Maternity Leave: What's Your Plan?
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| Wed, 09-12-2012 - 8:11am |
Not that we needed another reason to convince us that extended maternity leave should be an option for all working women, but new research shows when moms-to-be stayed on the job past eight months of pregnancy, their babies weighed less than those born to moms who stopped working earlier.
The Guardian in London reports the study out of the University of Essex, using data from one U.S. report and two U.K. studies, found the half (.5) pound average difference was the same weight disparity shown between smoking and non-smoking pregnant moms. [Enter your own work-can-be-dangerous-to-your-health joke here.]
Interesting! I know it isn't always possible to take an extended maternity leave. Will you work up until your due date? Take some time off before baby arrives? What's your plan for taking time off?
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My job isn't terribly stressful and I sit at a desk, so I might wait until I go into labor or I'm completely miserable. I can always bring in a big excercise ball instead of my uncomfortable office chair. As far as leave is concerned, I'll probably take a month off and then come back. I only work 4 hrs a day and my boss is really flexible, so I can probably bring the baby in with me sometimes and get some paperwork done.
I also have a desk job and the ability to work remotely from home so I will probably work up until the very end. After that I'll take my 12 weeks FMLA and depending on how things go, will either go back to work full-time or part-time. I am fortunate to have a very supportive employer and husband.
I've always worked up to the very end of my pregnancies so as to maximize FMLA time with the baby and will be trying to do that again. Baby #1 was 8 lb, 0 oz and Baby #2 was 7lb, 14oz so I am okay size wise. My job is a desk job though and I don't work overtime.