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I'm not sure how helpful this is, since we haven't actually done this...but our plan if we have a third is for my husband to take a week off initially and then plan to take more leave a month or two (or maybe more?) later. With both of our girls so far, he took just two weeks off straight away. With our first, I really needed his help those first couple weeks because I had a difficult delivery and was in rough shape. With my second, I felt like I would have been okay without him after just a few days if he'd really needed to go back to work. It was a totally different experience.

With both of our girls, the first 3-4 weeks (though exhausting), I felt like I was still running on adrenaline and could power through pretty well. I struggled way more after the accumulated lack of sleep caught up to me and when they became fussier around 4-6 weeks old. I would have killed for my husband to be home for a bit when my second daughter was about two months old. She was a pretty easy newborn in the first few weeks, but became a dreadful sleeper and was only really content through the day and night if I held her, preferably while bouncing/moving. I would have loved another pair of hands at that point! The novelty of the baby had also worn off for my older daughter at the time, and she was acting out a bunch more...so I feel like it would have been a welcome relief to have more help on that front too.

I would do later for him, like you said to just pick up extra $ if you're nervous about money. Besides not sleeping and feeding 24/7, I actually think the 1st month is pretty easy as baby is sleeping all the time and you'd have help with household stuff & your DD.

I went through 2 maternity leaves with zero pay; it will be okay!

I had a similar experience to @caitcat and we did what she said they plan to do. My DH took the first week off, then sprinkled his remaining time in later when our moms had gone home and I didn't have other help and sleep deprivation was weighing on me. It worked well for us.

With my second, my husband had just started a new job at his company so he took off maybe 3-4 days when the baby arrived and then used the rest of his time at the end of my leave to help with my transition back to work. My husband actually had a job that involved a lot of travel at the time and my 4 year old was also adding to the nightly wake-ups. I ended up having my mom stay with us a few times when my husband had longer business trips (but also because I had postpartum complications and was back in the hospital 6 weeks after childbirth). My 4 year old had daily preschool so I didn't need to be the sole source of his daily entertainment, which also helped. I'd probably take the family help and have DH take advantage of a lucrative financial time to be working.

Def think it’s a great plan to have DH take 1-2 weeks right away and then save the rest of the leave for later. I had a c-section and was totally fine a week later, even with our three year old home most of the time (though I didn’t drive until after my 2 week check up. I could have before then, the only thing my OB would have been worried about was if I was on narcotic painkillers but I jut took ibuprofen). . And if you think you’ll hVe help, even better. I have family around but just never really needed or asked for help after either of my kids were born.

It would have been amazing if post the initial 2 weeks home my husband had had a second longer leave later on! Also If you wait and you’re in a better financial position due to overtime you might be able to do some family travel or more fun activities. Whatever you decide, good luck!