Early maternity leave thoughts

[becca1611]

I'm 32 weeks today and beginning to really struggle at work. I work in a preschool with around 40 children in our class a day it is a very busy fast moving setting. I have cut my hours from 40 to about 32 a week recently but since going back from the Easter holidays I feel rubbish. My head and hearts not in it, I feel short fused and grumpy with staff and children (obviously remained professional, but walked away from petty situations to calm myself down). Iv recently had a spell of braxton hicks which totally caught me off guard and it seems it's taken it out of me. Recently I feel fluey, but not poorly if that makes sense iv had a heavy tired
Like head, my chest feels so tight and like breathing is a chore but I think that's because my bump is so high! I have been coming home from work teary, achey, stressed and absolutely exhausted. My husband is literally waking me up and force feeding me tea as I'm just to tired to bother about it. I wake up and go to work with dread as I know how uncomfortable I will feel come lunch time and how much pain il be in by home time. Iv been sent home a couple of times this week and I'm due to finish work on the 26th may, which should hopefully leave me 5 weeks to have a rest before baby is due but am I being daft to request to finish even earlier? I feel like 5 weeks is more than enough time off before hand but now I feel so crappy I'm wondering if it's worth carrying on. Do I have any rights if my boss doesn't agree to my early leave request?

I'm an early years teacher so can sympathise. I went off sick with SPD at 25 weeks. Had some great physio then attempted to go back at 32 weeks. I lasted a week and a half before I made myself ill. Best thing I did was getting signed off until 36 weeks. My Heath and my babies health needed to take priority. I'm now 38 weeks today and I had planned to work up until tomorrow. Can't believe that date now.

I worked til 36 weeks and just about made it!! I had a good pregnancy but ended up feeling "fluey" as well and was in hospital one night as apparently that fluey feeling along with a temperature etc are warning signs of strep B issues and sepsis! According to the hospital which is why they called me in for lots of tests one night at 34 weeks. Luckily everything was fine but basically i was just getting to the end of what i could bear in terms.of getting up and going to work
Once i was on mat leave i spent my days sleeping in really late, going out for lunches and having long bubble baths - please do this OP as it put me in good standing ready for birth and a newborn!!

I'm an HCA in a hospital setting. I happily skipped out the door at 33 weeks and had a lovely relaxing time before my baby came. If you can go on maternity early I would definitely advise it. This is the last few weeks where u can do big nothing in particular. Hope all goes well with the baby!

If it's making you feel so bad then there's nothing stopping you going on maternity leave earlier. You need to look after yourself and baby when you're pregnant.

But you do also need to consider if it will then make your maternity leave shorter by a couple of weeks at the other end? What if baby is late, that could potentially be another 2 weeks of maternity leave used before baby is here.

I remember counting down the days before I went on maternity leave. It helped me get through those last few weeks thinking I had only 10 days left, then 9......

Do what feels right for you, there's no medal for struggling on when it gets difficult.

I've always worked to near my due date as I wanted the maximum mat leave with my baby.
Some of what you are describing is normal end of pregnancy stuff. I always come home, take a nap and have my dinner in bed too... Or a bowl of cereal! It's normal to feel rubbish.
But the decision is entirely yours - if you feel like you can't carry on then go off earlier

I effectively stopped at 32 weeks with both DD1 and DD2. I am a teacher and I was due late Aug/early Sep with both so was on holiday for the school summer break then on mat leave after school returned in Aug (Scotland).

It suited me. I was able to do my birth prep over the 8 weeks between stopping and their arrivals. DD1 was 40+2 and DD2 40+1. I had the advantage of the London Olympics and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games for my late pregnancies. I spent 12 hours a day on my birth ball watching! 😂

I am a healthcare proffesional and went off at 33 weeks ( used 2 weeks of holiday so officially 35 weeks) with both of mine. My job is pretty physical and I was v big and v front heavy. I couldn't have gone on much longer.
I do think that people that go off sick at the end of their pregnancy and count down to when their mat leave starts are taking the Mick a bit. It isn't really fair on people that are more sensible about it and plan to start their mat leave earlier.

Oh and you can legally start your mat leave from 29 weeks I think.

If you don't feel well enough to work then it seems like a good idea to start mat leave earlier. I think it's a real flaw with the system that many women feel they have to keep working as close to their EDD as possible to maximise their time with their baby, when they aren't feeling great and could do with stopping work. I don't have a solution though :(

I stopped work at 31 weeks. My job consisted of working 8 hours a day on my feet. I wasn't allowed a seat and a lot of places wanted me to walk around all day. By a Friday I was in pain and exhausted. So I put in my leave early. I could've worked later but I was just so tired and sore. I also had to wear my work uniform which wasn't maternity friendly and it hurt me as well.

Work weren't happy but I didn't care. I am also not going back but they don't know that yet.

It's definately a flaw in the system. I remember talking to loads of women in their 50s who said it was the norm to go off half way through their pregnancy. I think it's only in the last ten/ twenty years or so ( when women have been less likely to give up work) that women have started working right up to their due date.

I'm a teacher and went at 35 weeks in the end, although I should really have gone before that as i was finding it so difficult.
I relaxed and slept, got the house in order, did some batch cooking. Everything was ready for when out little one arrived, which was good as we spent 5 days in hospital prior to her birth (induction) and 5 days after (feeding issues) so prior organisation was very useful!
So what feels right for you.

People at work (I'm security in public buildings) kept saying I should work till the beginning of November (I was due the 9th) so I would have more time with the baby.

Yeah those people had a desk job and majority only worked 30 hours a week. I was doing 45. Some places I wasn't even allowed my water with me. I had to get someone else to cover me to get a drink. I ended up dehydrated.

It's easy for someone in an easier job to say work later. It's how you feel as an individual that matters. Not them.

I finished at 32weeks, fed up of commuting heavily pregnant. Nobody is going to give you a medal for working right up. Do what you want it's your pregnancy.

You could always have the gp sign you off sick? It would only be for two weeks, asany sick after36 weeks automatically kicks in mat leave, but it buys you some extra time and it really sounds like you need it.

If you are having to be forced fed it's time to start maternity leave

Not a preschool teacher, but when I was pregnant with dd1 was doing a fairly physical outdoor job, I was really ill and forced myself to work to 38 weeks. Dd1 arrived at 38.2, near pre-eclampsia after a horrific birth, I really struggled with depression and bonding. Even after 4 years I would do anything to go back in time...
Sorry no help at all, but look after yourself.

I stopped at 30 weeks as i had holiday to use up before maternity leave. At 29 weeks I passed out in a traffic jam, whilst commuting.

I have low blood pressure which is worse in pregnancy. I was terrified I'd cause an accident so was relieved to stop.