Wrong to ask for more maternity leave?

Question

Hi Ladies!
I’m struggling and could really use some advice. My company provides 8 weeks of fully paid maternity leave which I was just planning on taking that until many people started advising I consider taking longer. Main reason is in the event I have a c section recovery alone will be 8 weeks. Ideally I really wanted to take 3 months but was hesitant to ask for an additional month of either PTO, FMLA, or both because of the whole covid and unemployment situation. I’m due 10/22 and started with this company in early October of last year so will just be here a year once baby is scheduled to arrive. Not sure if it’s too soon to ask for more than 8 weeks or not. Many of my friends get at least 3-6 months fully paid maternity leave with their companies so when I reach out for advise of course they think I need minimum 3 months. My company provides unlimited PTO as well which I have barely used since I’ve joined so originally I was going to see if I can get and extra 2-4 weeks in PTO to give me a full 3 months but an nervous to ask. 
Do you guys think I should try and get the additional month to have a full 3 months with my baby girl? Will I regret it if I don’t? Am I risking looking really bad asking for more time given the current unemployment crisis? 
Any help you ladies could provide would be GREATLY appreciated as I need to make a decision soon and discuss with my boss. I informed her I was pregnant around 20 weeks but just got the maternity paperwork so have to make a decision ASAP. I just really don’t want to regret the decision I make either way and definitely don’t want to lose my job either or miss out on time with my baby girl and first child. 
Thanks in advance!

Answer

A lot of places don’t cover a full 12 weeks. You can apply for short term disability to cover the extra time you want off

Answer

I don't think it will look bad but if they don't offer additional paid time off I personally would not ask for more paid time off. I would just ask for the extra month off and say you understand it's not going to be paid but you would like an additional month off.

Answer

It may be scary but it’s one of those situations that if you have a good standing with your employer I think it’s worth it to ask for the extra time. I take the full 12 weeks guaranteed through FMLA but it’s unpaid for me.

Answer

Are you in the US? Do they employ more than 50 people? Its nice that they give you 2 months paid. I think it is reasonable to ask what options you have for more time. I believe, without knowing your leave policy, that you can take more time under fmla up to 12 weeks within the first year of the childs birth. Good luck

Answer

It's worth asking. My baby wasn't sleeping through the night by any means and I would have been too exhausted to go back at 8 weeks. And it's better not to wait too long so they can make arrangements

Answer

Could you go back part time? I only took of the 10 weeks available because I felt guilty that I had only been there a year once baby arrived. 
The company I work for is a global one. I work from home which is a blessing. But I have coworkers in ZN / AU who get 6mo paid maternity leave. One co worker had her baby in January and came back the same week I did and I had our girl in June. 
But i didn't want to ask for much since they were super flexible in the weeks leading up to baby and now post baby with appointments etc.

Answer

Just make sure whatever decision you make your job is protected because sometimes your job could only be protected for the amount of time they pay you for. But just talk to your HR just in case

Answer

Where I work I was approved for 12 weeks fmla, but I had to use my saved up pto and sick leave during the time I was off and that was not optional - like I couldn’t take 12 weeks unpaid. Luckily I had 12 weeks of sick time saved so I was able to be paid for the whole time I was off otherwise I would have had to be unpaid for whatever time I had left of the 12 weeks that I didn’t have in pto. I felt like 12 weeks was perfect, he’d become not so dependent on me, he was doing well for my mom who watches him while I’m at work and I was starting to go stir crazy. But I was in no way ready to leave him at 8 weeks!! I also had a csection also and I’d mostly healed at that point besides the lingering aches so I didn’t feel like I was still in recovery mode just mostly not ready to leave my baby. We were also still trying to figure out the whole nursing/ bottle thing at 8 weeks so the extra few weeks to get that more cemented down was huge!! I worked right up until I delivered because I wanted all the time I could get with my baby. 
I was worried about using up all of my sick time with COVID appearing shortly after I delivered but my company also agreed to advance 30 days of sick leave if we needed due to the pandemic however it has to be “worked off” or paid back if I leave the company.

Answer

Take the 3 months! Don't go killing yourself for a job! Take time to recover and care for your newborn.

Answer

Eight weeks! Where I live they offer 8 MONTHS full paid maternity leave or 12 MONTHS with 80% of your income

Wrong to ask for more maternity leave?

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