When to go on maternity leave?

[Csang]

Hi all,

I'm due in November and my work are asking me when I will go on maternity leave. I'm aware legally you can go up to 11 weeks before but I wanted to hear what weeks people decided to go and pros and cons. I'm currently thinking 36-37 weeks. I'm a special needs teacher but due to lots of unpredictable behaviors and lifelong issues with my back from an old work injury, I'm office based so there's not lots of running around. Thank you :)

I work a desk job from home so worked up until I went into labour as it was easy for me to do so. I now get the maximum time off with my daughter rather than losing a few weeks before she was even born 🥰

I’m going off at 36.5 weeks, but people have commented to me that’s quite late.

I work in a role where I’m on my feet and customer facing and I’m (hopefully!) going to 36 weeks. But I will listen to my body and can go earlier if needed

With DD1, i went at 37+5w because everyone said first babies come late and she was born at 38w exactly. I really regretted not having more time at home to relax before she came.

With DD2, i went at 36w which ended up being very fortuitous because i developed preeclampsia and had to go to the hospital for check ups and monitoring every 3 days. There's no way i would have been able to work when each check was taking 3-4hrs.

So I think your plan sounds sensible.

I went off at 35 weeks with my first (because I had lots of leave) and 37 with my second (because I didn't have lots of leave lol).

I’m office/home based and planned to work to my due date each time but both times baby came a few days before that. I wanted to maximise time off after baby came, and working in an office and from home wasnt too bad. Also I had lots of appointments in the last couple of weeks so didn’t do as much work as I usually would.

That seems early to me! I'm hoping to work til 39 weeks or later, WFH and seems a waste of paid mat leave to go any earlier.

I went at 36 weeks with my first. It was probably a bit early, but only by about 2 weeks (in terms of mobility for communting and sitting at a desk for long hours). I had a nice time.

I know mat leave is important to spend with the baby after birth but I dont think 2 weeks at the other end of my mat leave would have made and difference to the experience for me. If you are only planning a short mat leave like 3 or 4 months it might. But I was off for 8 months. I also continued to see my baby when I went back to work.

My second I worked up to labour because he came early.

I went around 36 weeks with both of mine. I had quite bad PGP though so was really struggling at the end, if I had a job that was more physical or I needed to be on my feet all day I would have had to go earlier.
If it was now though and I had been WFH back then I probably would have managed to go at 38 weeks and had the last couple of weeks to prepare and relax.

I worked up until 38 weeks which is the legal maximum where I live. I wouldn't have wanted more time off beforehand.

39+2 for dd, who was born at 41+4
39 for ds, who was born at 39+5

I only had 8 weeks mat leave first time, 12 weeks second, so wanted to maximise time after

Sales job, based mostly from home

I'm a secondary school teacher and I went at 35 weeks, struggled being on my feet & moving around the school. I intended to work up until Christmas & was due early Jan, but I'm thankful now that I got the time to rest & nest. However, my colleague worked right up to her due date. I think it will depend on how you feel in that last stretch & I wouldn't worry if you do have to change your initial date of leave. I would hope your employers would be accommodating.

Same. 3 times

I went off on maternity leave at 39+6 🤣

But physically I was fine. I cycled to work until the week before. I learned that what I could do and should do were different around that 38 week mark. I could cycle to work and be on my feet all day. But those days were the ones where I felt cravings and was more emotional (e.g. crying when craved food finished). So I made a concerted effort to sit down more for the last 2 weeks and drove. Baby didn't arrive until 41+2.

If office based I would go as late as possible. You won't regret having more time with your baby once they are here. I went to almost 39 weeks and it was fine.

Provided I remain well and there are no concerns re baby, I’m planning to go off somewhere between 38 and 39 weeks.

I'm going at 38 weeks. Latest I've worked. Previously have gone at around 36 weeks in both other pregnancies but money is tighter this time.

Planned to have a few days off until the baby arrived, but it came early. I get a bit bored on my own slouching around and can’t imagine much worse than sitting around relaxing especially heavily pregnant. I only had 8m off so wanted to maximise it.

If you're office based and so long as you are both well, 38 weeks is probably sufficient.

I used two weeks of holiday before my due date and then added up finding a few extra days and going a little bit earlier before that. It was a heatwave and I had bad pgp so was generally feeling very uncomfortable and also finding it hard to focus on work as nesting had kicked in, so I used that time to do lots of cooking for after baby was born and sorting our random cupboards etc. I had a really strong sense that I needed to get stuff done. I 'finished' all the things I wanted to do so used the remaining few days to rest (had insomnia at the end, not uncommon) and then went into Labour on my due date so I'm really glad I had that time.

Now pregnant with second and will likely take off another couple of weeks beforehand to decompress, cook, and generally enjoy myself while DD is at nursery!