Pregnancy And Bed Rest: Keep Your Baby, Keep Your Job, Know Your Options
When you find out you're pregnant, or even before you are pregnant, you should think about your maternity leave and find out what type of maternity leave benefits are offered at your job.
It's important to figure out in advance what your needs will be while on maternity leave.
You may love your job and can't imagine taking 12 weeks off from work, but what if your doctor recommends bed rest weeks before delivery? You may end up having a cesarean section or a number of complications that could require you to take three full months off of work.
One of the most life-changing experiences in a person's life is to become a parent.
It can be challenging to balance work and family life.
Most companies offer some type of maternity leave, but whether or not you'll get paid for any portion of it varies from each business and in each state.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, it's likely you may need to go on bed rest to make sure you don't go into preterm labor.
Find out your company's maternity leave policy as soon as possible.
Before you announce to everyone that you are pregnant, review your employee policy on maternity leave benefits or ask your human resources manager.
It's important to find out how your maternity leave will be paid, and if you're able to use your accumulated sick or personal days.
Ask if there is an opportunity for you to return to work part-time or with flexible hours to make it easier to return to work.
It's hard to know when your baby will decide to make his or her appearance, or when you'll feel ready to return to work, but think before you decide how long you'd like to be out on maternity leave.
Ask yourself these questions: · How much unpaid time off can I afford to take? What maternity leave benefits am I entitled to at my job once the baby is born? · How much paternity leave will my partner be able to take? It may make you feel better returning to work when you know that daddy is home bonding with your little one.
· How demanding is your workload? Will being away for 12 weeks disrupt a promotion you've long been working for, or are you involved in an intensive project you don't feel you can leave for three months? What About Bed Rest And My Job? If your doctor tells you that you need to go on bed rest as a precautionary measure, it usually means you'll be done working until you return to work after the baby is born.
Some businesses will allow pregnant employees to do some work from home, allowing them to continue to earn an income while at home.
It depends on what type of job you have, and whether you're able to perform some or all of your duties at home using a cell phone and laptop.
While you may want to get back to work as soon as possible, if not for purely financial reasons, don't minimize the physical impact that giving birth will have on your body.
You will have an extremely heavy period for as long as six weeks following childbirth, whether you had a vaginal or cesarean birth.
You may have stitches that need to heal if you tore or had an episiotomy.
Emotionally, you may feel like a hot mess.
You might not recognize just how badly you feel until months later when you're feeling much better.
Have A Plan If you're ordered on bed rest, do it for you and your baby.
Your job will be waiting for you when you return from maternity leave.
When you develop your "ideal" maternity leave plan, remember that everything can change.
But even developing a plan and presenting it to your boss will show that you are committed to your job and plan to return to work.
In your plan, be realistic about when you plan to return to work, and make a list of job duties that you are responsible for that will be affected by your maternity leave.
Offer suggestions on how those responsibilities may be handled in your absence.
If you want to work from home, this is when you should ask, but be realistic; it can be difficult to work when you're caring for a baby.
When you do meet with your boss, try to show that you care about the needs of your company.
If you and your boss make any decisions about your maternity leave, make sure you get those in writing, so there aren't any misunderstandings later.
It's important to figure out in advance what your needs will be while on maternity leave.
You may love your job and can't imagine taking 12 weeks off from work, but what if your doctor recommends bed rest weeks before delivery? You may end up having a cesarean section or a number of complications that could require you to take three full months off of work.
One of the most life-changing experiences in a person's life is to become a parent.
It can be challenging to balance work and family life.
Most companies offer some type of maternity leave, but whether or not you'll get paid for any portion of it varies from each business and in each state.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy, it's likely you may need to go on bed rest to make sure you don't go into preterm labor.
Find out your company's maternity leave policy as soon as possible.
Before you announce to everyone that you are pregnant, review your employee policy on maternity leave benefits or ask your human resources manager.
It's important to find out how your maternity leave will be paid, and if you're able to use your accumulated sick or personal days.
Ask if there is an opportunity for you to return to work part-time or with flexible hours to make it easier to return to work.
It's hard to know when your baby will decide to make his or her appearance, or when you'll feel ready to return to work, but think before you decide how long you'd like to be out on maternity leave.
Ask yourself these questions: · How much unpaid time off can I afford to take? What maternity leave benefits am I entitled to at my job once the baby is born? · How much paternity leave will my partner be able to take? It may make you feel better returning to work when you know that daddy is home bonding with your little one.
· How demanding is your workload? Will being away for 12 weeks disrupt a promotion you've long been working for, or are you involved in an intensive project you don't feel you can leave for three months? What About Bed Rest And My Job? If your doctor tells you that you need to go on bed rest as a precautionary measure, it usually means you'll be done working until you return to work after the baby is born.
Some businesses will allow pregnant employees to do some work from home, allowing them to continue to earn an income while at home.
It depends on what type of job you have, and whether you're able to perform some or all of your duties at home using a cell phone and laptop.
While you may want to get back to work as soon as possible, if not for purely financial reasons, don't minimize the physical impact that giving birth will have on your body.
You will have an extremely heavy period for as long as six weeks following childbirth, whether you had a vaginal or cesarean birth.
You may have stitches that need to heal if you tore or had an episiotomy.
Emotionally, you may feel like a hot mess.
You might not recognize just how badly you feel until months later when you're feeling much better.
Have A Plan If you're ordered on bed rest, do it for you and your baby.
Your job will be waiting for you when you return from maternity leave.
When you develop your "ideal" maternity leave plan, remember that everything can change.
But even developing a plan and presenting it to your boss will show that you are committed to your job and plan to return to work.
In your plan, be realistic about when you plan to return to work, and make a list of job duties that you are responsible for that will be affected by your maternity leave.
Offer suggestions on how those responsibilities may be handled in your absence.
If you want to work from home, this is when you should ask, but be realistic; it can be difficult to work when you're caring for a baby.
When you do meet with your boss, try to show that you care about the needs of your company.
If you and your boss make any decisions about your maternity leave, make sure you get those in writing, so there aren't any misunderstandings later.