Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

when to start maternity leave?

34 replies

loubuch09 · 23/02/2011 17:22

Hi there
I work full time as an infant class teacher and was wondering when people would advise to sart maernity leave. i am currently 24 weeks and feeling finebut tired. want to know if you would suggest going off at 31/32 or 37? What have others done?
Thanks,
Lou

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

polskiprincess · 23/02/2011 17:25

Hi Lou - good question i'm due in september and am hoping to last it out til 37 weeks - the idea being that i'll get more time the other end as financial constraints mean i'll have to go back to work after 6 months - although i will get a months holiday added on to that so will be off until the end of march hopefully

cece · 23/02/2011 17:27

I am a KS2 teacher.

DC1 - 35 weeks
DC2 - 37 weeks
DC3 - 38 weeks

However, I cook my babies for 42 weeks! With the first I was home bored stiff for 7 weeks! LOL

Laura05 · 23/02/2011 17:31

I was wondering the same thing. I'm at college two full days, college placemnet two days and work four shifts a week in a pub. I'm due end of July and I finish college in june was thinking about maybe finishing up everything at the same time but then again money's a concern. It'll be interesting to see what everyones doing xx

Rhian82 · 23/02/2011 17:31

I went at 37 weeks, but I was really looking forward to my three weeks rest and then DS was 10 days early! Still bitter. So I'd say 35-36 weeks. Have to say 32 seems very early.

Beaurevage · 23/02/2011 17:35

I'm nearly 36 weeks a the moment and have two weeks left. Of course my DH loves to remind me that I need to be prepared to leave earlier if need be .

I'm having a relatively easy pregnancy though and so think I'd be pretty bored if I were off already...just like cece!

Laura05 · 23/02/2011 17:37

God i think id b bored too. I'm loving the idea of having time before baby comes but i hate sitting about
I'm thinking about sticking to 35-36 weeks before finishing up

polskiprincess · 23/02/2011 17:38

I work full time, can I change my mind if I feel up to staying an extra week or so. Or do I have to leave on the date that I had arranged. I haven't officially informed them yet although most people know that i'm pg

1Catherine1 · 23/02/2011 17:38

Secondary teacher so less bending and such but I'm planning on holding out until I reach 39 weeks (start ML exactly 1 week before due date). Am 36+3 atm and managing fine most days (although it is half term so that makes it slightly easier).

Lou, I decided that due to financial issues (main earner here) I couldn't afford to take ML earlier so set it as late as I possibly thought I could manage knowing that if worse comes to worse I can start it early. Starting your ML earlier than planned is a lot easier to do than starting it later than you planned. Remember 1 day off due to a pregnancy related illness in the 4 weeks prior to your due date automatically starts your ML - although this works against you in some ways in other ways it does you a favour in giving you extra flexibility.

lovemybabyboy · 23/02/2011 18:08

I was also thinking about this, however I have a very long time to think about it considering I am only 5 weeks today! hahaha! and I have not told my employers yet. I am not going to tell them untill after my 12 week scan
I would have thought it depends on where you work/what your job entails. I would like to stay as long as possible but I am a nurse and work on a very busy and heavy HDU so not sure how long I will physically be able to do the job, but was thinking roughly around 35 weeks maybe, but ill wait and see if everything goes ok at the scan first before I properly think about it. :)

clarkland · 23/02/2011 18:12

Nursery teacher, and I finished at 35 weeks. This is my second child. I was definitely ready, found the Nursery exhausting by this point. 4 weeks to go and I thought I would be bored but I'm loving being at home. Ahhhhhhh....

Petalouda · 23/02/2011 20:30

Hello,

I'm a secondary teacher, currently 35+4 and finishing at 38 weeks. Wish I'd finished at 35 really! But I am fond of my sofa & tv!

Some folks seem to suffer more with pelvic pain & other aches, etc. Which might make you want to finish earlier. I've had a bit of discomfort with his head going low in my pelvis, which is fine with teenagers, but I couldn't imagine running around after littlies with that discomfort. Tiredness is the biggest issue.

Congrats Love!

jenga079 · 23/02/2011 20:43

I'm due the first week of the summer holiday and hoping to make it to the end of term (so, 39 + 2!!!). I'm secondary though so my timetable will be half what it usually is because Year 11 and 13 will have gone.

I'm not sure how realistic this is, but I'm giving it a go so that we get the most possible paid leave. Of course, if I feel awful earlier than that I will leave earlier. My school are pretty flexible (again, possibly because there are so many fewer classes so more people available to cover)

CaringForPod · 23/02/2011 20:44

I'm planning on going at 38 weeks. I may actually be insane. I only work part time, and I find that I need to get out of the house. I work front-of-house and it's not the most strenuous of jobs, so I figure it will be OK. Famous last words.

Icoulddoitbetter · 23/02/2011 20:51

Different job (I'm an OT) but quite physical so i was never going to work till to close to my due date. I actually can't stand my job either so I left as soon as was feasable without looking too wimpy. I left at 33 weeks, my first week off was A/L. However my DS turned up nearly three weeks early so I'm really glad that I didn't wait till the standard 36 weeks. Taking my full mat leave entitlement, and then using the years leave I'd accrued, DS was over one when I went back.

