Does anyone think the 3 month customary maternity leave is long enough?

Question

How did you feel? Did anyone end up quiting their job? If so why?

3 months is the average if you work for a corporation with all the benefits in the US.

Also, would like to only have answers from people who have children and have experienced this.

Answer 1

NO! Maternity leave laws in the United States are patently sexist and unfair to mothers and children.

Answer 2

My wife was only given 4 weeks paid by her company and then had to take additional vacation days to get just 6 weeks off. The doctors won't even let you go back to work until after 6 weeks in most cases. She had a C-Section so that was even a longer recovery time.

I would consider yourself Lucky to have 3 months off paid by your company. If you plan on going back to work, I think that is long enough. If you plan on staying home after the 3 months is up, then go for it and use all the time you are allotted.

My wife did end up quiting not to stay home but to find another job b/c she didn't want to deal with the stress of the job she was in at the time. I am glad she made that decision and is moved into a different career with less stress.

Congrats if you are planning getting pregnant, already pregnant, or have just had the baby. It is a great feeling as a father to know that your wife cares so much for your child and loves your child like no one else would.

Good luck and God bless your little one as he/she is born and grows up.

Answer 3

3 months off from work for maternity leave is NOT long enough. First off people would be lucky to have a 3 month old sleeping through night... the average age baby can successfully sleep through the night is 6 months, given they are healthy and emotionally ready to!
Any corporation is asking way to much of an employee to go back to work at 6 weeks or even 12 weeks. Job production would be at an all time low considering their employees would be dead tired! This isn't fair, to give a corporation more profit for your work, while your child is at home with another caregiver, when his/her own mother/father is the best caregiver that child would ever have. All the developemental stages babies go through in this amount of time is being accomplished with someone else other than the parents, is just immoral and sad!

I quite my job 3 months into my pregnancy and decided to go to school full time up until 5 days before I gave birth! I am taking a year off of school now to be with my child, to give him the best care that he DESERVES!

I quite first because I was a waitress and would have been a stressful situation to be pregnant in! I decided to take off of school because your child is only this age ONCE, I can ALWAYS go back to school or work, I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE MY CHILD GROW UP AGAIN!

I have sacrificed materialistic items to stay at home with my child, materialistic items that come later in my life after I have given my child the best start in life possible!

Having children is a sacrifice in itself, but your children shouldn't have to sacrifice there developement for you going back to work!
After all they are the future working class...

Answer 4

3 months? where are you? in the US it's 6weeks for vaginal birth and 8 weeks for a c-section birth. I don't think that's long enough at all. I've heard that in canada it's a year. i think that's better.

I was lucky (since I was loosing my job anyway) that my job shut down the week that I was supposed to come back from maternity leave so I got my 8 weeks and then another 6 months of unemployment. I didn't go back to work (although I did try to find a new job) until my daughter was 7 months old when i finally got a new job.

Answer 5

What I want to know is where is the 3 month customary non-maternity leave equivalent time off for people who don't have kids?

Having a kid and not having a kid is a personal choice. It's not fair that childless people don't get the same amount of time off as well. Afterall, we are usually the ones who have to pick up the slack at work when those with maternity leave are out.

Answer 6

With my first child I had no choice but to stay home for 3 months. I had a c-section. Now on child number 2. I want to stay home and not go back to work but we need the money. I wish I could stay home and not work till both of my kids were in school. The decision is up to you though. You need to decide weather you can afford to not work also. If you can afford to not work and still make it and you don't want to be away from your child don't work nobody will look down on you for wanting to be a good mom and be there for your child. Where I live it is the company's choice weather to give paid leave or not with both children I didn't get any paid leave except for what I had accumulated in vaction and sick leave. The women who get paid leave are so lucky. I wish I got paid maternity leave. My state sucks.

Answer 7

You are lucky that you get 3 months! I only got 8 weeks (they would only pay me 8 weeks, not 12 so I had to go back) In some countries in Europe, they give you a full 2 years maternity leave, paid. I think we should have more time if we want it. I had a really hard time going back to work but stuck it out and it got better. But it is hard at first. Its a tough decision to make, whether to go back or not. So, congratulations on your baby and good luck!

Answer 8

I have taken 6 months off and loved it. I will be going back, but only part time. I could have gone back full time but I chose not to because I wanted to have some time for adult interaction and some time for my baby. It is a very tough decision and no matter what you do you are always going to wonder if the other choice would have been a better idea. Take some time to think about it and remember that it is the quality of the time you spend with your baby and not the quantity.

Answer 9

3 months? wow, I only got 6 weeks! I decided to stay home, well, I decided that from the beginning. BUT Dh had other ideas, so I took all the extended family leave I could, then resigned full-time, and worked at the same company part-time in the evenings so it was only me or my husband taking care of our child. He would come home, I would leave. You should stay home. At least until kindergarten. Do your best to find a way. Raise your child yourself. I know there are some cicumstances that daycare is needed. BUt if you can find a away, you will NEVER regret staying home and taking care of your baby/child.

Answer 10

I can't even fathom that! In Canada we have up to one year off - the company must hold your job for that long under law, and you will also receive maternity benefits for that year too (not a lot - 33% of your previous income-but it's better than nothing).

If you can afford to leave your job and stay home it would be worth it for everyone - at least for a couple of years.

Too much pressure just when you have so much going on, isn't it?

Answer 11

most people only get 6 weeks off. (a friend of mine put her 6 week old in day care-i could never /would never do that!!) i used to work part time at night (that way the kids would be home w/ the hubby while i was at work) With my 3rd child i was written out of work 2 months before she was born due to back problems. after i had her she had rsv and was hospitalized. i knew then that i wouldn't go back to work again (was a good union job with excellent pay and benefits)!! my babes are to precious!! i tried to just work weekends and no one wants someone just for weekends. so my husband told me to stay home. he and i both prefer for me to be FULL time mommy. i don't know how i worked with the other 2 kids. VERY happy that i am home with them now wouldn't trade it for the world. The kids are happier too.