How long are the August Moms staying at work?

[Groggie]

Hi all!

I was planning to just keep on going in to work until I went into labor, but now that I'm nearly 34 weeks I'm having so much trouble just getting enough sleep that I'm starting to wonder if I should try to start winding down as the time gets nearer, just so I can get more rest. What are others planning on doing? (Especially other first time moms?)

[mommysusie]

I unfortunately can't stop working until the day I go into labor. It sucks but that is how it has to be. Getting up in the morning is getting harder and harder everyday.

[sanguine_speed]

I have to finish my placement hours as I'm in coop. If I don't finish, I lose my $2000 tuition and I don't graduate. It's getting hard to fit in the more frequent appointments and everything with pain, anemia, tiredness and 2 other kids, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

[quetinha]

Unless I get put on bedrest for some reason (none I can guess at this point) I will work as long as I can. I did decide to burn up some vacation time because I found out I would have to use it in my time off anyway. I've had this whole week off and then each Monday. I am lucky that my work is pretty flexible and if I run late nobody cares.
With my first pregnancy I spent a couple weeks on bedrest and I hated that because it meant 2 less weeks to spend with the baby.

[cornpicker]

I'm working until my EDD of 8/15. But I'm all hooked up to work from home now, too, so I plan to take advantage of that more frequently, too.

[josybear]

with ds i had to start my mat leave a month before my edd because of medical issues. this time i'm working until 2 weeks before my edd. i'm certain that my edd is wrong, i think i'm due about a week sooner. and i'm sooooo ready to have this kid, i'm agitating for the earliest birth possible.
so i have to work until the 21st. it seems like forever right now, but i'll make it. i have to.

[dctexan]

I am working up until I deliver - I want my full 12 weeks of FML to be WITH the babe. So unless I get put on bedrest or something (unlikely), I will be at work until the bitter end. It TOTALLY sucks and I feel your pain because I am only 32 weeks and I am already struggling to keep myself focused - I feel very disengaged from work already.

[plummum]

My current plan to work till i go into labor (unless put on bed-rest which my back-up OB is threatening unless I get my AFI up). I am due august 17th, and have a summer intern till august 24th. I have someone else to supervise her starting August 1st, but I'd like to be involved as long as possible.

Also I feel like an extra 2-4 weeks (or 6 if I go way over!) will be extremely beneficial negotiating tools for staying off till Jan or Feb. I don't work hours but instead deliver on projects. So I have momentum now which might be a few extra achievements for this year to point to. Those weeks won't be nearly as productive later on.

Mind you, I am keeping my mind open to stopping a week before the due date, if I decide I have plenty of things done at work by then and the intern is working well with new supervisor, and I can think of things to do at home.

Others I have spoken to said they got really bored stopping work early.

I guess other relevant information is that I am not feeling any physical issues due to the pregnancy.

[Twinklefae]

I'm working until August 3. Of course I'm dealing with a year's mat leave and the possibility of not returning to work at all, which makes a difference. Plus, my job is so phsically demanding that it's not fair to my coworker or the kids to be there much past that point. I can't wait to be done, my whole brain is busy concentrating on things at home, and doesn't want to work anymore!

[Yuba_River]

I'm planning to work until July 27 and my EDD is August 4th. In the meantime, though, I just this week cut back to 1/2 time and it is making a huge difference in how I feel. I'm so glad I'm doing it, although it does mean 1/2 as much time to get everything done...

[Emma's_Mommy]

i plan on working until the bitter end, im a realtor and i do most of my work from home, so that makes it ALOT easier.

I actually just picked up 2 new clients this month!

[zofranland]

i am scheduled past my due date! today is the first day i felt like i was to fat to work... i was struggling to bend over in surgery...

[pookel]

My last day of work is July 18.

Our fiscal year starts Oct. 1 and I have two weeks of vacation to use before then anyway, so it works out that I need to take time off before the baby is born regardless. I'm really looking forward to having some time off to get ready. My son was 3 weeks early and I actually worked most of my last shift in labor, and nothing was ready, either at work or at home. This should be a nice change.

