I'm stressed and don't know what to do.
So I am currently only 10 weeks pregnant (due date December 4th) but I'm talking with my boss about maternity leave. So basically since I am an independent contractor, a community mental health therapist to be specific, it is just confusing and frustrating.
Basically I will have to continue working 32 hours a week up until December in order to: keep my bonus hours, which are awarded every quarter, and keep my health insurance.
The way I am being told is that I will need to use my bonus hours (pto) first then I will get 6 weeks of short-term disability. From what I understand I will be insured during the short-term disability but again will need to keep working 32 hours until December, in order to be able to keep that.
This completely ruins my plan of dropping down to 24 hours in October. My job can be very stressful being that I am in the community 4 days a week (schools, client houses, my car, etc.). I am often at the mercy of gas station bathrooms, if/when I get a chance between clients which is sometimes not possible since I have to factor travel time to and from clients locations. The weather is also a huge issue since I am usually in the hot weather with being in the community.
I am weeks away from submitting my application for my LCSW-C so I'm hoping to jump start a private practice to help financially during maternity leave - if that's even realistic.
This is my first time being pregnant so I really don't know how this will play out and I'm too busy stressing about this to enjoy being pregnant! We've gone through IVF so this is truly a freaking miracle to be pregnant and I just want to be able to have a calm first time. Any advice, words of encouragement, etc?