When did you/are you starting your maternity leave?

[TheBreadstick]

Just curious really as I'm pg with my first and planning to start mat leave at around 38 weeks and been getting some real and faces recently when people ask when I'm planning to leave.

I've had a complication free pregnancy so far and I'm feeling really fit and well in myself - just can't help thinking I'd like more time off after baby comes rather before, or am I just kidding myself! Eeek!

Reading the thread I am definitely nuts, first baby, he is due on the 19th april, my first day of mat leave will be the 16th- april! Oh dear!!

I have warned my office (all male) so get me out of here and into the car if anything happens!

I do live near work, about 10mins drive and i sit at my desk all day and i figure i can easily be resting here as much as i can at home doing jobs and tidying!!

who knows!! we will see what actually happens!!

Cubtrouble did any of your co-workers looked at you with a slightly panicked look when you told them that? My HOD keeps looking at me like I'm a time bomb!
Isn't it great to work surrounded by me? :o

sorry, I meant surrounded by men

I worked in a really active job up till 36+2 with no problems. I'm on annual leave now till mat leave kicks in on 13th Feb when I'll be 39+1. All food in theory but hoping baby ain't too early as I'll lose the annual leave I'm on unless they'll let ms carry it over

I'm working til 36 weeks this time and my ELCS is booked for 37 weeks exactly. Last time I went off at 36 weeks and DD wasn't born until 41+3. I wasn't exactly bored, but it did feel like I was squandering the time - and I spent the whole time wondering if today was going to be the day!

Officially I'll be 38+6 when my mat leave starts, but I have 2 weeks annual leave booked before then so I will be 36 weeks. Cannot wait to get gone!

I think if you set your mind to it you will be find op. Everyone thought I was mad last time when I was in work and uni and my tutor asked when I was due and I said today! Also I had to go back when she was only 10 days old and everyone thought I was a mental woman but we needed student loan so its surprising the things you can manage

I was 39+6 with first and 39 with second. I got a Lott of and as well!
No reason for me to finish work any earlier.

But If I had gone of at the point people thought I would then I'd be going back to work now, as it us I have another 6 weeks to go

I had my last day in the office today! I am 34+4 but I have added just over a weeks holiday to the start.

I had planned to work later but I realised a few weeks ago that I would be much better finishing earlier and I am so glad I made that decision. I do love my job, have worked really hard to get where I am and I am a total control freak (seriously, my handover notes are awe inspiring!) but I realised that I am just not able to work to the same standard as I was before. I am tired in the afternoons, forget stuff, make stupid mistakes and just generally get grumpy and emotional. I was starting to get really stressed feeling like I wasn't doing a good enough job anymore so felt it was better for me to just call it a day.

On the other hand I know plenty of people who worked much later, the adverage for people I know seems to be around 37 weeks but a few have worked right up until due date. Though quite a few seem to have gone on maternity leave and then straight into labour within a day or two which has left them rather shell-shocked.

Hiding - I am the same (finishing at 35 weeks). I have started to make stupid mistakes despite normally being incredibly perfectionist, find it harder to cope with the stress, and just get too tired to perform well. I have been really surprised by how hard I've found it as I'm still very fit and well, really.

I feel so lazy haha, i work 12 hours (part time shop work) and have been really struggling on my feet with this pregnancy, i'm 15 weeks and considering taking it soonish as to be honest, 12 hours isn't really worth it and i wont be going back anyway i doubt. Totally different if you're full time, you have to weigh it all up, but i'd recommend alittle rest before baby comes as its non stop.

What's with all the funny faces? I'm not going to explode! They look at me like I'm a freak of nature.
My mum worked until her due date for her three pregnancies, if I feel perfectly fine, why shouldn't I do the same thing as well?

I am planning on leaving at 35 weeks, which is in four weeks! Scary! These five weeks will be a mixture of annual and maternity leave. I have decided to have five weeks off because everybody tells me that I won't be able to sleep for a long time once baby is born, and everything is going to change, so might as well try and relax beforehand. I am a bit concerned though, I love my job and my colleagues and I get a lot of self-worth out of my work. I have never had more than two weeks off in one go, so this is going to be interesting. I hope it won't take me too long to adapt to this new situation. Oh yeah, and I am doing a part time Masters so I can carry on writing essays, if the baby lets me...

Leaving next Friday at 37+2 - the last few weeks have been a bit up and down workwise, but surprisingly this week's been pretty good and I've been quite productive. However, I won'tbe sorry to say goodbye to the commute and am hoping for some downtime before the baby appears. I'm concerned about these people who go on ML and then baby arrives the next day. I definitely need some sofa time...

I'm due 12th April and 30th march is my last day in work, I sit on my bum typin all day and have had an amazing trouble free pregnancy so far touch wood

34 weeks, two weeks annual leave so officially start mat leave at 34/40. Work in an active and physical job which involves lot of driving and carrying stuff about so will be pleased to go at 34 weeks! I think you have to do whatever feels right for you. There is no hero badge for working til the head crowns ;)

MeconiumHappens but, it would be hilarious with a room filled with men. One of my colleagues turned to me and said "don't worry, I've birthed cows."

lol, well there you are then. Just scatter some straw around the office and youre good to go!

I knew that I had forgotten something (mental note: buy straw) :o

I am NOT having a complicated free pregnancy and I am planning to work right up to the day that I give birth (hoping to be at home when it starts lol) fingers crossed. Would much rather have as much time as possible with by bundle - can't wait!!!! Wish me luck, I'm going for gold :).

For those of you working really late, aren't you worried about going into labour before you're due to finish work and not having time to do your handover/finish things off? That would really stress me out.

DD was my second and I started working from home from 32 weeks and went officially on maternity leave at 37.2. I went into labour 2 hours after packing the paper work up and taking it to the post office. I actually did my nesting on the pc, furiously clearing up the ledger all day. DD was born 10.40 that night.

I was planning on 37 weeks and finished at 35 weeks last time, as SPD was so bad and though I could technically work from home, my heart wasn't in it. Think there was a few days' leave before mat leave started.
This also meant I returned in August which is always really quiet and I thought would ease me in gently - which it did!

This time I had a whole year's leave to use up so while it's technically 37+3, I actually stopped around 31 weeks, what with all the Christmas holidays and all.

LoveInAColdClimate - yes, panicked about it! That's why I added the extra three days. But unfortunately, planning to go off earlier wouldn't do any good -- I'd need to have gotten pregnant later, instead, as the things I need to finish off are anchored to dates, not my timeline... I've recently found myself thinking that I might actually take less holiday than I planned if I'm not done yet (and no early baby), and am glad that I'm planning holiday ahead of time, because I couldn't delay ML once it went through to HR.