Need ADVICE is 4 weeks postpartum too soon to go back to work?!

Hello everyone,
All your advice is greatly needed.
I will be starting a new job as a new nurse and will get through about 10 weeks (out of 18 weeks) of my orientation period before I will have to leave for maternity. I know I will not be covered under FMLA but I am hoping my employer will be understand and know this is only a temporary leave. I want to return ASAP since I will still be in my training period. I want to return after 4 weeks what do you all think? The unit I will be working on has a 2 pt maximum so its not like I am on a busy med surge floor running around crazy all day, which is a perk in this situation.
I know its not the ideal situation for my new baby but it is what I feel is the best for my career at his time. I would hate to loose my dream job because I am going to leave to have my little miracle.
I have a very supportive husband and several family members who are going to take over the care of my little one while I am at work.
Please let me know if you all think this can be done after 4 weeks. I know God will make it work out the way it should but all advice is welcome.
Thanks and God bless.
This is not an easy "yes" or "No" answer. There are multiple factors to consider, including whether you have a surgical birth or a vaginal one, how complicated your birth was, how complicated your recovery is after giving birth, your emotional state etc. All of these things will determine when it will be right for you to return to work.You really should discuss this with your doctor, your manager and your spouse. There isn't much you can get here that would be pertinent; a great deal is going to depend on your own personal labor and delivery experience and then how you adjust and heal after giving birth.Congratulations on your new baby and good luck.

physically, yes. how well do you do with sleep deprivation? find your brain turning to banana pudding? maybe hard when starting a new job.emotionally, maybe not so much. how many days a week? when i had my kids, at least where i worked they were good about letting me work 6 hour shifts, supporting breastfeeding, and letting me put my milk in the floor freezer. is part-time a possibility?

Good advice above, but only your OB/midwife can properly advise you about this.

Quote from sirIGood advice above, but only your OB/midwife can properly advise you about this.

No, I would have closed it.

Thanks for all the feed back so far!Yes, it does depend on the delivery and I hope and pray everything will go "normally". If not that will change things up to say the least! I just wanna make sure that I have some sort of a plan when I present to my manager that I am pregnant and that I will have to take time off during training. I was thinking I would plan on coming back after 4 weeks and doing part time (2- 12hrs shifts because full time is 3-12 hr shifts) and at 6 or 7 weeks coming back full time. I know it is so hard to plan these sort of things because life is so unpredictable but I want to be seen as a professional who is very serious about doing a great job as a new nurse. I would not have taken this job unless it was my dream job, the field I wanna specialize in so I couldn't pass this opportunity up.Does anyone have any idea how I should initially present this to my manager...and do you think they will fire me?

I think you sound like you are approaching this well. Your manager is a nurse, so will have some understanding that even the best made plans sometimes change. Doubt they fire you. Good luck with your new little one and your new job.

In the hospital where I work you are required to commit to all of the training period. If you are unable to complete it then your job is not available. It is in the agreement that is signed when hired. I would look over the terms of your employment before you talk to your manager so you are aware of what options you have.

It's really up to you. You know your body. I would HIGHLY recommend you discussing things with your OB/GYN or midwife. Personally, I went back to work 2 weeks after having twins via c-section. I didn't want to, but financially I felt like I had no choice. My twins came 8 weeks early and I had not met my year long mark to qualify for FMLA or STD. It was hard and some days I regretted my decision. But, I did what was best for me.

Quote from ladybugme!Thanks for all the feed back so far!Yes, it does depend on the delivery and I hope and pray everything will go "normally". If not that will change things up to say the least! I just wanna make sure that I have some sort of a plan when I present to my manager that I am pregnant and that I will have to take time off during training. I was thinking I would plan on coming back after 4 weeks and doing part time (2- 12hrs shifts because full time is 3-12 hr shifts) and at 6 or 7 weeks coming back full time. I know it is so hard to plan these sort of things because life is so unpredictable but I want to be seen as a professional who is very serious about doing a great job as a new nurse. I would not have taken this job unless it was my dream job, the field I wanna specialize in so I couldn't pass this opportunity up.Does anyone have any idea how I should initially present this to my manager...and do you think they will fire me?

Quote from johnnyareiIt's really up to you. You know your body. I would HIGHLY recommend you discussing things with your OB/GYN or midwife. Personally, I went back to work 2 weeks after having twins via c-section. I didn't want to, but financially I felt like I had no choice. My twins came 8 weeks early and I had not met my year long mark to qualify for FMLA or STD. It was hard and some days I regretted my decision. But, I did what was best for me.

Quote from MagsMomIn the hospital where I work you are required to commit to all of the training period. If you are unable to complete it then your job is not available. It is in the agreement that is signed when hired. I would look over the terms of your employment before you talk to your manager so you are aware of what options you have.