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

Leaving work from 36 weeks...

29 replies

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 21:06

Tell me it'll be OK! I've just spent ages thinking about how best to use my annual leave and maternity leave and have committed to dates on my forms. I've decided to use up my 3.5 weeks remaining annual leave and set my maternity leave to start on my EDD, which hopefully means as much time with the baby as possible!

I've felt great so far (only at 25 weeks so I know it can change) but having not been pregnant before, I have no idea of what my capabilities will be! However, I only work part time, 5-10minute bus ride from home + a little walking and although my job can be active, I tend to work in a pair so can get a colleague to do the bending/sitting on floor playing with kids.

I don't think it'll be that bad. But other people are putting me off. : (

Please tell me how well you all coped working right up until your due dates and that 3.5 weeks is more than enough!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

blondieminx · 30/07/2012 21:18

Hmm I finished at almost 36 weeks and for me that was right, if I hadn't had the commute as well I might have managed another week or two at work... And baby was nearly a week overdue anyway!

Enjoy the last few weeks, potter about gently, stock your freezer up, pop to places carrying only a small handbag etc... Try to do things for you eg have a pedicure/massage! Enjoy

Original poster

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 21:35

Thank you blondieminx! That's reassured me. : ) It's just when I mentioned to someone today about leaving at 36 weeks she looked at me like I was mental!

OP posts:

Cheekychops84 · 30/07/2012 21:40

I finished at 35 weeks and am now 2 days overdue! I'm only just starting to feel fed up but think thats due to now not being able to do a lot now and having the kids home for summer! But at the time it was a nice time to stop!

HeyMicky · 30/07/2012 21:45

I'm working till 36 + 4, although after this week (31) only 4 days a week. What on earth am I going to do at home for longer thn that? You'll be fine

ArthurandGeorge · 30/07/2012 21:47

I worked til 36 weeks with ds and that felt fine (though I was in mental wind down mode from 32weeks tbh). Depends massively on your job I think.

BoysBoysBoysAndMe · 30/07/2012 21:48

With ds1 I worked until 36 weeks and at the time I worked ft and walked to work and back everyday which was just over a mile each way!

If you're used to it, I don't think you'll find it a problem. And if you do struggle I'm sure work have to accommodate.

Good luck!!

Uglymush · 30/07/2012 21:54

I worked until 12 days before EDD. I was then due to have holidays and, like you, start mat leave from EDD. I must admit, I had a great boss and when in the last week at work I was getting very tired he did allow me to come in for meetings only (although due to the nature of the work I was doing this was a lot of meetings!!) DS was born on the Sunday after I finished on the Friday, 10 days early, so very happy no time wasted at all
Good luck

TheSurgeonsMate · 30/07/2012 21:54

It's hardly bravado to plan to work until 36 weeks! I felt I had to stop around then as my work is difficult to pass on, but physically I could have gone longer. I spent much of late pregnancy wondering when it got really bad. I needn't have wasted my worry.

Original poster

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 22:01

Ahh thank you everyone! Seems like 36 weeks is a normal and sensible time to go off! Feel better about my decision now and looking forward to spending as much time as I can with baby! : )

Of course I'll probably be two weeks overdue and wonder why I ever worried...

OP posts:

MacMac123 · 30/07/2012 22:02

I stopped work at 39 weeks and went into labour that night. People are such fuss pots. You're not ill, you're pregnant. Fine, if your job involves lifting bales of hay then I can understand the 'horror' but it's my belief people love an excuse to get out of work and to 'suffer' during pregnancy.
Drives me mad.
But then I run my own business and employ people so I can't just bail out at 36 weeks anyway!

laracroft2001 · 30/07/2012 22:03

3.5 weeks plenty if you have a problem free pregnancy. My job involves long hours and being on my feet all day and I worked right up til 4 days before EDD (and actual birth as he came on due date)

If it came to it and you had to leave earlier you could

Original poster

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 22:03

Boys, I'm also walking a mile to and from work at the moment, but there is a bus that gets me there if I do find I struggle. However it's nice to hear you managed it until the end and motivating me to keep it up as long as I can. : )

OP posts:

Original poster

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 22:08

I don't quite get the horror either Mac. My mum keeps telling me off for legging it up the stairs. Apparently I'm meant to slow down! I can't be slow!

My job can be active but as I mentioned, I work in a pair so can arrange tasks accordingly. I'd swap any risky patients too to avoid any dodgy scenarios.

OP posts:

ChuckDick · 30/07/2012 22:17

I finished at 34 weeks, okay I got a bit bored but with hindsight I wouldn't change anything as I would give my right arm to have a day to myself let alone 6 weeks! It doesn't mean sitting at home either, go walking/swimming/shopping and enjoy some you time. You'll never get it again!

xlatia · 30/07/2012 22:17

I worked until 37 weeks (office job). I was plenty fed up with work by the time I left but ended up being 2 weeks overdue and massively annoyed that I didn't stay longer.

Good luck!

glittershoes · 30/07/2012 22:23

You will be fine mcsquared - I am 38 weeks and finished on Friday and to be honest, I could have probably done another week fairly easily and I was working full time with a half hour commute each way.