[supermuma]

I am planning to work until I have the babe too. I want my 12 weeks of FML time to be with babe, as a pp said...and I only have enough time to get paid for almost 10 of it...so, I want to wait as long as I can.

I have been winding down though in a lot of ways...and working from home 2 days a week..which really helps...

[josybear]

how do you american working mamas do it? only 6 WEEKS!?!?!? that's criminal. no wonder bottlefeeding is so common in the states. but how will you cope with returning to work when your baby is still so tiny? who looks after them? doesn't it just tear you up to have to go to work with such a little one? how do you cope with nights of not sleeping?

: i think it's inhumane for mama & baby and i don't understand why every american woman isn't in the streets protesting.

[michellemk]

I'm a teacher who just finished two temporary part time placements. I fortunately get the summer off before the baby is due. I am grateful to be home relaxing and spending time with ds, but have a lot of anxiety about money. I've decided not to go back to my jobs for this coming school year. We're going to be completely broke with no savings!! Dh knows he has to step up a bit (he has his own business with fluctuating income), but I'm just planning on being us being poor for a year. I'm pretty sure we're not going to starve! I'm thinking if money gets really tight, I can do watch a child or two in our home. We'll see what happens....

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by josybear

how do you american working mamas do it? only 6 WEEKS!?!?!? that's criminal. no wonder bottlefeeding is so common in the states. but how will you cope with returning to work when your baby is still so tiny? who looks after them? doesn't it just tear you up to have to go to work with such a little one? how do you cope with nights of not sleeping?

: i think it's inhumane for mama & baby and i don't understand why every american woman isn't in the streets protesting.

Let's not forget the many Canadian mamas who don't qualify or cannot make ends meet on 55% of poverty. Whilst it's great here for those who can afford it, eligibility criteria are tight, plus the 2 weeks of nothingness at the beginning. We should be in the streets too (says she who will only have ever received 2 months of parental benefits out of three children born post-2001).

[artgoddess]

Not a working mama, but I'm in your DDC. I was working when I had my first and the plan was for me to work until my water broke. CA didn't have paid family leave then, just disability. I was fired (in a good way) when I was 36 weeks pregnant, so my OB wrote me off on disability starting at 36 weeks, which he could easily justify, then after the 6 weeks of disability pay I began collecting unemployment benefits for another 6 months.



I would recommend if you can afford it, leave a couple weeks or even a week before your EDD. You should be able to collect disability from the state if you have your midwife or OB sign off. I have never heard of an OB or midwife saying to a pregnant woman, "Oh no I think you can function at your job completely, I'm not going to help you get some rest." Those weeks I had to prep my house and nest before my son was born were so incredibly valuable to me I can't even say. I had the room done all the clothes washed the co sleeper set up, the diaper service in place, everything was done 3 weeks before my son was born, and it really helped me to feel like I was ready to become a mom.

[sagira]

I don't technically have to work a lot, but I go a couple of times a week in the afternoons to my IL's jewelry store where dh practically runs the show. Dh is very easy on me, and so are his ILs. I do very light work, talking to and helping people, price some stuff, etc. I try to stand and sit equally.

I'm probably to work until I can. If I don't feel too well, I just won't go. I just feel great right now.

[josybear]

Originally Posted by sanguine_speed

Let's not forget the many Canadian mamas who don't qualify or cannot make ends meet on 55% of poverty. Whilst it's great here for those who can afford it, eligibility criteria are tight, plus the 2 weeks of nothingness at the beginning. We should be in the streets too (says she who will only have ever received 2 months of parental benefits out of three children born post-2001).

i had to end my mat leave early last time. we ran out of savings and were getting hungry. when i'm on mat leave we always get most of our food from the food bank, take advantage of every possible program, etc. to keep me home as long as possible. dh is fairly useless as a provider so it's up to me to keep us afloat. i spend a LOT of time working on budgets and researching cheaper options for the things we have to do...

i think having trouble getting by on 55% of regular wages and only being given 6 weeks to begin with are two different ballparks. at least i have the option to stay home for the whole year if i can swing it.