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Original poster

How long before due date did you/ will you start mat leave?

36 replies

Bubbles0616 · 07/03/2019 14:54

Hi all,

I am due in august and working out when i think the best time is to start my mat leave. I want as long off with our baby as possible but also work an hour away from home and would like to have some chill time at home to prepare and also cope with being huge!

This is my first baby so no idea what liklihood is of early or late bubby.

Would love to hear what your plans are /were

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LeeCee · 07/03/2019 15:16

I planned to work up until 37 weeks ish but ended up finishing at 33 weeks. At that stage I was exhausted and just wanted to relax and nest.

A few things to consider - how stressful is the work? How physically demanding is it and the commute? Can you take holidays this side of your leave?

If you're physically unable to continue you can always get signed off early so you won't lose your leave.

I had low iron and mentioned to the doc I was finding work exhausting and she signed me off no problem.

Wallsbangers · 07/03/2019 18:30

I planned to finish at 37 weeks but finished at 33 instead. Long commute and I was exhausted and probably unsafe to be driving.

Pinklittle · 07/03/2019 18:33

I finished 9 days before my due date and went a week over, I had a really good pregnancy and wasn't too uncomfortable also I can and do work from home so that helped a great deal in me staying in work so long! Good luck and congratulations x

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SpottedTiger · 07/03/2019 18:36

I planned to finish at 38 weeks initially, but ended up finishing at 34 weeks exhausted and having spent my last few 'working' days in hospital so they could monitor my poorly baby.

JimJamJarmusch · 07/03/2019 18:48

I planned to finish at 38 weeks - easy pregnancy, and non-demanding office job. Went into labour at 36+4, so that's how well that worked out! Planning on going at 36 weeks this time.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 07/03/2019 18:51

The plan was to have 2 weeks. I ended up having minus 2 days as someone was in a rush to get here (which is amusing now as he is never on time for anything). After saying that, mum said that all of us were early!

itsbritneybiatches · 07/03/2019 18:52

I work from home mostly so I worked
Up until I went into labour.

My work were very good about not sending me anywhere in the last two weeks.

But did have me fly at 37 weeks. And on a trade stand at eight months!

I had a really easy pregnancy so
I was very lucky and could do all that stuff.

sittingonacornflake · 07/03/2019 18:53

38+4. Could have gone longer but I had an office job and worked 2 days from home. Also I got gestational diabetes so couldn't spend my mat leave pre baby going out for cake every day so I found it all a bit pointless really

Yellowcar2 · 07/03/2019 18:55

DS 39w and he was 11days late, DD1 38w + 2 planned c section at 39, DD2 38w and she was early at 39w.
However I had a short commute. She how you feel as you progress through your pregnancy you may feel better/ worse than you think.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 07/03/2019 18:55

I finished at 38 weeks and went into labour at 39+1 - and was pleased I didn't have any more time off before the birth, I found it boring and bad for my anxiety! BUT a) I had a very physically easy third trimester b) although I do have an hour's driving commute to work, I work from home quite a bit so don't do it daily AND I had no problem driving right up until the end - this is very anecdotal, but this seemed to be related to the fact that I'm tall so the 'bump touches the steering wheel' just didn't apply (other there are other things that can make driving hard, but I didn't have any of those) and c) my work itself is entirely sedentary. I will also found that I found my final week of work markedly harder than the week before it, though that was also because the massive heatwave last summer hit in that week

Arowana · 07/03/2019 18:56

I stopped work at 37 weeks, but DS was 8 days late so I ended up having nearly a month off before the birth.

Gumbo · 07/03/2019 19:00

I started mat leave the day DS was born. I worked up until 38 weeks the took the next 2 weeks as annual leave, and DS was born on his due date. I had a 1.5 hour drive each way but it was fine working/driving so late in my pregnancy.

beforeihit30 · 07/03/2019 19:01

Left at 32 weeks with DC1 and DC2. Pre-pregnancy I assumed I would work until around 38 weeks, then discovered I just really didn’t like commuting and working whilst pregnant especially as I got bigger. Found it much harder to focus, which I wasn’t expecting. Was better off tidying my home to the nth degree.

Pg with DC3 and will do the same, got loads of annual leave to take too so it will technically be annual leave from 32 weeks then mat leave from 36/37 weeks.

TrixieFranklin · 07/03/2019 19:03

I'm going to be working from home from about 30 weeks and then hoping to finish about 37 weeks.

ChrisPrattsFace · 07/03/2019 19:04

I’m planning 35+2 to go on mine. I have a very demanding and difficult job so may be earlier!
Although I’ve been told ‘go earlier’ and ‘go later so I still don’t really know!

CakeMakesMeHappy · 07/03/2019 19:05

I teach and did up to 38 and a bit with both. Though on both occasions I’d been taken out of class a couple of weeks earlier so the job wasn’t as stressful as normal. Can you bring it earlier if you find you can’t go as late as you plan to?

canonlyhopexo · 07/03/2019 19:06

I am in same position as OP and finding responses interesting so marking my place :)

WinterCoat · 07/03/2019 19:10

I worked til 39 weeks. If I had my time again I'd have gone off 2 weeks earlier. It was very uncomfortable to sit at my desk by then and I was just exhausted. Plus you really should savour the calm before the storm. I don't think you'll notice those 2 weeks on the other end of your mat leave.

itsbritneybiatches · 07/03/2019 19:10

If you are able I'd try and leave it as late as you can.

Any option to work from home?

LisaSimpsonsbff · 07/03/2019 19:12

But did have me fly at 37 weeks. And on a trade stand at eight months!

How did you find an airline to take you?! I had a real stress because I needed to go on a work trip and it all had to be arranged specially to get me back before 28 weeks because I was under consultant care so couldn't get a note to say it was an uncomplicated pregnancy - but my understanding was that even with those notes airlines will only let you fly up to 36 weeks at the absolute latest

Cattenberg · 07/03/2019 19:14

I have an office job and started my mat leave at 37 weeks. DD was born 10 days later after a long labour.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 07/03/2019 19:15

I don't think you'll notice those 2 weeks on the other end of your mat leave.

This depends on how long you're taking, of course. I knew I was going to go back after six months leave, so was worried that DS would be two weeks late and so would only just be five months - it felt like a bit psychological difference that because he came a little early he was six months when I went back, so a couple of weeks earlier would have made a difference to me.

Middlrm · 07/03/2019 19:19

I was going to work up until 38 weeks but opted to go at 37 weeks last minuet, also have a 1 hour commute each way. And I was not sleeping much as my hips were really nagging me think from about 6 months onwards I could only lay on one side for about 1 hour max before waking up.

Had pregnancy exhaustion too ... was just shattered.

Baby was one week late, this is my first baby ( he is 14 weeks now) and it’s such a huge thing that having time to relax and prepare at a chilled pace and not worry that if I couldn’t sleep at 2am it didn’t matter I could take a nap, whenever I wanted... it’s your time to be selfish and look after you honestly once you have a baby it’s all about the baby x x

itsbritneybiatches · 07/03/2019 19:23

Lisa I had to get a doctors note to day I was safe to fly. Plus it was only an hour flight. Uk.

I think it was Flybe

itsbritneybiatches · 07/03/2019 19:24

I might be a week out maybe but I am
Sure I was that long into it

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