How Long Does Your Husband Take off Work When After You Have a Baby?

My hubby is a doctor and takes 1 week off. If a doctor can take a week off, pretty much any other dad who is getting that time off PAID FOR can do it as well.

My husband took a full week off then only worked half time for 2 more weeks. He worked this out with his boss because he could have had 2 full weeks off but they worked out a 2 week half time thing to take place of the second week. Was wonderful!!

Mine took off 2 weeks. And to be honest that was about 1 week to long! I was READY for him to go back to work. And we had TWINS! Don't get me wrong. He was wonderful that first week, but after that I had to ask and ask him to do things. Then it felt like I was nagging, and in a since i guess i was. So yeah, I dont think asking him to take 1 full week is a problem at all!

Mine was off two WEEKS before I delivered and was home for two or three MONTHS or so. He had an obscene amount of vacation days and sick time to use. He also took the time his company (SC Johnson) gave him.

He LOVED being home and that time flew by. I'm positive that extended time home helped him bond with our son. We knew he was going to be our 'only' so we were ALL IN!

Having him home allowed me to really give breastfeeding a solid try and I was able to breastfeed for just over two years because of all the early help he gave me/us.

LOL your husband will hate me! My husband took 10 weeks with our first and got paid for the entire time due to saved up sick leave and vacation time, his rolls over every year. Although I did have a preemie who was in the NICU for three weeks before coming home. We are expecting #2 and he will take at least 4-6 weeks this time to help out with our older child and everything else. He will get paid again with saved up time.

With my first, my husband took 3 weeks off and then did three weeks half time. We separated shortly thereafter, so the other two children were with my second husband -- when my second child was born, he had lost his job about 2 weeks before, and we had quite a bit saved up. He took about 4-6 months before starting to look for a job, and was home for almost a year. When my third was born, my husband had planned to take 2 weeks off, but the baby came 3 weeks early, and it was a particularly bad time for him to be out of work -- his boss had rescheduled a business trip to Switzerland because it had originally been scheduled for my due date to 3 weeks earlier, and so he was away. At the time, he was the only one who could cover for his boss, so he only took 3 days. He felt really really bad about it, and arranged for me to have help at home.

I think that being home for at least a week, if at all possible, is important, particularly when there are older kids who need to be taken care of so that you can recover. Even if you have a textbook normal labor and delivery with no complications and recover quickly, you should still be taking it very easy for a week or two. If he's not going to be home, you should have someone else around during the work day to help you. If you don't have any family or friends nearby who can do this, consider looking into post-partum doulas.

With our first he took about two weeks and at the time it was all the time he had available. With our second, this March he took close to two weeks, and he is now self employed, so it was unpaid time. I had C sections with both and needed his help. If he had five or six weeks of paid time, he would have taken more, and in your situation I would insist he take time to help with his family. All my guy friends have taken all the time they could when their babies were born, one saved up time and took six weeks when his second baby came. I don't buy that most guys don't take time off.

With both our babies, my husband took off at least a week or a week and a half.
He got paid vacation time for most of it. He said he wanted to make sure that I had help.
My only family near by was my sister, who had a baby 12days before I did. and with my 2nd baby we lived in a totally different state.
So If he didn't take that time off I would have been all alone.
He was a huge help both times.
With our last baby, the whole time he was off work he made to sure spend his time taking care of me and making sure our older son was taken care of.

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My hubby is like yours. He only took the 3 days off that I was in the hospital, BUT he did go to work late and come home early for about 3 weeks afterwards. My Mom or MIL was always there with me for that time as well. If he has the time I would want him to use it as well. I think it is funny how guys NEVER want to take their earned time off.

My husband is self-employed so after I had the twins (6 today) he took half a day off, BUT my mom, MIL, aunt, sister, friend, and my now BIL were over quite a bit to help out, my mom would do the laundry, clean the house and make suppers for us, my MIL would come over and take care of the girls while I did errands and to get out of the house.

Since he has so much sick time racked up it would make sense for him to just take the entire week off, if my husband had sick time to use he would have taken 2-3 weeks.

My hubby took off the week before and went back a month later. I had a c-section so i was glad he took off that time.
With my oldest, I had him at 12:14 pm and his dad left to go to work at 1. didnt take off any time at all.

