s/o working until labor

[Deleted]

Well, I stopped working 3 weeks before I went into labor (2 weeks before my due date). I still took 13 weeks off after DD was born. I had no FMLA protection anyway, so I took what I wanted.

Apparently my extended leave was one of the reasons my firm laid me off, which I found out later. Which, of course, is bordering on not legal in my state under our disability statute, but they gave me severance and leaving that firm was the best thing ever, so whatever.

[lishie]

I went a week late, but I was taking 16 weeks of leave. I was so miserable overdue, that I was fine with one week more of daycare, but the extended leave helped with my feelings of guilt.

[slug*bug]

I don't regret it, only because I have a job where my day-to-day responsibilities couldn't be transferred to anyone else (I'm a specialist with emergency-only backup.) Scheduling patients after my due date just didn't seem sensible on any front, so I made my EDD my last day both times.

With DD, I worked until my due date (a Friday) and went into labor promptly at 6:30 AM Monday, so that was no biggie. The first time, though, I went 10 days late (DS), the week that I didn't work was excruciating b/c all I did was go in for NSTs every 48 h. and worry in between.

If I knew now what I did then, I would've planned more activities for that week to stay busy/stop worrying...or if I had a different job, I would've tried to keep working to stay busy. But being my first, I really thought I would go into labor that week. When I didn't and had nothing planned b/c I thought I'd have a baby by then...my mind went nuts and I really worried far too much.

Toward the end of the week, when my doc started talking induction, I scheduled hair appts., movies with friends, etc. b/c I thought I had plenty of time until the baby would be born and my mood improved considerably (and I went into labor on my own, hallelujah.)

ETA: I wouldn't have been fully ready for DC anyway (both went at 6 wks.) so I don't think that would've played a role in my decision making.

[justjen]

May 21, 2012 11:01:49 GMT -5 littlespitfire said:

On the flip side, I'm not sure how I will feel commuting into NYC via subway when I'm 40+ weeks.

This is me too. 1.25 hours each way (train --> path train --> subway or 1-mile walk, depending on my mood/the weather)...

Right now I'm planning to go until labor, but considering I'm due in August, I really hope I'm not completely miserable at the end...

[rootbeerfloat]

Sort of. I wasn't ready to go back to work at 10 weeks. But H took 2 weeks of vacation time when I went back to work, so DS was almost 12 weeks when he started daycare.

[Deleted]

May 21, 2012 11:08:04 GMT -5 littlespitfire said:

May 21, 2012 11:04:46 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Well, I stopped working 3 weeks before I went into labor (2 weeks before my due date). I still took 13 weeks off after DD was born. I had no FMLA protection anyway, so I took what I wanted.

Apparently my extended leave was one of the reasons my firm laid me off, which I found out later. Which, of course, is bordering on not legal in my state under our disability statute, but they gave me severance and leaving that firm was the best thing ever, so whatever.

I'm glad it worked out for you in the long term, but that sucks. I would, however, see the same thing happening to me if I tried to take off more than 12 weeks total.

Stinks. But it may be for the best? It was for me.