@ Week of 8/6

[katespade]

What's up?

[katespade]

I'm starting to think about my plan for maternity leave, because I'm getting close to needing to start letting people know about it. I haven't announced at work yet and I'm hoping to wait until I'm at least 24 weeks to do so, which doesn't leave me with a ton of time to figure out cross-training and work-load transitions and everything else that'll go into me being gone for X amount of time. Especially with the end of the year holidays and people out on PTO and office closures and all that. I'm honestly a bit concerned about how maternity leave is going to impact my job security, but I also don't want to cut my leave time short and regret it.

How long were you out for maternity leave? Did you come back part-time first or go straight back to full-time? Paid? Unpaid? A combination of the two? Was your leadership team supportive of your time off?

[luv2rn4fun]

katespade- my manager knew I was pregnant from the very beginning (also knew about my losses and we had moved far away because I had planned to quit once C was born). Anyways, I told him immediately because I altered my schedule so I worked two days consecutively in office, two days per week at home and took Fridays off. The two days in office were worked around best for company and OB appointments (which were walking distance from work).

So, my boss knew I was quitting before I even got pregnant LOL. He was super supportive (and I was the only one doing my role, they hired a temp I think while on leave and then a FT replacement).

My leave was paid, although I think not full salary (I forget how it worked...I took 4 weeks off pre EDD for pregnancy disability because of my long drive, 8 weeks for c section, and 6 weeks for bonding). I wouldn’t really consider shortening leave...it’s a special time and chaotic all at the same time. Work will always be there (even in the worst case scenario. I also wouldn’t want to work for someone that would jeopardize my livelihood while on maternity leave...).

If you have the option and can afford to go back part time, that’s great! If not, take as long as you can and want to take off and then go back full time.

In my case (with a male manager), my entire team and organization was super supportive! It helped that he had younger kids and his wife also quit to SAH after they realized how much it would help with the stress of having two working parents (and her income wasn’t really giving them that much more money once daycare and other expenses were accounted for).

[pooh8402]

Aug 8, 2018 16:54:57 GMT -5 katespade said:

I'm starting to think about my plan for maternity leave, because I'm getting close to needing to start letting people know about it. I haven't announced at work yet and I'm hoping to wait until I'm at least 24 weeks to do so, which doesn't leave me with a ton of time to figure out cross-training and work-load transitions and everything else that'll go into me being gone for X amount of time. Especially with the end of the year holidays and people out on PTO and office closures and all that. I'm honestly a bit concerned about how maternity leave is going to impact my job security, but I also don't want to cut my leave time short and regret it.

How long were you out for maternity leave? Did you come back part-time first or go straight back to full-time? Paid? Unpaid? A combination of the two? Was your leadership team supportive of your time off?

I took 11 weeks 5 days.
Came back full time.
My leave was mostly paid, through a combination of short term disability and my saved PTO. My PTO ran out so the last week was unpaid.
Very supportive. I'm a nurse, so like half the staff on any given unit are women of childbearing age.


This go round, I'm planning to take my full 12 weeks, come back part time (because I'm in school as well). I have short term disability again but very little PTO saved up so I imagine that it will only be half paid. I'll have to sit down with HR soon to discuss options and after that, let my manager know of my plan to be part time.

[krystee]

My company offers 12 weeks paid, and you can use PTO on top of that if your manager approves, but everyone gets 12 weeks no matter what.

[melsamoony]

I took 12 weeks and it was mostly unpaid.

I came back 3 days/week the first week which was a good way to ease in. I worked Monday off Tuesday and then worked Wednesday and Thursday.

I returned to a 4 day/week work week which was down from 5. I met with my boss while I was on leave before returning and he was very supportive. I am a manager so it was a little difficult to adjust my responsibilities to fit into 4 days and find coverage for the day I didn't work but it has been fine.

This time I plan to do the exact same thing. 12 weeks off with a 3 day work week for my first week back then back to 4 days/week.

[ewall]

I'm taking 16 weeks. 2 weeks prior to birth so DD will be 14 weeks when I return.

