I debated where to post this but I thought here would be best since I'm especially interested in a working parent's perspective on this.

I just got a new job and I start in 2 weeks. :yippee: My husband and I had plans to TTC in September but I am now questioning if that would be such a good idea. I just have a nagging little feeling that if I got pregnant right away I'd give birth around May/June when I wouldn't even have been at the company for a year.

The practical side of me is thinking we should probaby wait 6 months or so to TTC that way I will be there for over a year by the time I give birth but the impatient side of me is saying wait only until October that way I will be there about a year when I give birth, if I get pregnant right away.

This will be out first child and I don't really have family in the area to help out. Also, I am planning on going back to work after my maternity leave is up.

Anyway, I guess I'm just looking for opinions from parents who have wrestled with these types of decisions before. I'm really at a loss as to what we should do. :dunno:

IMO, I would wait a few months to start TTC. That way once you deliver you have the protection of FMLA. (You have to be with your employer for 12 months to qualify.)

We were not TTC and I ended up finding out I was pregnant 2 months after I started my current job! But, WA has a state program similar to FMLA and I was able to use that time for my maternity leave since I had only been at the company 10 months by the time DD came along.

Hope this helps!

Congratulations on your new job! I need to get back into your journal! I'm not sure what I'd do. I know you have had baby fever for awhile and it has got to be hard to wait. You just never know how long it will take to get pregnant though. If you are planning on returning to work, I guess I'd try in Sept. Maternity leave is only 6-8 weeks anyway.

BTW, I lost my job when I was 6 months pregnant, got a job at 7.5 months pregnant, THEN took 12 weeks leave. I did feel a little bad.

Good Luck!

I got pg 4 months into a new job, but I would check on your company's leave policy. Sometimes being there a year brings on additional benefits you don't want to lose.

I dont know what kind of benefits your company offers or what your state FMLA is, but like Alysia said, you need 12 months to qualify for FMLA under the federal law. So you ONLY need 12 months under your belt.
Now the question is, would you plan on taking that full 12 weeks off? Often times, a company's short term DI plan doesnt pay for 12 weeks, but more like 6 or 8. So those last few weeks are unpaid or people use their vacation to pull them through.

I took a new job and after I accepted, found out I was PG w/ my first. So my job wasnt protected by FMLA. Yet I worked for a small enough company that they still allowed me to take 12 weeks off and they held my job for me.

personally i'd wait to see what the company benefits are, you might want to add on to your maternity leave and that would involve vacation time you might not have under your belt by then (if they use accrual vs. handing it over at once).

if the benefits look good then go for it!

I'd definitely wait to get the 12 months in. You will probably also accrue some vacation in that time which you'll need for either payment while you are on maternity leave and/or to use for sick time when the baby's sick.

When I was 5 weeks into my new job, I found out I was pregnant with Katie (my second). My STD covered the first 6 weeks of my mat. leave and I could have stayed out the full 12 weeks with 6 weeks of unpaid leave. I was not protected by FMLA, but it didn't matter anyway. We relocated for my husband's job, so I did not go back after maternity leave (well, I did, but only long enough to be credited for my accrued leave).

I would wait to see what is offered for maternity leave and decide from there. Good luck!

I agree with everyone else - find out what the benefits are first. One thing to keep in mind with the FMLA is that if the company has less than 50 employees you're not covered even if you have been there a year. But as others have said, you'll have more vacation saved if you wait a bit longer.

Dennis

Thanks everyone! :supergrin

Fortunetly the company I will be working for is greater than 50 people so FMLA will apply. I think waiting a year, to give birth, would be the smart thing to do but it sucks that I will need to push TTC back a month or two.

I also think that in this day and age having to agonize over the family/work issue sucks. I really wish the U.S. would smarten up on this issue. Ok, I'll step down off my soapbox. :crazy: