WHAT DO YOU DO?

[johannaviles]

Well, as some of you know, I live in the caribbean (Dominican Republic).  I work every day from 8am-5pm.  I dont get to go home for lunch, so I just get to see my husband and baby girl before work and at night.
Mu husband does the same, he leaves home before I do (7am)
You need to work real hard here to get a good life,  thank God we own our home and have "most of what we need"  but i would do anything to be a stay at home mom.  I know some of you ladies are and I think that is the most beautiful job ever: you're so lucky!

So I have questions: who works, where or doing what? who gets to stay at home?

Looking foward to get to know each other better!!!

[nikko*ttc]

I am a systems analyst at a state university in TN. We have great health care insurance. The prenatal and maternity costs out of pocket are going to be 120.00$. It was 20.00$ on my first OB appt and it will $100 for my hospital stay. I can take up to 3 months off, but if I want it paid for then I would need to use my vacation and sick days. I get 3 days a month of vacation and sick time. Right now it looks like I may get a month and a half paid. I have gone the SAHM route before and I just could not do it. I was too bored. I really enjoy my work and the people that I work with. So, I am looking forward to going back to work after maternity leave, but I am going to milk the entire three months unless I get bored of course. The posts about Australia really make me wish I lived there, but I understand the cost of living is fairly high in your area.

[johannaviles]

Can they fire you beeing pregnant?  By law, its impossible to do that here!  Wow, how rude!

[kelliestarr]

I'm not working right now but I miss working SO much. I actually got fired when my work found out I was pregnant so I've been out of work for 6 months. I HATE asking my boyfriend or other people for money I miss having my own money in my pocket. I can't wait to go back to work.

[Mea426]

Hi I'm a certified medical assistant and I work 40 hours a week in a rheumatology clinic downtown Seattle for 2 wonderful Dr.'s! I love what I do! :) Because of the traffic I get up around 5 AM to be at my job by 7:30 PM! I take my daughter to daycare but she will soon be in kindergarten but will still have to go to daycare part time. I was a stay at home mom for a while but needed to converse with other adults as well so I'm happy with how things are now. :)

[StacyCPHT]

Citibank... We are all over the world. 13wks paid mat leave 100%, 6wks short term dis 100% plus an addl 24wks at 60%...

[Mumita]

I don't have kids yet but I'm ttc.  I'm still considering which route to take whether to be a SAHM or continue working.  I work in HR for a big shoe retailer and I get great medical benefits BUT my paycheck really isn't enough for it to be worth it to continue working, considering the cost of gas and the child care that I would have to pay etc. I have made great friends here at my job though which I would miss a lot.
Fortunately my husband has a great job and great pay that would allow me to stay home until the kids are on their way to pre-shchool. We would be a little more tight but we'd be fine.

[Jen133]

I would love to , but I don't like to fly.  Matahambre is close to the capital around an area they call la feria o por el malecon.  

So yeah, I hate airplanes, specially after what happened on 9/11, is just very scary.  I have nightmares about airplanes.  But eventually I'll go.  My husband wants to meet my father.

[eel81]

i stay at home, and it is the most beautiful job ever. you see them bocome little people. it is so amazing. i don't criticise anyone for working. if that is what you need to do to survive then that is what you need to do. i am lucky i can be a stay at home mum, i am so well connected to my kids and their future, it is so wonderful.

[pmperez]

I am an Office Manager for a Naval Architect firm, I was working 40 hours a week, but my midwife just cut me down to 5 hour days, but I can work from home with the job that I do ..if I need to

[evthing4reason]

In Canada we get 1 year of maternity leave at about 60% of your pay. I will not be taking the year, i work as an esthetician so i have clients and work on commison, if i take the whole year off i will lose most of my clients and have to start over, i suspect i will take 3 months off after the baby and maybe 1 month before. My husband is entitiled to take the rest of the year off for paterinity leave but we will wait and see, my mom will be looking after my baby and i will probably work 3 days a week. We don't live outside of our means and i don't have to work full time, but i do have to work to keep my sanity (i need to be around people)

[johannaviles]

Cool!  finally someone from DR!  A question: I have asked and searched, and have no idea where matahambre is...
Dont you get to come for vacations?

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I am an administrative assistant here in Houston.  I have 5 kids and have had my last 2 while working here.  Due to the Family Leave Act, my company has to give me 12 weeks off when I have a baby.  They meet the requirement because we have more than 50 employees.  Many many more.  We are all over the world.  For a vaginal delivery, they pay you 60% for 6 weeks.  But they will use your vacation time first.  So, if you have 1 week of vacation time, they will use that your first week off and then pay you 60% for the next 5 weeks.  Then the next 6 weeks are without pay.  I am still grateful though because even though they have to give you the time off, they don't have to pay you for it.  We always use our income tax money for the time I am off.  That's how we make it, but by the time I get back to work, we are broke!!!  

I wish I could find something to do from home.  Half of what I bring home goes to my babysitter.  So, it's like I work 2 weeks for free.

I have been a SAHM before and enjoyed it but I had to get a job.  And now we have a lot more bills than we had then, so I can't stay home.  Plus I take care of our medical insurance through my company.  It is cheaper than my husband's.  The only thing about staying at home that was difficult was never getting a break and that I really missed adult conversation!!  LOL!

