I am moving to florida in a few months and am going to be looking for a new job. My husband and I would like to begin trying for pregnancy right away. Our concern is that if I get a new job and become pregnant right away would I be entitled to maternity leave. I understand that to qualify for FMLA you need to be employeed for a year, are there any other options or do I just risk losing my job by becoming pregnant.

You are correct that employees only qualify for FMLA leave after they have been employed with a company for 12 full months. Whether you will be eligible for any leave time if you need medical leave prior to being employed for 12 months will be entirely up to your employer's policy.

Thank you, I just cannot understand how you can be fired for having a baby, it seems as if there has to be some type of protection for pregnant mothers.

I agree Urban. There should be protection.

Unfortunately, there is no such protection.

Write a letter to your congressperson and senator.

Under the law, pregnant women aren't entitled to special benefits; just the same benefits any other similarly situated employee would receive. If a new employer has a leave policy that provides for medical leave for employees with less than a year of service, they must extend the same to you. If they don't have such a policy and would not extend medical leave to any employee with less than a year of service, then they are not required to do so for you.

Thank you very much for the information. It is very disheartening.