I felt quite strongly at the time that those few weeks of M/L before giving birth were my last ever weeks to do things just for me before my life changed forever! I'm now (very newly) pg again and intend to leave around the same time, but admittedly it's more to do with being desperate to get out of my job that anything else!

Wendalicious · 23/02/2011 21:06

I have an office job so I do sit down all day - Im due late June and decided to leave 2 weeks before but all this talk makes me want to go off earlier now!

Caz10 · 23/02/2011 21:10

I'm a KS1 teacher and am going to be stopping at 38wks (unless things happen in the meantime!). This is dc2, so if I stopped earlier I doubt it would be any easier than work as I'd just be running around after dd!

Hoping this one doesn't come early though, I had 2 weeks planned off with dd1 and she came early, grrrr!

PartialToACupOfMilo · 23/02/2011 21:20

I'm a secondary teacher and planned to stay to 36 weeks, but only lasted until 34 weeks. Came back after half term and just couldn't face it any longer - went to see the head at break on the first day back! Dd arrived at 38 weeks so I was actually really glad I did finish early as I ended up with exactly the amount of time at home as I'd originally planned .

Generally I think it's best to say you're staying longer so that if you are feeling well you aren't forced to stop and stay at home wishing you had that time after the birth instead. If you want to finish earlier than planned, cover permitting, you can do. A colleague managed to stay until 39 weeks - not sure how she managed...

Lynzilove · 23/02/2011 21:27

I'll end up going off about 35/36 weeks as ill be starting my official m/l on due date and then I have to take all my holiday before that (about 26 days). I'm at college 1 day a week until I'm 38 weeks which makes the holiday entitlement go a little further!! I'm kinda forced to do this (unless I want to take loads of holiday inthe meantime!) I'm good with it though. Our company does the bare minimum so eking out every bit of paid leave I can to spend with the baby!

2BlackCats · 23/02/2011 21:28

I left at 38 1/2 weeks with DD, and that was a week earlier than planned as the weather was really nice and my maternity cover seemed incapable of taking ownership of my role with me there! DD ended up being over a week late so for me it was perfect, I think I would have gone mad with 5 weeks at home before she arrived. As it was the 2 1/2 weeks gave me a chance to visit all the baby groups/venues before she arrived meaning that I was happy to get out and about with her without worrying about where I was going or what to expect when I got there.

Planning to do the same again, although this time might be brave enough to last the distance to due date!

boredbuthappy · 23/02/2011 22:19

I had planned to work til 36 weeks but gave up at 34 weeks. Just couldn't handle the commute and was also too tired to be any use to anyone. I think when you feel you need to go, just go.

I am bored though.

loopy11 · 24/02/2011 08:36

I'm a Year 2 teacher and I'm stopping at 37 weeks. I'm 33 weeks now and already finding the size of the classroom furniture difficult to cope with. I've been lucky to have a straight forward pregnancy so far and hope I'll be OK do three weeks after half term. My school have also been great (taking me off playground duty, letting me do PPA from home, getting someone else to do PE)- which is a big help.I think its a hard job to last too long with because of its physical nature.

thelizard · 24/02/2011 10:05

I am ks 2 teacher, left at 34 weeks with my first two, am planning to leave at Easter this time when I will again be 34 weeks, although possibly could go longer this time. Hiwever because of holidays, mat leave won't start till am nearly 37 weeks... Have to say this time am almost finding it easier to be at school teaching y5 and 6 than being at home with 4 and 2 year old boys!

violetwellies · 24/02/2011 10:32

Im a social worker - elderly 1st time Mum, and currently 27 weeks, I am using my leave to work three days a week til the end of March then start mat leave.
Also have small business and semi dereleict house (I can imagine the shock for the poor soul that does my home visit :) )so its not like I wont have anything to do...
But Im knackered, I ache I feel sick, I cant concentrate and I cant sit or stand for long periods as I get sciatica.
Cant wait to finish work.
Ive bought the date forward from my original plan.

BarbieLovesKen · 24/02/2011 10:56

Great thread - something I've been obsessing thinking about a lot this week.

Im currently 26 weeks with number 3 (DS is only 13 months--eek!) work full time in an office but have moved to a new building where I have to climb 4 flights of stairs to get to and from my office, am not looking forward to those in a couple of weeks time.

I have to work up until 38 weeks (in Ireland, legally, you must take maternity leave at least 2 weeks before estimated due date). There is no one to cover me and my boss is already really, really under pressure with my leaving as it is. Plus this is a relatively new post (im in the same job 5 years but moved to a new department) which I love and want to keep!!!.

Im actually really jealous as I'd love to finish up a little earlier - even just 2 weeks earlier. Im studying at night for my law degree and attend uni 2 nights a week, I am sooo tired plus my exams are the first and second week of May (year 2) - and Ill still be working full time so I dont know how Im going to get the energy/ time to study (am going on maternity leave 19th May).

Pah.. Im just moaning really...

Petalouda · 24/02/2011 16:59

This is making me dread going back to work after half term! I've just realised I've had a good hour's nap every day at 3 this week - how will I cope without?!

It's only 2 more weeks, it's only 2 more weeks, it's only 2 more weeks...!

Flip

1 2