Having a Child

[jaybird]

My wife and I will be having a baby in the next couple months. I was wondering how much time should I take off. For those of who have had babies how much time should I expect to take off?

 

[Resume Writer]

Jaybird,

That really depends on what your objective is. Are you going to be helping your wife with the baby after a c-section or a normal delivery? I have had both, and I can tell you that it took me some time to really get back on my feet with the c-section.

My next question would be, what kind of hours are you flying? Nights? Days? Are you generally gone for multiple days? The reason I ask these questions are about putting a schedule together for feedings of the baby. Try to make it resemble what your schedule is when you go back to work.

When my ex-husband and I had our son, I would care for the baby when he left for work and all day. When he came home, he took over and I went to bed. He would do the 11 pm feeding and go to sleep. I would then do the 2-3 am feeding and go back to bed. When he got up for work in the morning, he would do the 6 am feeding. With my baby girl, I did everything myself. The important thing is to get the baby on some sort of schedule.

Tell your wife to sleep when the baby sleeps. Laundry and house cleaning can wait!

Any more questions, you can certainly PM me. Congrats!

Kathy

 

[Joe Jet Pilot]

Congrats

First of all congrats! Second, your life as you know it is now over

When mine was born, I took off 2 weeks. But, with the way my schedule is, that actually ended up being 4 weeks total. Your wife will need all of the help she can get. I would say take off as much time as you can.

Again Congrats!

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

My wife and I will be having a baby in the next couple months. I was wondering how much time should I take off. For those of who have had babies how much time should I expect to take off?

Two words..............OPEN TIME!!!!!!!! It's the only way you will get any sleep for the next 3 months!!!

You will learn to love 4 day trips, they let you catch up on your sleep!


I would say take a week off to give mom a little recovery time and get used to not sleeping, then fly as much as possible. I guarantee that after you get home from a trip you will be handed the kid with a dirty diaper from a zombie like creature that somewhat resembles your wife as she passes out on whatever is near that can pass for a bed.

 

[Timebuilder]

Congratulations!!

 

[saabcaptain]

congrats. i plan on 2-3 weeks when the time comes unless medical needs of the mother or child dictate otherwise.

 

[Ailerongirl]

Jaybird,

I know your original question was asking about how much time you should take off.....my thoughts are that it should be as much as possible! The nature of the beast is that scheduling will extend you, or weather will prohibit you from being at home for many occasions whilst you child is growing up, so take all the time you can when s/he is born and enjoy learning to care for something that carries half your genes yet does nothing but sleep and poop

That aside, once you do go back to work, (and you realise that just as Kerosene Snorter said, 4 days are the only way you catch up on sleep!!) make sure that you have a support system in place for your wife. Family members, friends, neighbours, anyone on whom you wife can call when she's about to have a breakdown becasue she just needs someone else to hold the baby whilst she takes a shower!

It's going to be a delicate balance but so worthwhile!

Congrats!

 

[Jump Pilot]

Number 3 due in a matter of days. Will probably take a couple of days off. I also office out of my house so I'll be around. Not planning to travel for about two weeks afterwards.

Thinking of giving him Lear as a middle name.

 

[fredflyer]

Hey, me too!!!

My #3 is due in a few days, I took about 3 weeks off, but we've got family/friends lined up for the next few months. It really depends on your financial situation as well, I'd say take as much time off as you can afford, but when you go back to work, make sure you have support for momma lined up for a while. This one is my first on the civillian side, the military usually gave us about 3 weeks at home, not really time off, just time at home, that was pretty good.

Ditto on the longer trips, get layovers as long as possible, it will be the best time to rest.

 

[na265]

Congrats on the new kid. They are a joy and its gets better the older they get. I took a month off with our first, about two weeks with the second. You are quilified to take leave under FMLA. If your company gives you any grief about it, go to your Union. They should be able to help you with it. Before someone flames me, I was not one of those who ran to the Union everytime something didn't go the way I wanted.

Good luck, I can't imagine not having my two boys!