I work in the private sector for a large company who has a pretty lame maternity policy. It's the basic 6 weeks maternity 90% pay followed by statutory.
I don't have any savings and have to keep paying the mortgage etc. so I just can't see any alternative but to go back to work straight away 
.
If I was to have 2 weeks off before my due date, then went 2 weeks over my due date then I would be going to work leaving a 2 week old baby at childcare 
. I'm frantically trying to save up so I can have a month off but even given my tight timescales it doesn't leave any scope for any illness in the latter stages of pregnancy (I don't get paid if I'm off sick either!).
What does everyone else do??