My maternity leave is going to be covered by short-term disability, which my company just got basically so that I could have any maternity leave at all. For which I'm quite grateful. But the policy they chose, although it goes up to 12 weeks for illness or injury, only gives 5 weeks of paid maternity leave. (Well, I'd get more if there were complications with delivery, but let's hope that doesn't happen...) Anyway, am I crazy to think that 5 weeks is, like, no time at all?? I suppose I'm lucky that my boss will let me take vacation/personal time and unpaid leave to supplement it, so I'm hoping I can take maybe three months altogether, but they'll be a fairly lean three months.

did I mention that my appendectomy two years ago was disallowed

Getouttahere

5 weeks would be hard, Kate. I say take more time even if it's unpaid if you can afford it.

Sadly, I think most people I know have only gotten maybe 6 weeks paid (and usually supplemented that with vacation or whatever, and used FMLA for some unpaid time too)

I had 10 weeks paid leave, but I think 6 weeks is more common.

I get irrational and stupidly angry about the insurance issue. Disallowing an appendectomy?? WTH?

Having an appendix is a pre-existing condition.

Having an appendix is a pre-existing condition.

Well, of course! I should have totally thought of that.

5 weeks would be hard, Kate. I say take more time even if it's unpaid if you can afford it.

Oh, I can't imagine going back after only 5 weeks, and we're lucky to have enough in savings to make it feasible for me to take several weeks unpaid. I just hate that the official paid leave is so little. Somehow I thought that 12 weeks was common, but now I'm not sure where I got that number.

I have nothing but the highest respect for the doctors and nurses I've worked with (with one or two exceptions), but I wish the committees that decide which ailments and conditions are covered would come down with those same conditions and have to use our insurance.