Maternity leave - what did you do?

[elderberryspokes]

Hello Ladies,

I know everyone is different, but I was curious to know what other people have done in my place as I'm struggling to make my mind up and time is running out!

I am 20+3 with DS1, due on 24 July. At the moment I was planning to work until the Friday before, so 19 July.

However, I have 21 days holiday to use before then (I can't carry over). I'm pleased about this but unsure of what is the best use of these 4 weeks. To give a bit of background, we have quite a bit to do in the house. Everything is livable except the nursery, which needs plastering, so it is all superficial stuff ... painting, hanging curtains, replacing a landing carpet that the cats have destroyed, choosing a new kitchen floor - my Dad is a carpenter so we're lucky enough to have someone on hand to help. I enjoy painting and don't mind filling my weekends with this, which is what I've been doing so far.

On a more personal level, I love to write, but have been absolutely knackered lately and have only really been writing on the bus to work, at lunchtime, and any evening that I've still been capable of forming sentences after making dinner. I completed the first draft of a novel before I got my BFP and there is still a lot of work to do - i.e. huge structural changes, sections to be rewritten. I'm planning on going back to work full time after the baby is born but one day I hope to be able to support myself (at least part time) as a writer, so it is very important to me from a career perspective.

My question is, what have other people done with this amount of holiday, and what do you think is the best use of my time in this instance? I have three options:

1. Use the holiday in small increments to finish the house - i.e. a couple of days off here and the odd week for big jobs.

1. Use all the holiday at the end and have a month to myself to try and finish the novel.

1. A mixture of both - two weeks at the end and two weeks for decorating.

Any advice very much appreciated :)

"at the moment I am planning" - English degree clearly wasted on me!

Hello!

Personally, I would get the house sorted first . . . your baby's room will need to be painted a couple of months before their arrival so all fumes have subsided (I think three months is actually suggested). Plus, if you're anything like me, you will want the anxiety of preparing the nursery over as soon as possible. I expect you'll find it easier to relax and concentrate on your writing knowing that the house is sorted. I'm a writer and know how hard it can be to retain focus when there are niggling jobs hanging around!

Best of luck with the baby, novel and DIY!

Can you use your leave to effectively go part time for the last weeks? I did that first time round and it was great cutting down to 4 days a week when I was getting big and uncomfortable.

Hi there - congrats!

We were in the same position house-wise when DS was due in November last year...we planned to get loads done in the weeks before he arrived, but then he turned up early, about a week after I started maternity leave...!

I cannot implore you enough to take the holiday and get the house sorted - chaos is not good with a tiny baby, and I got some weird looks from midwives and health visitors. Good luck!

I would have 2 weeks off before mat leave and use the other 2 weeks to have some long weekends over the next few months so fri and Monday giving you 4 days off (presuming you work mon-fri).

I would book the last couple of weeks as leave in a block to rest & write if you fancy it, and use the other 11 days spread out to give you longer weekends so you can get more done at home.
As far as nursery is concerned, baby will be in with you probably for first 3-6 months so you could leave that until then (you can get those paints with no fumes) although I would get the dirty jobs like plastering done earlier rather than later.
Also, bear in mind that you may well be less mobile towards the end of your pg so better to try to get some jobs done now (curtains etc) rather than leaving them, although you can still do some things after you have the baby, after a while.

With my 1st I went on mat leave at 35 weeks, we had a lot of building work going on & sorting out to do in the house but it was actually quite tiring walking up and downstairs all the time and with a bump in the way small jobs were more difficult.So, I would take 2 weeks at the end and take the other days here and there before then so you can get your house sorted and spend the last 2 weeks writing, relaxing , or whatever you are able to do at that stage.

I think it depends on your line of work too. I'm on my feet virtually all day (grab a sit down when I can but that's not often!).

I've chosen to take 4 weeks annual leave and officially go on mat leave 2 days before my due date (obviously if I drop before I'll tack that leave on to the other end). I'm 33+4 now and have 11 shifts. I am wishing I'd finished a bit earlier now...though I want as long as possible with the baby!

I'd consider having maybe 2 weeks holiday before mat leave and having staggered days off in the weeks running up to that if I were you.