*Baby Corner*

[Revenesque 2]

Thanks Ladies! The overwhelming opinion is there's little value in attending pre-natal classes (unless they're free in Autumchik's case) so I'll scratch it off the list.

I've got something I'm struggling with personally, and wanted some insights from you:

I'm happily employed as a senior IT professional in a government agency for 3 yrs, good job security and benefits. Anyhoo, I'm starting to mature in this position so my eyes roved around the net and found a job opening for an IT manager position at my old employer, a financial institution. If I got this job, it would be a job promotion, about +$10K increase in my salary, plus regular employment benefits AND banking benefits. I applied 4 weeks ago, am confident and fairly qualified. Anyways, the position closed yesterday so I expect a response if not early next week, in January. All this before I found out I'm preggos yesterday.

Question: Knowing that I'll be in mat leave in August 2010 (assuming all goes well)...and the possibility of immigrating to the US during or after this mat leave, should I continue to pursue this opportunity or let it pass?

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ravenesque

[Nessa 23]

do you think you'll like working there? when you try to get a job in the states it'll look better on your resume that you didn't change jobs right before you were knowingly (is that a word?) about to leave the country. and it'll definitely not look good if you quit while on maternity leave on this new job.

on the other hand, it'll add experience on your resume, and being a higher position will be better for you to get a better job here.

i know, i'm not helping, but make a list of the pros and cons to decide.

[Staashi 371]

Thanks Ladies! The overwhelming opinion is there's little value in attending pre-natal classes (unless they're free in Autumchik's case) so I'll scratch it off the list.

I've got something I'm struggling with personally, and wanted some insights from you:

I'm happily employed as a senior IT professional in a government agency for 3 yrs, good job security and benefits. Anyhoo, I'm starting to mature in this position so my eyes roved around the net and found a job opening for an IT manager position at my old employer, a financial institution. If I got this job, it would be a job promotion, about +$10K increase in my salary, plus regular employment benefits AND banking benefits. I applied 4 weeks ago, am confident and fairly qualified. Anyways, the position closed yesterday so I expect a response if not early next week, in January. All this before I found out I'm preggos yesterday.

Question: Knowing that I'll be in mat leave in August 2010 (assuming all goes well)...and the possibility of immigrating to the US during or after this mat leave, should I continue to pursue this opportunity or let it pass?

Raven - I'm gonna go out on a limb here - take your pregnancy one day at a time. It is so new and also FRAGILE. I wouldn't be too into making plans until you're about 3 months along. Get out of the 1st trimester and then start looking forward. Also, stay with the employer who would give you the best leave benefits.

[Revenesque 2]

do you think you'll like working there? when you try to get a job in the states it'll look better on your resume that you didn't change jobs right before you were knowingly (is that a word?) about to leave the country. and it'll definitely not look good if you quit while on maternity leave on this new job.

on the other hand, it'll add experience on your resume, and being a higher position will be better for you to get a better job here.

i know, i'm not helping, but make a list of the pros and cons to decide.

Oh Nessa, that's why I'm struggling with this! Here's the list of taking on the new job:

Pros:

- management experience on the resume

- higher salary

- competitive employment benefits

- banking benefits (no service charges, staff discounts on services, lower interest rates on loans, favorable currency exchange)

- reacquaintances with old coworkers

- shorter commute

Con:

- short employment time before mat leave & possibly immigrating to the US (I say this because it's not certain I'll be immigrating either. If hubby finds a great job in Canada after he gets his Canadian permanent resident card, HE'LL be the one immigrating to Canada instead of me)

- concern about the new working relationship with new boss and colleagues (both are men)

- stress of new job and leading a new project

- not being able to pass the 6-month condition period due to pregnancy (I know this would be discrimination but I'm afraid it will still happen)

- possibility of not having the job to come back to after mat leave

If I do accept the job, I might make a concession by going on a shorter mat leave (i.e. 3-6 months leave instead of the one-year Canada allows us to have). Then I feel guilty for thinking about about cutting back mat leave and having less time to raise the baby. BTW, how was transitioning back to work after a 12-week mat leave turn out for you working mothers out there?

