Find out what is and isn't covered by your employer during the birth and after. If both parents are working, it may make sense for one parent to cover the child's health care by exercising a company medical plan's one-plus-one option, if it's available. A one-plus-one option allows an employee to extend health insurance coverage to another person.
"If both parents are working, one parent might have a one-plus-one option, so they'll take the child, because sometimes that's less expensive than a family option," says Lane.
When interacting with your human resources department, it might be smart to play your cards close to the vest. Human resources workers aren't bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. That means your good news might reach management before you intended.
"When you're going around asking about maternity leave benefits, in some jobs you need to do that pretty quietly because there may be some judgment toward you," Greenfield says.
Also, find out when your open enrollment period takes place. If the open enrollment period happens during your second or third trimester, it may make sense to go ahead and sign up for a health or child care FSA at that time, Greenfield says.