[agomez333]

So I work nights in an emergency room 2 eight hour shifts a week. I used to work 3 twelve hour shifts, but I brought all three og my kids home to homeschool so I can't work as much. I love working at night cause I can still sork and be home with the kids during the day. I get home at 3:30 am or so and I let the kids sleep in till 9 or 10 am then we get up and eat breakfast together and do school. I love it even though it is a busy life style. I haven't worked in 6 weeks per Dr.s orders but I should be able to returnto work by now. I do not have maternity leave unfortunately because I am not on staff but I am a peir diem/pool employee... in an er though there is always a need for more people. I will be working until I can't work anymore though...

[Jonelle143]

i am an assistant program director for a group home here in MA. I work 5 days a week and i work until 6-7 each night. my DH is an auto tech who works 5 days a week as well til 7 or later..... my work does not have maternity leave so i will take whatever sick time i have use it then work form home to help my job doing paper work but will not make a full 40hr. i will do this for 8 weeks then luckily my mom and my aunt work from home and have offered to take care of the baby b/c i refuse to put the baby into daycare until at least 3 or older. luckily there is enough people around us to help us.... i am due in Feb so the winter is gonna kill me... but luckily that is a slower time at work....

[Avanaar]

Right now I'm a SAHM and I'm trying to get my in-home child care up and running.  Hubby suggested it before I moved out here because he doesn't want me having to make other people money.  =D  Plus he's worried about me driving in the snow during the winter since I'm a Florida girl.  =D  I worked at a place called Childtime while I was in Florida and really love working with preschool kids.  And having my own in-home child care allows me to 1. do what I love and 2. have my kids with me (when I have them!).

[durhamjk1]

I am a teacher too, so I have summer's off and I have to go back to work August 25th.  I am due late november, but they recently moved my edd to december 6th - so I plan on taking off after thanksgiving break until the first of February (I have 35 sick days saved up plus 2 weeks off for christmas = roughly 9 weeks off maternity leave).  I will have to work for about 4 months and then get  3 more months off with my baby (summer again).  

[Jen133]

Hey Johan,

You live in my country, even though I have not been there since I was 12.  I'm 26 I have an eight year little girl and I'm trying for the second one but is not happening.  Whenever God wants, then it will be.

Well I live in New York and I'm an Administrative Assistant to an Orthopaedic Hand surgeon.  My husban is a supervisor in this big company called USA signs.  He make the "barnes & Noble" signs, the "Payless Shoe Source sign and all those other.

I didn't  know that in DR you get a 12 week paid maternity leave.  I should live over there then.  I would get the same here but is not 100% paid.  It *****.  

By the way if you're ever by a little pueblo they call "matahambre" tell my dad I said hello :-)

[toes33107]

I am a teacher, so I have the summers off!  I found out I am pregnant at the end of June, so I will be due in March.  I will be taking the rest of the school year off once I have the baby, because I have saved up my sick days throughout my years of teaching.  So, it is paid because they're my sick days.  Unfortunately, I will use the majority of them for this first baby and not have many saved up for a second baby in a few years...hopefully!  That's the way it goes, I guess!

[BTS1022]

I am a SAHM although I have worked before. When DH was in the Army I was working as a veterinary technician, I also cleaned houses for extra income. Now that I am pregnant I will continue to be a SAHM until the baby is atleast 2 yrs old. After that I plan on going back to work. My DH as of now is 100% disabled and doesn't work either.

I plan on finding something to do so I can work from home and make some extra money.

[elementus]

hello ladies, I work 8am-6pm as a customer care office in a logistic firm in Lagos Nigeria(west Africa) I dont enjoy most of the benefit you all get. I have a 12wks maternity without pay. I have to pay for all hospital bills for L&D and any other treament inclusive. However life in Africa is very different and quite stressful. The state Government of where I live (Lagos) pays for consultantion and its quite cheaper to use the government hospital than a private hospital because they have more experince doctors and treat lager numbers of different cases than private hospitals in Africa.

I am married and my husband works 8am-4pm but i dont think I can be a SAHM because we cant afford it and I want the very best for my child, up till now I have not been able to know the sex of my baby and am 23wks. The doctor have not given me the approval for an U/S though I can do this on my own but i just want to wait I guess am not in a hurry to know the sex of the baby yet.

I wish I can have a maternity level of 12wks with pay. I hope I have not bore you all with my story, just to let you all know that I enjoy this forum always.

[taken062406]

I am a IT recruiter in a small office and I am fortunate enough to get 6 weeks paid maternity leave (my boss is being really cool about everything).  But since my work is all over the internet I will have to work some while I am on maternity leave, for instance when Chloe is sleeping.  But when I do go back to work I will be able to bring her to work with me.  So I wont have to have a baby sitter.  Thank god.  My DH just finally found a welding job.  He got laid off 4 months ago and hasnt been able to find a job.  We live in a small town and with gas prices, we couldnt afford for him to drive 30 miles to work and back everyday.  I am so thankful he found a really good job.  Things are going to still be pretty rough when we add a newborn in to the mix.  We also have three full grown boxers and a cat.  Our dogs are very needy.  and eat a ton of food.

[nursekim]

I am a nurse on a cardiac unit.  I work 3 twelve hour shifts a week, but I am currently on 12 weeks maternity leave.

[LauraB78]

Don't ever move to the states. We DO NOT have benefits like that..

My health insurance doesn't cover the birth of my child in full.,., I have a $1,000. L&D deductible. I get NO Paid maternity leave.. In fact, when I have Dr. appt.'s I have to work through my lunch break so I don't get docked time.. I am starting to think I should move to another country. Seems like quality of life is much better!

[honey1982]

yes its six weeks paid.