Would I be mad to only take 1 day off work before elective section?

[babyblabber]

I'm self employed and really struggling to make any kind of living. DH is great, very supportive but i haven't been able to contribute to mortgage, creche etc for years, can barely cover the bills. At the moment i'm on a project that's making me about £600 per day (very rare!) and I can work up to baby coming.

i've been given a date for elective section which is a tuesday and was thinking of working til the previous friday. would this be mental? would get DH to take care of DS all weekend, maybe take him out for a few hours each day while i nap, and then i'd have the monday to relax, sleep, maybe get a massage. am going to get a cleaning company to blitz the house too.

i have nearly everything done for baby and over the next few weekends will finish the last bits but i want to give myself the best chance of recovering from the section (have a toddler too) so don't want to overdo it.

what do you think? esp if you've had an ELCS!

why not?

£600 a day is hardly to be sniffed at and have never understood the rest-up concept beforehand, unless you medically you are incapacitated. For my 3rd I had an ELCS, finished work on the Friday and had him on the Tues.

I think I would but can you see how it goes and stop early if you feel crap?

I think finishing on the Friday would be fine. I needed something to take my mind off the ELCS and had I not already finished work, that would had been the perfect detournament. Luckily, DH finished for his paternity leave on the Friday before our ELCS (which was the following Thursday). Don't forgot to leave time for your Pre-op appointment, too. Good luck!

I was hospitalised before my ELCS due to transverse lie, but I would have worked up to the event itself if I could have!

For similar reasons to you - financial, I felt fine, you cant' "bank" rest, anyway and I enjoyed for work (and it stopped me worrying too mch).

If you feel like it I can't see any reason not to keep going.

Thanks girls. Think I'll go for it. Can always do shorter days towards the end if i'm struggling. Hopefully it'll make the time go quicker too!!!

I think if you feel that you can do it, then go ahead and try.

I am planning on starting ML a lot earlier this time round, not because I'll be physically incapable of being at work but because I know from last time round that my mind will be elsewhere.

I'm self employed, I understand the dilemma! I was working right up until my ELCS date - i actually took work into hospital with me to finish off, and as I had a long wait for theatre, I did get a bit done...

I would have preferred time off to loll around and watch films etc, but the dates had slipped on the project I was working on, so I never got the time. It was fine - probably good to have something to focus on.

(unfortunately I then had to keep working after the birth too - that was a whole other kettle of fish, and was awful - I had no maternity leave and it was exhausting and miserable. so I don't recommend that!)

I'd go for it, if you're feeling ok. I worked right up to all 3 of mine, though they weren't sections - they all just arrived a bit early, and I felt fine so wanted to maximise my maternity leave after they were here! Lots of women give up working early if their commute is awful, but it sounds as if that's not an issue? You sound very organised (a lot more than I was!). Good luck!

I finished work on a Wednesday and went in for an ELCS on Thursday morning. It was fine, I just didn't want to sit around thinking about it for day's so it was better for me to keep busy as much as possible. Go for it, you'll be fine.

I only had 11 days between finishing work and having my ELCS for my first, and apart from the worried faces of colleagues for the last few weeks (everyone seemed to think it mad and/or that I'd randomly go into labour in front of them) it was fine.
No point wasting mat leave (or losing money in your case) and if you can do it, then go for it.

If you feel well and have good support then why not.

I finished work on the thurs afternoon and went in at 8am for my ELCS.

I was main earner so wanted time off after not before. Good luck