Comments on: Maternity Leave

By: make art every day

make art every day — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:04:20 +0000

stay flexible! you may be overwhelmed by the desire to stay with your baby, or you could feel like you want the break you would get from returning to work. at least think about the possibility of lining up childcare in case you do go back. good luck with your decision!

By: FrugalBabe

FrugalBabe — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:56:15 +0000

The 30 day rule is a good one to remember - but my husband and I have our own health insurance that we pay for ourselves; it’s not tied to any employer. We’ve had it for years, even since we became self-employed in 2002. We do have to add the baby to that policy within 31 days of the birth in order to avoid medical underwriting.

By: Surprised Spectator

Surprised Spectator — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:08:22 +0000

Congratulations on your upcoming family addition. I, too, am expecting. #3. Yikes!

I agree that it’s a good thing you were honest with your HR person about your current indecision. But I would recommend not waiting more than 30 days if you need to change over to your spouse’s insurance coverage. Usually, 30 days is the limit for changing during a plan year, and the birth of your child is typically considered the “triggering event.” We barely made it in time after my first child was born.

By: Chief Family Officer

Chief Family Officer — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:22:51 +0000

I think it’s wonderful that you’re so considerate of your supervisor, and also, you seem very mature and calm, so it’s quite possible that at four weeks you will have your act together and be able to think quite clearly.

However, I wanted to caution you that that might not be the case. When my oldest was four weeks old, between not getting much sleep and having incredible difficulty breastfeeding, I was in no position to make any major decisions.

I guess what I am really trying to say is that I recommend being prepared for things not going according to plan (much like the birth itself, actually). Babies have a way of throwing new parents for a loop!

Good luck!