Edited December 17, 2009 by Ravenesque

[Revenesque 2]

Thanks Ladies! The overwhelming opinion is there's little value in attending pre-natal classes (unless they're free in Autumchik's case) so I'll scratch it off the list.

I've got something I'm struggling with personally, and wanted some insights from you:

I'm happily employed as a senior IT professional in a government agency for 3 yrs, good job security and benefits. Anyhoo, I'm starting to mature in this position so my eyes roved around the net and found a job opening for an IT manager position at my old employer, a financial institution. If I got this job, it would be a job promotion, about +$10K increase in my salary, plus regular employment benefits AND banking benefits. I applied 4 weeks ago, am confident and fairly qualified. Anyways, the position closed yesterday so I expect a response if not early next week, in January. All this before I found out I'm preggos yesterday.

Question: Knowing that I'll be in mat leave in August 2010 (assuming all goes well)...and the possibility of immigrating to the US during or after this mat leave, should I continue to pursue this opportunity or let it pass?

Raven - I'm gonna go out on a limb here - take your pregnancy one day at a time. It is so new and also FRAGILE. I wouldn't be too into making plans until you're about 3 months along. Get out of the 1st trimester and then start looking forward. Also, stay with the employer who would give you the best leave benefits.

In terms of leave benefits, both would be equal as it's actually law in Canada. Employers are not allowed to refuse the max allowable mat/parental leave request.

[Nessa 23]

there's no way i'd pass a 1 year maternity leave. is it paid? when i was pregnant i thought i wouldn't even want the full 12 weeks off, i thought i'd get bored, but then when i had the baby everything changed. I'd do anything to have a full year that i could enjoy every moment with the baby, every new thing, first crawling, first steps, all the firsts i might lose by staying apart during the day.

if you think there's a great chance your husband will be moving there, then i think you should take it. if you're due in august, you'll be on mat. leave after you're 6 months on the job, unless something really goes wrong, which is very unlikely. do you have any health problems? i know it's not fair to your employee, but oh well, family comes first, right?

btw, are you telling them you're pregnant?

[Revenesque 2]

there's no way i'd pass a 1 year maternity leave. is it paid? when i was pregnant i thought i wouldn't even want the full 12 weeks off, i thought i'd get bored, but then when i had the baby everything changed. I'd do anything to have a full year that i could enjoy every moment with the baby, every new thing, first crawling, first steps, all the firsts i might lose by staying apart during the day.

if you think there's a great chance your husband will be moving there, then i think you should take it. if you're due in august, you'll be on mat. leave after you're 6 months on the job, unless something really goes wrong, which is very unlikely. do you have any health problems? i know it's not fair to your employee, but oh well, family comes first, right?

btw, are you telling them you're pregnant?

The 1-yr mat leave is not paid for by the employers but from Employment Insurance Canada (the same program that pays you when you are fired/laid off and looking for work). The maternity/paternal benefits come up to aproximately of $1500/month ($413 a week less income taxes). You can get that for up to a year.

[Revenesque 2]

btw, are you telling them you're pregnant?

Probably not. I don't want to give them that reason for turning me down.

[Anna C. 4]

@ Raven: That's a tough decision, however I would jump on that maternity leave. In the US you get little or none! I wouldn't tell my employers until you have reached 12-16 weeks.

I don't worry too much about working at this point - I worked for a couple years, had good jobs and letters of recommendations and didn't feel like I want to go back soon - even though that means living on one salary at this point. I can always go back when I feel like it, but frankly, that hasn't happened yet! The thought to leave Jona with strangers doesn't appeal to me and luckily, we are not dependent on a second salary at this point.

@ Nessa: I have no idea, all brands leaked poop all over the place for me! That's why I switched to cloth, but I guess your childcare provider doesn't want to bother with it?

