Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott) will be absent from the The Young and the Restless canvas later this spring.

Davidson, who is expecting, will begin her maternity leave either in late April of early May. As babies' arrivals are sometimes even more unexpected than soap opera twists, the show has allowed for wiggle room in Davidson's exit date.

The Emmy nominated Davidson's due date is May 17th, the day following this year's Daytime Emmys telecast. Because of this, the actress was advised not to make the long plane trip to New York for the ceremony -- though she has vowed to be tuned in from her home in Los Angeles.

Davidson is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress category.

This will be the first child for Davidson and fiancé Vincent Van Patten (ex-Christian). Davidson and her soap star husband Jon Robert Lindstrom (Kevin Collins, Port Charles) separated in December 2000 and were divorced shortly thereafter. Davidson and Van Patten were recently married.