AHH...sweetie...Well, Federal law is that you can take family medical leave for I think three months (I am not sure if it has changed since I delivered three years ago)...Short term disability should kick in right away but you may have to wait to get paid...the processing could take a while...Long term disability depends on the situation...I hate to say this, but this is what I did...My company extended out my leave for 6 mos (that goodness) but I was unable to return to work even at that point and my twins were full term. I just left my job and got another one when I was ready to go back to work. Can you and your wife survive on just her income...Or here is an idea...swap...take your time, go back to work and then have your wife take maternity leave (family medical leave)...Family medical leave depends on the size of the company...Money is relevant...Go into debt to stay home if you have to...but care for the babies is first and foremost...

Im sorry that I dont have experience with this, but I would venture to say that each individual child has their own needs and the hospital will release them when they are ready...Good luck my friend...I will be thinking of you and your wife...and CONGRATULATIONS ladies, welcome to the twinmommy club...

Ok First everything will be ok, it is very hard and scary when you are going through this but in 9 months you will look back at this as a bad dream.. My twins were born at 28 weeks. Emma was 1 pound 13 ounces and Ethan is 2 pounds 12 ounces. Ethan was vented and Emma was not. They spent the first two - three weeks in a incubator, Then on to a crib and then home. Ethan was in the NICU for a Month and Emma was there for a month and a half. They both need feeding tubes. Emma came home under 4 pounds and need to be in a car bed and Ethan was under five pounds and came home in a car seat. When they were first born they both fit in my hand. My advice to you is ask questions while you are in the Nicu visiting do not be afraid to ask questions. My twins were Born at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn , MI and they were AWESOME i could not have asked for a better staff to care for them they educated us daily. Again DO BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!!!! now the twins are 9 months old and Emma is 13 pounds and Ethan is 17 pounds I have no idea where the last 9 months have gone!!! it was all a bad DREAM1!!! My Leave was extended do to POST PARTUM depression and insomnia. Which lets face it you have newborn twins and they are in the NICU there is not too many people that would have these issues, talk to your OBGYN and they can extended your leave usually as long as there are Medical issues. Lizzygirl is also correct you are allowed to take time off according to the FAMILY LEAVE ACT
http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/fmlafac2.asp

Not sure how it works at your job but I did not give work my extended notice until the dau before i was supposed to be back so that i had my six - eight weeks then whatever else it was. I ended up not going back to work because it works for my family to stay home and car for the twins. Well I hope this helps ... If you have any questions let me know and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to stay calm, ask questions in the NICU and this will all be a BAD DREAM. MY thoughts and prayers are with the four of you!!!!

Jennifer

I agree with emmaethan....ask ask ask questions...Ladies, your little ladies will be fine..we are all here for all four of you...People tell me stories of the first 6 mos of my twins being home and I only remember very little...We are here and we love you....you are supported...all four of you.

Hey i looked at the twins pictures and they look GREAT!!! much better than my two looked we actually don't even like looking at there first two months of pictures. I just can not stress to you guys enough how everything will be ok MAKE sure you rest i know that is easier said than done but take it from someone that has been right where you are, you did your energy for when they come home and very important when you are pumping!!!! REST REST REST and WATER WATER WATER. My Nurses made me take breaks all the time even if that meant taking a nap in the ramily room which was just for NICU parents and had a bed. you both can do this be strong and rest...I will check back daily

Thank you both for your replies. I think we'll get to go home mid to late this week and I can't wait. Both girls are off all support and in a crib in special care. Both are gaining weight and we are just working on maintaining body temp. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Abby is over 4lbs now and Olivia is 3lbs 12oz. I should have 6 weeks with them and then I am going to use my leftover vacation and sick at the end of the year for a total of 8 weeks and I can quit stressing. I am just glad that the staff at the hospital and my pediatrician have been so good to us. I will keep you updated with journals if I don't have a question!

My twin girls were premies,3lbs9 and 4lbs 6, I had them at 34weeks, I was fortunate to have a natural birth as my water broke early but they were great when they were born they didn't need oxygen and scored a 9.5. The smaller one had to go to NICU and the bigger twin was in the regular nursery, they were both jaunticed and had to stay on the lights and gain some weight, they both were allowed home after 10days, it was so difficult leaving them in the hospital but I spent every single day there from dawn to night expressing milk and just being totally hands-on, it was so difficult leaving even for those few hours each night, I was fortunate to be a stay at home mom but I was still extremely overwhelmed and tired , my mom flew in from Europe to help me for the first 3 months as I was feeding them every 2 hours so they would put on weight, my mother was so funny! she was at first so scared to hold them as she said she had never seen babies so small but they did so well very quickly putting on weight and they caught up at 4 months to the weight, height etc of a singleton baby. My girls are 5 now and it is hard at first but once you have them in a great routine and in-sync with each other especially with feeds and sleep everything will fall into place, good luck and congratulations , it is one beautiful journey from here on in and the joy your girls will bring you will be endless.

Employers are required by federal law to give you 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

My employer honors FMLA, however, I must use all of my available sick and vacation time while on FMLA so I basically return to work with 0 hours of time off.

Best of luck with your twins!