How long before your due date are you finishing work?

[NewMum26]

How long before you are due is everyone finishing work? And what are your reasons? I was thinking of taking 2 weeks holiday before and starting my maternity leave on my due date but now I'm wondering whether two weeks is enough 🤔

[NewMum26]

Also do you work full time and are you on your feet all day etc?

[user1485166754]

i have also been thinking about this recently. im not sure, i think i will start my maternity leave on my due date and take all of my holidays i have left for the year before it, so i might get 3-4 weeks before the baby comes.

[PotteringAlong]

I am a secondary school teacher - I finished last Friday and my baby is due on Sunday, so I finished at 38+5. This is DC 3 though and the other 2 were both born at 42 weeks so I was pretty sure I was safe.

[OuchBollocks]

This is DC2, I was supposed to start some annual leave at 37+3 then officially start maternity at 39 weeks, but I'm 33+6 today and have broken my leg badly so I can't see me going back to work now :(

[PotteringAlong]

Meant to add, finished at 37 weeks with DC1 but it was too early for me on reflection so finished at 39 weeks with DC2

[PotteringAlong]

ouch oh no! Poor you! How did you manage that?

[IckleWicklePumperNickle]

DS1 I stopped at 38 weeks. He was born at 39+2. My maternity was due to start on my due date.

DS2 I stopped at 36 weeks. He was born at 37+4. My maternity was also due to start on my due date.

Both came spontaneously.

[divadee]

I stopped at 36+1 and it has been too early for me. I was struggling in work, but in hindsight should of gone part time for the last 2 weeks and given up at 38 weeks.

I gave up at 38 weeks last time and that was perfect for me. Just enough time. This time it's been too long.

[mistermagpie]

With DS I finished at 38+2 and he was born on 38+3! No days of maternity leave before the birth was definitely not enough and I felt really taken by surprise.

This time I am finishing at 37+4. I expect this one will be two weeks late and I will be twiddling my thumbs but DS will only be 20 months so he can keep me busy.

[youngestisapsycho]

First DD I worked up to 39 weeks, desk job so not too bad. With youngest DD I finished 6 weeks before due date, but that was because I hated my job, and knew I wasn't going back so wasn't worried about losing time from maternity leave.

[notasillysausage]

I am finishing at 36+1 this time round but using 14 days annual leave so my mat leave starts on my due date. I finished at 38 weeks last time, but I really struggled. I have 1 hour commute and had sickness in the last trimester and generally felt rough. I am officially part time but work is stressful and I cannot wait to finish (52 working days left!)

[Newbie10]

I am currently trying to work this out myself. I travel an hour and half to the office so I am worried I will really struggle with the commute by the end. I am lucky and can work from home on some days but not the whole week so I have been thinking about taking some of my holiday at the end and finishing around 36 or 37 weeks! It is my first so thinking I can then have time to myself - hopefully I won't get bored!!

[FlipperSkipper]

I finished at 34 weeks but I'm being induced at 37+2. I'm on annual leave with mat leave starting on 37+3!

[RedStripeIassie]

I had to finish at 32 weeks because I was really unwell. Loved all that time though as in naturally lazy!

[Bellabelloo]

I am due on Thurs and still working. I guess it depends on your job, your commute, stress levels, how you're feeling, how much time you want to take off before rather than after etc. I'd go mad just sat around at home!!

[Joyofscreamingjoy]

I worked full time office job but with between 30-60 mins commute depending on traffic(driving) I finished at 35 weeks, I had no choice I had HG all the way through and was exhausted. So ended up using all my years leave to work 3 days a week from 23-35 weeks. Pre-pregnancy me didn't think pregnancy was an illness/excuse etc etc and was going to be working until due date. I was a knob I struggled to survive from 6weeks pregnant 😳 Although I had a lot of time off before the baby I don't regret it one bit.

[Sunshinie]

Haha Joy- I thought that too. 'I am fit and healthy generally, pregnancy is not an illness, I will get on with my life and finish work on my due date' 😂
I am off work ill today. Again!
Can't wait to start my maternity leave, mainly so I can stop feeling guilty about not being in work! It will probably be at 34 weeks but 2 weeks for Easter will actually make it 32 weeks

[ExpectoPatronummmm]

The only thing with doing what you're doing OP is that if you end up being two weeks early your mat leave will have to start and then you may not be allowed by your work to also be paid your holiday leave (and lose it)

Also, I would recommend leaving 4 weeks before so you have some time to yourself and to get everything ready, house in order etc. Some peace before the storm :)

[GinIsIn]

I finished last week at 36 weeks, and I don't think I could have gone on much longer - I have a 2 hour commute each way and it was just too much.

[beansbananas]

I'm finishing 10 days before due date with my first baby. We really need to delay maternity leave as long as possible to maximise my income beforehand. I've noticed people are saying to take holiday before you go on maternity clothes n this thread or you might lose the paid leave. What are the rules about this? I was planning to add this to my maternity leave total as they will pay me in full for it. Currently only planning to take 9 months mat leave in total.

[mistermagpie]

It depends on your work place. At mine any leave you had left is carried forward and you accrue all your public holidays as well, so there isn't any great benefit to taking it before your mat leave other than the fact that i get full pay for holidays.

[Sunnie1984]

I'm finishing at 32+6.

This is my third child and frankly I'm shattered.

I commute 1.5 hours each way and leave the house at 7am each morning.

I've had HG all the way through plus a kidney infection and chest infection requiring antibiotics, plus all the other bugs my kids bring home.

I was supposed to finish at 34+6 but I've just pulled it forward by two weeks as I'm so tired, have insomnia now and it's beginning to affect my work (desk job with lots of attention to detail).

It's so early to be finishing but I need some time just sitting on the sofa. Turns out it works out as all this years annual leave and maternity leave starts on the day before my due date

I'm sure I'll go early too, DS was born at 38 weeks, and I was contracting for three day before that. So making the most of the kids still bring in childcare! X

[savagehk]

I worked up to the Friday before I was due (I was 'due' Monday although I thought I was due Friday - i.e. 7 days after I finished work). Baby arrived 2 weeks late vs my date, so I was home for 3 weeks.

I have an office based job. I'm glad I didn't take off any earlier, I'd rather have the leave later with the baby instead of before. I'm planning similar this time. Does depend if you have any complications etc, I had none.

[Christmasbaby16]

I finished three weeks prior to my due date, worked full time up until I left. I had one week at home - completely bored! Thankfully our baby came the week after so never been been bored since!

Would I change it if I had my time over again, nop I would not!

[JJ1612]

I'm a nurse and I'm having a month annual leave before my maternity leave starts but that's because it's a very strenuous job with lots of manual handling, long hours and plus I'm having terrible sickness still