u/achipots

Hi everyone, looking for some advice.

My husband’s company recently changed its paternity leave policy. Until August 31, the policy provided 2 weeks of paternity leave. From September 1, the new policy provides 8 weeks of paternity leave, to be taken continuously/at one go.

Our baby is due in mid-September, so my husband falls under the new 8-week policy.

He informed his manager that he plans to take the full 8 weeks after the baby arrives. However, the manager is asking him to split the 8 weeks into four separate blocks of 2 weeks each, saying “we will manage internally.”

The concern is that the written policy specifically says 8 weeks at one go, so we’re not sure whether the manager can informally ask him to split it simply because of team/resource requirements.

We don’t want to create unnecessary conflict with the manager, but we also don’t want him to give up a benefit that was specifically introduced effective September 1, especially since our baby is due after the new policy takes effect.

Whoever thought content creation was easy money? Honestly, at some point, all of us probably did. From the outside, it looks like filming a few videos, posting them, and watching the money roll in. But now we know there’s so much more behind it consistency, creativity, planning, editing, dealing with low views, staying relevant, and constantly coming up with something new. My views have definitely changed

content creation isn’t easy money, it’s a real job that demands time, patience, and a lot of resilience. The success we see on the screen is often just the tip of the iceberg.

September due mums, how are you feeling?
What’s your due date? Have you packed your hospital bag yet? How are you preparing for the baby? Any aches, symptoms, or new things you’re noticing? And are you feeling excited, nervous, or a bit of both?

My due date on sept 17 which is exactly 1 month from today 😅

Is it just me, or has the Indian YouTube space become increasingly crowded with TV/film artists and celebrities?

I’m not saying they shouldn’t be on YouTube. Obviously, anyone should be free to create content. But someone who already has years of TV exposure, a huge fanbase, industry connections and brand recognition is starting with a massive advantage over a regular person trying to build an audience from zero.

YouTube was once one of the few places where an unknown person could genuinely compete with established celebrities purely through content. Now, a celebrity can start a channel and instantly bring millions of existing followers with them.

With so many TV and film personalities moving into vlogging, podcasts, lifestyle content, etc., do you guys think this is making it harder for ordinary aspiring creators to break through?

Or does it actually make no difference because YouTube ultimately rewards whoever makes better content?
Curious to hear what people here think.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding maternity expenses and whether it makes sense to opt for reimbursement instead of cashless insurance.

My maternity insurance coverage is ₹1 lakh.

The hospital has given me two different pricing structures:

If I pay directly (cash):
Vaginal delivery: ₹1.05 lakh
C-section: ₹1.20 lakh

If I use insurance (cashless):
Vaginal delivery: ₹1.25 lakh
C-section: ₹1.50 lakh

There are also some exclusions/non-covered expenses of around ₹15,000–₹25,000 in both cases(which are in case of emergency and optional)

So, it looks like the hospital charges significantly more when the bill is processed through insurance.

My question is: Can I pay the hospital directly and then claim reimbursement from my insurance company instead of opting for cashless? And from a financial perspective, would that actually be better?

For example, if the delivery is normal and I pay ₹1.05L directly, but my policy reimburses up to ₹1L, my out-of-pocket expense could potentially be much lower than going through the ₹1.25L cashless package.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there any catch with choosing reimbursement over cashless, such as insurers applying different package limits, deductibles, sub-limits, or refusing reimbursement because the hospital had a cashless arrangement?

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with maternity insurance reimbursement vs cashless in India.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding maternity expenses and whether it makes sense to opt for reimbursement instead of cashless insurance.

My maternity insurance coverage is ₹1 lakh.

The hospital has given me two different pricing structures:

If I pay directly (cash):
Normal delivery: ₹1.05 lakh
C-section: ₹1.20 lakh

If I use insurance (cashless):
Normal delivery: ₹1.25 lakh
C-section: ₹1.50 lakh

There are also some exclusions/non-covered expenses of around ₹15,000–₹25,000 in both cases.