2 weeks prior (could have taken 4) plus 8 weeks post for 10 weeks of STD. Then 6 weeks of parental leave. All of it paid, a percentage of my normal salary.

I will go back full time. With DS, I returned at 11 weeks, and my second day back was overnight travel. I am looking forward to going back again!

[grover]

Baby A and Baby B had matching heartrates today, at 117 bpm. My due date got moved up one day. It's crazy to think in 7-8 months I'll have three littles.


With A, I took 6 days off before induction because I was miserable. Then ten weeks after (technically 9 weeks + spring break) got me to summer break. Only was paid for the days I had of PTO left.

This time, I had planned on only taking 5 weeks + spring break for a total of six weeks, but that was before I found out there were two. That's exactly how much PTO I have IF I don't use any at all between next week and March.

[Blue Moon]

grover, I somehow missed you were pregnant with TWINS! Congratulations, that is so exciting!

[grover]

Blue Moon, It's crazy, to think we're going from 1 to 3!! I announced on the FB group originally just because we hadn't told all family yet.

[estrellita]

katespade I'm a total outlier here but my maternity leave was 18 weeks fully paid (I got 12 with E). First week is PTO, then short term disability up to 12 weeks, then company paid time for the remaining 6 weeks. I went out the day I was induced (unexpectedly, went to the hospital for some pain and didn't leave again for 6 days, lol). Well, technically I ended up taking 2 extra PTO days because my leave didn't actually start until the day she was born, and I just didn't fill out the paperwork to have to start the day I was induced. I went back full time right away, on a Fri both times which was nice!

[HoneySpider]

Since I work for myself I don't get maternity leave, womp womp. At least this time I am only working 1 job vs 2 when I had R and it makes a huge difference. While I am thrilled that DH has 6 weeks off this time, I am also jealous. (In all fairness he does a ton with the kids/around the house but it's just hard sometimes to have to work when he doesn't have to!)

[pooh8402]

Tried out the doppler today at work. Stupid anterior placenta was in the way (nice and strong flow there) so couldn't hear baby. Oh well, I'll try again in a week.

[estrellita]

pooh8402 I had an anterior placenta both times! Didn't seem to affect things with E but with A they had trouble finding her heartbeat and it took forever to feel her kick!

[katespade]

PSA: Chicco KeyFit 30 Zip Air Infant Car Seat is $129 on Amazon today (regular price: $239)

smile.amazon.com/Chicco-KeyFit-Infant-Seat-Surf/dp/B078T4LL67/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533913601&sr=8-7&keywords=chicco+keyfit

[krystee]

We had moved E to his crib but then back to our room when he got a cold and was teething badly. We put him back in his room last night, and he slept through the night and I did too! I normally wake up a thousand times when he rolls/coughs/shifts/whatever, plus the one to three times he wakes up because of teething. The second tooth is officially through so I think the pain is mostly gone and he can sleep again. It was heavenly.

I am at a local play place/carousel today, and I am reminded of how sweet J is. He keeps stopping whatever he is playing with to come give me a hug. I love this kid.

[katespade]

krystee - Awwwww! Yay for E sleeping through the night and for a great day at the carousel.

[katespade]

Also, I officially can't button any of my pants anymore.

[estrellita]

E flipped me off today. Like, with meaning. I was trying to get him to eat his lunch and he got mad. He looked down at his hand, put his middle finger up, and pushed his hand toward me. Wtf! I don't think he fully understands it of course but he obviously knows it's something people do when they're mad. I'm pretty sure he got it from the daycare kids.. it's possible he's seen me do it a few times in the car (I really try not to, especially with them in the car, but things happen..) but not that often. I told him to NEVER do that again and once he calmed down I explained that it's a very mean thing to do. I'm half laughing about it and half horrified.. sigh.

[katespade]

Oh my gosh, estrellita!!! I feel like that’s a moment when you don’t know whether to be proud, mortified, or thankful that he didn’t do it in a public place. 😂

[grover]

Aug 10, 2018 13:29:20 GMT -5 katespade said:

Also, I officially can't button any of my pants anymore.

