How do you decide how much time to take for maternity leave? How much time is enough to recover from having a baby?

How much time will you need to bond with your new precious baby? These are questions you may be asking yourself as you try to figure out maternity leave – especially as a first-time mother, working outside the home.

I asked myself these questions too. Especially with my first pregnancy as I tried to figure out how much time to take for maternity leave.
It was easier to decide for me with my second pregnancy. I had an idea of what to expect and learned from my first experience.

IT’S-A PERSONAL DECISION

Figuring out how much time to take off from work when you have a baby is a Personal Decision. Take as much time as You Need (and Can Take) to Recover and Bond with your new baby.

They’re several factors to consider that will help guide you on how much time to take:

LEARN HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE AND CAN TAKE

• First, figure out how much time you have and can take. Review FMLA, your company’s policy, your benefits, vacation, sick and personal leave. While preparing to tell my manager I was expecting. I created a plan to present to her for my maternity leave, I realized how little I knew.

I wrote about researching Maternity Leave, FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), Short Term Disability, Insurance and Vacation Time off Policy in my post on When to Tell Your Boss, You’re Pregnant.

It is imperative for you to know how your maternity leave is calculated.  And how you will get paid while you’re on leave. Do your research and educate yourself on how much time you have and can take.

 

 

 

DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR HUSBAND

Discuss your options with your husband and you both decide together how much time works best for your family.

After conducting my research and learning my options for maternity leave, I thought eight weeks would be good. It was more than the six weeks given for regular birth.

My job and work responsibilities influenced my decision on how much time to take off.
I was fortunate to love and enjoy my job. I was some bit of a workaholic.
I managed a career services department for two college campuses and online. I was responsible for my team and over 2000 student’s career development – during my first pregnancy. I was also working on a national project for my organization.

Fortunately, making the decision wasn’t only mine alone to bear. I have a wonderful husband as my partner in life. We discussed our options and checked our finances and we could afford for me to take the full 12 weeks given by FMLA.

However, I did not feel comfortable been away from my job for that long. I ended up taking 10 weeks off with my first baby. I took the full 12 weeks off with my second baby.
I was in a role with less responsibility and now had a toddler and a newborn to care for.

With kids, came a deeper awareness. Having young kids who needed me that was growing fast like wildfire started a shift my thinking. I was working 60+ hours a week before having my girls – and had no qualms with it.

However, when you have little persons who literally depend on you for their survival and development you start to question your priorities.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU NEED UNTIL…

• Keep in mind that you may not know how much time you NEED until after your baby is born.

I was sure I was going to have a regular birth. I wanted to have a natural birth and considered having our baby in a birthing center. I ended up working with a Doula who is also a Certified Mid Wife along with my OBGYN and settled on a hospital birth. I had my Birth Plan – several copies to ensure everyone followed the plan.

My baby didn’t get the memo though. She had her own plans. I labored for 26 hours and ended up having a C-Section. I was thankful for the 10 weeks to recover, bond with my munchkin and try and figure out how to care for her.

TIME NEEDED VS TIME CAN AFFORD

• Consider, how much time you need vs. how much time you can afford to take.

You Need
Each woman’s labor, delivery, and recovery is different. Some of us bounce back faster and some of us need more time. We may have other factors to consider. With the needs and health of our baby as well.  These are a few factors that could determine how much time off you need for maternity leave.

Affordability
Your compensation from your job, while you are on maternity leave, depends on your Short-Term Disability Coverage and your available vacation time off. You may want to take your full 12 weeks of FMLA time, however, you will not be compensated for the full time off.

You would have to check your budget, savings, etc. to figure out if you can afford to not receive your paycheck for a few weeks.

HAVING SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW AND TRUST  – To Care for You Baby While You Work

• The support system you have to care for your new precious baby while you are away working can/will help you figure out how much time you can take for maternity leave.

My mother-in-law officially retired when we had our first baby. She came to stay with us and take care of the baby the week before I returned to work. I am forever grateful to her.
I did not have to leave my baby with a stranger. I did not have to figure out packing up the baby and all she needed for daycare and doing Drop-off and hustling to work on time.

I returned to work with a peace of mind.

It’s Such a Difference Leaving your baby with Strangers than Someone you
Know and Trust!

I was a MESS five months later when my mother-in-law left and I dropped my seven-month-old baby girl off to daycare for the first time. I was doing fine until I looked back and saw that she started to cry.

I couldn’t leave, and I didn’t want to make it worse for her by going back into her room.
I stood outside crying (as she cried) for almost two hours. This was the first time she was away from home and we both didn’t handle it well.

Who knows – maybe it was my hormones affecting me.

Our children are our most precious blessings. It is hard to hand them over to a stranger for the entire day – especially when they are babies.

When you have a trusted support system to help you care for your baby you may decide you can return earlier to work – from maternity leave.

Deciding how much time to take for maternity leave is subjected to each person and family.

It’s a Personal Decision to be Made by Each Mom and her husband.

THE BULLET POINTS FOR YOU BUSY MOMS:

Aka, The CLIFF NOTES:

I hope these tips will help you to evaluate your options and be ready to make the best decision for you and your family.

• Learn how much time off you have and can take by researching all your benefits for maternity leave.
  • Learn how much time you will have
  • Learn how much of your salary you will receive while on leave
  • Learn if you can use your vacation, sick and personal time towards your Maternity Leave
• Discuss your research findings with your husband. Decide together how much Maternity Leave works best for your family.
• Keep in mind that you May Not Know How Much Time you will NEED until after your baby is born. The type of birth and the health of you and your baby can make a difference.
• Figure out HOW MUCH TIME YOU WANT/NEED versus HOW MUCH TIME YOU CAN AFFORD.
• Having Support from Someone You Know and TRUST will help you figure out if you need to take your full 12 weeks granted by FMLA or the standard six or eight weeks.

As you review each point you can see that each person’s response will be different. You must Take as much time as You Need (and Can Take) to Recover and Bond with your baby.

 This post is written from the perspective of a mom that’s working outside the home. 

Please share other factors that helped you decide “How much time to take for maternity leave”.

Enjoy these precious moments as best as you can with your baby.

With warm regards,

Yamiek, aka, Tallawah Human