How long before due date is everyone taking their maternity leave?

[bowlingball]

Just what the title says really. Want to go as far as I can before due date and have longer after but don't want to be too unrealistic in my expectations of how mobile I will be/how much I can do.

I am also starting to think about this. DD is July 2nd but obn has said they are going to induce at 39 weeks (June 25th). I was thinking of working up until June 24th. I work behind a desk and I am rather worried that I work myself into a frenzy if leave work early.

I'm teaching full time till 38 weeks. Although I'd happily finish right now and go back to bed! (32+3)

I'm due on the 29th and finishing work on the 18th March. I am using my annual leave from next week to drop down to 4 days a week.

I have a desk bound job, plus there are two of us that are pregnant. I think it is the commute that is the most tiring, rather than actually being at work.

I think that it really depends on the nature of your job, your commute and whether you have other children at home.

I'm planning to stop at 29 weeks... respect to you lot! I am rubbish at being pregnant and not managing my full hours since 7 weeks so I am marking off the days left. (Quite a lot since I am only 11 weeks now!)

I have started my 'holiday' (the holidays that incurred during maternity leave) at just after 34 weeks. Loving the peace and quiet at the moment and getting lots of rest before the chaos start!

I'll be starting mine at 38 weeks but am taking two weeks of annual leave immediately before so am actually off from being 36 weeks. I work two jobs so full-time plus half a day on Saturdays and my full-time job is an hour and a half away so I decided I didn't want to commute that far past 36 weeks. Also, because of the commute I'm out of the house 12 hours a day and can't do much baby stuff as I'm so tired when I get home. I'm hoping to use the time to get stuff like washing all the clothes, visiting local bumps and babies groups, having a final haircut etc done.

I'm starting maternity leave on my due date (Feb 19th), well that's a Saturday, so my last official day before mat leave will be the day before DD.

However, I am taking holiday from Feb 9th, and have been taking a day or two a week holiday since new year, to kind of give me a break and let me 'wind down' rather than stop suddenly.

I am a bit fed up now, but I think mainly because I have done a lot of my handover 'just in case', so the days at work seem to drag.

I think the factors you will need to consider are:

• The kind of job you do, how active you have to be
• How understanding you think your colleagues will be (e.g. booking meetings in rooms up 3 flights of stairs at the opposite side of the building etc.)
• How healthy you feel at the time
• What your journey to work is like (I drive door to door, so don't have any issues with my commute, but with my SPD and general mobility issues, I would be struggling now if I had to get a train, and then walk 15 minutes or whatever).

D

I'm planning to stop at 37weeks. I'll have a week A/L, then 2 weeks mat leave before EDD. I've also got another weeks worth of A/L left so I can take the odd day off if I need to.

I'm a teacher 2 days a week, due 16th May. I'll be off for Easter holiday from 8th April (35 wks preg), but Maternity leave will officially only start after the holiday on 26th April (37 wks preg). DC1 and DC2 were born at 38 and 39 wks, so dont really want to push it too far!

I took my complete annual leave (20 working days/4 weeks) at 32 weeks, and will start my mat leave at 36 weeks. It's a bit excessive, but figured that with finding a new flat and other errands I needed to get out of the way, it was okay! Plus, my blood pressure was ridiculous during my last weeks at work so I'm really happy to be home and on my own schedule! :)

Gotta go, it's nap time again...

My maternity leave starts on the 21st Feb and I'm due on the 26th Feb, however, i've got some holidays saved and finish on the 9th Feb. Looking forward to it! xx

the day before due date!

technically dc2 is due 27th april. maternity leave starts on the 26th april.
BUT because of easter holidays from school, bank holidays and the fact i only work mon and tues my last working day will be 5th april.

i'm planning on taking as much time off as i can (financially speaking) so want to work for as long as possible before the money runs out.

with ds i stopped work at 36 weeks. that was teaching y6 full time. i'm currently only doing 2 days a week with y6. 36 weeks was a bit early last time as i got so bored by the time my 8 days late boy arrived.

I worked until Jan 16th and am due Feb 2nd (not long now!). I'm on annual leave until baby is born, then officially mat leave.

I thought it didn't sound like that much time, but now I wish I'd stayed on a bit longer or gone part-time, because physically I'm still fine.

Great advice from Deliaskis

I'm 39+5 with DC2 and it's my last day in the office today (yeah!), but will probably work the remainder of the week at home (DS1 was 10 days late).

Have long days at work (8-6) because I condense a 5 day week into 4 so that I can be off one day with DS. Coping well at work but the day off with DS is very tiring.

Had planned to take hols for wks 38-40 but I do project work and have client deadlines that are not easy to give up (mostly because there is not yet any cover for me while I'm off).

Im planning on leaving at 38 weeks. I worked till my due date with DD1 and till 39 weeks with DD2 but I really do need to get some things done at home. Im not using any annual leave this time as I want to tag it on at the end so i can have longer off with the baby.

I work full time in an office so its really not bad.Its more the getting up, school run and using the bus to get to work that I will find difficult.

wow to spilttheteaagain stopping at 29 weeks ? Are you not planning on going back to work or do you just have an excellent maternity package ?

Wow some of you are really brave working until due date!!! Because DC1 and 2 both arrived early I feel I need to make allowances for this... really hope DC3 doesn't come late now!

I've been on 4 days a week for 2 weeks now thanks to using up annual leave. I've got 2 .5 weeks to go - working up to Feb 16th, DD March 7th. Wishing I was finishing sooner to be honest. A colleague of mine stopped at 35 weeks and I'm quite jealous of her now!

inbetweener I'll be taking the full year and get full pay for the first 4 months of it. I'm very likely to be made redundant this year as well so probably no job to go back to which means I have a bit more breathing space at the other end as my redundancy pay will buy me a bit more time off.

I was utterly crap at pregnancy last time and going the same way this time - exhausted, sick, miserable (and no to the occupational health lady, for me that does NOT improve after the first trimester!) and pelvic trouble which means my long commute becomes grim.

DC1 is due in August and I'm intending to work (teacher) up until the end of term when I'll be 37.5 weeks. Mat leave will officially start on EDD

I'm due 16th April. Finish work 4th March (4 weeks on Friday, not that I'm counting :o )

First 2 weeks are AL so Mat leave "officially" starts 21st March!

Can't wait!

I'm due on 1st May and starting maternity leave on 4th April, but my job is shifts and busy on my feet all day, often without time for a break. I am taking one day of annual leave each week for my last 4 weeks so at least I get an extra day off, and apparently should only have to do another 5 nightshifts before I leave.