Should I use up all my annual leave before I go on maternity?

[mummasoon]

Baby due November. Thinking about maternity leave. I was thinking I would use 10 days of annual leave to finish at 37+3, then maternity leave from my due date.

I will probably be off work until at least the following September, 2025.

My annual leave year runs April-April, so by the time I go back to work I’ll be midway through next year’s allowance.

With the way the dates fall, would you use all of this year’s allowance up prior to going off? I’m fatigued and feel the need to rest plus we are also awaiting a house move in the next couple of months so I can foresee needing to take it a bit easier!

As far as I remember, I had to use all my holiday days before maternity as I couldn't roll them over to the next year. I used some to take a day off each week for my last few weeks.

No. You can roll them over and they would be days better spent with your baby.

The way my holidays fell and my baby was born I ended up with 6 weeks from last year as well as this year’s 6 weeks.

Mine was the same as Dino I had to take them as if I was planning a year maternity which I was I would be leaving in one annual leave year and returning in the next one and I could only carry something like 2 days. I therefore had a lovely break before Ds was born because of Easter and May bank holidays. It was lovely to slow down before I gave birth.

pregnantthenscrewed.com/advice-page-holiday-while-on-maternity-leave/ is helpful as is acas

I would take the holiday if you would like to finish up now. You have the same number of weeks holiday and Mat leave in the end, overall, so just take it now.

If you can carry them over I would try to do that. When the baby comes you will appreciate them more

I did, I don't have the option to carry them over so I used 5 weeks annual leave then maternity leave started on my due date. With my first I was able to keep them so used them to do a gradual return using two days a week for a few weeks. If you're definitely returning to work see if they'll let you carry them over, you'll be glad at the other side for a few extra weeks with baby.

I thoroughly disagree with this - if you are totally knackered in the run up to Labour, you are more likely to struggle to recover and less likely to enjoy your baby.

And OP has already said she is tired