Who's still working and who's on maternity leave? - Page 2

[dziejen]

Tomorrow was supposed to be my last day but Friday is my "new" last day. I waitress so I am starting to feel pretty worn out but tips have been good for a pregnant mama around the holidays Unlike you mamas with desk jobs I am fortunate that once I leave I am done for the day but being on my feet for half the day is starting to take its toll. I am ready to be done!!

[mama2rey]

I cannot imagine waiting tables pregnant! You better be getting some good tips!!!!

[*MamaJen*]

Originally Posted by dziejen

Tomorrow was supposed to be my last day but Friday is my "new" last day. I waitress so I am starting to feel pretty worn out but tips have been good for a pregnant mama around the holidays Unlike you mamas with desk jobs I am fortunate that once I leave I am done for the day but being on my feet for half the day is starting to take its toll. I am ready to be done!!

Ooof. I finally threw in the towel at my side job at a coffeeshop in mid-September. By the time the third trimester rolled around I was through loading trays into the dishwasher and dealing with weekend closes. But you're right, people do love to tip a pregnant lady.

[Belleweather]

Originally Posted by mom2liv

Okay, just need to have a work vent for a minute: If one more person adds something to my to-do list or asks me to lead a meeting, spearhead a last-minute project or do something else that requires mental acuity (which I seriously don't have right now) I'm going to scream.

YOU TOO?!? I thought I was the only one having this problem. I'm like "Seriously... how big do you expect me to get? I know I look like an elephant, but I am NOT going to be pregnant for TWO YEARS! I probably won't be pregnant for TWO WEEKS. So a comprehensive review of the regulatory structure of 50 separate states is JUST NOT ON."

I was supposed to have a heart-to-heart with my boss about this this afternoon, but it was cancelled because I had to go to a meeting for ANOTHER new project.

[Quindin]

I find it crazy that women are expected to work so far into their pregnancies

When I lived in Denmark and worked full time, my maternity leave (like that of every woman there) started at 36 weeks and lasted until 6 months post partum - and I received 100% of my pay.

[mama2rey]

Originally Posted by Quindin

I find it crazy that women are expected to work so far into their pregnancies

When I lived in Denmark and worked full time, my maternity leave (like that of every woman there) started at 36 weeks and lasted until 6 months post partum - and I received 100% of my pay.

Don't get me started.......... The U.S. SUCKS in terms of maternity leave. I'm one of the fortunate ones who gets 10 weeks of leave-that is so not enough! Then the cost of daycare...... But our country is supportive of family values HA HA HA!!!!

[mom2liv]

Originally Posted by dziejen

Tomorrow was supposed to be my last day but Friday is my "new" last day. I waitress so I am starting to feel pretty worn out but tips have been good for a pregnant mama around the holidays Unlike you mamas with desk jobs I am fortunate that once I leave I am done for the day but being on my feet for half the day is starting to take its toll. I am ready to be done!!

You poor thing! I've done more than my fair share of waiting tables in my life, but can't IMAGINE at this stage of pregnancy. I'm so glad tomorrow is your last day!

Originally Posted by Belleweather

YOU TOO?!? I thought I was the only one having this problem. I'm like "Seriously... how big do you expect me to get? I know I look like an elephant, but I am NOT going to be pregnant for TWO YEARS! I probably won't be pregnant for TWO WEEKS. So a comprehensive review of the regulatory structure of 50 separate states is JUST NOT ON."

I was supposed to have a heart-to-heart with my boss about this this afternoon, but it was cancelled because I had to go to a meeting for ANOTHER new project.

I was going to say "Glad to hear I'm not the only one," but that seems awful! So instead I'll say I'm sorry people in your office have the same unrealistic "Superwoman who will never actually have this baby and leave us" expectations of you that I'm dealing with here!

[*MamaJen*]

I've bitched about not really feeling like being at work anymore, but y'all are making me realize how lucky I am. I'd say the last three or four weeks there's been a natural slow-down in my productivity, and everyone is okay with that. We have a fairly explicit agreement about what's expected of me in the last couple weeks, and I'm being assigned more easy stuff, like feature photo shoots, and less involved or long-term projects, and my story list has shrunk. I'd say the quality of my work is still good, but the quantity has been reduced by a good 30 or 40 percent. I love that my bosses are good LBJ democrats.
But jeez, if someone was asking me to spearhead a new project or add to my to-do list, I'd probably have to smack them. It's funny, we spend so much time cultivating ourselves to appear eminently capable and together in the workplace, then when we need a break (like, um, from being full-term pregnant) that comes back to bite us.

[mom2liv]

Originally Posted by *MamaJen*

It's funny, we spend so much time cultivating ourselves to appear eminently capable and together in the workplace, then when we need a break (like, um, from being full-term pregnant) that comes back to bite us.

:

[Belleweather]

Originally Posted by mom2liv

I was going to say "Glad to hear I'm not the only one," but that seems awful! So instead I'll say I'm sorry people in your office have the same unrealistic "Superwoman who will never actually have this baby and leave us" expectations of you that I'm dealing with here!

I think I gave them a scare today, though. I was supposed to request PTO so I could go have my maternity portraits done but somehow the request didn't go through, so I had DH call me in sick this morning as I was too achy and lazy to waddle to the phone. I told him, twice, to make sure to say I wasn't in labor... but he forgot to mention that important point to my boss, who is I'm sure now freaking out that I'm having a baby today and we haven't done anything about handing off my open files or projects or even set me up to check e-mail from home.

I shouldn't be giggling maniacally at the thought of how much she must be flipping out, 'cause I really like my boss. But I think I'm going to let them go ahead and believe that it was a 'false alarm' and use that as leverage to get people to BACK OFF on assigning me projects and start passing things off to other people. All's fair in love, war, and maternity leave!

[wake_up]

Originally Posted by Belleweather

All's fair in love, war, and maternity leave!

Amen, sister! Tomorrow is my last day, and everyone here still thinks I plan to return to work after a couple months of leave. I can't believe I finally made it to the end! It's impossible to believe I'll never have to come back here after tomorrow... and there's still a bunch of stuff on my desk!

[mama2rey]

Originally Posted by Belleweather

I shouldn't be giggling maniacally at the thought of how much she must be flipping out, 'cause I really like my boss. But I think I'm going to let them go ahead and believe that it was a 'false alarm' and use that as leverage to get people to BACK OFF on assigning me projects and start passing things off to other people. All's fair in love, war, and maternity leave!

I say do it!!! When my prodromal stuff started-I got the royal treatment at my job! I think this will put them in the mindset that yes you are going soon!!

[*MamaJen*]

One more time--who's still on the clock? I think I'm going to try to stick around the office until Friday, unless I have something more pressing (like childbirth). If I make it through this press day, which is pretty well under control, then there is very little that can't be taken over by someone else.
With the way my job duties are naturally winding down, work is pretty stress-free now.
If I go overdue, I may put in a few more days between Christmas and New Years, but we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

[mama2rey]

My maternity leave started on Monday-one week early. So far I am loving it! I had so many contractions today that I just needed to be home.

[mom2liv]

I'm still plugging away. Trying to get everything done. My mw told me today she thinks my body will relax and be able to go into labor when I get all the work tasks completed. We'll see...