When is best to stop for mat leave?

[artisanroast]

Hi

I was planning to stop for mat leave 10 days before my due date, however I am now starting to think maybe it should be earlier?!?!

I am reducing my hours in the three weeks before. So 3 days, then 2 days and finally one day.

When is everyone else stopping?

Any advice?

Thanks

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I'm stopping at 36 weeks. It depends very much on the type of work you do.

[Skiptonlass]

I'm stopping at 34. I'm absolutely shattered, have been constantly nauseous and vomiting for almost six months now and have Spd. I just want to finish up and stock the freezer!

It totally depends on how you feel in yourself.

[NoMontagues]

I stopped at 36 weeks this time last year with DS. I had an early start at work plus a long commute which meant 5.45am starts and I couldn't wait to be done with it.

This time I'm working from home so, all being well, I'll wait until 38 weeks.

[nottheOP]

36+6 here. Ds arrived at 39+5 so no time to get bored. I could have had another week I reckon.

I had an office job, very 9-5. It was the commute on the bus I hated.

[youlemming]

Stopped at 38 with my first and plan on the same with number 2 which will be next week. I'm office based, it's about a 40 min drive each way and been ok so far but I am looking forward to not getting up at 6 each day.
Really depends what you do and how you feel, I could probably go closer but it works out nicely with the schools breaking up.

[Appleblossom82]

Im stopping at 35 weeks. Cannot wait.

[Runningupthathill82]

Stopped at 39 weeks with DS. Will do the same this time if I feel well enough to keep going that long.

[LumpyCustard69]

I am taking 3 weeks AL from tomorrow and then going on official maternity leave at 36+3. I work in a coffee shop and it's not ideal for a sufferer of back and pelvic pain
With my first, I had a physically easier job, but I took maternity earlier, only because I knew I wasn't going back to work, so it didn't impact on how much time I had off with baby.

[KateRaeganandMichael]

I am working till I pop! Mat leave starts the day after my due date. I've got 18 days of holiday left before i leave (dd: 4/10/15) so I've got to work that in somewhere (was thinking over the school holidays - the place I work will be on a skeleton crew as we'll be out of season and i have discussed it with my colleagues so I'm not going to be stepping on anyone's toes lol - so i can have some mummy/daughter time with my dd before her brother gets here!) I only work part-time at a sit down job and I love the girls that I work with so I know that if the shit brown stuff hits the fan I'll be fine and they'll look after me lol x

[Lovelydiscusfish]

I officially stopped at 39 weeks, but being a teacher, I was lucky because my due date fell a week into summer term, so I actually stopped work at 37 weeks, as we have two week hols over Easter (my first official day of planned mat leave was due to be the first day of summer term).
I have to admit that at that point I wasn't feeling great (not a difficult pregnancy or anything - just knackered and uncomfy by then) so this was about right for me.
Dd was born at 38 and a half weeks, so a bit before I officially started maternity leave. (Though I'm sure that was adjusted, as obviously I told school when she was actually born. )

[ARV1981]

I have annual leave starting at 33 weeks (only two weeks away now!!!) And then my mat leave starts at 36 weeks. I'm really pleased I decided to have a longer time off before as I'm knackered and am mentally ready to stop work (the days are dragging now!) So it feels right for me.

[resipsa]

I finished today () at 36+2. Taking 3 weeks hols then ML starts the day before EDD. Work OK but commute in the heat (inc 20 min walk at both ends of the day) left me a little, ahem, ragged (not to mention the ankles).

[PiercedMrsL]

I started maternity leave at 35 weeks but had holiday to use so finished work at about 33 weeks. It's worked out well for me though, I'm 36 + 3 and the past few weeks have been quite difficult with the hot weather. My job involved being on my feet all day though so I was starting to struggle. Go with what feels best :)

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

I'm stopping at 36 weeks but am now at 33 weeks and wondering how I'm going to make it that long. I have a desk job but an hour plus commute including a walk, a train, a tube and then another walk... I have SPD and am struggling!

[Turquoiseblue]

With the way this pregnancy is timing I m stopping for a week (to get the kids back to school then back for a week then 1/2 days then finishing at 38 weeks - want to save the leave for afterwards though my job is physical enough, my boss is happy to see how it goes and I have a few weeks overlap with my replacement.

[Sparrowlegs248]

I am stopping at 37 + 6 which is a week today. Too late really, i am exhausted and uncomfortable and have had enough. Only managing it as was signed off for 3.5 weeks by GP.

Its hard as you have no idea how you will feel later on. I felt fine when i planned it! Also i can carry holiday over to the end of mat leave so am keen to do that. I have done 4 days this and last week today(instead of 5l and will prob do 3 days next week.

[Nolim]

I was going to stop at 36 but the baby had other plans

[Poppytime]

I am stopping about 33 weeks, taking a couple of weeks annual leave and ML starting after that. I stopped at about 35 weeks with my first and was glad I did - this time I have even more to organise and want to spend some time with toddler DD before baby comes - 28 weeks now and CANNOT wait! I work in central London and the heat and commuting to work hasn't been fun.....

[Kraggle]

My last Mat leave started at 38 weeks and I had a weeks annual leave off before that so finished at 37 weeks.

When I have another im working as long as I physically can. Dd was 2 weeks late and I felt like I was wasting time being at home as physically I was fine just a bit tired. I prefer the time off after the baby is born.

[Purpleball]

I'm stopping at 35 weeks as I've 3 weeks holiday to take. I haven't desk based job and am now working at home.
It depends how tired you are, if you can cope with the workload and the commute, bearing in mind it's summer and we may have another heatwave
I have a nap most lunchtimes now, is there somewhere at work that you can rest?

[MuffMuffTweetAndDave]

How do you feel? There isn't a right answer. If you think you ought to go earlier than initially planned then yes, you probably should. If you feel well enough to work until 10 days before due date, and your care providers are in agreement, nothing wrong in that either.

[WeePoppy]

I'm planning to start maternity leave at 38 weeks but I'll probably take a week of annual leave before that, therefore stopping work at 37 weeks. This is my first pregnancy, so no idea how I am going to feel by then...

[Ohjellybelly]

I'm planning on working til my waters break. I'm currently only 7+5 so may have a change of heart later on.
This is child number five though and things have a changed a lot for me since the other four were born. When I had the others I was an employee and was able to take the full amount of leave offered. Now I'm a company director, I know that if I take the full leave, the business may suffer. Fortunately I am able to work whatever hours I please (within reason), so if I have a particularly rough day/night, I can slope off early.

[cherrylola]

I went off 3 weeks before due date with Lo1 (but he arrived at 39 weeks) Full time pretty high pressure job. I banked my annual leave and used that all up from when I left so my maternity leave kicked in a little later. This meant I got a full year (plus the next year's annual leave) off work and went back when Lo1 was 13 months old. Im now in a different job and due Lo2. I'm planning to go off earlier this time as I'm shattered and want time to chill out, nest and 'love-bomb' Lo1 before the baby arrives I'll probably stop at 35 weeks this time, again using banked annual leave first and then tagging on the next years leave at the end so I should still get roughly 13 months off

[cherrylola]

Saved like a mad thing to cover the months without any pay though!