We made it through my first week back to work. I am really liking the 4-day work week! I am very fortunate to have had such a generous maternity leave package that I still have my California Paid Family Leave benefit available to me. Instead of using the 6 weeks of Paid Family Leave in one big chunk, I have worked it out so that I use it one day a week until it runs out and that brings me right to Baby Bear first birthday!! So it is a 4-day work week until Baby Bear turns one!! That really makes the transition back to work pretty easy. So today was my Friday!
Baby Bear did fabulously this week at daycare and with the grandmas. She had a great time with everyone. She did take a bottle, but she didn't eat as much as she should eat while I am gone. I definitely pumped a lot more than she would take, which helps me to add to my freezer stash. But that means that she ends up waking up and eating more at night to make up for it. I am afraid that she might end up reverse cycling. I guess that won't be the end of the world and that would mean I could pump less at work, but it does mean I don't get as much sleep. It is a good thing I have a 4 day work week. I am definitely tired tonight and I am very glad to have tomorrow off to spend with Baby Bear and run a few errands.
It isn't so bad being back at work, I am actually glad to be back at work. I think it is great for my family to have me at work. I get adult interaction and stimulation. Baby Bear gets to bond with her grandmas and gets to socialize with other kids in day care. When we are home together we are both so excited to be with each other that it is truly some quality time that we have. It is win-win for both of us!
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maternity leave. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go...
Maternity leave is over and back to work I go. The day went by really quickly and I made it through. I had a lot to catch up on and was quite busy so that made it go by quickly and made it not so difficult to be away from Baby Bear. I did miss her but I had pictures of her to look at from time to time. I am getting the hang of pumping and I am sure it will become more second nature as time goes by.
Baby Bear was with Grandma today and did really well. Papa Bear checked in on her around lunch time and called me to give me an update. That really set my mind at ease. She took two bottles and had several naps. I am so proud of my baby!! She has been so wonderful and that has helped to make this transition very easy for me. I know she is in good hands and she is such a good little baby that everyone who cares for her absolutely loves her and only has wonderful things to say about her.
It also helps to see a big smile on her face when I pick her up. I love my little girl and that smile is the best part of my day no matter how tired I am. To celebrate a successful first day back at work, Papa Bear took us out to dinner. It was a nice end to a long but good day!! I am so lucky to have a wonderful family! A supportive husband and an adorable daughter. Life is good!
Baby Bear was with Grandma today and did really well. Papa Bear checked in on her around lunch time and called me to give me an update. That really set my mind at ease. She took two bottles and had several naps. I am so proud of my baby!! She has been so wonderful and that has helped to make this transition very easy for me. I know she is in good hands and she is such a good little baby that everyone who cares for her absolutely loves her and only has wonderful things to say about her.
It also helps to see a big smile on her face when I pick her up. I love my little girl and that smile is the best part of my day no matter how tired I am. To celebrate a successful first day back at work, Papa Bear took us out to dinner. It was a nice end to a long but good day!! I am so lucky to have a wonderful family! A supportive husband and an adorable daughter. Life is good!
Monday, October 5, 2009
How I spent my maternity leave
I have one week left before the end of maternity leave. I am mentally ready to get back to work, but I am not sure that I am totally emotionally ready for this transition. Baby Bear will have her first day at day care on Thursday before I go to work, so that I can run some errands baby-free and so that we can have a trial run before I head off to work.
I had many intentions of doing a lot of things during my maternity leave in addition to bonding with Baby Bear. I thought the house would be so clean and organized. I also that I would make dinner every night and eat really healthy. Uhh, none of that really happened.
Instead, I spent a lot of time watching re-runs of Beverly Hill 90210, One Tree Hill, and The OC. Of course, in addition to being a new mommy to Baby Bear. SoapNet was my friend when Baby Bear was sleeping and nursing. Man, did I watch a lot of TV. Well, Baby Bear and I also spent a lot of time walking around Target. Target was my saving grace; it was always an opportunity to get out of the house and not go crazy after watching back to back episodes of my favorite shows. It also gave me a reason to get out of my pjs. On the positive side, Baby Bear and I did go for a lot of walks in the mornings before the summer heat set in and we did some other activities. But I think that the most memorable things about my maternity leave (in addition to the time I spent with Baby Bear) were my Soap Operas and Target, LOL!
