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I mean, if I can take advantage of the maternity rights earlier...why not? If its my "right" as a pregnant woman, I might as well use it, right? I just want to make sure I'd be able to keep my health benefits until the baby is born. I was initially goign to work right up until the week I was "due", but with the Dh gettign a new job in another city, things changed, and I am more fatigued in this last trimester as well.

depends---i live in canada, and I get 1 year off--I have a Union job, so its great.

Call your benefits person at your work and ask. They may require a note from your doctor saying that you can't work anymore or you can only work part-time. My job required me to work 50 hrs a week on my feet, and although my boss didn't mind scheduling me less, in order to keep my benefits and receive my full maternity benefits they needed a note. My doctor totally did not mind giving me one, i told her the situation and how i was just too tired and though 30 hours a week would be better.

see, we don't really have an HR department. I don't have a taxing job...just paperwork and answering calls and such. I have to talk to my boss, or the owner of the company about it...because our company is so small. I coulf probably get a ntoe from my doctor saying that I should cut back my hours, but if I can start me leave earlier...and still keep my benefits, thatd be great...or even just cutting back my hrs would be great too.

By Federal Law you can take up to 12 weeks maternity leave - but your employer is not required to pay you. My personal recommendation is to take it AFTER the baby is born. That period is SOOO much more worth it. Plus, you don't know when your baby will be born and with your first, you can possibly be a few weeks late. I know what it's like to be tired and not want to work though. With my dd I was working two jobs, going to school full time and volunteering 10 hrs a week. I was TIRED. :) Also, if you work for a small company the rules are different for paying for time off and guaranteeing your job. Check up on your local state laws -

that's true, if you're in the states, then your time is limited and you'll want all that time with the baby. so what does happen in that case, say you do take off early, does that mean when the baby is born you have to returen to work?? yikes, that's awful. so glad i'm in canada too, and we get a year off, and employment insurance which isn't a lot but that with your husbands income is sufficient for a year, tight year, but at least your mortgage or rent is payed.

thanks for the info gals...well I'm not planning on returning to work afterwards...so how would that pan out? We're moving to another city 1.5 hrs away because DH has a new job and will be making enough to cover what I make working.

well, in that case, I guess if your employer doesn't know you're not coming back ... you would probably be fine. :) I just don't know what the laws are for small employers.

ps - the FMLA only applies to companies with 50 or more employees...

By law - in Canada - you can start mat leave up to 6 weeks prior to your due date. If you are able to work longer than this you need a note from your doc stating that you are fit and able. You get a year mat/parental leave combined. You get paid mat EI and then depending on your employer an additional top-up to your regular pay.

WOW, a year off for having a baby? Makes me wanna move to Cananda! :0) I'm in the military and we get 6 weeks of maternity leave (and still get payed).

aside from maternity leave, for the company's that don't pay you (like mine) you can get short term disability, which is what i'll be getting. not very much but every little bit helps. you can get that for 8 weeks i beleive is what our HR told me.