My husband didn't take any time off. It just happened that our daughter was born right when he had 2 days off from work as scheduled, so he was home for 2 days, but he took no extra time off. In his defense, he was working a new job that he had just started 2 months before, we only have one child and I felt perfectly comfortable with him going to work.
Good luck.

My babies were all born on the weekend. My husband took PTO 1-2 weeks depending on if I had a family member to help immediately or not. Sounds like your husband may be uncomfortable with the thought of being home with a newborn. It's an awkward time for men. The baby has so many needs, but the needs are mostly fulfilled by Mom. After the anger cools, time to have a heart to heart talk about expectations for when the baby arrives.

Well with our first he took off about 3 weeks due to complications we had with the birth and our baby being in NICU for a week. With our second he took 2 weeks off to help. We don't have family near by that we could count on. Both times were with pay. I couldn't have done it without him.

Went to hospital Wednesday night, I had baby Thursday Afternoon was in hospital till Sunday Afternoon. Hubby took off Thursday - Sunday, he went back to work Monday. Hubby does not work on weekends so really only took two days off. Oh and on that Friday, while baby and I were still in hospital he did leave for a few hours to check in at work, had to run something, e-mail boss whatever... I had other family there and just baby & I time was nice because we slept :)

I should have asked him to take off Monday too since we had just got home the day before but that is hindsight (had an emergency c-section so really should have had hubby take Monday and maybe Tuesday off too so he could help me around the house those days while I had more time to recover).

The company my husband works for gives 2weeks paid parental leave. Therefore my husband was home for two weeks with all three.With our first he also took a week vacation as our son was in the NICU for the first week.
Federal Law give him the right to get up to 12 weeks off without lossing his job or position. In the US it does not have to be paid. The Federal Law in the US is as follows: To be covered under FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act):
Must work for a covered employer (all public agencies; private companies with 50 or more employees within 75 miles.)
Must have worked for covered employer for at least 12 months prior, and at least 1250 hours in previous 12 months. Other restrictions apply. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave

Blessings on your upcoming arrival,
J.

He initially took off 1 week but I BEGGGGGED for 2... So he took 2 weeks off. His boss wasn't happy but I was :0)

With #1 and #2, we had our own business. Hubby did not take full days off but took shorter days and so on. With our third baby, he is in a new career and started his job last September. With his job he only gets 2 weeks paid vaca and 5 sick days in a year. (These are all combined, so if he wants 3 weeks vaca and no sick days it's fine but if he goes above the 3 weeks for either sick or vaca, it's unpaid). Sooo, he ended up taking NO days off after because - I went into labor on Monday April 18th at night. We were up all night, went to the hospital Tuesday the 19th in the morning. He took off Tuesday obviously with me in the hospital and then he took off Wed and Thurs, did chores around the house, visited me in the hospital (I had a c-section). My parents helped with our 2 girls those days so he only had them part of the time. And then Friday he picked me up from the hospital. He was back at work on Monday. But I had help from my MIL who came and stayed a week, and from my mom who lives 15 min away and helped me regularly. :-)

My hubby still has about 3 weeks of actually vacation time at work and he plans on taking a week off when I have the baby...I'm due in September. I don't remember what he did with our first...he wasn't employed with his great company like he is now. I think it was just a couple of days last time.

Two weeks both times that he scheduled. The first son it was strictly two weeks cause even though is super was great he followed the rules...of course it is Air Force so kind of hard to bend rules..lol With our second son he took two weeks again but his super then let him have an extra day or two if I needed it. They were very good at that base because I had a c-section.

I had baby #1 on a sunday, so my husband took the whole week off and the following week worked part-time (like went in for important meetings and such) then went back to work full-time. Baby #1 was really fussy and up early, so he altered his work schedule until I went back to work by going in early and leaving early.- but that last part wasn't really part of your question....
I had Baby #2 on a Thurs and he took off Thurs and Fri and the whole next week, then went back full time after that.

I know you already got a lot of answers, but here's mine.
My hubs took what he could, about a week. He is self employed and doesn't get PTO. By the time our kids were born, we were facing a couple months of me taking unpaid leave as well. However, most men that I know that get PTO, take about 2 weeks if they have that much. I would be VERY upset if my hubs had 5-6 weeks built up and didn't take AT LEAST 2 weeks. After all, that's what it's there for.
Good luck, and I hope your husband changes his mind. Especially now that you have older children to care for while you recover.

