I hope that you don't get pressure to make a decision now because who knows what will happen once your little one is here.
I noticed that you wrote work is only 5 mins from home. This might come in handy when you do decide to return to work. If your partner is at home with your little one, you might find it easier to go home for lunch, be able to breastfeed, and then head back to work for the afternoon. might be easier than expressing at work.
i went back to work when DS was 7 months, it was the right thing for us.
I was still bfeeding for the 1st 4 months ie until he was 11 months (he is 12 monthsnow) and i just expressed or went and fed him (5 mins from me). by 6 months he shouldbe ok to have 1 or 2 bfeeds while you are gone...I did have some formula for him but that was bc i travel for work so i had days when i was not there to feed him (not onight until he was 10.5 months). My DH took the opp to drop to 4 days per week, bc we could afford it (i am the primary earner) - we eah work 4 days per week now... original plan was for us each to have ds for a day a week so he had 3 days at fdc (no family here) but we have opted for a 3 day family weekend as our life is pretty hectic and we need the time the 3 of us. this has been v hard to manage but good for us all - i think you will know what is best for your family. if he is with gran and dad it is a lot easier than cc i would think... and just to let you know you can work and bfeed - it just takes some organisation! working from home sounds fab - i do that often - make sure someone is there looking after ds but it means you are still around. sounds like you have a flexible work if you want it... best of luck
I am in two minds as I am not sure about the advice your manager is giving you. If you are pg and on a new 12 month contract (if you did sign another one) why can't you change your mind about returning to work after your 14 weeks paid leave and have the remaing period of your contract on unpaid maternity leave and then return if they wish to provide you with a new contract? I understood that under the Federal Law you are entitled to 12 months unpaid leave from a job. But perhaps that is for a permanent position?
On the other hand I have had several friends return to work part time 6-9 months after giving birth and they have loved being in back in a work environment a couple of days a week, especially if they have partners/parents to care for the bub during their hours of work. It has provided great bonding for their partner and child and their partners are so much more understanding of the pressures of being a stay at home carer. It is totally a personal decision for you to make but working in Gov't should (IMO) make them more flexible to your needs even if you are not permanent and on contract. (Aren't they finding it difficult to fill jobs over there like they are here in Canberra?)
I hear that you are not so interested in this current position but are there other areas of the Dept you would be interested in working in down the track that you may be better able to access if you maintain an ongoing association with the Dept?
There may be no ideal solution for you, but I think you have some good options to explore. Accessing the paid maternity leave is a minimum IMO.
Good luck with it all Devon.
xx
ETA: I think your idea of working from home should also be explored. I have seen it be successfully carried out in my Dept, in fact we have had some of the best results from those that do it as the mums and dads are so committed and glad of the opportunity. Also takes pressure off them for child care/caring for sick children etc. The technology is so simple now and relatively inexpensive once they do OH&S assessment of your home set up.
Last edited by dusty; September 20th, 2008 at 02:24 PM.
: ETA
Despite working in Childcare, I'm not particularly pro-leaving child... but this sounds like a really good arrangement. 15 hours a week isn't really that much, and one day with dad and one with grandma sounds like a really loving spread of care. If it's only 5 mins from home then you'd still be seeing baby in the morning before you left, and when you got home. Or is it maybe an option to do a really early/late start so that baby is asleep for more of the time you're at work anyway?
You'll know the right thing to do. But to me, it sounds like a great arrangement.
Can your hubby work from home one day a week even if you don't return? Perhaps that way you will get a sanity break once a week and he will spend some time with his son .
Dusty - I think my manager's plan is to offer me a new 12 month contract starting in November, so it would go till November next year. I would have 14 weeks paid leave, then the rest of the contract I would be on unpaid maternity leave. I would need to return before the end of that contract. Although we're appointed from a pool here, which is advertised every 6 or 12 months, so I can just make sure I keep applying and stay in the pool, which would not guarantee me a job, but would give me a pretty good chance.
I'm not sure they'd be keen on letting DH work from home one day a week, he needs all the equipment at work. It would always be worth asking though, you never know what they might be prepared to accommodate.
I think if I do come back I will do one really long day, when bub is with DH, and then will ask if I could do perhaps another half day, and the rest at home. I really don't know how flexible they'll be, but it can't hurt to ask.
At this stage I'm going to keep my options open and see how DH and I feel when our baby is here. Have to see how my mum feels about it too.
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