Anyone else did/ is waiting till they get a...

full time job to get pregnant? We really can't afford to have a baby right now because I am a freelancer and that means I will not get a paid maternity leave nor will I have any job security after having a baby. I have been at this job for 2.5 years and I thought that by the end of this year they will make me a full time employee, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. We can't afford for me not to work and be a stay at home mom, nor, in all honesty, would I want to do it.

Anyone else is/was in the same situation?

If it makes you feel any better my total paid maternity leave was only $1000. Every company is different, but basically my employer did not pay me a dime, so I only got NYS disability for 6 weeks, which totaled to the $1000.

With that, if you really want to TTC now, would you be able to afford continuing to freelance as long as you're pregnant, and just take 2 months off after the baby is born before you start looking for a FT job?

Is your industry dominated by freelancing jobs vs. regular permanent jobs? If so, then it may not necessarily make sense to wait.

I do know someone who was employed and got laid off following pregnancy announcement, and she currently has a 1-year old and prego with another baby... When she wasn't prego and only had the first baby, she worked from home as a freelancer and it worked well for her

can somebody explain to me the nature of maternity leave? As we own our company, it doesn't really apply. I am going to be working from home I think ..maybe coming back - not quite sure.

I am just curious. How does it work? Do they have to pay a certain amount? do they have to give you a certain amount of time off? What if you need more?

I work for a medium sized company that offers maternity disability insurance at the lowest rate allowed by law.

If you need more time we have to use saved up vacation and sick time. Beyond that you fall into the Family Medical Leave Act which I believe offers you job security for 12 weeks, which is upaid. Beyond that is at the company's discretion.

The FMLA will safe guard your job - provided you worked a minimum of 1000 or 1200 hours be sure to double check this and the number of hours you worked at the company.

There was one woman here that one of the managers was dissatisfied with and would have fired if she wasn't pregnant but didn't because they felt bad. She didn't work here long enough to qualify for the FMLA and her position was not held for her. Totally legal!

FMLA only applies to companies with over 50 full time employees so many smaller companies do not have to give you the 12 weeks of non-paid job protection.

Under NYS law ALL women who deliver a child (meaning do not adopt) get 6 weeks of disablity and job protection for a v-birth and 8-weeks for a c-section birth. Your doctor may also increase the length of your disability if you have complications.

All companies have different maternity leave policies. Heck, mine did not even have an official policy because it is 98% men and only one women ever had a child before me (and she was the president's wife). My boss worked with me one on one to come up with a fair plan, but it would not apply to any of the other women in the office.

Now Scott's company offers the dads 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, in addition to his vacation time that he earns. And he has up to 6 months to use, and can break it up into 2 1-week periods.

Of course, if you freelance you don't even get the State money or any job protection.
IMO- women who are pregnant are not hired as easily as non-pregnant women. Often companies feel that 'she will not return' once the baby comes or that you may need a lot of time off during and after the pregnancy. It is illegal, but done every single day.

If you are concerned about finances, I would put off TTC for a few months and see what happens at your company. You may also want to inquire about the status of the full-time positions or begin to circulate your resume. If you cannot afford to take the 2 months off after the baby, I am sure that would just add a lot of stress to your pregnancy as well.

I know how you feel! I lost my FT job the same day I found out I was PG. I've only been with the company I'm with now for just over 2 months. They're happy I'm PG, but I don't get ANY paid maternity leave! I can have off of course, but it's not paid. We cannot afford for me not to work either, so that's why I'll be going back to work ASAP. Probably 6 weeks after the baby is born. We can't afford it. Also, since I was out of work, and we had to spend all the money we saved on bills, we don't have any saved right now, and we don't know what we're going to do about those 6 weeks I'm out of work! :forlorn We were trying to get PG when it happened, but we didn't know I was going to lose my job and need to spend all the money we had saved. But, I don't regret anything! We are so excited! No, we don't have the luxury that other people do when they have a baby, but we'll make do! Of course we would of liked to have extra money, but @?#! Happens... and it always happens to us. Also, you know if you wait until you have enough money, you'll never have a baby! JMO! Good luck!

Melissa, that's exactly what my DH says. 'If you wait till the situation is perfect, we will never have children!'
I am just trying to protect us as best I can. It's very frustration thought! Not to be able to start a family because my F#$% employer wouldn't give me a full time position! It makes me really upset that I am dependant on some other party in making a decision like that!

---

Now Scott's company offers the dads 2 weeks of paid paternity leave, in addition to his vacation time that he earns. And he has up to 6 months to use, and can break it up into 2 1-week periods.

---

Michele, Jeff's company was the exact same way...and believe me, it is sooo nice to have that!

thats a great perk for the dads...its little things like that that make workers want to work/stay at a company...



as for me...I quit my job...and am now looking for another...


I would love to find one before TTC, but like people say...you can't wait forever...so DH and I have a date to TTC...if I get a job...it may move up...but if I don't...we will not wait...


Dh can also work from home...Ideally, I'm hoping to find a 1-2 day a week job...then the baby can have both mommy and daddy