So when shall I start my maternity leave then

[Thomcat]

Work is just so hectic it would be nice if I had a finishing date in mind now.

I'd rather have more time off at the end, so more time with baby and Lottie, as going back to work eventually.

I get the minimum maternity lerqve which I think is about 5 months or so before it starts going as totally inpaid which i can't afford to do.

Due date is 22 december so a busy month. If it wasn't December I'd leave myself a week befor the due date but might be better if I have a bit more this time.

What do you reckon?
Should my last day be Thursday 1st december (I don't work Friday's anyway), or shall I do another week and finish on thursday 8th December?

Later the better IMO. Like you say, more time with the babies. Just do all shopping on internet.

I planned to finish 4 weeks before the due date, which is quite early but I did have a bad pregnancy and work is very stressful. I was very thankful I had those 4 weeks, to chill and put my feet up.

But if you are feeling well and can handle work, it does make sense to have more time off with the baby

remember babies can arrive early!
1st dec sounds good!

i'd go for the first.
what job do you do?
i took mine 6 weeks before baby was due, and i was SO knackered that i almost went before then!
it'll be nice to have a bit extra time to spoil lottie before baby arrives and to get everytjhing ready for christmas

How do you feel? Personally, I think it helps to be as rested as possible before the baby arrives so I'd take longer. Otherwise the first few precious weeks and even months can simply be a blur of exhaustion, which won't be fun for you, the baby or for Lotte (Not forgetting Dom!). If you go into it tired, it won't get better. That's my view anyway. Better to have a little less time afterwards and be happy and rested than more time knackered and miserable (or you could take a small bank loan and have more time anyway, she says, speaking as someone who had £100 a week minimum benefit)
Remember, you were totally spoiled with Lottie sleeping through from day 1 - that's is not how most babies behave, it really isn't. Most of the little blighters keep you up all night at least at the beginning and that can be a killer if you are knackered to start with.

At the very least the 8th of December, they don't call it labour for nothing.

i had 6 weeks off before the birth and im still shattered with 2 weeks still to wait i really dont think i could have managed much longer at work but i think it depends on a few things like heat, obv this wont be an issue for you but my feet are so swollen from the heat its unbearable!
how far you have to travel, i was travelling an hour a day.
how many hours you work, i was full time.
how you travel, sometimes i got dp to take me but most of the time i drove myself.
how much help you get at home, dp was doing his best but with having dd at home and him being stressed at work i still felt i could have done with more help.

being me i would def go for the 1st dec as you might find the last month or two really hard, why put yourself through the hell, you will still be at work longer than i was...... good luck hun

Aohaaaaaa - don't say that! Noooooooooooooo, this baby is going to be a good sleeper like Lottie, right! He heeeeee, yeah right, can I be so lucky twice over?

Hmmmmm, well I'll do the 1st of December then. Can't do before, that's too early. 1st it is. Then if I think I can handle it amybe I'll stay on another week when it comes to it.

Starlover - I work in PR and manage all the client accounts. There's just me, my boss who is as much use as a chocolate teapot, a director who works 2 days a week and doesn't get her hands dirty iykwim, and an assistant who looks after an admin based account. Everything else is down to me. I love it, but it is manic. But that suits me. Last time I spent every minute of my maternity leave nesting manicly and cooking and freezing spag bols, coq u vin's, chilli's etc! I was a mad woman, so I won't use the time off to rest anyway!

Sorry Keli, I somehow missed your post, sorry.

I leave at 9.15am, take Lottie to pre-school, get to work for 10am. Work through lunch, leave at 6, pick Lottie up from mums home by 7pm. Cook dinner while D gets Lottie ready for bed.
Read Lottie a story, kiss and cuddle, then we eat, bit of washing, house stuff, bit of mumsnet.
On Friday's I don't work but spend hte day with lottie who has special needs and we do hospital appts and a fun mother and daughter activity etc.

I just didn't want to ignore your questions!

TC i say 1st dec then if not earlier, how far along are you now? (also must add the other thread you got going is a cracker)

TC you can come round to mine n cook for me, also my kitchen cupboards could do with a lick of paint lol, seriously i thought id do them but unless someone zaps me with motivation they are staying as they are!

If you can go for the 1st do it! I can't afford to leave till the 9th, my due date is the 18th and I'm measuring a fortnight earlier. DD will be 2.5.

I'm playing hte Lotto, tho!

with ds i worked until 10 days before due date and luckily he was 2wks late[didnt think i was lucky at the time] but made me realise how essential it is to relax before the baby turns up so if it was me I would go for the 1st.

How exciting, the 1st it is then
Something to look forward to.

I sooo want to start mine now! (I'm only 23 weeks...) however in my experience, I'd rather work till the bitter end and have more time afterwards ( I usually go two weeks over anyway). I'm planning to stop just before Christmas and take advantage of the bank holidays - I'll be about 38 weeks same as I was with ds2 (when it was a relief to have a break from ds1!). With ds1 the law was different and you had to stop 6 weeks before due date. He went 2 weeks over so I ended up having 8 wks off beforehand to twiddle my thumbs and only 10 weeks afterwards. Thank heavens for Tony Blair getting something right! This time I'm hoping for 31 paid weeks off (including parental leave and hols).

I would definitely go with the 1st, TC. Gives you plenty of time to spend with your daughter, and get ready for christmas etc. I'm currently 36 weeks pg, and have had the last 3 weeks off (had some annual leave to use up!) although my maternity leave doesn't officially start until this Sunday. It's been lovely to have the time just to chill out, catch up with old friends, and generally get used to the idea of being a Mum! Incidentally, i am a nurse on a busy coronary care unit , and was working busy 12.5 hour shifts, so i think my break is well-earnt!

And not to alarm anyone, but my colleague who was a month behind me in the PG stakes wasn't due to start her mat leave until the end of September, but al that abruptly changed when her little one made his appearance 10 weeks early Needless to say, she was totally unprepared, and is running around like a mad thing trying to sort everything (cot, pram, etc) out now - not good, after you've just delivered!!!

Book the latest date possible for you mat leave to start, and if you find you are finding it difficult get your GP to sign you off before.

Sick pay is full pay!

If he/she puts something non-pregnancy related on the certificate it won't trigger an early start to your maternity leave.

Even if he/she puts something pregnancy related on the certificate your employer can only make you start your mat leave 4 weeks before the day you had booked - hence better to book the latest possible date.