So it wasn't a productive maternity leave, but I did get to spend a lot of time with Baby Bear and really developed a strong bond with her. That was the best part of my maternity leave and I would not have traded that time for the world. She is my world!
I had many intentions of doing a lot of things during my maternity leave in addition to bonding with Baby Bear. I thought the house would be so clean and organized. I also that I would make dinner every night and eat really healthy. Uhh, none of that really happened.
Instead, I spent a lot of time watching re-runs of Beverly Hill 90210, One Tree Hill, and The OC. Of course, in addition to being a new mommy to Baby Bear. SoapNet was my friend when Baby Bear was sleeping and nursing. Man, did I watch a lot of TV. Well, Baby Bear and I also spent a lot of time walking around Target. Target was my saving grace; it was always an opportunity to get out of the house and not go crazy after watching back to back episodes of my favorite shows. It also gave me a reason to get out of my pjs. On the positive side, Baby Bear and I did go for a lot of walks in the mornings before the summer heat set in and we did some other activities. But I think that the most memorable things about my maternity leave (in addition to the time I spent with Baby Bear) were my Soap Operas and Target, LOL!
So it wasn't a productive maternity leave, but I did get to spend a lot of time with Baby Bear and really developed a strong bond with her. That was the best part of my maternity leave and I would not have traded that time for the world. She is my world!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Made a child care decision
After much thought and contemplation, Papa Bear and I have made a child care provider decision. It is such a relief. It was a tough one but we feel really good about our choice. Papa Bear and I decided we wanted Baby Bear to be in a home day care rather than a center day care. We felt most comfortable with that arrangement. We were deciding between a licensed large family home day care and a smaller home day care. Today, we decided to go with the smaller home day care setting.
After getting great references for both providers. The small home day care references felt the day care provider was like a member of the family. We really liked that for our little one. A curriculum was not as important to us at this stage, rather being well cared for and loved was most important and that was the sense we got from the references we received. I got nothing but rave reviews.
Another plus was her understanding of the nuances of my work situation. I work at a college that does not have all the same holidays as schools or other universities and she provides care on those days, which other providers do not. Meaning that with the other provider, we would have had to make separate arrangements for care on holidays that I do not get off and we would still have to pay for care on holidays. Our child care provider works on all the days that my college works, she does so because her husband also works on that same schedule and the parents of the other children she cares for are also from the college.
Flexibility was another key aspect for our family. Grandma Bear and Lola Bear will each take a day to care for Baby Bear during the week. Although we will have set days to provide consistency, if there is a case in which one of them are sick or we need to switch days around for some reason, she is very flexible and willing to work with us. The other provider provided no flexibility or option to move days around. We would be contracted for certain days and we would have to pay even if we did not need care for those days. Another plus, is that our child care provider is half the cost as the other provider, not the deciding factor but really helpful for us and our budget.
I feel so much better knowing that we have made a decision and that we both feel comfortable with the care that Baby Bear will be receiving when she is not with us. It is going to be hard on me leaving my Baby Bear, but it definitely helps having made a decision that we feel good with.
After getting great references for both providers. The small home day care references felt the day care provider was like a member of the family. We really liked that for our little one. A curriculum was not as important to us at this stage, rather being well cared for and loved was most important and that was the sense we got from the references we received. I got nothing but rave reviews.
Another plus was her understanding of the nuances of my work situation. I work at a college that does not have all the same holidays as schools or other universities and she provides care on those days, which other providers do not. Meaning that with the other provider, we would have had to make separate arrangements for care on holidays that I do not get off and we would still have to pay for care on holidays. Our child care provider works on all the days that my college works, she does so because her husband also works on that same schedule and the parents of the other children she cares for are also from the college.
Flexibility was another key aspect for our family. Grandma Bear and Lola Bear will each take a day to care for Baby Bear during the week. Although we will have set days to provide consistency, if there is a case in which one of them are sick or we need to switch days around for some reason, she is very flexible and willing to work with us. The other provider provided no flexibility or option to move days around. We would be contracted for certain days and we would have to pay even if we did not need care for those days. Another plus, is that our child care provider is half the cost as the other provider, not the deciding factor but really helpful for us and our budget.