So, it looks like the hospital charges significantly more when the bill is processed through insurance.
My question is: Can I pay the hospital directly and then claim reimbursement from my insurance company instead of opting for cashless? And from a financial perspective, would that actually be better?

For example, if the delivery is normal and I pay ₹1.05L directly, but my policy reimburses up to ₹1L, my out-of-pocket expense could potentially be much lower than going through the ₹1.25L cashless package.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there any catch with choosing reimbursement over cashless, such as insurers applying different package limits, deductibles, sub-limits, or refusing reimbursement because the hospital had a cashless arrangement?

Would really appreciate advice from anyone who has dealt with maternity insurance reimbursement vs cashless in India.

New creators applying for YPP will need 8,000 qualified watch hours in the last 365 days, or 20 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days. Taking effect from 1st Feb 2027.

It’s going to get extremely difficult from now onwards to either get monetised or keep your
Channel monetised !

Thoughts?

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to travel from Mangalore to Bangalore and wanted to check if buses are still operating normally.

With all the recent heavy rains and reports of landslides in the Western Ghats, I’m not sure if KSRTC and private buses are running as usual or if there are cancellations, diversions, or major delays.
Has anyone travelled today or recently? Any updates on the Shiradi Ghat route or overnight buses would be really helpful.

Hi everyone,

I’m due at the end of September and could really use some advice from those who’ve been in a similar situation.

My company requires me to use my remaining 20 days of annual leave before I can start my maternity leave. I’m confused about the best time to begin my leave.

Should I:
Work as long as possible and start my annual leave closer to my due date?

Or start using my annual leave earlier, considering the baby could arrive before the due date?

I was also thinking like since I haven’t shopped anything yet i might take some time off just to order everything that i need during my holidays .

I genuinely thought planning a small baby shower for just 20–25 people would be fun. Turns out it’s exhausting.

My husband and I are handling everything ourselves, and I never realized how many things there are to coordinate:
Food menu
Decor
Return gifts
Invitations
Travel and stay arrangements for in-laws
Outfits for both of us
Makeup and getting ready
Timings, vendors, and a hundred other

All the excitement I had for the celebration has disappeared. Instead of looking forward to it, I’m just hoping everything goes smoothly and gets over without any last-minute chaos.

I didn’t expect the planning to feel so mentally draining especially during pregnancy. I honestly thought a gathering of 20–25 people would be simple

A buyer has quoted

“you have NOT compensated all the buyers. This is fake news. And the compensation provided to some of the buyers is very minimal and not as per the RERA rules. “This is all I can offer. If you don’t want it, then SNN can buy the flat off you (at original price)” is what your Directors have said to the customers. this PR stint will not work.

This is regarding demolition of SNN raj eternia tower due to structural issues identified after receiving OC

My sister (35F) and I (31F) are very close, and I wouldn’t trade our relationship. But growing up, it often felt like one of us had to sacrifice because our parents were always planning for the other’s future.

My sister wanted to do her master’s in the US (in 2010) but my parents wouldn’t support taking an education loan because my education was still ahead. She still regrets missing that opportunity cause all her friends earn 4x of what she earns here

A few years later, I got an MBBS seat through COMEDK(which was 3.5 lakhs a year in 2013) but my parents said the fees were too high since they also had to save for my sister’s wedding. So I had to let it go.

Neither of us blames our parents they did what they thought was best but sometimes I wonder if one child would have had access to opportunities that both of us missed because resources had to be divided.

My mom says having a sibling is more valuable than individual dreams, and that I’ll appreciate it more later in life.

Does anyone else feel this way, or have similar experiences?

During our wedding 3 years ago, they had plenty of opinions about having a nice decor, photographer, and everything else while my parents were footing the bill. But when it came to gifting me gold, they got the smallest necklace possible.

