When did you take maternity leave?

[charlotteeeeeeq]

Hey Mumsnet!

I am currently pregnant with twins in second trimester...work has asked when I am thinking of taking my maternity leave; I have a weeks leave to take before hand.

I would ideally like to work as late as possible however I have a busy job which requires some travel...honestly I already feel knackered.

Just wondered if anyone could share their experiences and when they went off having done it before?

Thank you!!

I stopped work 2 weeks (annual leave) before DS was due. He was then 7 days late so I had three weeks at home.

It worked well for me. Caused an argument with the community midwife though, who wanted me to have a sweep when ds hadn't arrived by 9am on due date.

I politely declined. Wretched woman had clearly forgotten how to relax. Having time to unwind after work, and to feel ready was important to me😊

My friend went on mat leave on a Friday with her twins at 37 weeks. She went into labour on the Monday after and gave birth on the Tuesday! A whole 2 days of relaxing... so have a think about when yours might come!

With my twins I was booked in for a section at 36 weeks (tuesday). I planned to go on mat leave from the Friday before after using 1 weeks of annual leave. However my twins came at 33 weeks so ended up calling work the day after they arrived and starting may leave immediately

I work a very busy job on my feet for 9 hours. 40 hours a week. I’m taking my last week of annual leave at 30 weeks and starting maternity at 31 weeks. I’m already so exhausted and not sleeping. My back isn’t great and I’m struggling to get through a working shift. I met a twin mum at the hospital and she is starting mat leave at 34 weeks but she works from home, she said even working from home she has found very difficult.

I went off at 39 weeks with first baby and she was nearly 2 weeks late! Also have busy job with quite a bit of driving...although did wind it down a bit!

Am planning on doing the same in current pregnancy!

Depends how much you've got to do and organise...and if you'll get bored!

BTW singleton pregnancies are very different to twin pregnancies. With my single pregnancy I easily worked FT as a physio (lots of lifting/driving/being active) up to 37 weeks and she was born at 38 weeks. Twin pregnancy became difficult from 30 weeks in the same role and had to make a lot more adaptations from 28 weeks. Also NHS policy is to deliver MCDA twins at 36 weeks and DCDA twins at 37 weeks.

My twins midwife told me a lot of her mums finish at 30 weeks - I finished at 31 weeks and it was tough going (even working from home and stripping back commuting as much as possible). My babies arrived at 34 weeks which due to a complicated pregnancy was as late as they were ever going to be.

I second PP who pointed out that a twin pregnancy is a different kettle of fish to a singleton. I was enormous at 34 weeks even with one growth restricted twin.

You really can't compare singletons to twins. I could've worked right up to birth with my singleton but I was wrecked with my twins. Struggled to sleep, struggled to drive, struggled to get anything done really as I was absolutely huge. I went on the sick from my office job at 31 weeks, mat leave started 36 weeks and they were born at 37+6 weighing 6lb9 and 7lb8.

I was booked for c section at 37 weeks which was a Tuesday. I worked til the Friday before and then took holiday to make sure mat leave would start the day AFTER the twins arrived. But I had a desk job and I knew I wouldn't be returning to that job after babies arrived so I wanted to push my 1 year mat leave as far out as possible. It was totally do-able though, but I WFH from maybe about 34/35 weeks.

Thanks all for your advice!! I've decided to take mat leave at 34 weeks and I have a week of leave before then so will see how I go, hoping a get time for a rest before ☺️

I had twins, I stopped work 2 weeks before they were due, but had them 1 week later. I went back to work whem they were 3 months old and DH became a SAHD. Beforehand was fine as I was working on a major project I wanted to finish. Afterwards i was fine as they were with DH.