[Autumnchik 6]

@ Nessa - With diapers, I think it really is just trial and error. We tried a lot with Declan and like Pampers Cruisers the best. For us, the other brands all had leaks. I have other friends that swear by Huggies. Just depends on your child.

@ Raven - Tough choice. Where are you in the immigration process? How possible is it that your husband will be immigrating to Canada instead?

If I could do this over again, knowing what I do now, I would be much more likely to be the one who immigrated to Canada rather than hubby coming here. After having Declan, I would have killed to have a year maternity leave. It was really difficult to go back to work after my time off. My son also had a major surgery at 2 months, so it was really difficult to leave him and return to work, because I was extra paranoid about who was watching him. The original plan for me was that I had to return to work, work full time for 2 months to fulfill my contract with the National Health Services Corps, then go part time. However, hubby was laid off right before I returned to work, so I had no choice but to remain full time. It did ease my mind a bit that we only had Declan in daycare part time (so hubby could job search), rather than full time.

[Revenesque 2]

@ Raven: That's a tough decision, however I would jump on that maternity leave. In the US you get little or none! I wouldn't tell my employers until you have reached 12-16 weeks.

I don't worry too much about working at this point - I worked for a couple years, had good jobs and letters of recommendations and didn't feel like I want to go back soon - even though that means living on one salary at this point. I can always go back when I feel like it, but frankly, that hasn't happened yet! The thought to leave Jona with strangers doesn't appeal to me and luckily, we are not dependent on a second salary at this point.

re: US getting little or mat leave, when I found out, I was shocked! I didn't think the US is so...family-unfriendly. It really became a factor in our decision making re: immigration.

In Vancouver, BC, it's pretty expensive to live here so I'm not comfortable living on one salary. Plus we just bought a brand new car in October so we got this debt to pay off! But I understand your concern about leaving your child with strangers. :-(

[Revenesque 2]

@ Raven - Tough choice. Where are you in the immigration process? How possible is it that your husband will be immigrating to Canada instead?

We also have an concurrent application to Canada Immigration for his Permanent Resident Card. Pending no problem, he should be getting that approved in the next two months.

If I could do this over again, knowing what I do now, I would be much more likely to be the one who immigrated to Canada rather than hubby coming here. After having Declan, I would have killed to have a year maternity leave. It was really difficult to go back to work after my time off. My son also had a major surgery at 2 months, so it was really difficult to leave him and return to work, because I was extra paranoid about who was watching him. The original plan for me was that I had to return to work, work full time for 2 months to fulfill my contract with the National Health Services Corps, then go part time. However, hubby was laid off right before I returned to work, so I had no choice but to remain full time. It did ease my mind a bit that we only had Declan in daycare part time (so hubby could job search), rather than full time.

Oh Autumnchik, that must be hard not to be with your child while you're working! I initially was in favor of immigrating to the US, but when I did the research and drew up the budget, the numbers told me we were better off birthing/raising our baby in Canada. So the plan is to stay up here until we exhaust the maternity benefits, and then later head back into the States. Our case is at the NVC right now, and we're about to send off our AOS and DS-230 (early next week). I'm hoping for the interview to be in Spring 2010.

[Nessa 23]

btw, are you telling them you're pregnant?

Probably not. I don't want to give them that reason for turning me down.

if they offer you the job, will u tell them right there or wait?

[Revenesque 2]

btw, are you telling them you're pregnant?

Probably not. I don't want to give them that reason for turning me down.

if they offer you the job, will u tell them right there or wait?

I'll probably wait until after they offer the job.

[Vi Mazzella 4]

Raven@ Congrats and good luck making your decision, I have a few friends that moved to Canada and just loved it. For what you mentioned about the mat-lave the system works great for you, here it sucks, I had to quit my job to stay at home with the baby but I don't regret it, I used to say that no way I will stay at home but I'm enjoying every second with my little one.

Nessa@ I thought Ben was using Pampers, Sofia still use them and so far no accidents.