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Pregnancy

When are/did you go on maternity leave?

32 replies

TreeSparrow · 14/06/2015 10:05

I don't know when to say I will go off. What did others do?

OP posts:
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Milkyway1304 · 14/06/2015 10:12

I finished at 34weeks, but I was moving country. I don't recommend that! Ended up having 7 weeks before baby came along, in a new place with no friends to occupy me in the day. I would have happily kept working til 38weeks I think otherwise!

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AbbeyRoadCrossing · 14/06/2015 10:16

It depends how you feel. Don't forget you don't have to decide until 25 weeks and with 28 days notice you can change the date later on if you wish. I was going to change mine after finding out I had a placenta condition. So a lot depends on how easy or not you are finding pregnancy, your job, etc.

Some people get bored in their own company and stay until the end. I was going to do that but had DS at 36 weeks so my leave automatically started. I wish I'd had some time to myself beforehand as he was my 1st, so going straight from the office to being a mum was quite a shock, with no downtime in between. This time I'm going at 32 weeks.

Don't forget you'll have annual leave to take and you'll accrue annual leave and bank holidays when you are off as well

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batfish · 14/06/2015 10:21

I think I am going to go on official mat leave on my due date but take a week's annual leave before so I will be finishing at 39 weeks. I am 24 weeks and have been very lucky to have a very easy pregnancy so far so if that continues then although I am sure it won't be totally easy I don't see why I can't work up to then. I am actually tempted to just work to 40 weeks but I would like a few days to myself to chill out - assuming baby doesn't come early of course!

Where I live I only get 3 months mat leave which is why I am keen to push it as late as possible.

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quesadillas · 14/06/2015 10:24

32 weeks this time, at the latest. I'm having twins though, so will realistically only have four weeks of pregnancy left at most by then.

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Snowflake15 · 14/06/2015 10:32

Officially 39 weeks, but I have a few weeks annual leave to take before that so will actually finish work at 36+1. I do tend to enjoy my own company though, I want to get some batch cooking done, get the house ready, I have friends and family living nearby so I don't think I will be bored. Plus I have a long commute on the train and tube and think that will be difficult when I'm so big - I'm already looking forward to my time off Grin

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sianihedgehog · 14/06/2015 11:03

10 days before my due date. 32 weeks now, I reckon I can do it. I actually feel better than I did in the first and second trimester in a lot of ways, and everyone has now started to cut me some slack because I'm enormous, so I think it's going to be okay.

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Mustangsallyis · 14/06/2015 11:06

I took annual leave from 34 weeks and my mat leave will start on the earlier of my due date or date baby is born (am 39 weeks now).

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roughtyping · 14/06/2015 11:07

I'll be finishing at nearly 35 weeks. I'm only 19 weeks and tired all the time anyway, I have existing mobility issues which I think will get worse the bigger I get anyway so will need to be able to rest. I'm a teacher so will be going back to work for the first 6 weeks of term.

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contractor6 · 14/06/2015 11:21

27 weeks, but have plans for what I want to do before baby arrives Smile

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BadIdeaBear · 14/06/2015 11:33

I've two more weeks left. I'm 36 weeks today, so I'll be 37+5 on my final day. Keeping things as low key as possible in that time and hope I'll be OK. I actually feel physically better than I did about 5 weeks ago so fx...

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BowiesJumper · 14/06/2015 11:56

I'm going to go as late as possible because I want to save maternity leave (and cut of money!) for when the baby is here! So the date I'm officially finishing is 3 days before due date (due dates a Monday, so will finish on the Friday before) but will use annual leave before that if/when necessary as I've lots of weeks saved up!

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MistressKatherine · 14/06/2015 11:56

I've had a really good pregnancy and enjoy my job so decided to take two weeks holiday at 38 weeks and start mat leave today (my due date). What I will say is I was exhausted at work but am glad I didn't finish sooner. It was the right thing for me to do but there's no right or wrong answer.

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WeAllHaveWings · 14/06/2015 12:04

I had an uneventful pregancy and finished at 38 weeks, ds born at 39 weeks. I had everything ready for the baby coming and didn't want to spend time sitting around waiting for the birth, preferred to have the extra time after the baby came.

