Would you take a shorter mat leave?

Question

I am in Canada, and us ladies here are entitled to 1 year paid mat leave at 55% to a maximum of ~$2000 per month. Given that you have financial obligations in your native country, and your mother will be living with you for a year after the baby is born, would you cut your mat leave short to 4 months?

The situation above describes my colleagues choice, who is currently in he third trimester. Before my conversation with her, I could not fathom taking anything less than one full year of mat leave. What would your choice be under the circumstances?

Answer

I don't get any paid leave. I'm saving up sick time and vacation time to MAYBE get two and a half paid weeks off before I have to go back to work. I'm praying I don't have any complications or have to have a c-section so I can go back to work so quickly, since we're a single income family (My husband was laid off last year). All of this to say: take it all. Take ever fucking second of paid leave you get because it is a fucking blessing.

Answer

In the US we only get 6 weeks and sometimes it's not even paid leave. And I know a lot of mom's who returned to work and regret it because they missed out on the baby growing so much. I say take the year to spend with your baby

Answer

If I were sole provider I would shorten maternity leave.  I don't see how else to make it work, unless I had a significant balance in my savings.  
I live in the US, so unfortunately if I were working my leave would be 6-8 weeks.

Answer

Hell if I got paid to stay home a year with my baby you bet I would. Maternity leave in the US sucks.

Answer

If you can't afford to financially take the entire year off then it would make more sense to shorten your leave. Depends on the situation.

Answer

I am not sure about how much this money is worth in Canada, I mean what is this enough for. But in Hungary you get some 70percent of your salary for half a year and then something like 400 USD max until 2 years. 400 USD is hard to live on in here but I choose to stay two full years home if we can manage. We also plan to have second child soon after first without returning to work. Anyways my priority is to spend as much time with the baby as possible. This is an important time of bonding and developing which is important to be assisted by me I believe

Would you take a shorter mat leave?

Let’s Glow

Glow is here for you on your path to pregnancy

25+ million

4.8 stars

20+

Getting Pregnant

Pregnancy

1st Year (Baby & You)

Baby Products