How do I go on mat leave early?!

[weebairn]

Well I have 5 shifts left and am technically finishing on 4 september, but my boyfriend is not keen for me to do them all and I think I probably only have 2 or 3 left in me.

I'm not that late on or anything, 35 weeks now, but my job is on my feet all day and stressful and involves medical emergencies and they've not really given me any concessions except taking me off night shifts. I have asked if I can do something sitting down but they've not really come up with anything, just told me to take more breaks, but the work load is the same, so I can't. I tend to finish late and don't get many breaks. I don't know why I'm saying all this so defensively!

So I think I'm going to work tomorrow and thursday but then I think I should go on maternity leave really. Do I just tell HR? Can they say no? What happens?

How long until your EDD? If you go off sick in the month before that, your mat leave will kick in. Go get yourself signed off.

This is the promise I've made my boss - I'm due to work until 39 weeks, but if I'm not up to it, I've said I'll go off sick after 36 weeks.

Sorry - EDD is 30 September. So will be either 35+3 or 36+1 depending on whether I ask to start mat leave this friday or next wednesday.

I still feel stupidly bad for stopping "so early" even though most people in my job seem a bit stunned I am able to work pregnant at all!

Weebairn just do whatever you can, even if it's call in sick. I'm 36+3 and just arranged to finish on Friday instead of on 4th September and literally cried in thr toilet with relief!

Do you work for the NHS? If you do check your mat leave policy and see when they can make you go. With my trust they can't make me go on mat leave before 36 weeks and due to an irritable uterus I was signed off sick until this date. Maybe take a few days sick if you really can't cope rather than start mat leave early, I know this doesn't sound like I have a good work ethos but with how the NHS treats it's employees at the moment I wouldn't care.

you would have needed to give notice if starting your leave early (8 weeks I think) so either go off sick or take holidays/unpaid leave if you don't want to do the other shifts.

sorry its 28 days for changing start date and 8 weeks for return date

OK - so I just call in sick?
I don't really feel fit to race around the wards any more so I feel ok doing that. I have taken three sick days this pregnancy but other than that I worked my ARSE off, worked extra hours almost every day and also studied 2-3 hours a day unpaid for an exam I recently passed.
But I will try and get through this week. Next week is too much though, I think. I can't really bend in the middle very comfortably and that's no good dealing with sick people!