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What I did with my six-week old when I needed to return to work (to satisfy my FMLA requirements so my husband and I didn't have to reimburse the company I work for for my medical premiums - despite that I took EARNED TIME OFF for my maternity leave - AARGH!!!)...ahem...well, thanks to the recommendation of my supervisor, I extended my maternity leave and have had a reduction in hours since returning to my job (my youngest baby is 3 1/2 months old). I also don't plan on staying in my current job too much longer, and my employer is aware of it, because I have child care issues. For one, my youngest daughter (age 19) is watching her baby brother out of the goodness of her heart, but needs a life of her own. For another, I don't know how child care is in your area, but from what I've checked out, it's nearly, if not more than, what many women (including myself) earn. Why bother? Also, there's waiting lists a mile long, especially for infants. And, lastly, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, I miss my baby when I'm away. My husband and I are working on satisfying our financial needs (checking into varying shifts so we can alternate child care between ourselves and/or self-employment) while also satisfying our emotional needs. Keep in mind that babies are so tiny for such a short amount of time. If you don't need to work (outside the home), my belief is DON'T. Taking care of your children is a real job, with real monetary value. If you can find a way to stay at home, I think it's preferable, especially if your area is like mine...you could spend the bulk (or more) than what you earn on child care. That's pretty defeatest, financially, and to make matters worse, you'd miss out on being with your baby.

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