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I started a new job recently and I love it and want to display dedication to my work. My spouse and I are also hoping to start a family soon.

I have several related questions:

  • Would it be worth it to wait several months so that I'm there for a certain period of time before taking maternity leave?
  • How difficult is it to work through morning sickness and pregnancy?
  • How would my boss and coworkers be likely to react of I were to get pregnant soon after starting?

update

I've looked at the rules in my workplace and with FMLA on taking leave and if I want the benefits offered I'll need to have worked a full year before going on maternity leave, which would mean for benefits I could pregnant as early as the 4th month in.

We also have a small conference room designated as the "mother's room" for breastfeeding.

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    Another question is: "How hard is it to go back to work after maternity leave?" :)
    – Benjol
    Jun 5, 2012 at 5:46
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    trust me ( and anyone with kids ) there is no such thing as a good time to start a family, you just do it and deal with it if that is what you want to do. Employment isn't guaranteed, nothing is stable in todays environment.
    – user718
    Jul 17, 2012 at 15:00
  • @JarrodRoberson - IMHO that advice is good for those who have got significant experience in their career and money in their bank account. You have to plan these things and not let your "emotions" control your mind. If you are just a rookie developer and not the brightest of them, then wait for sometime. If you are like her en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marissa_Mayer then, you can have kids at any time.
    – Erran Morad
    Apr 29, 2014 at 21:45
  • If you're planning to get pregnant as early as 4 months, be warned: sometimes babies come early. You don't want to incur the trauma of a premature baby AND no FMLA benefits. As far as how long to wait, I can just speak from experience that we went off the pill in January, and were already pregnant in April. (They say it takes 3 months for the pill to really leave your system.) Bottom line is, your plan needs to account for the "worst case scenario" where things happen as fast as possible. I mean, since you're planning anyway.
    – corsiKa
    Jun 18, 2014 at 23:44

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If you want to qualify for federally protected time off, there are certain requirements you must meet, like the number of hours worked before eligibility kicks in. For me, this would be a prime consideration before becoming pregnant.

It is difficult to work at your peak performance with morning sickness during pregnancy. I kept snacks and nausea medicine with me at all times, and once I told my boss I was pregnant, it made it less hilarious that I had to use the restroom hourly (or more!).

I think the reaction of your co-workers and boss are entirely dependent on the relationship you've built with them at work. Do they trust you? Do they know that you will continue to work 100% despite this new life change?

For more information about FMLA: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

Another consideration is breastfeeding - do you plan to pump at work? It's helpful to have this discussion with your boss at the end of your pregnancy before going on leave, especially if you don't have a private office.

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    Thank you for the thoughtful response! As far as breastfeeding goes, luckily we already have a small conference room designated as the "mother's room". I've looked at the rules in my workplace and with FMLA on taking leave and if I want the benefits offered I'll need to have worked a full year before going on maternity leave, which would mean for benefits I could pregnant as early as the 4th month in. I guess I'll gauge the strength of my relationships with my boss and coworkers when deciding whether I'm ready to deal with working through pregnancy.
    – Tech Lover in NYC
    Jun 5, 2012 at 2:09

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