Baby Corner

[yassmine2878 1]

Tracy, I agree with you.

Maternity leave policies suck in the US. You have to work almost until the last day and that is REALLY HARD. I can hardly drag my feet. I just want to be at home and rest but I have to go to work every day.

In Russia you get paid leave 70 days before your due date and then until the baby is 3 years old. And Russia isn't as rich as America.

I am so worried about taking my little one to the day care, I'd rather stay at home with him at least for a year, but without my income we won't survive.

I even wrote our state senator but she wasn't very sympathetic. American women deserve better than 12 unpaid weeks.

AMEN.

My husband and I have to figure out we're going to live on me getting just 60% of my salary for just 6 weeks. I absolutely insist on taking my full 12 weeks allowed to stay home with my baby. Unfortunately, that might even require going even further into debt.

Ridiculous. We work too hard for this. Just doesn't seem right.

We're stuck in the same situation. I didnt know my company didnt have STD until I was pregnant. They give me unpaid FMLA, but fat lot o good that does. Ill be out at least 8 weeks with zero pay.

[sara535 15]

the maternity leave thing sucks, I opte dto work until the last minute because I wanted as much of the 12 weeks as possible to be AFTER my baby arrived. I was SO exhausted those last few weeks, I know the feeling of just wanting to cry. Sometimes even the idea of walking to the copier seemed like a marathon. And like many of you, we cant make it without my income so I sit here and look at my almost 6 week old baby and sometimes I literally count the days I have left with her. It often makes me feel weepy if not short of breath and panicky. I secretly wish they would lay me off so I could get unemployment or something, although I LIKE my job, I really do. But I cant get enough of squeezing my baby and I know the day care thing is going to be really hard.....

Eveline, your chunky monkey is extra cute and Ivona your girl is so bright eyed and happy looking!

Edited December 4, 2007 by sara535

[nin 1]

Dito what everyone else have said.

The Swedish 450 days of parental leave (+ whatever days you need when your kid is sick up to age 12) makes the thought of 6 week young babies at daycare chocking.

If that'd been the reality for us, a neccessity, we wouldn't have had more kids. I just don't think I could do it.

[Autumnchik 6]

Thanks ladies for the feedback. I am going to look into a chiropractor. And the worst thing is ...hubby just came home from work today with back pain himself. He went to the doctor and apparently has a herniated disk that is pressing on a nerve. We are so pitiful ... the back pain family here

Cute babies Ivona and Eveline! I can't wait to meet mine!!!

And about the maternity leave policy: ugh, it really does suck here in the U.S. Hubby tells me that, in Canada, I would get 6 months at full pay or 12 months at half pay. I have not decided how much time I am going to take off. Ideally, I want the full 12 weeks, but finances are an issue (as with everyone). I also have a contract with the National Health Services Corps to provide 2 years of service in my agency. I need to also get permission from them as well as my employer to take time off. Shouldn't be a huge problem, just more paperwork.

[Eveline 9]

I'm not sure about maternity leave in Germany but I think it's 3 months before your due date with full pay and then up to one year (but I'm not sure about the payment then) plus whenever baby is sick.

[Lyuba 0]

We are all in the same boat with this maternity leave. It does suck.

Why do we have to choose between being mothers and having a career?

[TracyLuis 0]

We are all in the same boat with this maternity leave. It does suck.

Why do we have to choose between being mothers and having a career?

Good question. Or, why couldn't I have married a rich man??

Edited December 4, 2007 by TracyLuis

[Lyuba 0]

We are all in the same boat with this maternity leave. It does suck.

Why do we have to choose between being mothers and having a career?

Good question. Or, why couldn't I have married a rich man??

That's what I am asking myself too.

[Marilyn. 340]

i feel sorry for you girls... I can't imagine what it must be like to work while being pregnant...

I have a hard enough time getting dinner and the dishes done every day...

[Lyuba 0]

Marylin,

Just wait until you are over 30 weeks and you won't have energy even to rinse your cereal bowl.

[Lizzy 0]

I am 34 weeks and i can not even vacuum the house, i am sooo damn tired, i am want this to be over! Thank the lord i don't have to work.

[Marilyn. 340]

i am having trouble sleeping tonight...

I have been getting these weird stomach pains... but they only seem to happen when I am lying down....

[Lizzy 0]

i am having trouble sleeping tonight...

I have been getting these weird stomach pains... but they only seem to happen when I am lying down....

Could they be your muscles stretching? When i lay down mine hurt also especially when i turn over.

What type of pains are they?

[Marilyn. 340]

kind of like a stomach ache.... I also have/had a lot of gas from both ends....

it is somewhat ok now but all night it would come and go... I was kind of freaking out a bit....

I think I might call my doctor later when her office opens....

[Eveline 9]

Marilyn definetely call your OB. It's always better to go and ask twice than not to ask at all and have something happen. I'm wishing you all the best, I'm sure everything is fine with the baby, you probably just had some gasbubbles stuck in your belly (that's what happened to me a lot).