My daughter was born with a scheduled C-section on a Wednesday morning. My hubby took that day off, then went to work the rest of that week, but his work was a mile away from the hospital. He skipped his 2 breaks (strictly scheduled at 10am and 3pm) and reduced his hour lunch to 15 min just to wolf down a bag lunch. That way he was able to get off work early and come spend the evening with me at the hospital. Friday night he slept over at the hospital with me, knwoing I was coming home Saturday about Lunchtime (he had brought all that was needed with him to work that day..car seat, etc).

I had alot of visitors as ALL of our family and most friends lived within 5 miles of the hospital! They kept me busy for my weekdays in the hospital, along with resting I needed to do.

He took the whole next week off to help me out. It really made no sense for him to be off while I was still in the hospital. I was actually back to work PT (6 hour days) when my daughter was 18 days old, but I was a nanny, so she came with me. Another 2 weeks later and I was back to my 11-12 hour days. It worked great for us.

My ex owned his own business. With my older daughter he took no days off. With my second he took one day. Missing work was not an option for him as he was a vet at a busy emergency hospital and needed to be there.

My husband only took off about 2 days with each of my kiddos, but worked an abbreviated shift (longer lunches, early Fridays) until I went back to work. He also helped by using some of his time for check ups, sick days, etc.
In my and other husband's defense, he was in a job where he could not take weeks off - even when we go on family vacation he got calls and had to deal with stuff non-stop, so for him to be only a few minutes from the office, made more sense just for him to go in:)
I did get really jealous, though, of those moms whose hubby's took off weeks, especially when I had #2:)

With my first, I told my husband to go to work while I was in the hospital (had the baby on Sunday). Afterward, he took about a week or week and a half off. We're planning on doing the same when this next baby comes.

My husband works on oil rigs so im lucky that he can even be there for the birth.

My husband didn't take any time off except for the day of delivery and the day we went home. I never really thought about it because we are both self employed so we need do the work when we have it. Come to think of it, I always started working the day I got home from the hospital too. I work at home with a laptop so not a huge deal.

I started thinking about your situation and decided that I would probably be a little put off. To have that much time built up and not use it for such an important event is hard to understand.

I am not sure how I would deal with it though. I think you just have to figure out a compromise. I really don't think having a baby on a Friday and your husband taking the next week off is unreasonable at all. Maybe you could try to encourage your husband to understand that you just want to be with him and share this time with him because you love him not because you are trying to be difficult. Maybe he will lighten up a bit.

Congrats and enjoy!

My husband took two days, and he was paid. I also had a very rough pregnancy, so he had to spend a week in the hospital with me around 24 weeks. Therefore, he refused to take off any additional time after baby was born, so I was on my own (no family help either).

I hope your husband changes his mind - so worth it imo.

My husband took a month off. It was nice. He would help with the baby and let me sleep! I don't know what the normal is. I am due in Dec. WE have decided that he will only take 2 weeks this time. He was going stir crazy by the end of the 2 wks the first time. I think it is what is best for our family.

A month-he gets a month off for paternity leave from his company.

My husband took a week off with the first and 2 weeks off with the second.

My hubby took off a week..all unpaid. He would have taken off longer if we could have affored it ( he has no sick, vacacation, pto time at all) I dont think asking him for at least a week is unreasonable. I dont think asking for the time off would make him a bad employee.

My husband gets 3 weeks paternity leave then he's taking a week of vacation. I guess I never realized how lucky I am!!

With our first child my husband got 4 weeks of paternity leave. He went back after 3. With our 2nd, he was working a full time job and a part time job, he took off 1 week (unpaid) from the full time job and 2 weeks from the part time (1 week of vacation, 1 week unpaid). I think most dads that I know take at least a full week, so I don't think it's unreasonable for you to expect that. And I think his job will understand him using his vacation or sick time to be with his family. I hope you get more than 2 days out of him! :) Good luck, and congrats on the baby!!

my ex took 2 weeks off...he would've taken more if he could

I am due July 28th, my husband gets 1 weeks paternaty leave (which is paid) and this is what he took of when we had our son. Which was fine because my M. was here for 3 weeks. This time now that its our 2nd, I told him I want 2 weeks. 1 week paternaty, 1 week vacation time. Originally he said yes, but now he is saying he may go back after 1 week. I told him ONLY and ONLY if I have some one here with me. Which my M. is supposed to come again, but not til Aug 1 and who know's when this baby is going to make an appearance. So, he agreed. If I didn't have some one here with me, then he would stay the 2nd week. So we'll see what happens. He is a huge work aholic. So i think he would have anxiety not working for 2 weeks!
Congrats momma- its almost over!

