Is vacation time off in same year as parental leave frowned upon?

[Anonymous]

My company offers unlimited PTO and it’s standard for new moms to take full leave (16 weeks) plus 3 weeks of vacation tacked onto the end - our “preparing for parenthood” materials even frame it as “19 weeks of paid leave” and everyone is encouraged to take it. You’re also definitely encouraged to take additional PTO during that year - most people take 5-6 throughout, so I took 3 weeks after I returned in June and no one batted an eye.

This question is hugely dependent on industry - I work in consulting, so our team / staffing are flexible - it’s not like I leave a hole in a team when on mat leave, staffing just puts someone else in my role. And when you comeback, you take PTO just like anyone else on the team