education).
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I'm going to be about 12 weeks pregnant when I start my new position. HOWEVER....it is at the same company. I have had 3 friends start new jobs pregnant (anywhere from 5-7 months along) and nobody said it was a problem. They all said it was fine. Our company pushes a work life balance
1. I'm probably going to take 12 weeks again. I am not sure how I want to handle it. I may see about coming back early, but going part time instead. 6 weeks will be paid.
2. I haven't told my new manager yet. BUT he and his wife just had their first baby 3 months ago, so I think he will "get it"
3. I easily work in an industry where having E could have been "bad" for my career. I was new to the programs I was on when I got pregnant. I work with a lot of female engineers who either have worked part time, taken a few years off, or whatever they wanted to do, and they all have very successful careers. I keep work at work and home at home. I've gotten a lot of accomplishments under my belt in the past year and a half, a significant raise and promotion, and praise from coworkers, so I don't see how having E has hurt me. I do my job and I do it well and that has been all that matters. Sure, sometimes i have to leave early or whatever, but people are just like "eh, shit happens". From a meeting with the executive of my new team, they also have this philosophy
grapefruit / 4235 posts
I started my new job when I was 13 weeks pregnant. I told them when I accepted. (I could have stayed at my old employer if I needed to...)
1. I won't have any paid leave at all besides using all of the leave I have accrued (about 3 weeks.) But with the big jump in pay I received at the new position, it will be similar to the pay I received at my old job - 80% salary for 6 weeks plus 2 weeks paid/2 weeks vacation/2 weeks unpaid. I think this time I will take 8 weeks, unfortunately.
2. my boss is a mom and she is incredibly supportive.
3. I'm glad I made the switch when I did because I would have probably stayed at my old employer for another year, underpaid and unhappy, if it hadn't worked out. I mean, i'm sure they weren't thrilled, but it's not like you can predict medical leave. They could have hired someone else who eventually needed a knee replacement or something. At least with (healthy) pregnancies, it's predictable-ish.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Well... I was at a job for 9 months and got laid off when I was about 4 months pregnant. There were others laid off but I suspect I was chosen because they didn't want to pay for my maternity leave. I was the first to get pregnant at the firm in a very long time.
When I told my superiors they were all very excited and supportive so it was quite a shock to me. I understand it's probably just a business decision; dollars and cents.
honeydew / 7444 posts
I started my job in April, and got pregnant in July. I at least worked 1 year before i went on mat leave.
1. I'm Canadian so my answer probably isn't helpful/relevant. But i was eligible for the 17 week 70% top-up pay.
2. Work was understanding and they saw it coming. They figured, hey she recently got married, is in her early 30s...she's probably going to get knocked up soon.
3. I got a promotion before i went on my leave, so they took me seriously. It's all about how you are as an employee. I didn't let myself get mommy-tracked, and i am fortunate to have great bosses.
That being said, i got pregnant when i got the job offer but it resulted in a miscarriage (had my D&C 2 weeks into the job). Who knows how the news would have been received if everything went well with that pregnancy.
kiwi / 567 posts
I found out I was pregnant three days into a new job. I told my boss around 12 weeks, and they were all fine with it. I think people understand that life happens. In fact, my boss told me that it was easier to have me out for a few months early on than it would be in a few years when I was more integrated into the office. I was so so nervous to tell but it worked out just fine.
I took 6 months off. 6 weeks paid sick leave and then unpaid leave for the rest.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
I have a unique situation, but I got hired and pregnant in the same month. When the school year started, I was about 8 weeks and I told them at 12 weeks. I didn't have to earn my maternity leave, like some people do, I automatically got the illness time we are supposed to use. We do not pay in to state disability. So, I got 10 weeks off, some at full pay and most at half pay, came back to work on the last day of school, then had the summer off at full pay.
Now, I pay into a separate disability insurance, so when I take maternity leave this time, I will get my partial illness pay and disability.
apricot / 370 posts
I just found out I was pregnant when I started my new job at a well known university's medical school. my first 3 months there, I got good feedback and positive reviews, and then I told my 2 bosses, and they were happy and supportive. at 5 months, I was let go, saying I wasn't a good fit, it was shocking. I figured they wanted to get me out before i hit my 6 month employment mark, and they didn't want to pay for a temp while I was on maternity. i luckily still qualified for california disability and family medical leave (12 weeks total), because of my previous job before the university that I was at for 10 years, My brother in law who is a labor/contract attorney said I could fight the university, but I just let it go, the last thing I wanted when I was having a baby, was a lawsuit hanging over my head to worry about. it was for the best, we had saved for our rainy day, and I was able to be with the baby for nearly a year before I looked for a new job that would be more family friendly. Of course my career was slightly derailed since i wasn't working, but it's been 3 years now with my "new" company, and they're very supportive of my family priorities, while also maintaining a career.
grapefruit / 4066 posts
@MrsKoala: @blackbird: @dagret: @regberadaisy: @Freckles: @Little Misters Mom: @mrs. tictactoe: @kakimochi: thanks for sharing! it's helpful reading other peoples experiences and how it all went....Ideally I would like to work at a new job for a year before needing to take any leave, but it's good to hear stories about how it wasn't an issue if it happened before that timeframe, and it sounds like most companies are supportive.
@regberadaisy: @kakimochi: wow, that's crazy! that would be horrible if they did it because you were pregnant 
Stories like this definitely worry me, but you can't really predict something like that happening. That's awful, I'm sorry you had to go through that!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@NovBaby1112: I like to think it's not common. And I was one of of the lower wo/man on the totem pole. But I can't imagine my pregnancy didn't factor into me being chosen because of the money they would save. Kwim?
persimmon / 1099 posts
I was hired at around 28 weeks pregnant at my current job. It was a former employer but with a different manager and team. I will get 12 weeks of leave 10 of which will be paid as a combo of STD and vacation. I disclosed in my interview and work for a very family/woman friendly company. I actually am getting more leave time here than at my other job which is why I returned!!
blogger / honeydew / 7081 posts
So, this happened to me, but things are a little different because I'm in Canada. So I'll answer what I can.
I got pregnant two months after starting a job, and they were incredibly supportive (especially because I didn't tell them until 3 months, so I had been there awhile). I don't think it de-railed my career, but being off for a year's leave definitely made me miss out on some opportunities.
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