has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I will be getting laid off in exactly 2 weeks. I'm going back and forth w/the idea of TTC for our first DC.

IDK, guess just want some input? Has anyone done it? Should I look for a job first? What are the pros and cons?

DH and I are not 100% sure what to do, we're going w/the "whatever happens happens" mentality.

I guess I'm just freaking out bc I'm trying to b "responsible".

any input is appreciated.
TIA ladies.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I know that when the TTC bug bites it's hard to hold off, and you can never tell what is going to happen in the future. But here are some things to consider.

Will you have health benefits? BIrth alone is crazy expensive.
Do you plan on being a stay at home mom anyway?

In order for FMLA benefits to kick in I believe you have to be working somewhere for 10 months. That might be something to consider as well.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I agree with pp, what is your health insurance situation? I would not want to have to pay for a birth out of pocket, especially if it ends up being a c-section, yikes!

I would try to figure out if you can live off just your DHs salary and then try to estimate how much more a baby would add to your monthly costs.

I'll be technically unemployed when we TTC again in August since I'm a SAHM. It'll definitely be tough to add a 2nd kid into the mix, but we'll make it work.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

my friend ttc while unemployed and she actually got a job a mth ago and they know she's pregnant,. she works nites. so she's going to work until maternity leave and then go back after she's safe to return from healing, her job is family orientated and her sis got her the job. you should discuss this with your dh b/c its up to both of you to make the decision and i agree with the pp about insurance etc. best of luck to you :)

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

i would look for a job. when you are PG then you can always quit if you can afford it.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

Are you insured under DH's medical insurance? If you won't be insured, the out of pocket expensive would be crazy $$, so that is def something to consider. If you get a job after you get pg, you wont be covered under FMLA, so you may not have job security when you take your leave. So I also think that you should consider your financial situation.
I am fairly new at my job and in order for me to be covered under FMLA, I need to work there for 12mo's. For those covered under the policy, they allow you to take up to 6 1/2 mo's leave and they secure your position for you. So we are waiting 3 1/2 mo's before we start ttc. We both hate to wait but I don't want to risk losing my job. HTH

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I dealt with the same thing! I got laid off some time ago and started ttc. For us ttc has been a long process, so I ended up getting a part-time job. To be honest my field is really saturated, so it was all I could get anyway. The good thing about what happened to me is that it made my dh and I realize that we could live on his salary. Granted we can't go on elaborate vacations anymore and he had to pick up more clients, but I also realized that I think I would want to be a sahm for a few years.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I personally would not. We do not want to be a one-income family. Also, it would depend on the benefits situation, but I know my DH and I would hold off on TTC if either of us were unemployed.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I was unemployed for 6 months last year, and the only reason we continued to TTC was because I was already covered on DHs health insurance. I knew it would've been hard to look for work if I was pregnant but I was prepared for whatever happened. We never got pregnant, and I eventually found a great job, but personally I wouldn't have TTC if we couldn't live on just one income. Things happen for a reason, and if you feel you could do it financially and your able to be put on your DHs health insurance plan, then don't put it off.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

I am being laid off at the end of the week - we have been trying for 2 years - so at this point I am NOT stopping because I am not getting any younger. We can survive on DH's employment so that puts me at ease - a little bit....

Message edited 6/17/2012 8:47:11 PM.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

Thanks for everyone's input!!

I'm covered under DH's insurance plan. So under FMLA I would need to be employed for at least 12 mos before being pg or before taking leave? i'm confused

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

i've been unemployed for a while now. was laid off right before DS was born. Went to an interview recently. thought i definitely had the job (that's how they made it sound anyway) ended up not getting it.

we will be TTC starting this month. I'm covered under DH's insurance. yes, it will be financially tough but i know i want my kids close together. i looked at our budget and we may not be able to do anything extravagant for a while, but we will manage. it's all about budgeting!

and i figure this way once i do get a job, i don't have to worry about maternity leave since i'll already have two kids

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

Posted by latinaj

Thanks for everyone's input!!

I'm covered under DH's insurance plan. So under FMLA I would need to be employed for at least 12 mos before being pg or before taking leave? i'm confused

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

i see both sides
on one hand, you never know how long ttc will take nor do you know how long you will be unemployed for.
if you are unemployed and get pregnant yes ultimately in the end interviewing 7-9 months pregnant will be hard (bc lets face it even though companies cannot discriminate i am sure they would)...but you could find a job sooner in which case there would be no issues aside from having to take unpaid leave.
if you get pregnant and are still unemployed you can be a sahm.
but it all depends...can you and DH afford a child if you are not working? if you can afford to live on one salary then i say go for it and see what happens.
good luck in whatever you decide

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?

Posted by NYCGirl80

Posted by latinaj

Thanks for everyone's input!!

I'm covered under DH's insurance plan. So under FMLA I would need to be employed for at least 12 mos before being pg or before taking leave? i'm confused

You would need to work at your company a year before you would qualify for paid time off. You could take unpaid time off.

Re: has anyone TTC whle unemployed?