Same here. I have no idea what I'm going to wear to work starting Wednesday.

[estrellita]

Aug 10, 2018 19:28:47 GMT -5 katespade said:

Oh my gosh, estrellita!!! I feel like that’s a moment when you don’t know whether to be proud, mortified, or thankful that he didn’t do it in a public place. 😂

It was actually in a public place, but there was no one there really lol. We were at a science center eating lunch in the cafe. No one else was eating and the workers were mostly off in the back. I'm sure they heard him crying though and probably wondered what was going on, haha. He was really tired.. after all that I asked him to take a few big bites and he started crying again because "I don't have a big mouth" 😂

[luv2rn4fun]

C woke up at 6, which is early for him and before I am willing to deal with any of them (usually I get L up around 6:30 and C either wakes up sometime around then or I get him up by 7 so he will nap). I went in there and told him it was still sleep time and gave him some books. He wasn’t thrilled but it worked.

Before summer they were going to bed by 7:15/7:30, now C is closer to 8...so my days are longer (and when L was born C was on a 6:30/7-7 schedule). I am not about to start welcoming even earlier mornings.

[krystee]

Apparently I was snoring last night so I told H I'd go sleep with J. That meant he was the only one with the baby monitor, so he got up for the 5:30 am bottle while J and I slept until 8 am. I should do that more often.

I think my favorite moment of motherhood was last night. J threw his arms around all of us on the couch, and said, "I love that we're family!"

[estrellita]

So we started a chart for E's accidents. He got underwear back after 3 days of no accidents (it took maybe 5 days but he did it!). Next step is 10 for a prize. He's been doing really well! My friend let him cuddle with one of her stuffed animals (Gidget from The Secret Life of Pets) and now he wants that, lol. We've also been making it a big deal.. I've told him I'm proud of him about 10 million times in the last week and we even called my mom to tell her how he was doing! Hopefully we will be done with this now!

[luv2rn4fun]

It’s been smoky here every morning (air quality actually has looked ok the past 2-3 days but you can still smell smoke until about 9-10a and then again around 7p). So, I haven’t run the last two days and we have hardly been out of the house much since last weekend really (I did run Mon, Tues and Thurs, we did groceries on Monday...but that’s it). We are all going stir crazy! Hoping I can convince DH to get out of the house after naps, either for dinner or something (we talked about going to our favorite pizza/beer spot and then watching the sunset but we need C to nap and so far he isn’t).

Also, the marathon I keep going back and forth on for 2019 (if I even do a marathon) opened registration Weds. it’s so tempting to sign up but I don’t know how realistic it is to do the long runs (2-3 hours every week). Not only is it a time commitment but also a “do I have the energy to train AND do my job as full time SAHM and all the home obligations. Doesn’t help that DH thinks it’s too much right now.

[katespade]

I’ve spent way too much money this weekend. lol.

Today, I bought a set of 22 pocket diapers and 26 inserts for $80 (she also threw in an extra box of miscellaneous cloth diaper stuff, including 3 covers, 1 fitted, at least 30 cloth wipes, and a bunch of disposable liners).

So, question: Is 22 pockets and 26 inserts enough if I plan to wash every 1-2 days, or do I need more? If so, how many more of each would you recommend?

[estrellita]

katespade I'd say that's probably enough with washing that often. Depends on the baby but in general they get changed every 2 hours or so (more often at first, again depending on the baby). So I'd probably assume you'd go through half in a day. Once they get a little older you won't have to change quite as often. I love that you're cloth diapering!

ETA sorry, misread the amount but if you wash daily or every other day you'll probably be ok. We have.. more than that. Lol. I don't even know how many because we have mostly pockets but I got some all in ones to use at daycare, and got prefolds with covers for A but couldn't figure them out so they use them at DC!

[katespade]

estrellita - I’m thinking I might go ahead and add some of both pockets and liners to our registry as a gift option, but I won’t go out of my way to track down more now that I have a decent amount to start with.

Right now, I’m mostly really excited about the idea of not having to worry about buying diapers later. LOL.