Would you use up all your leave before returning to work -- or save a few days so u have a cushion?

[Anonymous]

Of course you should have a cushion. Babies get sick!

[Anonymous]

I might have missed this info in OP's post but it depends on what your childcare arrangements are. If your DC will be in daycare, save some leave. I'm a fed and completely depleted my leave and I was happy I did, however DC is with a nanny (so less likely to get sick plus if sick, can be home with nanny) and I have a flexible work schedule. For dr's appointments I flexed if I didn't want to use leave. If you can't flex and/or have daycare, you'll need the leave. I know several people who put their kid in daycare for a few days and the baby immediately got sick and they had to be home again for a few days right away.

[Anonymous]

Nannies get sick and need unexpected leave too though.

[Anonymous]

Definitely save it. I'm another fed - I used it all and dh committed to doing drs appointments until I had some back, but then he had a work crisis and our child care fell through unexpectedly, so now I'm almost 40 hours negative. Even worse, now I have to use LWOP for anything that comes up, and once you do that they start to prorate how much new leave you accrue. So I'm negative and since I'm not accruing at the full rate (lots of illness this year with new baby and toddler) I really have no idea whether I'll EVER be able to get out of the red. Please give yourself a cushion and avoid being where I am.