Member Questions

I'm still on maternity leave with my baby #4 and he's 2 and a half years old now. I know you're probably laughing, but I feel it's so very important to have those moments with your baby that no money or status can replace it.

For all 4 of my children I was able to spend the first year of their lives at home with them and I can honestly say each situation was different as I was working in diff't places, but my baby came first and even if I had to sacrifice money for time with my child - it was worth it!

I quit my last job when I found out I was pregnant three years ago and I haven't looked back since. Jobs don't care about you personally all they care about is meeting quotas and profit margins. You've got to put your family first even if that means sacrificing a little bit. It all works out in the long run for the child who doesn't measure your love by the type of designer baby bottles and clothes you put on them, but by the amount of time you spent with them in their formidable years swinging on the swings at the playgound and praising them for the handmade card they made especially for you. No paycheck can replace that.

I took 8 weeks of medical leave with my first one. Unbeknownst to me, we're also eligible for an additional four weeks of 'New Family Leave'. I'm a bit irked noone told me about that during the time that I was asking benefits questions.

I intend to take everything I'm eligible to this time. I will miss my work, but, I will take every moment with my next baby that I can. Luckily, I will be home over Christmas break this year, so I won't have to sign up my first with a daycare center while I'm at work.

I'll save bukoo bucks being on leave. Childcare and infant care is so expensive (but, obviously worth it for good care for our kids).

I got 8 weeks off (I had a c-section). I had 6 weeks of full pay, 1 week of half pay and 1 week of no pay. I would have gone back after 6 weeks, but my doctor wouldn't let me. I didn't really have a choice, we need the money.

I had no real maternity leave and it is something that still angers me until this day because I didn't set stronger boundaries with the company I worked for. My first son was born on wednesday and was premature - because of complications we both stayed in the hospital for a week...him actually for three...but my office started faxing me the next day...with my second son, I gave birth on sunday, came home on monday and tuesday my office had set up a conference call with a group of lawyers about a deal that went wrong and i was fuzzy, but on the phone then. I look back and go - what the heck was wrong with me -- but I was so tired, so frustrated, so overworked that it was easier just to pick up and keep going...but take the time if you can get it and take it from me - I won no award or made any more money and was just left with a lot of regret....xoxo