by MIA FREEDMAN
The first time I was pregnant, I very confidently told my boss how much maternity leave I would be taking. “I’ll only need, like four weeks max,” I announced. “And I’ll work throughout that time. I’ll come into the office for meetings and the staff can come to my place and you won’t even know that I’m gone.”
She laughed. That’s because she had had actual children and knew I was talking absolute bollocks.
While giving me a warm, congratulations hug, she insisted I’d be taking four months off. At least.
I agreed. Reluctantly. I’d never been left alone with a baby before but how hard could it be? They just ate and slept, right? It’s not like they needed exercise or anything. At least I didn’t think they did.
What would I DO with all that spare time if I wasn’t back at work?
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Because then I had the actual baby.
Welcome to reality. Because suddenly, my days suddenly seemed to have only about 2 hours in them in which I had to do 10000 baby-related things (unlike the nights which seemed to stretch cruelly for 22 hours in which I was woken every hour or so FOREVER).
Marissa Mayer is the CEO of Yahoo and at 7 months pregnant, she’s about to have that same reality hit her too.
Top Comments
Yes it is great to have a supportive workplace, like Yahoo. If you work in say magazine publishing, and have the misfortune of having the wrong-minded editor in charge, you might get fired.
Sucks to be having to take leave in America. There are so many things America could change that would actualy help their economy. Im ever thankful for being a New Zealander. Some things suck here too but at least we get 14 weeks PAID parental leave if youve been in a job 12 plus months plus free maternity care during the pregnancy. labour, birth and 6weeks follwup care. Then you get put onto plunket (free also) till they are 4 hich provides a range of health services to babies and young children.
I worked up till 4 weeks with first child ( thou i was planning on 2wks, my boss laughed and said we will see!) I went back to work after 3 months expressing and having mum babysit. Lucky for me it was afternoon work. I too thought oh it will be easy to go back to work. Wrong!