Maternity Leave Anxiety- any advice? (Austin: apartment, health insurance, daycare)

[Socialbutterfly1007]

My husband and I are moving from CA to Austin in a few months and planning on starting a family within the next year or so. I've researched the maternity leave stuff in Texas- there isn't any! Only FMLA which is 12 weeks of protected unpaid time off under federal law. Coming from CA which has the best maternity leave benefits in the country, I'm sort of freaking out. How do families handle this without becoming financially devastated? My husband cannot support us on his income alone. And will I have to pay COBRA for the 3 months to insure continuation of health care benefits?

Looking for some input/insight on how other families have handled this....

Also wondering if there are any Seton employees on this board and whether they offer any additional maternity leave benefits.

Thanks in advance!

[Trainwreck20]

Major employers usually have some additional benefits over and above FMLA. My wife could take up to 19 weeks off with a combination of maternity leave, short-term disability, and vacation time.

An not to assume anything, but you will not have to survive on one income indefinitely, just a few months, and if you don't have enough in the bank to bridge that gap, it could be considered a bit risky starting a family until you have more savings.

[robino2001]

Originally Posted by Socialbutterfly1007

My husband and I are moving from CA to Austin in a few months and planning on starting a family within the next year or so. I've researched the maternity leave stuff in Texas- there isn't any! Only FMLA which is 12 weeks of protected unpaid time off under federal law. Coming from CA which has the best maternity leave benefits in the country, I'm sort of freaking out. How do families handle this without becoming financially devastated? My husband cannot support us on his income alone. And will I have to pay COBRA for the 3 months to insure continuation of health care benefits?

Looking for some input/insight on how other families have handled this....

Also wondering if there are any Seton employees on this board and whether they offer any additional maternity leave benefits.

Thanks in advance!

I know it does not directly answer your questions, but my wife had only FMLA when on maternity leave last year from St. Davids. She was required to use her extended illness bank leave for money and her normal insurance was deducted from it. If she refused to take EIB (I don't think she HAD to), she would have had to pay her insurance premiums up front to maintain her insurance while out. Outside of how the employer deals with it, I don't know of the state having anything to do at all w/ maternity leave.

As for how we dealt with it... ??? We just knew that's how it worked and prepared to survive with it.

[Idlewile]

Yes, you are spoiled in CA and I can say that because I'm from CA and know full-well what great coverage the state offers, but sadly, no other states offer anything comparable. I was on maternity leave twice in CO and it's just the same as it is here -- standard unpaid 12 weeks of FMLA.

My company DID not offer anything above and beyond the standard 12 weeks FMLA and that is based having been employed at the company for 1 year which is law and standard for all companies in CO, meaning you may or may NOT be entitled to even the standard 12 weeks if you have worked at said company for LESS than a year -- company's discretion.... may be true here as well.

Basically, any one who works for a company that provides anything above standard unpaid 12 weeks is considered lucky.

We saved up for the first maternity leave and dipped into savings. The second I used more vacation but the rest we went into debt to cover ourselves.

Oh and, at least for my company, short-term disability would have cost us more money in the end unless I had had a complicated birth so it wasn't even worth it to sign up for it after calculating all scenarios.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by robino2001

I know it does not directly answer your questions, but my wife had only FMLA when on maternity leave last year from St. Davids. She was required to use her extended illness bank leave for money and her normal insurance was deducted from it. If she refused to take EIB (I don't think she HAD to), she would have had to pay her insurance premiums up front to maintain her insurance while out. Outside of how the employer deals with it, I don't know of the state having anything to do at all w/ maternity leave.

As for how we dealt with it... ??? We just knew that's how it worked and prepared to survive with it.

THIS EXACTLY was my experience down to the detail of EIB. Welcome to the world of hospital healthcare. I worked at a top-10 pediatric hospital and that is was they provided their employees. Appalling but bitter reality.

[kiacook]

I'm sorry but - TRADE OFFS. Texas has nowhere near the social services a state like CA has, but we also don't have income tax and we do have a lower cost of living. You can't have everything in one place. It doesn't exist.

[CarnivalGal]

I've never worked for a company that had more than the 12 weeks required under FMLA. You can get on your husband's insurance plan to cover you medically. Otherwise, just plan ahead and save. Some companies do allow you to use disability to cover your FMLA time off, which will give you at least something. I hate to say this because I don't want to sound mean, but if you can't afford 12 weeks off, being able to afford a baby and the costs that come with it are going to be a rude awakening, especially if the child will be in daycare.

[Seoid]

12 weeks! I wouldn't complain about that. We only get 6-8 weeks depending on what kind of birth and it's considered "short-term disability".

[h886]

Originally Posted by kiacook

I'm sorry but - TRADE OFFS. Texas has nowhere near the social services a state like CA has, but we also don't have income tax and we do have a lower cost of living. You can't have everything in one place. It doesn't exist.

Yes, this. You will be taking home more money every month in your pocket rather than paying it to the state in income tax. Save up that money and the difference in COL between Austin and California, and use that money during the months after the baby is born.

You should plan to at least get established at your job before getting pregnant. Check what their rules are about how long you must have worked there before taking leave. Not sure about the rules for TX. Make sure your husband's position is stable as well and have him cover you on his health insurance and/or check with your employer about whether you'll have to make COBRA payments. You can save up your sick days and vacation days and use those first before switching over to the remainder of your 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA.

If you cannot live on your husband's salary alone, then you have some serious planning to do with regards to your temporary leave from work to stay home with the baby for 12 weeks--like you need to start saving for those 3 months of no salary before getting pregnant. Will you be able to afford daycare for an infant even with both of you working? Would it be more cost effective for him to stay home with the baby?

[cmaxmor]

How did we deal with it? We lived cheaper. We had a 1 bedroom apartment until we were (happily) surprised with #2 eighteen months after #1. I was lucky to work for a company that payed 50% of your salary for 3 months of leave. If you can't afford to take the maternity leave, then what will you do for daycare? That is where you get bitten. Especially for an infant.
It turned out to be more worthwhile for me to stay home with the kids after a while. With daycare, gas, food..etc.