I am glad I have finished as it is nice to have some time just for me and to sleep in and potter about but as someone upthread said, we are pregnant not ill!

Good luck x

debdee · 30/07/2012 22:38

Agreed if you're feeling fine to carry on working, go with it! :). Don't let anyone put you off! I know people with less active jobs that have kept going right to the end of their pregnancies. Kind of resent the comment about people putting it on to get out of work & liking to suffer. Can tell you being a waitress on feet all day with spd & a ridiculously low iron count is not very nice! & I don't enjoy suffering. Some people react well to pregnancy & some don't, same with birth, which to me is easy & would do that part over and over compared to pregnancy!

Rockchick1984 · 30/07/2012 23:03

Just check with your work that they are happy for you to tag unused holiday onto the end of your maternity leave just in case - you have to start mat leave at the latest by the day DC is born, so if your actual mat leave only begins on your EDD and you give birth before that you may lose the holidays :)

Original poster

mcsquared · 30/07/2012 23:32

Ahh thank you Rockchick, definitely worth bearing that in mind. Will check with HR but line manager seemed to think I get any unused holiday back if baby does come early. Although he's generally a bit clueless so I won't take his word for it!

OP posts:

squidkid · 31/07/2012 07:02

I also think the comment about people making excuses to get out of work is a bit unhelpful and mean. Anyway, I've just finished work at 32 weeks - was supposed to be starting a new job as doctors all rotate in August and I couldn't face the new hospital, making new friends/colleagues, not knowing anyone at work - I work on my feet, it can be quite physical (lifting patients, medical emergencies, cardiac arrests, etc), it's certainly unpredictable, I regularly wasn't getting lunch let alone a break through the day, I routinely finished up to two hours late, and it took a huge amount of stress and I had to involve my union for them to reduce my hours to 40/week (which worked out more like 50 some weeks anyway) and take me off night shifts (which are 13 hours usually without a break). Then everyone treated me like a part-timer for only working 40 hours/week. I'm exhausted.

I have no intention of doing nothing for 8 weeks though! I am visiting all my friends all over the country, sorting out stuff for baby (hadn't started that yet), exercising every day, painting, hiking, resting, reading, going out for meals/plays/gigs/to festivals... it's not only the physical aspects of jobs, it can just be the stress and responsibility as well that exhausts people. Most teachers I know finished around the same time I have.

Having said that I see no reason at all why you shouldn't work till 36 weeks which I thought was about standard. I would have tried to keep on till 36 if I hadn't been changing jobs/hospitals.

HappyAsASandboy · 31/07/2012 07:33

I you're pregnancy continues to run smoothly you'll be fine. I worked untill just over 36 weeks, and I had a 2 hours each way commute into London and was carrying twins! If it all goes smoothly, you really can do as much as you feel able to do :)

Having said that, some people feel more tired, or get raised blood pressure, or have a hormone overload and cry lots, or any number of other normal pregnancy issues. If you're one of them, leave earlier and don't sweat about it. We all handle different things differently, and late pregnancy is certainly not the time for struggling on with work if you don't feel up to it.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, and good luck!

Goldrill · 31/07/2012 12:10

I have a fairly strenuous outdoor job which I was lucky enough to be able to continue doing until a few days before EDD last time, and I have every intention of carrying on until I actually go into labour this time as I will otherwise only sit at home and stress about stuff!

These threads are really interesting and useful, but as Happy said, it depends on soo many factors - your job and your health, how you view work/life balance, all that kind of stuff, that I think there are no wrong decisions.

And also it's not a competition! I know I am extremely lucky to have had such easy pregnancies, and while my job may be physically hard some times, I am under no pressure from my bosses to get it done and if I went on ML tomorrow they would be fine. I work mostly when I choose and as hard as I feel like. If I were in squidkid's position I would have bailed out as early as possible - there are different kinds of hard work and pressure and I couldn't deal with that at all.

Do what you think is right and don't worry about anyone else!

cakeladyc · 31/07/2012 15:39

I'm finishing at 36 weeks, in 2.5 weeks weeks time, and it can't come soon enough! I'm physically not doing too bad, but have physio tomorrow, but mentally i am drained! I've passed on most of my work to my maternity cover as well so really i'm just at work twiddling my thumbs...

GingerDoodle · 31/07/2012 15:43

That's roughly want I'm doing.

whatsoever · 31/07/2012 15:50

I'm finishing the same time as you (2 weeks annual leave and then 1 and a bit weeks mat leave before my due date) and I think it will be about right. I have a desk job and work have given me a parking place at the office due to meralgia parasthetica but if I was commuting on a train/bus/walking a distance I might go a week earlier, as I am bloody knackered already (currently 31 weeks).

I know a lot of people say "it's pregnancy not illness" but if non-pregnant people were exhausted, weren't sleeping at nighadn't through discomfort, had trapped nerves in their legs, reflux, headaches etc (that's just me, lots of women have it far worse!) they wouldn't be saying "I'm the picture of health!"

Flip

1 2