When to start Maternity Leave

[jcp123]

I need to tell my employer when I plan to start maternity leave. I've no idea, I feel OK now 29+2 but no idea what I'm going to feel like in a month or two months time. When does everyone else plan to finish.

always a tough one this. depends on your job, and your commute really. have you been generally ok healthwise so far as well? lots of factors, but if you feel fine now, I'd leave it as late as possible, because you never seem to get long enough afterwards!

with DS1 I finished 2 weeks ahead of due date and tbh I could have carried on until I gave birth. I commuted into london by train with a 20 minute waddle to the office, and I had a desk job so was sitting all day.

with DS2 I worked from home, so again I finished 2 weeks in advance, but also took 2 weeks holiday before that - I was tireder this time around and didnt have the spare time I'd had previously to organise 'baby stuff'

I plan to officially finish about 3 wks before baby is due (but as I'm a teacher I will get the Easter holiday also, which makes it 5 wks before). This is 3rd baby, so I want to be able to rest a little before the birth and my 1st 2 babies arrived 2 weeks early. I wouldnt start too early if you feel you would be bored at home, but with enough time to relax for a little bit!

lynniep - you are very brave waddleing 20 mins to the office!

I work 40 mins drive from home and have a desk job. I like the idea of saving as much maternity leave as possible and using holidays. Perhaps I can use my holidays before starting maternity, then if I feel OK I can cancel days on an ad-hoc basis and take them afterwards.

I left it until a couple of weeks before the due date but the two weeks leading up to that I used my holidays to work half days so that I broke myself into being at home. I was very organised and not feeling tired so got bored very quickly and you really want the time with the baby once s/he has arrived. Would definitely have done it again if I'd been able to have more children, and probably have left finishing until a week before the due date.

Have finished the day before my due date with all 3 of mine, but I was able to drive to work, work from home sometimes, and spent most of the day at the computer and on the phone. I did this to maximise maternity leave once the baby was born. It was fine, although it would have been nice to have finished 2 weeks beforehand. 2 of mine were 2 weeks late so I got the 2 weeks anyway.

I'm 27 weeks with my first, and am planning on carrying on as long as possible. I'm lucky though as I don't really have to 'declare' too far in advance. So I'm basically starting maternity leave on my due date, but taking annual leave before that. How I arrange the annual leave will depend on how I feel, I might go a bit part time for 3-4 weeks before, or just have two straight weeks off before due date. It really depends on how I feel and as I'm due mid-Feb, it might also depend on a bit on the weather, i.e. if we have 3 foot of snow then getting in and out of work might just be more than I can manage. I drive to work and work in an office so it's not demanding in terms of commute or work, and I can be quite flexible.

D

Am 30 weeks and am finishing Christmas Eve. My maternity kicks in on 27th December so will get 5 weeks off, but work on the theory that by the time Christmas and New Year are out of the way, there won't be much time left anyway! Also as I accrue Bank Holidays, it means in the first week I will have gained 4 days at full pay to tag on to the end of my mat leave (3 BH + 1 concessionary day)

My office is only a mile from my house but the thought of some cr*ppy weather, makes me think I would prefer to be wrapped up indoors than trying to fight with everyone in a car if it snows!

I am also 27 weeks and I am planning to start the maternity leave on the due week, but will be taking some the holidays I will incur during the maternity leave before (apparently I loose them if I don't take it). That means I'll be off work 4 weeks before my due date.

I commute an hour and a half each way across London with two tube/train changes so am planning to go off about four weeks before my due date. I'm planning to use holiday to go part time for two weeks, then use two weeks of holiday and start 'real' maternity leave two weeks before my due date.

I think I'll be bored but I also think I'll hate commuting when I'm that pg.

I am 20 weeks and had my scan today (all good) I have my finish date already!!!

I am a nurse working on a childrens surgical unit. I have a 45 minute comute so I am finishing at 34/40. I am taking a days holiday a week so that I only do 2 a week as we do long days and I do 3 a week at the moment.

Already finding some days hard if they are busy so bring on the 26th of february x

I was planning on leaving the week before due date, Im 32 weeks today, and have decided ive had enough, so im finishing next week, the plan was to have 6 weeks off, but i just thought sod it, im not gonna be a martyr im tired, got a rotten cold, constant heartburn, still throwing up now and then and not sleeping well.

