Taking Mat Leave

[MommaL]

Side note: most of my daycare parents are government workers and have lots of vacation and personal days. Taking two weeks off isnt too difficult for most of them so I wasnt too concerned about losing daycare kids.

You have to be a bit careful in assuming this though because while the parents may have a lot vacation time, they don't necessarily like to feel like they are being forced to use it, especially when it's a time of year that people don't typically take time off. While many parents coordinate their summer or winter vacations around their daycare providers vacation time, it's a bit different when it's a mat leave and it's impossible to know exactly when it might start (unless having a planned C-section). That being said, I think most parents are supportive of their daycare provider wanting to take time when having a new baby and will make it work by either taking some time off or getting family, friends, or other temporary care. However, they just might not be real pleased to have to pay for this time when they've never had to pay for your time off before. And changing your contact now when you're only a couple months away from having the baby might not go over well, as people will know that you are only making the changes in order to accommodate your upcoming mat leave. If these were changes that had been made prior to getting pregnant or even earlier in your pregnancy, it probably would have been easier. Good luck with whatever happens. This is an exciting time. Try not to worry too much about it. Paid or unpaid, it will somehow all work out in the end.