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Maternity Leave: Quitting Work Before Your Due Date?
December 11, 2008 at 12:10 PM by Cafe Melisa - Comments (10)
I just read a post on workitmom about a woman who's out on maternity leave -- but her baby's not here yet. She quit work ten days before her due date, and is wondering now how to fill the time before the baby arrives. Relax? Run a million errands? Do some last-minute cleaning/nesting?
I quit work two days before my due date, and then was two weeks late, so I ended up having more time on my hands than I had expected. I alternated between getting stuff done and getting in some R&R (although we already had a two-year-old, so it wasn't all peace and quiet and feet propped up on the coffee table.)
Moms around here have been talking about when to start maternity leave, too -- some plan to work right up until the baby comes and some plan to take a little time for themselves.
What about you? How long before your due date will you quit work? How will you spend the time?
FILED UNDER: maternity leave
Comments:
With my first, I actually quit work (as in I wasn't going back) a week before my daughter was born. My parents were in town for her birth, so I spent the time with them. She ended up being born right on her due date.
With my second, I planned to quit my job when she was born. I ended up working until the day that she was born. I almost had my baby in the prison (I was a prison librarian)! She came over a week early, so I really wasn't prepared.
With both kids, I got some paid maternity leave, short term disability (first child only) and vacation time. With my first, I was still getting paid well in October when she was born at the end of July.
I will work up until I am having the baby. I work in a medical facility where technically we are capable of delivering here so I have been warning them to watch out lol. But with my first I was restricted and the second I left like a week before he came. It was really ansy those last couple of days having to wait!
With my first I worked until 2 wks before my due date; however my office was an hour drive from my home and I told them I had NO intention of going into Labor by myself on the interstate!! I was however; due to the administrative nature of my job; able to continue to work PT from home via a remote PC connection to the office.
I'm planning on working until they tell me I can't. I'm more high risk since I'm 37 and overweight. Hopefully I can make it until late May so I won't lose too much time with my students, but then I'll have June through August with the baby before I have to go back to work.
My sister got laid off while on maternity leave! And she worked past her due date! Baby was late. It was scary times because she was the bread-winner and there she was with her first child and without a job to go back to!
Luckily she found a new job over time, but she had a hard time going on interviews...and not a lot of people want to hire a brand new mom who was nursing.
I worked up until my due date (worked on Friday and had my son on Sunday) last time and will try to do the same this time. I'd rather have the time at home after the baby is born than before. But, we'll have to see how I'm feeling - you never know.
With my first I worked right up until the end. My last day of work was Thursday and I went into labor on Saturday. With my second I went 3 weeks early -- so not only was I at work on the day I gave birth - I was telling people to "hold their thought" until my contraction passed. I was in complete denial that I was in labor.
I am having a scheduled c-section so I will go on my maternity leave the day before the baby comes.
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I am planning on working up until I have the baby. I did this with my first child and didn't have a problem. I like having all of my maternity leave at home with my baby. This one is a little different because right now I am only working three days a week due to being on restricted activity so I will definitely work until the baby comes.
RoseAsh Dec. 11, 2008 at 12:39 PM