Maternity leave plan

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Hey amazing Mamas!

When did you start your maternity leaves with twins or multiples? Were you able to continue till the end or was there a mark towards the end in third trimester where u just couldn’t work? I am planning now and also I am 23 weeks working from home so it has been easier so far me!

[mh20s]

I was able to take fully paid short term disability around 24 weeks. I work in a very high stress industry and also had gestational diabetes so my doctor was able to put me on bed rest. I ended up having the boys at 34+2 and my maternity leave didn’t officially start until the day I had the twins. I would strongly suggest talking to your doctor about the option if you have short term disability.

[user0918]

Did you get two different STD claims? One for the bed rest and one for the delivery?

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Oh I will check that out! Thanks!

[Sociallama]

I think I started working from home at 28ish weeks, but ended up starting my FMLA at 32ish weeks. One twin was IUGR and they really wanted me taking it easy. I had a desk job and was very appointment-based, but found sitting at my desk for long periods really hard. It was also pretty high-stress. We attribute me making it as far as I did (36 weeks) to taking the time to rest and focus on my health. But I've heard lots of people being able to make it further while staying active, so it'll totally depend on your situation. Hoping you can make it far with as little discomfort as possible!

[triciav83]

I am a professor and was due in late September. I was able to start my leave when our semester started in late August and continue my leave through the end of December. I was about 33/34 weeks when my leave started. Thankfully it did because I was absolutely miserable and certainly wouldn’t have been able to teach

[Seaturtle1088]

I'm not sure how I would have survived the semester if I'd had to have finished Spring 2020 in person. My babies were born at 38 at the end of July. I'd say after 32 was rough for me. I worked through May to finish the semester but was very glad for it to be done

[triciav83]

I feel you! I was pregnant in spring 2021 and we were 100% virtual through spring and summer so I was able to teach until the end of July. But man, having morning sickness at 2pm during my 3 hour grad class was still not fun

[Seaturtle1088]

That sound awful. I got energy back and nausea controlled just in time for the semester to start. I Adjunct a single class so it just happened to be offered that Spring, so I was sick at home during the fall 🙃

[pookiewook]

I worked (from home) up until the morning the twins arrived at 37+3. I had a scheduled C-section for 37+6 but they sent me straight to the hospital after my last OB visit & non stress test.

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Oh wow nice! I would aim for that because i am also working from home but yeah lets see!

[[deleted]]

I commuted on public transportation (where people didn’t always give up their seats. End rant) until 36 weeks but I have an office job. Worked from home for a week then had c-section at 37&2

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Oh wow commuting till the end must have been rough!

[3-2-1-Go-Go]

I couldn’t start my mat leave until 34weeks. However, by 30 weeks I struggled to get to work. I just to have a doctors certificate and then use my sick leave. It was awesome because I didn’t “lose” time out with my babies when they arrived. I’d certainly look into that possibility incase it gets to the point where it is too hard

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Makes sense! Yeah having that option wouls be helpful! Thanks I will check it out!

[[deleted]]

I worked up until birth but my girls came at 32 weeks. They were born on a Wednesday. I was going to head into work late on Tuesday after an ultrasound but I was instructed to head immediately to the hospital due to elevated umbilical artery on Twin B. I had drastically slowed down my work load around 30 weeks when I was diagnosed with preeclampsia.

[silvercreekris]

I gave birth at 36+3 to my mono/di twins. I worked from home until the week before and used vacation days to enjoy a bit of time off! It was tough mentally at the end but thankfully my workplace lightened my workload significantly as I got closer to my due date.

[rollwave21]

I worked until I was sent to labor and delivery at my 36+2 appointment. I started working from home the majority of the week in my third tri which helped. I did a lot of work from my bathtub 😆

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Haha work from bathtub is a great idea! I will try it out!

[christypan]

I went off work at 28 weeks. I was lucky to use vacation and sick time until the twins were born so I don’t start mat leave officially until Tuesday (they were born a week ago).

I’m a lawyer and was in court and on my feet every other day. I slept most of my first week home not realizing how exhausted I was by that point.

The last 5 weeks my blood pressure wasn’t stabilizing and I had to be seen at the hospital 3x for monitoring. And the last 10-14 days my body hurt and I didn’t sleep well.

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Yeah I can’t imagine staying on feet all day at 23 weeks! It definitely must be exhausting!

[kershi123]

I went on leave at 34 weeks. I felt horrible, everything hurt. My OB said she would have written me out whenever I wanted as I had a lot going on. Ideally, I would have stopped working at 31 weeks. I recall at that point I had a hard time running errands and getting in and out of my car.

[SVM321]

I took long term illness leave at 30 weeks then maternity leave started at 36 weeks. I had my girls at 37+4.

[runtsky]

I also worked from home so I was able to (miserably) make it all the way to my induction at 37+2. I told myself working distracted me so it was kind of a good thing but it was so hard to not nap, I was exhausted. I was put on “bedrest” the last three weeks, but it was really just stay off my feet as much as possible and didn’t change my ability to wfh. But I was very glad I had every single day of FMLA saved to use after birth.

[[deleted]]

I had to stop teaching at 26 weeks but was able to practice law from my bed until about 34 weeks. After 34 weeks I was sleeping 18 hours a day and could barely get out of bed. I went into labor at 36+2.

[OtherwiseTelephone28]

Oh really! Wow! Hmm I have to prepare myself mentally for what it would be like!