[AGDee]

The 6 required weeks (usually 8 if you had a c-section) is generally the time period that you qualify for disability pay after birthing a baby. FMLA allows you take 12 weeks off without your company being able to penalize you. Employers have no obligation to pay you anything for any of it if they don't offer short term disability pay in general for surgeries, etc. No matter what, you are entitled to 12 weeks without pay per year as part of FMLA. This can be for your medical issues, to care for a new born, or an aging/ill parent, etc.

At my work, short term disability kicks in after you've had 7 calendar days off work (5 work days) and is paid at 60% of your pay. When you get back, all of your paychecks for the rest of the year are reduced because they have to deduct what you pay for health, dental, etc. at a higher rate since you missed the 6 -12 weeks of those deductions while you were off work.

We have one of the shortest and weakest maternity leave policies of any developed country. Most of Europe and Canada have 6-12 month paid leaves. But, our priorities are pretty messed up anyway and to have leaves that long would be a socialist redistribution of wealth so it's not done here.