Planning pregnancy while looking for job

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

remember you must work a year to be eligible for FLMA

Employee Eligibility To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must work for a covered employer and:
have worked for that employer for at least 12 months; and
have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the start of the FMLA leave

I was 36 at my daughters birth and 37 at my sons. Jobs are hard to come by but your experience in L/D may play into your favor.

SL2014 · Jan 25, 2014

Yes, like the other person said- in order to be eligible for FMLA you have to work for an employer for one year.

There are a lot of companies that offer alternatives to FMLA that include 12 weeks of unpaid leave but there is no guarantee that your job will still be there after leave (but usually it is).

Also, if you are not obviously pregnant, how would it have an impact on you getting a job? You aren't required to disclose a positive pregnancy test...

I will also say that you can plan for whatever you want but it could take a while for you to become pregnant so I wouldn't over-plan something that isn't “plannable”. This is especially true if you are taking oral contraceptives.

serenity729 · Jan 26, 2014

SL2014, thank you. I think I am nervous about how pregnancy early on in an employment arrangement would impact getting my job back if I had to take leave, or "quit" in good standing, for me to take 3 mos off (even if it were unpaid).

generalRN2008 · Jan 26, 2014

I had started a new job right after a miscarriage. Two months later , found out I was about two months pregnant again with complications. I worked until day of delivery. I had short term disability, vacation and sick pay built up but a month or so shy of fmla. My spot was given away. I got my job back at 13 weeks post partum as the nurse was not able to handle the job and quit. I came back to spot with 10 hours less a week as that the only job open. So be careful with timing.