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AbbeyRoadCrossing · 14/06/2015 13:28

For those using annual leave before maternity leave, it's worth checking your company policy. I was going to do this from mid week 36 to due date, but the baby came early and maternity leave automatically started. As my company's policy is to use annual leave in the correct year I was due to lose a month's pay. In the end they gave in but they didn't have to. Worth a double check anyway

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ARV1981 · 14/06/2015 13:48

Good point, Abbey... I am taking annual leave (3 weeks) and then given myself a month before due date. My boss told me that they would honour my annual leave entitlement if baby came early though (I think they wanted me to take annual leave then start mat leave on the due date). The office I work in is like an oven in summer (was really uncomfortable last week) and I just can't imagine how horrible it will be in August (baby due September 14th) so I opted for that month off. I originally planned to work until the due date, but my office got switched from a shady, cool downstairs one to a boiling hot 3rd storey one so choice was kind of taken away. I don't think there is a right or a wrong way of doing it though... I have a colleague due a few days before me and her leave is starting later than mine (but she's a good ten years younger than me, lol), and she works in the same office. I guess it's up to you to know what you'll want to do. The closer you leave it to the due date, the more time you get with baby afterwards.

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goldenhen · 14/06/2015 13:54

I think I might have to go off a bit earlier than I'd like because my due date is Jan 10th, so not sure if it's going to be worth going back after Christmas. My office is pretty mean with annual leave and I only get SMP so if I went off at 34 weeks and then the baby ended up being 2 weeks late it would really suck! But we'll see how it goes, it's a long way off yet...

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tumbletumble · 14/06/2015 13:59

I finished 2 weeks before my due date, but DS was a week late so I ended up having 3 weeks off.

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Kraggle · 14/06/2015 14:00

My mat leave started at 38 weeks but I booked a weeks holiday the week before that. I was tired!

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Glitterball86 · 14/06/2015 14:03

I'm due 22 September and using all of my annual leave for July. My official mat leave starts 1 August when I will be around 33 weeks. I have had a pretty poop pregnancy (bad HG and appendix removed) to date and I am looking forward to getting settled in our new home catching up with friends and generally being selfish and enjoying my freedom before my little one comes , I cannot wait!!
Everyone is different though :)

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hullabaloo234 · 14/06/2015 14:13

I'm another who will say if you can, keep going as long as possible as if your baby is late you might regret taking so much time off before they arrive and hsve less time after.

I worked until my due date with DC1 and they were late so had a week to myself, this time I worked to 38 weeks then took AL til frI just gone and then started mat leave as due date is today. This works for me and I am lucky in that my employer drastically reduced my workload in my final weeks and let me do shorter hours on the odd say of I needed to, but if I hadn't had that I might have gone a week or two earlier as I was shattered!

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cherryade8 · 14/06/2015 14:27

Last time I started mat leave at 38 weeks and dd was born at 39 weeks! This time I've saved up annual leave and will go at 34 weeks, but mat leave won't start until my due date, so I get maximum time off Smile

I'm very glad to be going early as I'm finding commuting and the summer heat difficult and would like a few weeks rest before due date!

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blodynmawr · 14/06/2015 14:27

DS - Born on the Wednesday, was working full time up until the Friday before.
DD - Had gone back 3 days/week after DS so was working part-time through that pregnancy. Had 2 weeks of leave before the due date. Started mat leave on the due date.
Both of them were summer born babies and both summers in question were hot and uncomfortable! Of the two I would say when I had DD was better because I felt I recovered from the birth sooner due to having the better rest beforehand, despite having 3 year old DS to run around after.
I am fit and healthy and, despite a few stitches, had relatively straightforward vaginal births each time. However, I could not believe how physically exhausted I was and how long it took me to recover physically after each birth. DD felt like less time because I think I was better rested beforehand.
HTH and enjoy the quiet time you have left! Smile

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Kinsman · 14/06/2015 14:55

Like AbbeyRoad, I was also booked to go off at 38 weeks but baby came at 35 weeks so my 2 weeks leave at the start has been tacked on to the end of my maternity leave. If your pregnancy is easy and everything is going well I see no reason to go on maternity leave too soon...

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CandyAppleFudge · 14/06/2015 15:04

With dd I was planning on working up to 39 weeks but she came at 38 week.
This time I plan on going on maternity leave at 39 weeks

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guinnessgirl · 14/06/2015 16:27

With DS1, I finished work at 38wks and was happy working until then. This time around, I've found being pg much more tiring and so chose to leave work at 35wks, with a month of annual leave and maternity leave then starting at 39wks. I am so glad I finished earlier this time, as I was exhausted by the time I got to 32wks. It all depends on how you feel and how hard your pregnancy is!

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