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| 'Til the end: Sarah Francomano, a publicist in Boston, planned to work within a week of her delivery. She miscalculated and
went into labor during a business meeting. Joanne Ciccarello – Staff |
Maternity leave: Expectant moms wait 'til the last minute
With no US laws requiring paid leave, more mothers stay on the job longer, saving time off until after the baby arrives.
from the April 21, 2008 edition
Page 2 of 3
Not everyone wants time off beforehand. "I chose to continue working because keeping my head in my job actually kept me calm, knowing I had control over my day-to-day work," says Elise Bogdan, a vice president of Newman Communications in Brighton, Mass., who worked until the day of her son's birth. "I also love my job."
Aimee Grove, vice president of Allison & Partners, a public-relations firm in San Francisco, stayed at the office until 8 p.m. on a Friday, crafting a business proposal, then gave birth to her son on Monday.
"My colleagues, who all think I am a workaholic anyway, thought I was crazy, but I think it's normal," she says. "My best friend went into labor in her office and had to have a colleague drive her to the delivery room. We all want the maximum maternity leave. Who needs more time to stew and fiddle with the nursery?"
Office pressure
Monica Samuels, coauthor of "Comeback Moms," emphasizes the importance of following obstetricians' instructions. "If your doctor says you need to stop working and rest, you need to follow what your doctor says. A lot of women don't. They feel the pressure of the job."
Some pregnant workers face "a lot of resentment" from other employees, Ms. Samuels says. When she and coauthor J.C. Conklin interviewed more than 100 women for their book, she says, "We would get stories behind a pregnant woman's back. Colleagues would say, 'We noticed she's been leaving a little early.' "
Although some women face pressure from their bosses, others praise employers for being compassionate and flexible. "I've seen managers be concerned that a mom may be working too hard and suggest she work at home," says Cali Williams Yost, a workplace flexibility consultant in Madison, N.J.
Ms. Bogdan was allowed to work from home the last two weeks before delivery to avoid a long commute.
A supportive manager also helped Sarah Francomano, a publicist at Manning Salvage & Lee in Boston. Because she had worked for the firm less than a year, she was only eligible for six weeks off. But her boss gave her another six weeks to make it the full three-month maternity leave. "I needed every second of it," she says. Now she works from home two days a week.
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