I guess this is more for the US Moms. I'll explain a little bit about how it works here in Canada.

We are entitled to 1 year mat. leave. Your job is protected for 1 year. We also qualify for a mat. leave benefit, the maximum is $12,000 for the year. The max is based upon an annual salary of $40,000. If you earn more than that too bad, if you earn less your leave is less.

Some companies will top you up to 80% of your salary to try and encourage people to come back to their jobs after the year is up.

I really think this is a great system and helps to promote breastfeeding. Canadian Moms, if I have any of the details wrong, please correct them.

My DH has a US client who had to return to work after only 6 weeks. I could not imagine going back to work so soon. Cameron is only 7 weeks and some days I still feel like a zombie and he is not sleeping thru the night.

Is 6 weeks the standard? If yes, how do you cope?

How do you breastfeed and go back to work? How much do you have to pump each day in order to do this? Do you worry about caregivers handling the breast milk properly? Do you wish your government would change it's policy even though some might think it a tax drain?

Just curious.

By Reds9298 on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 09:54 pm:

Yes, 6 weeks is standard here in the US unfortunately, but you can also apply for a 3 month Family Medical Leave. You have to do the paperwork through your employer and doctor, but 3 months is it with that. However, I think small companies with few employess don't have to abide by the Family Medical Leave. I only know this because a friend of mine worked for a small insurance company, 50 employees or so, and was not eligible because they were so small.

I did not breastfeed, but I can't even begin to imagine going back to work in 6 weeks, not only for the hormones and fatigue, but simply for the fact that I would hate to leave my child with a caregiver at that age. (Or any age for me but that's a different story! )
It sounds like Canada has a wonderful plan that promotes mothers staying at home. You're very lucky. Some jobs here allow you to take an unpaid leave. Teachers for example, at least in Indiana. I'm a teacher and was able to take 1 year of totally unpaid leave, no medical ins. (I didn't use mine anyway) and maintain job security. The only thing I could keep was my life insurance as long as I continued to pay the premiums. After a year I had to either return to work or resign (I resigned).
I wish our gov't. would provide incentives for mothers staying at home. From what I have read, European countries also provide $ and job security for SAHM's....I wish I could remember where I read that at least one country in Europe allows moms a 5-yr. leave of absence to stay at home. HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE????

By Pamt on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 10:09 pm:

I breastfed both of my boys was was basically a SAHM with my youngest so it was no big deal. With my first son I went back to work at 8 weeks and the sweet baby decided to sleep through the nigh (6 hours) the night before I returned to work. I HAD to go to work because DH was in seminary and I was the breadwinner putting him through. I started storing breastmilk the few weeks before I went back so I could build up a stash and I got DS on a flexible schedule at about 6 weeks so I would know when to pump and his caregiver would know when to give a bottle. I was able to go back to work at 30 hours a week, working 8:30-2:30. My DH was in his last semester of school and had a light load, so he was a SAHD 3 days a week (and loved it!) and my best friend kept DS the other 2 days. She breastfed too (and had a 13 month old), so I knew she would handle the milk properly. I totally trusted my son with her and it was a greatt way for her to make a little extra $$. I pumped twice a day and DS got a bottle about every 3 hours. I nursed right before I left for work and then the minute I saw him after work. We nursed on demand in the afternoons/evenings and on weekends to keep my milk supply up.

I was tired, but no more tired than I was as a SAHM with a newborn and a preschooler. I was able to nurse both boys for a year. I quit pumping milk with my first DS at about 6 months of age because I had him eating enough solids through the day that we just nursed in the mornings and evenings.

yes, it would be nicer to have a longer maternity leave, but the $12,000 out of $40,000 wouldn't have been enough for us to survive since I brought in 90% of our income, I had excellent benefits, and we were paying for DH's schooling. At my current job you can get short-term disability for maternity. You can get several months off and get paid, but you have to have the insurance for a year before delivery. I have paid 100% for my eight weeks of leave.

By Marcia on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 10:27 pm:

In Canada it's split up into two areas - mat leave and parental leave. That mat leave is for the mom, and the parental leave can be taken by either parent, or a combination of both.
Because we adopted our first daughter, I only qualified for parental leave. At the time that was only a 10 week leave, but it has since increased greatly. I worked at a college, and was topped up to 98% of my income. I chose to take an unpaid leave for the rest of the year. My benefits were fully paid the whole time, and my vacation, sick days, etc, continued to accumulate for that year. I quit after the year, and was pleasantly surprised by the money that they paid me when I left!
I can't imagine having to leave my babies at such an early age!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 11:19 pm:

As a teacher I could also get short-term disability for maternity, but you had to have carried it for a year prior to conception and that didn't apply to me. Would have been nice though!!