I dont have a difficult job, or work long hours, and its only a 5 minute drive away, im just fed up and for me personally its more important that i get a few weeks to myself before life changes forever.

The baby is due mid January and i plan to go back on the 1st of March

I'm 37 weeks sunday, was planning to work up till 39+2, was feeling fine and great through most of last trimester.

However really unexpectedly this week have had some signs that i'm not going to make it full term. Because had saved AL for the end, and over my EDD could potentially loose around 12 days of AL if I had it today. Because of this i'm having to leave early next week (if I make it that long) do a much condensed handover than had planned, and just don't feel as great about going than if it was on 'my terms'.

I'd just say be really flexible, cut down a day a week if you can as you get more tired. In an ideal world you will just power through and be fine, but coming to see that reality is something could easily come up and you could easily end up disapointed and feeling like you've let people down.

With both DDs my maty leavestarted at about 38 weeks - but I had annual leave to take before that so came off at about 36 weeks. DD1 arrived the day my maty leave started and DD2 arrived 1 week before maty leave started so had to start it early.

I'd always advise to plan to work for as long as you can, if you need to go earlier you can.

My maternity leave starts at 37+3 but oh my G I wish I was on it already. I'm 35+4 now with my 1st and i'm so tired, I'm really struggling.

It's only a desk job (although it's quite high stress) and i gave up my 20 minute waddle to work months ago in favour of a pregnancy friendly 5 minute drive but i'm finding it so hard.

I really wanted as much time with my baby as possible but I kind of wish i'd said 34 weeks and stop but if you've never done it before you just don't know how you're going to feel.

smoggi - if you are struggling why don't you just tell your work and start your maty leave early??

I was planning on working until 39 weeks, even though I had a 2 hour commute, at 29 weeks when I made the decision I felt great! ... My waters broke 5 days later so the decision was out of my hands and my maternity started then and there. :(

I'm really jealous of anyone who managed to get some maternity leave before the baby arrives so i'd say as early as possible!

Lal123 I have had a chat with my manager and i'm now taking Wednesdays off (since last week) but i have to wind down my caseload and it turns out i'm more stubborn than i thought-

I've had a rubbish pregnancy and i don't want it to beat me!

Anyhoo only 2 weeks left to go and i've already resigned myself to the idea that i won't actually do any work in the last week - especially as the boss is on holiday

I'm actually finishing around 29 weeks, but the first ten weeks of that is my leftover 2010 annual leave and then all my 2011 annual leave, so my actual maternity leave is scheduled to start at 39 weeks.

Previous pregnancies I've aimed to start my leave around 37 weeks (but my actual finish date has worked out a little earlier once I have taken accrued leave -- not quite on the scale of this time, though...)

I don't know. Probably about 36 weeks. I want to stay at work as long as possible so I can have more time off after the baby is born, but I am a nurse so am on my feet all day, often without time to have a break and eat, and work will only get busier as we get into winter so am not sure how on earth I am going to manage. I also gave up the week of annual leave I had booked in Jan so I can work a day less each week for the last 4 weeks I am there.

For DS I finished 3 weeks before and will do the same this time around. I would ideally prefer to finish a couple of weeks earlier this time as won't be able to rest as much with DS already here but as I only have 30 weeks maternity leave (i'm not in UK) i'd prefer to take the extra time after the birth.

3 weeks before with dd, was absolutely shattered, jut needed the lie in in the morning.
4 weeks before with ds, was bigger that time and was exhausted with having a toddler too.
I saved my holidays both times for when I was going back had 4 weeks off at the end of Mat leave so had started to get paid again

Hi

I am looking to piggyback on this post and get some much needed advise.

I asked the HR when is the earliest I can take my mat leave from and they only calculated the last date based on my accrued leave. This means, I will have to work a week before my due date. HR didn't include the 11 weeks from due date (as mentioned in Gov.uk) in her calculation. I am not enjoying my job (just joined in Dec) and am mentally exhausted. So I really want to start my annual leave early. I also won't be qualifying for the SMP.

Is it normal to not include the 11 weeks when calculating the mat leave start date? Is it within employer's right?

Please help! I am speaking to the HR again tomorrow, so would want to know my rights.