Miscarriage leave advice

[Panamanian]

I’ve just started miscarrying at 9 weeks (discovered no heartbeat at a scan on Friday and started to bleed last night - so far just like a period but I’m anticipating it getting worse). My work recently updated their policies to give 2 weeks leave for pregnancy loss (which they encourage you to take in one block and which is available once in a year). My boss had already refused to give me half term off as he has taken it off himself. My dilemma: do I just say I need the time off this week as I’m in the thick of it? I’m hoping we’ll try again but I’m 41 so there’s a high chance it might happen again and I’m worried about using all my leave. What would you do? (As you can tell my head is all over the place at the moment!).

Get a sicknote and hand it in.

I don’t need a sicknote for this kind of leave. The policy says I can self certify. It’s a question of what I ask for.

Take the time off, it’s not just a bad period and it doesn’t sound like you have passed the pregnancy yet. You are unwell and work can’t ever discriminate against you for pregnancy related sickness anyway

What do you mean? Like one week or two? Not sure what options you mean beyond take the time off or not sorry

I guess my question is should I take one week or two because I’m scared it might happen again and I’d have used up my leave this time.

Take the 2 weeks and recover. Especially if you’re planning to try again. There’s a lot mentally and physically in a miscarriage. If you need more than the 2 weeks, a doctor will sign you off no questions asked. And if it happens again and you no longer are able to self cert with work for it, as you already used your 2 weeks then the doctor will sign you off for as long as you need.

You’d still get SSP the second time though. Take a week for now and see how you feel at the end of the week, you might want to just get back to work, or you may be physically or mentally not ready. I think it’s too soon to tell how much time you need off. But don’t save leave for a future miscarriage that hopefully won’t happen, especially as it’s already the end of October

I think you need to base it on your symptoms and how you feel. Some women go back very quickly after a miscarriage and some need more time. Neither is wrong.

Thanks all. I’m clearly overthinking it. I’m also concerned about what he’ll think when he realizes we were trying for another child.

Take the 2 weeks. You’re entitled to it and if this unfortunately happened again, then you can utilise sick leave. Take the time to heal and get yourself well. I took 4 weeks for both of my miscarriages as I needed to focus on my mental health as well as physical. My work provided 4 weeks x

I took over a month of sick with both miscarriages. The physical stuff was over relatively quickly but the emotional stuff took much longer. Take what you need and if you need more get a sick note/fit note. You take care of yourself.