Starting maternity leave early?

[Daffyduck01]

Currently 35 weeks pregnant, mostly wfh with 1 day in the office per week. Planned to finish in 3 weeks at 38 weeks but have commitments that need me in the office for that one day per week between now and then.

I’m feeling really sore, super tired and nauseous a lot of the time. I have pgp which is painful when sitting at a desk and makes sleep uncomfortable. Rightly or wrongly my employer hasn’t cut me any slack even in these later stages of pregnancy and so far there’s no replacement for me. I’m not usually bothered by stress but I’m finding I can tolerate it less. For example I was referred for an extra scan today, half my team are on holiday (not authorised by me), I had deadlines to juggle around the hospital appointment and just found it way too much.

WIBU to try and pull forward my leave? Would 37 weeks be too early to start? I have annual leave to use but it would come off my allowance carried over to next year.

No I don’t think 37 weeks is too late to start if you’re feeling you are ready. Im going off at 38 and to be honest the last couple of weeks have been such a struggle. Feel like maybe I should have stopped at 36!

Do what you need to do. I started my mat leave early at around 31/32 weeks (well, sick leave which rolled into mat leave), because I was exhausted and unwell (very difficult pregnancy with several hospital admissions). Just do what's right for you and your baby, is my advice

You're replaceable at work, you need to do what's best for you. Even if that is go off now! There's no medals for suffering, if you need to finish earlier than you had planned, so be it. I finished at 37 weeks with #1 and 36 weeks with #2. And I was exclusively working from home with #2.

Could you take it as sick instead of Mat leave?

You cant take sick leave after 36 weeks - it has to be mat leave.

Do it. Look after yourself and listen to your body. It doesn't matter if someone else managed to run a 10k at 37 weeks your body is feeling exhausted and just wants rest. I learned this the hard way unfortunately on my second pregnancy.

Agree with others - do what’s best for you. I started at 36 weeks with my second, and whilst I am sad that I’ll go back to work earlier than I did with my first, those few weeks between finishing work and baby arriving (with my toddler at nursery…) were exactly the downtime and rest I needed. Maternity leave isn’t just about time with baby, it’s time for you to heal from the pregnancy and if that includes time to rest before baby arrives then so be it!

The only thing I would check is the impact at the other end.

I started mine four weeks early, due to baby being born, which meant starting back a month earlier than originally planned. I assumed I would be able to move the nursery start date, given the full year of notice, but they were already fully booked.

I went at 36 weeks. Everyone said it was too early but it felt right to me. Thankful I did as baby was born at 37 weeks

Do it! Pre baby mat leave is fab. You need to rest up. I was going to go until 38 weeks and ended up being signed off with high blood pressure at 36 weeks. I wish I'd listened to my body.

Left at 36 weeks for me. If you phone in sick for pregnancy related issue it will automatically trigger from 36 weeks anyway so do what's best for you

Just gone on maternity leave with DC2 at 33 weeks. Yes it's early but my mental and physical health is thanking me for it. I'm not a stroppy mess and have more energy for DC1 when he finishes school. I was full time working in a school though, so it was getting a bit too full on for my liking.

Listen to your body and have no regrets! 🙂

Can you use annual leave instead? If not then go- nest and rest!

Yes agree with this! I was due to go at 37w but i literally just dropped everything and went midweek last week after coming back from a mw appt where my BP was very high. Put on meds and told by mw to rest up as much as possible. I used AL to cover the difference. Feeling so much better already just for having some time to myself (and probably the effects of the BP meds kicking in as well!)

With my first I was planning to go on mat leave at 38 weeks but gave birth at 36.

I went off at 36 weeks with my second, and have planned 36 weeks this time.

I brought mine forward to 36 weeks instead of 38.
Best thing I done.

I did use 2 weeks AL though but either way, do it.

If you’re done, you’re done. I brought mine forward a week. Same as you, killer PGP, no sleep, was no use to anyone anyway.
Lucky I did, baby came 4 days before due date so I’d at least had 2 weeks to unwind before baby arrived. You do need this time to nest and rest.

Also if your work haven’t got cover etc. this is absolutely their fault. You’re officially considered full term in a week or so, and baby could come anytime. Babies have been born earlier than 36 weeks. That’s absolutely on them.

I went until 39 weeks but wish I'd gone at 38, really. I spent pretty much the entire last week sitting in the staff room waiting till home time!

Your employer should be doing more to accommodate, such as allowing to wfh those needed days, purely on the basis’ pregnancy and maternity fall under the equality act therefore are entitled legally to further reasonable adjustments.

37 weeks is almost full term. Both babies I gave birth naturally a week early. Relieved I started my leave at 32 weeks and 36 respectively.

YANBU. Just call in sick and it will immediately trigger your maternity leave regardless of what your employer thinks about you changing the date.

I went on A/L at 37 weeks with both mine. Had them both around 41 weeks. Was about the right time. I wish I’d been able to WFH instead of hauling myself into the office.