to start Mat leave earlier because I cant stand work

[Mammie81]

I know I am. I have 12 looooooong weeks left. I'll lose out on time with the baby at the end (although I get about 3 or 4 weeks holiday accrued so I can use that at the end), but I just cant stand it there at the moment.

I cant be bothered with the commute into London every day, and there are a few management/team issues which wont change. I have been particularly grumpy of late about work, but I think thats because had I not got pregnant I would have looked to leave anyway. I wasnt feeling it before! Been there about 5 years and its not the same anymore.

At the moment Im finishing 4 weeks before the due date, but I've always felt he'd be a week early and 2 weeks of that is holiday anyway.

Would 1 or 2 more weeks off before make me any happier? I think probably not? And yet I hate going in! What to do, what to do...

ps
Im fully aware Im moany and whingey and probably unreasonable about this!

Personally, I would stick it out. I hated my job towards the end - changes in ownership of company, my internal clients, focus of my role etc. But kept going with the thought that when I went on ML I wouldn't be going back for a long long time! Also, my maternity cover couldn't start until just before my leave date and I didn't want to p* off my company too much. I basically did the minumum and knew there was little they could do about it!

I also commuted into London and was lucky that my train company did free up-grades to first class for the last 12 weeks of travel. I didn't have to use the tube, thank god. If you are using the tube, then second an earlier posters suggestion to change hours to miss rush times. Have the time at home with the baby afterwards.

YANBU - I stopped at 29 weeks (some being holiday). My GP said to me that this is the only chance I have to have this baby and not being stressed is better for the baby - there is plenty of research about stress in pregnancy. Do be prepared for your baby not to be a week early though (could be earlier/later).

You could add some unpaid parental leave onto the end of your maternity leave if you want & can afford it.

parental leave

YANBU. I hated my last job and finished at 34 weeks (mostly taken as overdue holiday up until the due date). Don't regret it for a minute. I had a fantastic few weeks to myself, doing things I knew I wouldn't be able to do once the baby arrived. DS arrived 2 weeks early; I would have felt completely flustered and burnt out if I hadn't had those few weeks beforehand to wind down from a stressful job. I went back to work full-time (in a different job!) when DS was 7 months, and have been part-time since his first birthday. It's all worked brilliantly.

I'm much further along than you, was planning to work (albeit part time) up to 38 wks and god I wished I'd gone earlier now. Feeling sick and ill, and becoming increasingly unproductive as late pregnancy with associated health problems does not see you at your most efficient. If I could leave work now I would, to be honest I dread it every day, it's colouring the whole pregnancy now. And because I've got various projects to tie up before I go (so if I left early no-one would be able to finish these) I'm too stressed to consider taking any more time as I just want to get my work finished and walk out of there!

So my advice, from my current experience, if you feeling grim now it will only get worse. I feel exceptionally guilty that I'm not looking after this baby properly now, what with the sickness I experience at work and the stress it's causing me.

Please do what you feel is right!! I foolishly worked to 38 weeks and dd1 arrived two days later!! I still feel cheated out of a bit of time to put my feet up and generally chill!
Good luck and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!!

I went off at 34 weeks, and should have gone sooner. In fact my last few weeks my boss let me 'work from' home, as I had a dizzy spell on my way to work and fell, grazing my knees. Turns out I had pre-eclampsia, then HELLP syndrome. I'm sure the stress of the commute didn't help at all. I should have listened to my body, I needed the rest.

I'd stick it out until 4 weeks' before, not any earlier. Agree with other posters about changing your hours to avoid the rush hour. I only needed 2 weeks to be rested. Any more and it is boring and time you are stealing from your baby.

Don't agree with posters asking you to take sickies. Gives pregnant women a bad name.