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 worked until 37 weeks exactly, I felt so much better physically once I stopped (I had a straightforward pregnancy but was tired and achey by this point)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time to myself before baby arrived (at 40+10 in the end!) - I felt it was great to have closure on my work and to prepare everything for baby (batch cook - you won't regret it!)

First time round my mat leave officially started on my due date and I had annual leave for the 2 weeks before. Was glad to leave by the end as I was struggling physically and emotionally. Went overdue by 11 days so still had a load of time off.

This time round I'm using annual leave from 34 weeks and counting down the days with maternity leave starting at 38 but I'm booked on for elcs at 39 weeks.

I'm starting next week at 34 weeks. It feels very self up indulgent to me but I'm exhausted. I have a long commute down dark country lanes and, although mentally and intellectual tally I'm fine, physically I struggle. If I could work from home I would though.

All this to say that, other than the law, there is no rule: listen to your body

I wanted to work up to due date, but everyone talked me out of it - wish I'd stuck to my guns. I was so bored! Just sat at home twiddling my thumbs, feeling like a whale. He went overdue by 1 week as well, so 3 weeks of doing nowt.

Having said that I have an office job where I sit on my bottom all day, and have a very easy commute.

My Mat leave is starting at 37 weeks, I'm due to be induced by 38 due to a health condition. The way my annual leave works though means that I need to take that before Mat leave so will actually finish work at 33 weeks.

I have to be on my feet a lot at work and long days, can't work from home. I planned to work till 35 weeks but I also expected my boss to accommodate my needs better ( in line with the law!) . Unfortunately it was getting increasingly exhausting and uncomfortable for me and the complete lack of support made it very stressful. I've now been signed off sick at 32 weeks. Their loss as v inconvenient ! But also my loss as not eligible for company sick pay.

I'm finishing on Xmas eve when I'll be 35 weeks. I'm using annual leave though and therefore my actual mat leave doesn't start until I'll be 38+5. I've slept rubbish since being pregnant so am well really for the break. People have said you get bored, but as long as the weather is alright I'm planning on getting out and seeing family and friends a lot. If it snows and I'm stuck in I might well be bored, but I can't really see that I'd wish to be back at work!! Plus I also would have lost my leave if I hadn't of used it!

DS was due March 6th, so I started ML on March 5th. However I had 6 weeks annual leave to use first so I finished work on Jan 20th!!!

It was amazing, 6 weeks on full pay no 2 hours per day commuting, doing hobbies, reading books, coffee shops, light sorting/tidying. Daytime naps. It was the best 6 weeks of my life!!

My maternity leave officially starts on the 5th Jan - I'm due on the 12th. However, I'm using annual leave from the 21st Dec so will be off work from 37 weeks. I don't think I'll be bored though because of it being over Christmas and New Year.

Depends on what your job is, if you develop any complications, and how your pregnancy goes. I really struggled at uni in wk 36 - we had to be there all day everyday and I ust didnt get anything like as much done. After that I only had 2 classes, and an oral exam in wk 38. I just lay on the sofa at home reading.

You can be considered term at 37 weeks. First babies often come after the due date, but not all.

If I was in your shoes I would say start at 37 weeks, but be open minded.

I really can't believe how many people get bored! How is free time to yourself boring??!

This time I am working until 38w, starting actual maternity leave from 39w

Last time I did it all a bit earlier (finished at 37w, maternity leave from 38w and baby was 9d late!)

Must admit I am struggling now - currently 32w. So 6 weeks to go!

Eek , I'm looking like the laziest person here!

I took 5 weeks annual leave and started mat leave a week before due date. I had spd and anaemia and would have been signed off if I needed to work longer.

Will work from home from 32 weeks and start leave at 38
weeks. 30 wks now and working at home just sounds like such a holiday - can't wait.

Another one in the SPD category, I have been off since 26 weeks, and although I found the first week a little boring I have quickly settled into a routine and am quite enjoying my time off; spending time with my family and crocheting projects ect. I think you do need a hobby though!

Given that I would prefer to be at work, I had originally planned to go at 36 weeks but as others have said some things are just out of your control!

I left at 38 weeks but wish I'd gone longer as it was boring and DS went overdue by days so I wasted the time being off.

Best advice I read on here when planning (currently 34 weeks with 1st baby) was to plan on the side of going later but keep open minded about leaving earlier. It's likely if you are struggling that your work will agree to you going earlier (they can't say no really if they have a half decent HR department) however if you plan to go quite early and they've planned for you to be off they are unlikely to let you push it back if it turns out you feel fine.

I had originally planned to start mat leave at 37 weeks but really started struggling at 30 weeks and ended up starting my leave at 32 weeks. Work were absolutely fine about me bringing it forward and I really don't regret it. Sitting in an office chair all day was making my rib pain unbearable, I'm knackered, I don't have one major symptom I'm just finding pregnancy hard and sometimes that's OK. You don't have to be a hero and resting is giving me so much more time to enjoy the kicks, prepare my lists of things to be done before baby arrives and knit up some cute little outfits!

one thing to add - how is your company maternity leave calculated? Mine is based on base salary or base salary plus bonus payments, whichever is higher. The comparison is between two different points in the year. It's quite complicated but i picked my original starting mat leave date as the most beneficial date financially. Its not now worked out that I'll get that (started leave early) but basing your leave on the best financial result might be worth it since it's just a case of 'finger in the air' at the moment anyway! Also give considerations to how your holiday/bank holidays accrues and if there is a good date from that point of view.

I started five days before the due date because I only got 12 weeks due to being in the US. Here it is the norm to work till very close to your due date or even keep working till you go into labour. I could have carried on a bit longer part time if necessary. DS was two weeks late so it might have been a good idea. I have no idea what I would have done with all that time if I'd had six weeks off beforehand as some people seem to do.

With DS1 I finished on a Friday and he was born a week on the Saturday so I just had 1 week off. With DS2 I was still working as he was 10 days early.

Depends on lots of factors- your type of work, commute, having to take work home or not , family nearby or not, money , how long you will be off for in total etc.... I took 3 weeks off as am usually on my feet all day. I enjoyed a lot of pottering and having an after lunch nap! My dd1 was only a day late so no getting annoyed by lack of arrival!

I found finishing somewhere between 36-38 weeks is about right, depending on how tired you feel. I used annual leave both times, to start ML as close to EDD as possible to have more time off afterwards...

I was planning on going on maternity leave at 39 weeks but by 38 I'd had enough as I was just so hot all the time, so took a week of annual leave first. I had a really short commute though which helped a lot.