Whose stupid idea was it to work until 38 weeks?

[TheBeesKnee]

Oh yes, mine. Back when I was 15 weeks pregnant and feeling absolutely fine.

31 weeks pregnant me is unimpressed with having to do this for another 7 weeks.

I log on to my laptop and just don't care. All I want to do is sleep and organise baby clothes.

I had a smooth 2 trimesters and now I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes so there's a chance I'll be induced early and won't have any time off at all between finishing work and starting motherhood 😭

Aahh OP I've been there. Could've written exact what you did.
Don't worry too much. Employers are used to women changing their mat leave dates. Do you have annual leave to take? Could you do that?
Technically you need to give at least a months notice to change your mat leave date however if you're struggling then speak to your employer. I'm sure they will be happy to accommodate you

Sorry its not going exactly to plan, can you not change your mind?
I did work til 38 weeks and I was lucky it was ok, you may just be hitting the hump when you time stands still and you just want pregnancy to be over with, you may feel differently in a week or so but if not , you can probably start your maternity leave sooner

I finished at 37+4 (Friday) and intended on using annual leave until my due date. DD had other ideas - went into labour at 37+6 and she arrived at 38+0.

Tbh it was for the best as didn't waste my leave wondering how to induce labour and I got the extra 2 weeks tagged onto the end of my maternity- she's so much fun now and I get that time with her.

However-
I wfh from around 32 weeks because of omicron so that definitely helped as I could nap during my lunchtime

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy

I have 2 weeks of annual leave booked between 38-40 weeks. All I heard was that first babies tend to stay in longer!

I'm in a new job so reluctant to rock the boat TOO much, plus worried about pay, but I have a growth scan next week so maybe I'll see how that goes, and then amend my leaving date?

I worked up until 38 weeks and had a very ACTIVE job where I was on my feet all day. I was bored senseless the two weeks of my maternity at home before the baby came as I went from 100 to zero.

Can you work half days? I did that for the last couple of weeks so I kept occupied but also had time to rest.

That was the plan, DC1 had other ideas and was born at 36+2.

I worked up to 37 weeks with DC2 and was determined to enjoy every bit of the last couple of weeks on leave. Finished on a Friday at 37+2, waters broke on Saturday and he arrived that night.
I still have the calendar I had planned out to keep myself busy in his baby box and it still makes me smile.
Worked to 38 weeks with Dc1 and she was born on her due date (and has been just as exact ever since) and I was so over prepared and impatient to meet her I was going a bit crazy by the end!

You can change your finishing date, I'm sure lots of women do once they reach the sharp end as it can be so exhausting. I finished at 37 weeks and wish I'd gone earlier, as I was in terrible pain from SPD and my brain just wasn't there anymore.

If you are struggling, get signed off sick. I was due to finish at Christmas & ended up going off sick for the last month as I was struggling. It was a good job as I developed pre eclampsia & ds was born at 36+5.

My last pregnancy, I was due to work until 38 weeks, but brought it forward to 35 weeks when I found out I had GD and was told earlier that there was a chance I would be induced at 38 weeks (which I was due to being prescribed insulin). This time around, I fortunately was not diagnosed with GD and worked up until 37.5 weeks and so glad I did as it means more time with DD2 next year.

Keep in mind if you are off sick in the last 4 weeks before due date, your employer is entitled to start your mat leave early

I worked until 39 with both of mine and felt exactly as you did - until it was time to go back to work. Then I suddenly became really glad that past me had sucked up those extra weeks!
However ds1 was a week late and those two weeks between finishing work and him arriving we're probably the best two weeks of my life. I literally slept, ate and took the dog for very short walks. It was lovely.

I had planned to stop at 37 and a bit weeks and had used annual leave to shorten my days for a few weeks before that too. All precovid so no working from home. I was so shattered I ended up stopping a week earlier. She came at 39+3 so had 3 week off.

Second time was during covid, I'd been working PT from home so was easier, except I also had a toddler so also harder. I knew I wasn't going back to that job after mat leave so I think finished at 37 weeks again and he came 40+5. Spent most of that time raging that I was still pregnant.

If you can use annual leave to shorten your days I would definitely recommend it!

I personally felt that I was going to be fat and grumpy either way so I might as well work and have more time off with the baby

I was supposed to go on mat leave at 34 weeks but started having contractions mid shift at 31 weeks, ironic as I work in nicu. I went off sick from 31-34 weeks and ended up being induced at 39 weeks. It was a long and boring wait from 31-39 weeks. I wish I could have worked a bit longer but it wasn't possible.

Yep 34 week pregnant me has been questioning my decision to work until end of March. Nothing helpful to add - just solidarity!

I stopped at 36 weeks, DD came at 39 weeks. It was 3 weeks of absolutely bliss, and I still feel cheated out of that last week (thanks, DD!).

If was was to do it again (which I won't - that ship has sailed), I'd stop at 34 - even getting to 36 weeks was hard, and I don't even have a physically demanding job, but just all the moving around required of a 90 minute each way public transport commute was extremely difficult. Then again, I was in my late 30s, so perhaps had I been a spring chicken, I would have been fine.