Bed Rest: Week 5 AND Release!

This has been one hell of a week. On Wednesday I had another check up and everything was still the same! Yay! So she cleared me to go back to work, but only part time. I was okay with that at the time because I didn't think I would have to use any of my Short Term Disability time or FMLA time. After contacting my boss I was told that I would still be using that time since I wouldn't be working my normal hours. After hearing this, I knew I was in for a battle.

I contacted the HR department at my job and was told that yes, I in fact would still be using my STD and FMLA. After 12 weeks, I would no longer have FMLA protection and could risk losing my job. My FMLA would officially be up on Dec 6th because I would have been gone for 12 weeks. That means, even if I was part time, I could still lose my job and definitely run a higher risk after the baby is born. I would still have a little bit of STD left, but not enough that would satisfy me and the time I would be able to spend with the baby. I don't think that my job would fire me when they know I just had a baby, but I trust NO ONE, especially when $$$ is involved.

So I some choices to make:

1) Continue to be on bed rest because going back part time would still be using STD and FMLA anyway.

2) Go back to work part time just to get out of the house and organize things for when I really do have the baby and still be using my STD and FMLA.

3) Go back to work full time and risk going into preterm labor, but at least I'll have time to spend with the baby. At this point I don't really see myself going into labor, but anything is possible. After getting the steroid shots the baby has a 95% of surviving if born now. I'll be 29 weeks tomorrow and I'm almost there! If I can make it to the end of the month without giving birth I'll be VERY thankful.

The way I see it, if I stay out on bed rest or part time leave, I will never forgive myself if I have the baby one day and have to go back to work the next day. What kind of time is that to bond with your newborn? I don't even have a plan of who I would leave the baby with. My mom is home most of the time but has to go to work a couple days out of the week. That means I would be leaving the baby with my mother-in-law, who lives too far away among other reasons that make me uncomfortable.

So I chose option 3. I stalked my doctor yesterday and today to get her to agree to let me go back to work full time. Needless to say it worked. I'm going back full time to save my STD and FMLA time for when the baby is actually here. If I don't have a J-O-B, I can't take care of my B-A-B-Y. So I'm sure there will be those at work who will judge me for coming back and not staying on bed rest, however, they're not the ones in my position. As far as I'm concerned, the only ones that should be judging whether or not I'm doing the right thing are my husband and myself, and so far he is 100% in support of my decision.

WORK ON MONDAY! YIPPEE!