After the wedding, there was a mandatory pooja they had to host, and they cut costs everywhere and kept the guest list tiny. They also never offered to help us set up our home or buy furniture my parents helped us with everything.

For our first Gudi Padwa, my parents gifted us an AC. My in-laws did nothing. Same story on our first Diwali.

Now I’m pregnant, and they were hesitant even about doing the baby shower. Only after my mom suggested splitting the cost 50-50 did they agree. Now they’re saying they’ll invite only 8–10 people from their side, and I’m already wondering if they’ll even follow the tradition of gifting gold.

Anyone else dealing with in-laws who only remember customs when someone else is paying?

Hi all ,

Bit of a weird situation but my parents live in Bangalore and so do we (20kms apart one way)

In-laws live in a tier 2 city . So after my baby gets here my in-laws want to immediately come to see the baby (i know they have really pure intentions and genuinely are excited to see the baby) , they also keep asking what’s the exact date and if they should
Come 2-3 days before the date

Our dilemma though is that my husband gets just 10 days paternity leave and he wants to live at my moms house during the time with me and baby

My in-laws are not independent in any way like booking cab or ordering grocery . They need my husband for everything as they don’t know much in Bangalore, so husband says if they come immediately he has to stay with them

I asked him to tell his parents to directly come for naming ceremony (which is on 12th day after birth) but he says he cannot tell them as they’ll get offended

Anyone was in this situation? How to deal with it 😥

Anay

Arth

Ansh

Please choose one among the 3 . Also please let me know if any of names mentioned are too common?

After recent daycare fiasco funny how the whole of Instagram has reached 2 conclusions :

1st conclusion :

Blame working mothers
Don’t have kids if you don’t have time
Parents are finding easy way out to get rid of kids
Modern women don’t want to look after their baby
Work is more important than baby

2nd conclusion: (by men who want financial contribution by women)

Modern women don’t want to stay with in-laws
In-laws would happily take care of babies
Working women deserve this for choosing a nuclear setup
Some men bashing their own wives saying “my wife doesn’t get along with my mother and i don’t have any option”

There is clearly no winning here for women.

After seeing some disturbing visuals of CapGemini Daycare child abuse I couldn’t sleep last night

My company has day care facility at office too which I thought was a huge advantage. Turns out it’s not

I wanted to have a discussion with my husband on this topic but he was too tired after work and fell asleep without listening to me

I don’t think i would have guts to put my child in a daycare now after this . Don’t know what’s going to happen in the future

Also I’ve noticed that the financial gap between poor and rich is only widening and this is frustrating the poor people more and more and they take their frustration out on tax paying middle class people wherever possible , be it maids , nannies , delivery boys , cab drivers . Hiring these people have only increased our tensions more than getting relief, God bless all of us working mums .

My rental agreement is due for renewal next month.

The owner hasn’t mentioned anything yet about renewing or increasing the rent.

Would you recommend that I proactively ask the owner about the renewal, or is it better to stay quiet and wait until they contact me first?

I’m curious what others have experienced. Does bringing it up early usually help, or can it sometimes lead to an unnecessary rent increase discussion?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

So I’m going to take a maternity leave from August onwards for a year and very weird thing but I’ve observed that many men are now jealous of women taking maternity leave as well . Few instances in my office :

My manager who has 3 daughters made a remark like “how lucky you are to be able to take a break , men don’t have that option”

A colleague who is expecting his second baby mentioned “ you’ll get salary for a year without work , sooo lucky “ . I then realized that his wife doesn’t work and probably he wanted his wife also to get salary and insurance benefits during maternity leave

Another male colleague made a remark like - “it’s only in India and Europe that you get 6 months to 1 year break but in USA they hardly give 3 months paid leave” . He said he respects USA women cause they get back to work within no time

Like seriously men need to stop comparing each and everything. Maybe pray to god that you are born as a women in next life if you are feel our lives are much better