I feel so much better knowing that we have made a decision and that we both feel comfortable with the care that Baby Bear will be receiving when she is not with us. It is going to be hard on me leaving my Baby Bear, but it definitely helps having made a decision that we feel good with.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Back to work
My maternity leave ends in about 1 month. I am very fortunate to have been on leave for as long as I have been on leave. I know there are many women out there who have to return to work very soon after giving birth. In total, I will have had 21 weeks of maternity leave (3 week before birth and 18 weeks after). I will go back to work 4 days a week since I still have my California Paid Family Leave that I am able to use and I will use that one day a week until it is all used up.
I am looking forward to going back to work. Yes, I love spending all this time with Baby Bear. But I enjoy my work and co-workers and looking forward to adult conversations. I am looking forward to the routine of work and the challenges of my job. I look forward to having some time away from home for a little bit.
I love spending time with Baby Bear and I will miss her during the day. She is just such a wonderful baby; she is happy and smiles and so cute! I absolutely love her. But I will be a happier mama bear and a better mother by going back to work and having some time to myself.
I know that it will definitely be challenging being a working mother. I am already so tired and sleep deprived without the challenges of working and parenting. It will definitely be an adjustment for me. It will be an adjustment for Baby Bear to be away from me for so long (especially since she is still on bottle strike). I suspect that it will be harder for me than it will for her. She will be in child care 2 days a week and then spend a day with Grandma Bear and another day with Lola Bear. It will be wonderful for her to spend time with both grandmothers and I know they will both enjoy it.
I especially worry about Baby Bear being able to eat since she is on bottle strike. I have spoken with my lactation consultant and with my child care provider and both have assured me that she will not starve. She may end up eating more in the evenings and in the morning to compensate for eating less during the day. On days that she is in child care, I will be able to nurse her during my lunch breaks. The rest of the time I will have to pump. Since my goal is to breastfeed for 1 year, I hope that I can successfully continue to pump and keep my supply up. There is always something new in my adventures with Baby Bear. Never a dull moment!
I am looking forward to going back to work. Yes, I love spending all this time with Baby Bear. But I enjoy my work and co-workers and looking forward to adult conversations. I am looking forward to the routine of work and the challenges of my job. I look forward to having some time away from home for a little bit.
I love spending time with Baby Bear and I will miss her during the day. She is just such a wonderful baby; she is happy and smiles and so cute! I absolutely love her. But I will be a happier mama bear and a better mother by going back to work and having some time to myself.
I know that it will definitely be challenging being a working mother. I am already so tired and sleep deprived without the challenges of working and parenting. It will definitely be an adjustment for me. It will be an adjustment for Baby Bear to be away from me for so long (especially since she is still on bottle strike). I suspect that it will be harder for me than it will for her. She will be in child care 2 days a week and then spend a day with Grandma Bear and another day with Lola Bear. It will be wonderful for her to spend time with both grandmothers and I know they will both enjoy it.
I especially worry about Baby Bear being able to eat since she is on bottle strike. I have spoken with my lactation consultant and with my child care provider and both have assured me that she will not starve. She may end up eating more in the evenings and in the morning to compensate for eating less during the day. On days that she is in child care, I will be able to nurse her during my lunch breaks. The rest of the time I will have to pump. Since my goal is to breastfeed for 1 year, I hope that I can successfully continue to pump and keep my supply up. There is always something new in my adventures with Baby Bear. Never a dull moment!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Maternity Leave
I had been doing research on maternity leave long before I ever got pregnant. For several years, my area of research as a psychologist has been issues around work and family. So maternity leave has been very important in my research. I am fortunate to live in California, which is the first state to offer Paid Family Leave. There are other forms of PAID leave available to Californians, this article gives a great summary of those leave and I will not go over it all here. (It is important to note that much of this only applies if you pay into State Disability Insurance or something similar through your paycheck. Unfortunately, state employees and teachers do not fall into this category.)
