Post-Birth FMLA Leave: Can it be taken in shifts?

Q. I know employees welcoming a new child into the family can take FMLA leave within 12 months of the child’s birth. But what if the employee takes just eight weeks after birth and returns to work? Can she take another four weeks of FMLA leave about six months later (i.e., still within the child’s first 12 months of life)?—L.O., Texas