We'd both been working a long while when our son came along.
So we both had leave (vacation and sick leave) built up.
My maternity leave was 12 weeks - most of it paid.
Our son was born end of October and my husband stayed home with us till after Thanksgiving.
My husband was WONDERFUL!
He'd hold our son and rock him and let me sleep every so often, drove us to doctor appointments and to Mommy and Me sessions at the hospital.
He'd cook and help clean up and we shared doing laundry.
By the time he went back to work I felt I was ready to get through the day solo with our son.
I don't know what I would have done without him - he was an absolute angel.

He has only been able to take a few days, but if he had 5-6 weeks worth of time to take, he would.

My first was born on a Friday, we got home from the hospital on Sunday and he was back to work on Monday! My second was born on a Tuesday, we were home on Wednesday, so he took the rest of that week off, and had the weekend off also.

My hubs got 10 days for each child, and that is 10 work days, it did not count the weekends. so 2 full weeks.

Our first child 4 weeks.
Our Second child 12 weeks, due to it was a rough birth for me. I had a 4th degree tear, got nerve damage from the epidural (entire left side was failing to work properly) and hip dislocated. I had to go through physical therapy with the chiropractor and holistic doc. My husband's job covered the first month and the rest was of our own savings. Luckily my husband has a very understanding employer; that even allowed him after 3 months to work a few days from home for another 3 more months until i was completely recovered. He stayed on call, worked from home, and did traveling when needed. (my husband works for the airlines.) In conclusion, a week is very reasonable to ask for.

A week and a half with our twins and he just took a week with this baby (now a month old). I had c-sections both times, too.

5 days. He only had 5 days paid. He would take off more, if it were paid.

#1. Three weeks. He used all of his vacation. That was our choice. We wanted to really share the experience of bringing our first baby home together.

#2. Two weeks. He used two of his weeks and saved one for later.

#3. One week (including the time I was in the hospital).

It's amazing how your perspective changes. I would have freaked if he'd only taken one week of the first time. I think I needed the longer time even more the second time going from 1 to 2. And going from working full time up until the day before I delivered to being a SAHM of two kids overnight. But the third time, it wasn't too bad having him go back after a week. I guess I'm a professional now :)

With our first he took off 2 weeks, with our second and third it was 3 weeks. His supervisor gave him a paid week with the first two, and the rest of the time was vacation days.

wow, I feel blessed. Mine took 3 weeks off after my third his first. It was a great bonding time. He started saving vacation time the minute he found out I was pregnant though. I think every guy is different though. Some people really like babies, some like toddlers, some like kids some like teenagers. He was so funny because he was disappointed that our son didn't do anything but sleep, eat and poop. I doubt he would take that much time again if there was another one. What he doesn't realize is the tight bond he formed with our DS during that time.

It is a doggie dog world out there. With the job market the way it is, I am sure he feels that if he is not there and takes the sick time, he might
try to be pushed out of his job. We have to remember that there are many
people out there waiting for a job. My dil had to go back after she lost
her baby. Had d & c on Friday, back on Monday. It is a sad world we live
in today. So hopefully your baby will be born on a Friday and you can get
a few extra days in.

One week with our first, and he'll be taking another week with this one (due Aug. 17)

#1 about 5 weeks but he had just lost his job and was looking for another.
#2 was born on a friday and he went back to work monday.
#3 was born on a thursday and he went back to work monday.
If he got paid time off he would be happy to take it, but we don't get paid sick days and we get one precious week of paid vacation every year. I wouldn't expect him to take it when we couldn't do anything fun because we just had a baby lol.

For my first, my hubby took off 4 weeks paid (combined vacation and sick days) and I didn't even ask him to! For #2 he took off 2 weeks paid if I remember right. And for #3 I'm not sure yet what he is planning as we haven't discussed it, but I did overhear him telling someone that he was going to start saving up some vacation for January :) He doesn't just stay home for my benefit... he is smitten with the kids! Good luck getting a whole week!

My husband took off the entire first week, then, I think he went back for 2 days the next week, and then 3 days the week after that, and then full time again.

He didn't have as much time with the 2nd kid, but still took off at least the first week.

And, he couldn't use sick time.