Young and Expecting (Watty Awards 2014)

To work or not?

Sorry for the long wait, I been busy with school, my son, and life in general! But here it is!

Once you get pregnant you start thinking about everything in life that is changing. Your body, socail life, school, and yes work. When you have a job, typically you have maternity leave if you have worked there over 6 months, or that it how it is here in Texas. Well that only leads to more questions:

When do you take it?

How long do you take it for?

Am I staying or going back to work?

What will my hours be like?

All these begin to run through your mind early on but don't worry. Talk to your boss and coworkers about these questions when you get into your second trimester. I didn't even tell my boss Iw as pregnant until half way through my first trimester, but that was because I was throwing up so much. I didn't want to tell them until my second, that way I got pass the dangerous period (where its more likely to have a miscarriage).

I worked retail, always on my feet. It was ok at first but as I got bigger my ankles swelled, my back hurt, and I was always running off the floor to go to the bathroom. My maternity leave was 6 weeks in total for natural and 8 if I had a c-section (which I had). So it came down that I had to think about when I wanted to take it in order to spend as much time with my baby as I could.

At my work, I was able to limit my hours to four hours a day with everyone understanding one thing. If I did not get to go to the bathroom, eat or take a break. I would go to Human Resources and get their bosses bosses to let me. It was hassell still though. I would be helping someone when I would have to rush to go the bathroom or I would get off lunch to only be in the bathroom puking my guts out.

Two months away from my due date I had to be pulled from work. My ankles were the size of watermelons and I was going into the ER every week with pains and contractions. The doctor pulled me on medical leave, which was nice because I had time to rest and get stuff ready, but that meant that if I wanted extra time besides the 6 weeks that I would have to stay until my due date.

On my break while I waited for my son I thought about if I should go back to work or not. His father and I talked everyday about it, wondering if it would be worth it or if I should stay home and raise him. The price of daycare was the deciding factor. My job would pay daycare... meaning I would work to be able to provide my son a place to stay while I worked.

I didn't go back to work, instead the father found a better job that could support all of us. I didn't tell anyone right away. Instead I waited until the very last week of my leave to let everyone know, just incase things changed. 

It was bittersweet. Having worked with the company almost three years it was like leaving a part of my family. But the cost out weighed the emotional tie. 

Now I stay home and raise my son full time, making a little money with a networking job that sells kids toys. Its nice to bring some money and I miss the social life of retail but hey, I got the holidays and every weekend off! :P

My friend just had her baby. She plans on going back because she has family memeber that can watch the baby and she feels its better for her to be out of the house. I am happy for her, I believe every mom should have a seperate life from their babies, but I do not regret staying home.

Now being a stay at home mom is hard, and so is being a working mom. They both have their challenges. Being a working mom you have the worry of being called in, missing time with the baby, juggling work and the baby to name a few. The good things are you make your own money, you have a social life outside of the baby, and you get to keep a small part of your normal life. 

Being a stay at home mom you at first don't have a social life, not making your own money unless you have a online job, typically are the main person who cares for the baby even when he is home to name a few. The good things are that you get to spend every second with the baby, you never miss a moment, you get to catch your shows (until they watch cartoons) to name a few. 

It just depends really on your personality. Being a teen mom is hard, and when you have a job and baby its time we put down the pom poms and grow up. Time to realize McDonalds wont pay the bills and mom wont always be around to pay for everything. Think before you act if you stay at the job or not, think all costs and scenerios through before picking!

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