Please notify the Postdoc Benefits Office as soon as you become aware of your pregnancy to receive additional information about postdoc maternity leave.
Health information, including pregnancy, is protected and not shared outside the Postdoc Benefits Office.
Expectant Parent Resources
Aetna's Enhanced Maternity Program
This no-cost resource is available through your member website and offers information about the maternity journey. Whether you are planning for a baby, are already pregnant, or are post-delivery, it is personalized for you.
Enhanced Maternity Program Details
Sign up on Aetna's website and answer a few questions to help them get to know you better. You can also call 1-800-272-3531 (TTY: 711) on weekdays from 8 am to 7 pm ET.
Log in to your member website and look under Stay Healthy.
Ready to get started?
Reproductive and Developmental Health Protection Program
As a complex research/medical university, you may come in contact with agents known or suspected of being capable of posing a hazard to human reproduction. This program's objectives are to protect the reproductive health of all Stanford affiliates from occupational exposure to substances known or suspected of being capable of posing a hazard to human reproduction and to identify potential reproductive hazards and implement appropriate control measures.
Complete the reproductive health hazard questionnaire and email to EH&S Laboratory Safety Program
Extra Benefits for Expectant Mothers
When a covered person is pregnant, the dental plan pays for additional services to help improve the oral health of the covered person during the pregnancy. The additional services include one oral exam and either one additional routine cleaning or one additional periodontal scaling and root planning per quadrant. Written confirmation of pregnancy must be provided by the covered person or her dentist when the claim is submitted.
Learn more at Delta Dental
Maternity and Paternity Information Sessions
Attend this session to learn about maternity/paternity leave benefits, when and how to apply for disability benefits as well as leave time available based on your type of pay and funding, and the prenatal education program available through Blue Shield of California. Information will also be provided from Stanford's WorkLife Office about on-site childcare and other resources.
Register for a Session
One-on-One Maternity Meeting via Zoom
Please make sure to notify Postdoc Benefits of your pregnancy as soon as you become aware. About 8 weeks before your expected due date, the Postdoc Disability Leave Specialist will contact you to setup a one-on-one maternity zoom meeting to discuss your maternity disability leave options, benefits, and pay.
Adding Your Baby to Your Health Plans
There is no automatic coverage for your newborn. For services your baby receives to be covered by insurance, you must add your newborn to your health plan within 31 days from the date of birth.
Hospital and physician providers may tell you that your baby is automatically covered under the mother's plan for the first 31 days. Automatic coverage is not the case with our plan. If you want your baby to have coverage under your plan, you have 31 days from the date of birth to add them.
- Process a change request in Benelogic. Instructions are here.
- Make sure to have a copy of the hospital certificate available to upload during the process to ensure your change request is approved.
- Bank account information is required to submit your elections as we collect dependent health premiums via direct debit to your bank account.
- You are not charged a health premium for coverage for the month of birth if the birth occurs on or after the 16th of the month. If your baby is born from the 1st - 15th, we will retro-collect a health premium for the birth month. Please Note: You may be billed for 2 months at once to cover birth month and current month.
Current health-dependent care premium rates.
Filing for Pregnancy Disability Leave
- Salary Paid Postdocs
- Stipend/Outside Funded Paid Postdocs
Financial Assistance Programs for Postdocs
Stanford WorkLife Office Resources
- On-Site Child Care
- Off-Site Child Care
- SoM Lactation Spaces
- University Lactation Support and Spaces
- ParentNet: For Parents Email List
Other Resources
- The Pregnant Scholar
- Routine Tests in Pregnancy
- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital - Your Child's Health University
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation - Pregnancy Classes at PAMF