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 11:57 pm:

6 weeks is standard. I used vacation and extended sick leave to get it to 8 weeks. With my first one, I was VERY lucky in that she slept through the night at 8 weeks and was soon sleeping 12 hours a night after that. I worked nights and she went to the daycare during the day, so I could sleep. The hospital where I worked had a locker room in the basement, with a private little room and a Medela electric breast pump, that I used during my shift. They also had an on-site daycare, but it was WAY on the other side of the hospital complex and I really didn't have time to run over to nurse, when I worked days.

When I worked nights, I would pump in the middle of the night, and then run over to feed her, at the daycare, before I went home to sleep. I managed to nurse her until she was about 6 months old.

When Emily was born 2-1/2 years later, she didn't sleep through the night, until a little bit older, maybe 3-4 months. With her, it was a little bit more hit and miss for a while. Some nights she would sleep. Some nights she would wake up. On the nights she slept, then Sarah would wake up with night terrors. So, I was getting interrupted most nights, while my kids weren't each waking up every night. I can't remember when that all settled down and we were all sleeping at night again. So, I was a zombie for a while, after Emily was born. With Emily, I didn't quite work until she was born. I was having trouble keeping up with things. I went back to work when she was 8 weeks old, also.

Even though I got 2 more weeks than a lot of people, I remember those 8 weeks went by FAST! I worked full-time, after Sarah was born, but by the time Emily was born, I was down to 32 hours a week. Working only 4 days a week was better than 5 days a week.

By Heaventree on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 09:07 am:

Reds, to answer part of your question, in Germany your job is protected for 3 years. The down side to living there is that they do not have public daycare. A lot of people have to rely on nannies which can be costly.

By Heaventree on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 10:19 am:

Just to correct my post above, the $40,000 annual salary is a gross figure (before tax), the $12,000 is net (what you would actally take home - after tax).

By Debbie on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 11:47 am:

6 weeks is standard for paid maternity leave. However, the company I worked for would give you up to a 1yr, it was just unpaid. I went out on maternity leave for 6 months with my first ds. However, the week before I was suppose to go back, dh got promoted to a job in another state. So, I ended up quitting and staying home. A lot of companies will give you extra time off with your job protected, but you don't get paid.

By Cocoabutter on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 03:23 pm:

I think the difference between the US and other countries is that here, companies vary on how they handle maternity/parental leave. Employers decide on vacation/personal leave policies based on how well they can afford it given the cost of labor. With the exception of basic labor laws, the government has generally stayed out of the workplace until labor unions started pushing for legislation regarding family and medical leave.

By Feona on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 09:52 am:

Everyone always think the US has it over other countries, but with the lousey maternity leave, worse and worse health insurance, no state child care and lousey vacation time, I just think everyone works like slaves in the USA for the

health insurance.

In Europe they get more than 6 weeks vacation every year, free health care, low cost child care.

I guess our economy is strong and peopel are doing well but people work so hard in the USA.

I don't know...

By Hlgmom on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 11:58 am:

I think the Canadian system sounds great! I definetely with the US did moreto hel pits mothers and our healthcare in general needs some serious revamping!

By Amecmom on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 12:06 pm:

As a teacher in NYC you can have a three year unpaid, no benifits maternity/child care leave. You can apply to have it extended to five years. Basically, it protects your job and seniority.

Ame

By Pamt on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 12:20 pm:

Feona, you're basically right, but that's because the USA is a very capitalistic, consumeristic country that is absorbed with consuming stuff and living life at breakneck speed. Most other countries seem to do a better job of understanding what's important and it is demonstrated in their vacation and maternity leave policies. We don't have, because we don't demand, because we really don't want. When it comes down to it we'd (the global we, not me personally) rather have money, success, and the stuff that comes with it than time to enjoy family and life. I guess this is another post entirely though.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, October 22, 2005 - 08:02 pm:

Ditto for both Feona and Pamt! Pamt, I agree completely.

By Ginny~moderator on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 06:59 pm:

Reds, the cutoff for the Family Leave Act is, in fact, 50 employees. But the employer can deny the FL if they classify the position as a "key" or "critical" position that cannot be covered by other workers picking up the slack or by a temp. I suspect that's what happened to your friend.

By Boxzgrl on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 07:25 pm:

I had a co-worker before I had DD who had 2 kids in the time I worked with her. She took her 6 weeks meternity leave and she would have 20 minute breaks every 3 hours (or as needed) to pump. She was a long time employee which is why I assume the boss was okay with frequent breaks. I don't know how I feel about FMLA and extended time off for breastfeeding but i'm glad i've never had to make the decision of breastfeeding and working and what not. It's gotta be hard for working moms.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 10:08 pm:

Boxzgrl, it was hard to work and breastfeed at the same time, especially since I worked 2 weeks of days alternating with 2 weeks of nights. I'm probably lucky that I breastfed as long as I did. (about 6 months with both.) There were a couple girls who just worked a straight shift and they breastfed at least that whole first year and had no trouble. I think if I would have had a more consistent schedule, it might have worked better. I cried both times when it was obvious it wasn't working anymore. I really wasn't "ready" to quit. I do feel good that my kids got SOME breastmilk, though.