Going back to work... or staying at home?!

Question

The economy stinks (at least in the US) so I was wondering if any of you had plans to go back to work, or to find a job after your LO arrives?! Or do you plan on being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom)?

Tell me about it! Your worries, fears, excitement, etc.

tivey · Answer

Its unfair  - it should be consistent everywhere for women as we all have the same issues to deal with and in some places half of the workforce...

J_MO · Answer

I am going back to work in January.  BOO

moni81 · Answer

I live in India. We have 12 weeks of maternity leave with full pay. That too I am a permanent employee in my organisation and that is why I am being paid. Temporary employees are not paid during their leave.

JoyRenee · Answer

DANG! In American you get up to 8-12 weeks of maternity leave. Some is paid and some may not be paid.

tivey · Answer

Hi Moni, I know I am so lucky I keep thinking someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say there has been a mistake. It's usually 16 weeks here (went up from 12 to 16 last year) what is it where you are?

moni81 · Answer

26 weeks of full pay is wonderful. You can spend your full time with your baby and later on go to job when the baby is one year old. If planning to breastfeed, your baby will be very healthy with your nursing. That's very great. Hope I too had that chance but not possible.

tivey · Answer

I am almost 33 week and will work until 38 weeks if possible. Its typical here in Singapore and Asia to work til you drop ! I am really lucky as I am on a UK contract I will get 26 weeks off full pay. I will come back to work for sure I love my job and independence but with number 2 (hopefully) I will take a couple of years out if possible - all depends on money off course but at the moment I don't have the option to a SAHM but I am totally fine with that.

moni81 · Answer

I am 33 weeks now and planning to go to my work till 37 or 38 weeks. Afterwards I will take maternity leave and it will be given for 90 days with full pay.

britni84 · Answer

I started maternity leave at the end of July, my company won't allow me to fly into the 3rd trimester. I'm taking a leave of absense after she arrives that is a minimum of a year but up to 5. So after a year we are going to look and see if I want to go back to flying or take the full five years, have another baby and then go back to work! I think I'm pretty fortunate to have the option of being a SAHM for a few years and still go back to work if I want to. I'm excited to stay at home with her for at least a year!

JoyRenee · Answer

Avik- you will love it!

avik7 · Answer

im going to be a stay at home mommy! im really excited..i havent worked in 2 yrs itll be fun not being home alone and being able to spend so much time with my little boy!

JoyRenee · Answer

Nicole- I bet you'll find something great! Don't stress about it and take your time.

JoyRenee · Answer

It is illegal for them to do that. Unfortunately I didn't know that at the time. I was only 19 and didn't really know anything about maternity leave or maternity laws in the workplace. Otherwise I may have spoken up!

nicole179 · Answer

i totally agree, i can not believe that anyone would fire someonew these days for being pregnant!! that's illegal isn't it?  my job allows 12 weeks off, only 5 or 6 are paid.  which would mean if i actually go on, or relatively close to my due date, i would be back to work the first week of december. since i can only imagine we'll need the money for christmas shopping and mortgage, but i could stay out until 2nd week of january. ideally i would love to be out for atleast that long.  there is absolutley no way we could afford my staying at home full time after our little guy is born!  we are house poor!! lol! i have been trying to think of things i do instead of coming back to work at my job, which would bring in the most money and give me more time to be at home.  i thought about going back to waitressing because i always made really good $, i could work nights and eliminate daycare costs, but would have no benefits again. or i wish i could find something i would really love doing or could do from home, i just haven't come up with anything yet!!

oceanv · Answer

Yet again I am horrified at the treatment that some US women get when they announce that they are pregnant....... good grief. How is firing even allowed???

Anyway,
I'm going back to work, I was going to take off til August 2010 (from Sept 09) but my husband got laid off in Feb, things haven't picked up for  him as anticipated and the rest of our lives went down the crapper in one way or another June / July so I'm probably going back to work full-time in February, with me trying to work his "off" hours. so that means if he keeps at the same job he just got I'll do weekends and evenings. I was so stressed out in June that my boss was ready to agree to anything just so that I didn't have a nervous breakdown. I just hired my replacement and she's got a min 6 month contract so we're good to go. I'm a one woman accounting department so I'll still be going in to do month ends and year end anyway.  2009 has not been my favorite year, I despise what its done to us financially.

JoyRenee · Answer

Well to answer my own question... I was working in a coffee house, as the cook (we served food/pastries, not just coffee) when I got pregnant with my first daughter. Once I told my boss I was pregnant, I could see her shock. She, herself, got pregnant young and gave up her own daughter for adoption. So I don't know if she did this out of spite or what, but she fired me a few days later and told me, "You're not happy here and you'd be quitting in a few months anyway. Let's just save everyone's time and call it quits."

So... that was the last job I had and it was 5 years ago. I've been a SAHM ever since. I do some cleaning and administrative work at our church, where my husband is a youth pastor. But it's only $30 they can pay me in a month and I don't go in every month. I did start my own jewelry business at home, making hand-stamped sterling silver jewelry on Etsy but I have put my shop on hold. I've got my hands very full and the jewelry was more of a hobby.

I enjoy being a SAHM to an extent. I wish we had two cars because I feel trapped here all day, everyday (no park nearby to walk to, for example). I like to stay busy so being here all the time does give me some major cabin fever. But I enjoy seeing my kids grow and being their primary caregiver.

JoyRenee · Answer

Claire- I used to work at a nursing home but not as a CNA. I worked in Nutrition Services (which I'm sure you know means the kitchen people). So I understand how you're constantly go, go, go with a job like that! I'm glad you're not working so hard and I'm sure hubby understands.

chantal21 · Answer

The only job I had was  before me and my husband got married in 2006. Once we got married, I just helped him with his flooring business. I worked until about a month before I had my son. Then my brother was able to take over and do all the office work for us. we closed our store and moved it to our home now since it was beginning to get pretty expensive with the store in this economy. Once my son arrived, I was officially a SAHM. My husband always said that once we had kids, I wouldn't have to work anymore. But since we run our  business out of our home, when my brother isn't able to come in, I am able to do some work, so it all works out. I am very thankful that I do not have to be out there working and sending my kids off to someone else. I hope it continues to work this way. My kids are my life and my job! =) No sick days are allowed for moms. ;) I'm excited and nervous to be a mommy of two! I hope things continue to work out the way they have been.

claire38 · Answer

My nursing home work (cna) was starting to hurt my back and make my feet/legs/ankles swell at about 5 months!! so at 6 i asked to be cut to short shift witch is 330-9 instead of 230-11 but they highered to many short cnas so she put me on call and said if any one calls in i will be the 1st to know well i at 8 months now and only one time i got a call and that was for a morning shift which i had a summer class in morning to go to so i couldnt work. i plan to go back to work when mhy little girl is 3 or 4 months part time pm shift since i will be doing generals for nursing come the spring. dh has been working alot and i feel bad that i not pitching in with the income. but we talked it over a bit and we decided to look at it as my on currently working is better and safer for our little girl than working as a cna. less stress, not lifting ppl, no icky germs ect..

Nini2686 · Answer

Well I was at my job for four years and two months after I told them I was pregnant they hired a new girl, fired me and she took over my position. Nice right? So right now I am collecting unemployment. Thankfully alot of people in my family own their own business so after unemployment is over I can easily find a job. I plan on being a SAHM for awhile though and I'm actually quite excited to do so. Everything happens for a reason I quess.

Going back to work... or staying at home?!

You are reading content posted in the Pregnancy: Oct 2009 Babies Community