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The USA polices for pregnancy, maternity leave etc is sickening and a disgrace! I was a teacher in CA and was only given my 10 sick days that I happened to NOT use thus far that year, NOTHING ELSE. And no guarantee to have my job back. I live in Europe now where maternity leave varies anywhere from 4 months to 1 year! And that is AFTER birth, anyt leave of absence before needs a doctors excuse (easy to get) and considered sick leave which is usually paid 100%. Most doctors excuse about 4 weeks prior to due date, some countries it is madatory! Good luck!

oh what i would do for that policy but unfortunately i have to try and figure something out for here....so disturbing.

BEKA, I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MD. I AM GOING THROUGHA SIMILAR SITUATION WITH MY MD. I AM DUE 8/31 AND I AM STILL SITTING AT MY DESK AS WE SPEAK. SHE REFUSES TO TAKE ME OUT OF WORK BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A TRUE "DISABILITY" WHICH I THINK HORRIBLE BACK PAIN, BREATHING ISSUES, FOOT NUMBNESS AND ALL OF THOSE QUALIFY AS A DISABILITY. ON TOP OF HAVING HORRIBLE BRAXTON HICKS CONTRACTIONS AND PRESSURE FROM THE BABIES HEAD. SHE GIVES ME SOME CRAP ABOUT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND IT BEING FRAUD BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT I AM EXPERIENCING IS SO CALLED "NORMAL". SHE DID HOWEVER GIVE ME A NOTE FOR FMLA WHICH UNFORTUNATELY IN THIS COUNTRY YOUR JOB DOES NOT HAVE TO GIVE YOU UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 1 YEAR AND UNFORTUNATE FOR ME I SWITCHED JOBS ALMOST 6 MTHS AGO. YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF USING PTO OR SICK DAYS WHATEVER YOUR JOB OFFERS BUT UNLESS YOUR MD IS WILLING TO "TAKE YOU OUT" YOU MAY BE STUCK DELIVERING YOUR BABY IN YOUR CUBICLE LIKE ME :) I HOPE THINGS WORK OUT FOR YOU. O AND AFTER THE BABY IS BORN U GET 6-8 WEEKS OF DISABILTY.

Mommyof1 we are SOOOO in the same boat...i too haven't been here a full year. OYYY i don't want to deliver in a cubicle! :(

Each employer is different b/c there are different disability insurance companies. Typically, you do not fill out the forms yourself, your HR would do it and I believe there is a portion that your doctor does. My doc allows working til the end if you want to but will take you out earlier if you prefer (within reason). Have they told you how long you get or what % of pay? Good luck.

I just hate they consider "maternity leave" short term disabiltiy - at least they do at my company! I HAVE to take my vacation time before my STD kicks in. I've got two weeks saved up.... So, I'll take two weeks vacation, then I get 4 weeks STD at 80% of my salary (if I deliver v____ally and 6 weeks if I deliver via c-section) and 2 weeks STD at 60% of my salary. Anything after that is considered FMLA which I will NOT get paid for! So, I'll only end up taking 8 weeks total instead of my intended 12 weeks. My only hope for an extended STD is if my Doc says I'm really "disabled" and need the extra time off.... she's too honest and will never do it! I begged her with my frist pregnancy and she wouldn't do it... It doesn't hurt to ask if she'll extend my STD this time around. The worst she can say is no again! I hate the US laws for maternity leave!

Oh the forms.... I've got to fill out as much as I, then the doc needs to fill out the remaining portions.

I so know how frustrating it is! I live in WV and I have been in the company I work for now for over 5 years. I am due in September but my doc pulled me off of work for problems at the beginning of August. I would have had 3 weeks pay stored up by the time I had the baby and would have then had one week without pay, I was only planning on taking 4 weeks off since this was all I could afford. My company does not offer any type of maternity leave, and they also do not offer short term disability. So there is no possiblity of me getting anything other then the 2 weeks I had accrued paid. I also received a nice letter from my company today that said that they were going to cancel my insurance if I did not start sending them 50.00 a week to cover my portion of my benefits. Even worse I am the main income in my home, my husband is disabled and brings in a very small check every month. I really am sickened by the United States lack of maternity care. It really makes us look so bad next to other countries. I wish you best of luck, I know it is frusrtating but things do have a way of working out, and when that little one comes it will make all the struggles worth it!!

casey, I agree the USA sucks all over when it comes to maternity leave and even motherhood! Bush yacks on and on about how pro-family he is!!! VOMIT on him. Pro family would BEGIN with caring for the mother, and then allowing.....ummmm at least 4 months leave to b___st feed which is the first instinct a human has. Think about all the bonding that is lost forever because so many of us are forced back to work literally weeks after birth. And the stress during pregnancy to work until the very very end....what a shame on this country, what a disgrace.

OMG So horrible! i'm so sorry to hear your situation caseyann. but, like you said things have a way of working themselves out so best of luck to you and your family! Unfortunately there is nothing we can do so we just have to deal with it!

I agree... when it comes to maternity leave, the US laws are disgusting! At the company I work for, they've actually devoted a special portion of one of the women's bathrooms as a "pumping" section for nursing moms. This came about after one mom had to come back to work and had no-where private to pump... it took months of complaining and begging the company but they finally gave in. Before they devoted that section, she would go to her car and pump. My daughter is 4 years old and I'm pregnant with my second. I've been writing letters, emails, etc.. to the state since I had my daughter 4 years ago, but to no avail. It's pointless and ridiculous! Caseyann, hang in there... things always have a way of working out, as you said.