When to start your maternity leave?

[greenlizard]

I am 23 weeks and my boss has asked me when I am intending to start my maternity leave and I have no idea! At the moment I feel great but as it this is my first how do I know what I will feel like? My due date is 20 March 2015 and I was thinking maybe the end of February.

Does that sound reasonable? What did you do/wished you had done?

I think the norm is around 3 weeks before your due date, assuming you're having a normal pregnancy. Or certainly it's the norm amongst my friends and colleagues.

I'm due on 7th March, having a section on 2nd March and starting my maternity leave on 2nd March. I'm taking a weeks annual leave before that.

I'm not sure if this is the same everywhere, but my work need to know 15 weeks before baby's due date, so at 25 weeks.

I live less than 5 minutes from my office and could work from home a few days towards the end though, so I think I can work so late on.

My due date is 16th March and I intend to start my maternity leave a week earlier with an additional 2.5 weeks of holiday leave before that. Don't forget you accrue holiday leave while on maternity leave. My company have a use it or lose it policy so I need to use my 2015 entitlement before the end of December 2015. The remainder of my holiday leave will be used at the end of maternity leave to take me up to the end of the year.

My EDD is 21st March but c section is 16th March and I start maternity leave on Sunday 22nd February 2015 - and will be on a weekend break at butlins with family and friends!

I worked until 38+2 and was glad I did, DD was 13 days late and I was bored. V short commute tho and DH works nearby so used to drive me quite a lot when I was tired.

I took 3 weeks annual leave and then one week of mat leave so 4 weeks before EDD. However, I'm now coming to the end of my 5th week off work; bean is 2 days overdue and no signs of turning up anytime soon!

However, (very surprisingly for me) I haven't been at all bored - I found a routine off doing things in the morning; having lunch; and then having a nap for a couple of hours has worked really well for me. I didn't realise how much I'd need to wind down from work (it was fairly hectic right up until I finished) and also didn't realise how LONG it takes to do everything now!!! You really don't have to have very much on your "to do list" before you find it's lunchtime

Enjoy it!

I started my 2 weeks before my due date, big mistake - I was SOOOO bored. Beforehand I thought it'd be lovely, I could read, take walks, watch telly... pfff. Not so. Because it's not a holiday, it's you waiting for something to happen, and it not happening. Maddening!

Finished maternity leave on the Friday, was booked in for induction (@39 weeks) on the Monday so I only had the weekend off beforehand.

Was fine, I didn't want lots of time off, I only had a short maternity leave.

I'm working til almost 39 weeks this time. I left two weeks before my due date last time and was a bit bored - I'd rather have the time with the baby.

I plan to go one week before -15th February will be my last day and I'm due on the 21st. I'm a teacher and we have a long weekend then so it'll be a natural point to change teacher. Lots of folk have been asking if I'll be back after Christmas but a month and a half seems too long!

I think it depends on lots of factors.
money. ie do you want to make the most of time with baby if maternity pay rubbish and you need to go back when no more money.
commute. if it's long and painful (mine was 1h30 min each way) then that gets v tiring
health. some folk are brimming with energy til the end, other have SPD and can barely walk by 30 weeks.
stuff to do. do you have lots you need to do during mat leave? We moved house at 35 weeks so I needed time to put up blinds, assemble cot, etc etc. unpack boxes. if you're v organised you may find it quiet.
friends. do you have other friends around with whom you could have a coffee or a walk?

most people that I know seem to go on mat leave at 37 weeks and that seems OK. bear in mind you can always go early, but if you've told work you're leaving at 37 weeks I don't think you can push it back to 39.

It depends on your job I guess .
Mine is super physical swimming 14 hrs a weekas a swim teacher ! I am going on maternity leave at 34 weeks when we break up for christmas, which is better than half way through a term .
If I remember rightly you have to tell your employer by week 25 or 26 when your going on maternity leave .

I'm finishing at 32 weeks, I'm going to enjoy Xmas with family & chill Jan/feb until baby arrives. My work aren't good with risk assessment so I'm better out of there! X

I'm due on feb 14th and leaving work on jan 15th. I'm a teacher.

I'm due 26th Feb starting mat leave 7th Feb. You have to have informed your employer of your pregnancy by 25wks but you only need to give 4wks notice of your intended date to start maternity. Everybody's situation is different I suppose it depends on the type of job you do how many hours you do & how long your commute is.

I'm due 8th April and finishing in mid Feb at 33 weeks. I'm using my annual leave up until 38 weeks when I'll be induced and start mat leave. I'm also doing 4 day weeks after Christmas. I work away Mon-Fri so want some time at home to sort everything out before baby is born and we also want to squeeze in a last holiday just the two of us as well.

EDD is Feb 12th and I'll be starting my maternity leave on the 12th but taking annual leave from 2nd Feb - so 10 days before he's due.

I commute 90mins each way but am lucky enough that DH works just down the road so we commute in together. I suppose I should add that I work at a medical school and my line manager is one of the obstetric consultants from the adjoining teaching hospital so I am in good hands where I am

Same as bella, I've not been fortunate with work so I'm going at Christmas; though I'm not due till early Feb. We did expect me to have problems in later pregnancy though, so have savings :)

Hello I'm new to forums. I'm due 12 Feb although will probably have elcs so that'll be in 39th week. I'm stopping work 19th dec and have enough hol so my maternity leave doesn't start til 12 Jan. I'm sick of my workplace though so don't mind being at home for so long plus got dd to look after and long list of of stuff I need to do before baby no 2 arrives!

I'm due boxing day and was planning to work right up to week 39/40. However HG came back with a vengeance at week 25 and I'm now struggling to even work from home. Best laid plans and all that...

I finished at 36 weeks and am using a month of holidays before mat leave starts. I could probably have worked another week but it's hard to know in advance how you'll feel plus we moved house at 36 weeks so I've had that to keep me busy. Now 38 weeks and a bit bored but still able to keep pretty active.

I worked until my waters broke (38+6) but stopped long distance work travel at 37 week's and worked from home or the office (which happens to be next door to the hospital).
I'm planning to do the same this time although my last long journey will be at 34 week's as I've planned better!

I took 4 weeks and it's a bit too long I think. Since I have been off it's been decided I'll have an ELCS. When I booked my mat leave it was likely I'd be induced a week early hence the earlier start. Depends if you've had a good pregnancy and on your commute.

I planned to finish at 38 weeks but had to go into hospital the day before my last day (and leaving do!) due to some concerning symptoms. I was induced about 5 days later, so I barely had any mat leave prior to baby arriving!

I really wished I'd had more - the 2 weeks I was hoping for would have been lovely. But that's life!