It is also important to remember that the information in the article does not talk about job protection. Fortunately, the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides job protection for up to 12 weeks. It always seems that people often confuse FMLA with many different leave options. FMLA is a federal act not a state act, each state operates differently in what they offer for family leave. So FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the the birth of a child, illness of a family member, or your own illness. FMLA also provides job protection and is often used concurrently with other types of leave such as the leave provided by California. FMLA also depends on the size of your company, it only applies to companies with 50 or more employees.
In addition to FMLA, Californians receive job protection through the California Pregnancy Disability Leave (CPDL) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Check out this site for some information. Under California law, the CPDL allows pregnant women to take a pregnancy disability leave if needed during their pregnancy for up to four months due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. The pregnancy disability leave requires that the position be held during the four months’ absence. It does not, however, require that employer to pay the employee during the four months. CFRA can be used to take additional time beyond the pregnancy disability leave. It provides 12 weeks of job protected leave to bond with the baby after birth.
My Maternity Plan
I am very fortunate that in addition to the leave available to me through disability and California Paid Family Leave, my company provides 12 weeks of partially paid parental leave. That is really generous!! They also supplement the disability pay and company provided parental leave with sick time and/or vacation time. So during my leave I will get 100% pay. Wohoo!
I plan to go on disability, with my doctor's approval, 3 weeks before me due date. So I will be working until May 15, 2009. If Baby Bear is born on her due date, I plan to be out for about 20 more weeks, so until she is about 5 months old. I will return the end of October.
Wait, there is more! The 20 weeks does not include California Paid Family Leave (CPFL), which is 6 weeks of partially paid leave to be used to bond with the baby. CPFL can be used intermittently so it does not have to be used all at once. It just has to be used within the first year of the baby's birth. My plan is to use 1 day a week for 30 weeks and return to work on a 4 day work week for the first year of Baby Bear's life.
I went over my plan with my boss and he was very fine with it and even told me that some of my work can be done from home if I needed to. I love the flexibility of my workplace and my boss!! I feel good with this plan and I feel like I will get enough time to be with Baby Bear. Now I can't wait until May 15th to start my leave!!
It is also important to remember that the information in the article does not talk about job protection. Fortunately, the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides job protection for up to 12 weeks. It always seems that people often confuse FMLA with many different leave options. FMLA is a federal act not a state act, each state operates differently in what they offer for family leave. So FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the the birth of a child, illness of a family member, or your own illness. FMLA also provides job protection and is often used concurrently with other types of leave such as the leave provided by California. FMLA also depends on the size of your company, it only applies to companies with 50 or more employees.
In addition to FMLA, Californians receive job protection through the California Pregnancy Disability Leave (CPDL) and California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Check out this site for some information. Under California law, the CPDL allows pregnant women to take a pregnancy disability leave if needed during their pregnancy for up to four months due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. The pregnancy disability leave requires that the position be held during the four months’ absence. It does not, however, require that employer to pay the employee during the four months. CFRA can be used to take additional time beyond the pregnancy disability leave. It provides 12 weeks of job protected leave to bond with the baby after birth.
My Maternity Plan
I am very fortunate that in addition to the leave available to me through disability and California Paid Family Leave, my company provides 12 weeks of partially paid parental leave. That is really generous!! They also supplement the disability pay and company provided parental leave with sick time and/or vacation time. So during my leave I will get 100% pay. Wohoo!
I plan to go on disability, with my doctor's approval, 3 weeks before me due date. So I will be working until May 15, 2009. If Baby Bear is born on her due date, I plan to be out for about 20 more weeks, so until she is about 5 months old. I will return the end of October.
Wait, there is more! The 20 weeks does not include California Paid Family Leave (CPFL), which is 6 weeks of partially paid leave to be used to bond with the baby. CPFL can be used intermittently so it does not have to be used all at once. It just has to be used within the first year of the baby's birth. My plan is to use 1 day a week for 30 weeks and return to work on a 4 day work week for the first year of Baby Bear's life.
I went over my plan with my boss and he was very fine with it and even told me that some of my work can be done from home if I needed to. I love the flexibility of my workplace and my boss!! I feel good with this plan and I feel like I will get enough time to be with Baby Bear. Now I can't wait until May 15th to start my leave!!
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