I applied for a Fed job in October and it took until April to get me on board. So start ASAP IMO. You can always decline an interview if it comes up too quickily.

Yes - starty applying now! It can take a while, esp for Fed jobs. Don't count on getting paid maternity leave - at some places it'll take 6 -12 months for that benefit to kick in. At the Fed, you wouldn't have earned enough leave yet.

PP here -- also, if you are planning on using a day care center, get on some waiting lists now.

Start applying now: Federal hiring can take a looong time, even without sequestration and hiring freezes like we have now. And, speaking from experience, interviewing while pregnant feels awkward but is not necessarily a deal-breaker for them.

That said, also know that you will not get any maternity benefits as a Federal employee. There are lots of threads about this if you're interested in the details, but bottom line is you can only count on getting the sick and annual leave you've earned. Some agencies will advance you a certain amount of time yet to be earned and some (I think probably most) will let you take at least a little unpaid leave even if you are not FMLA eligible yet, but that varies.

Hello,

My husband and I will be moving to DC this summer, at which point I will be 5+ months pregnant with our second. I am an attorney and would love to find a position in a federal agency or on the Hill, but our timing is obviously a little tricky. My initial instinct was to wait until #2 is a couple of months old before starting the search, but a couple of people have told me that I shouldn't wait-- I should start the interview process ASAP, and not feel bad about my "situation" (especially since employers shouldn't be taking it into account when making hiring decisions). I'm not so sure I agree... On the other hand, it would be much easier for us as a family if we had two salaries and possible maternity benefits. Any thoughts?