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?

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

I tend to work up until the day I give birth but I can work anywhere as long as I can get 3G use a phone and I am my own boss

[ilovesmarties]

I worked up to 4pm on the day before their birth with all three mine. Used all my mat leave and annual leave after the birth.Like other said it depends on various things.

[D0nnaO]

I'm starting maternity leave at 38 weeks but taking a 4 week chunk of annual leave before so I'll be 34 weeks when I finish

[KateTheHuman]

I'm planning to finish at 37 weeks but wish I'd already finished. I'm so tired and totally unmotivated with work at 34 weeks.

[Heatherp59]

I'm starting mine on 2nd Dec due 30th Jan.
Purely because I'm suffering with bad psyiatca and I am very tired. Also have lots of friends that has recently had babies around the county so be nice to have some me time and visit them

[BigCatFace]

On my due date (16th February) but going to try and take some annual leave. They're getting my cover in a month before.

We're in a bit of an odd situation as my husband is giving up work when the baby is born. He's going to be a SAHD (hates his job, earns a lot less than me, I love my job and want to carry on working) but because he works nights, he can't work through my leave. It would mean me being awake at night and also during the day while he sleeps, and I have bipolar disorder so it's a recipe for disaster. I'm excited we'll be doing it together but it means financially things are going to be super scarily tight for a few months. I'm saving like buggery though.

All a bit scary this!

[HopeNope]

I took mine at 32 weeks. Best decision I ever made! You will never got those weeks of full blissful night and day rest and sleep. Enjoy all

[Gennz]

I finsihed work on 31 October and my EDD is 1 December, so I was just under 36 weeks. I'm booked for an ELCS on 24 November though, so I knew exactly how long I'd have before the baby arrived. The first week or two was great, I was able to go swimming and was a lot less achey just from not being stuck at a desk all day. The last week has been utter hell, I'm so heavy and retaining water and have terrible sciatica, I have no idea how people work right up to their due date!!

[Greengrow]

Day I went into labour in each case and for the first 3 children back using annual leave only after 2 weeks, 2 weeks also with the second although I did half days in week 3, and 5 weeks with the third as it was summer holidays too. With the twins I worked for myself so was taking business calls the day after they were born. It works well this way as children get used to their nanny/nursery quickly and you don't lose so much money and it gives you a break. I expressed breast milk at work.

I do think if you're fit working until you go into labour works very well as you don't use up leave when there's no baby around.

[MrsPear]

I planned to leave at 39 weeks as i felt great. However at 29 plus 5 i was at worked and started getting pain. Thought nothing of it tbh. Finished work as normal without complaint and went to a friends. Ended up visiting local hospital and was told i was 5cm. So i had to ring work next day and say i wasn't coming due to onset of labour!

The thing is you could book to leave at 37 weeks and be stuck for five weeks which is five weeks off being with baby. I had a sit down job with a little walking about and a small commute (less than an hour door to door) so i could have managed it. Depends on circs and your health

[Mrscog]

Also completely depends on your annual leave year. The way mine worked was that I had to take all 6 weeks before the baby or I would have lost 4 weeks annual leave (I wanted to take full year maternity and couldn't carry more than 2 weeks over). If you're in a position where some of your AL can be used at the end of ML then I can see why that's a huge benefit to top up the final last few weeks of pay.

[mmgirish]

I started mine on the morning I gave birth (both times). I only had 6 weeks off.

[Spindelina]

I worked until 36 weeks, took 4 weeks AL (v generous allowance but had to be planned to be used before ML), went on ML two days before my due date. DD arrived at 40+12. I got a lot done around the house, and watched the Tour de France!

[spring14]

I've just started my maternity leave at 36 weeks and have 4 weeks to go till my due date. As a music teacher my job is pretty full on, especially leading up to Christmas! I've definitely made the right decision as I was finding my brain was struggling and I was getting shattered. I have deliberately left sorting stuff out until now so I'll have plenty to do. It's also good to focus some time on my 2 teenagers before no.3 arrives. Am concerned about maternity pay afterwards but felt it was a better priority to be rested and prepared before the birth and worry about the return to work later! Good luck!

[girliefriend]

If you are well I reckon about 4 weeks before your due date, you have to remember that theoretically you can go into labour anytime from 37 weeks.

I wish I had gone on maternity leave sooner as dd was 3 weeks early and I was in hospital for a week before that so basically had no time before dd was born and when she was born had nothing ready or organised!!

[fifi39]

I finished at 36 weeks. Took two weeks annual leave before my maternity leave. For me it was bliss- watching rubbish TV, relaxing, spending time with my Mum etc. It would be hell for some people though if you like to be up and about keeping busy.

[Pumpkinnose]

Finishing work at 36 weeks. Taking 4 weeks' annual leave and so am starting maternity leave on due date or earlier if baby comes first. Have a very stressful job with long commute in London. Last pregnancy experienced complications from 36 weeks onwards. Fortunate I can afford to take a full year off. Most people I know do finish at 36/7 weeks but most share stressful busy jobs.

[Stillwishihadabs]

With ds (dc1) finished at 33 weeks (junior doctor doing 13 hour shifts). I was not remotely bored, as others have said, coffees,shopping, lunches out, day time naps ,swimming, yoga, nct what's not to love ?

With dd (dc2) I went at 32 weeks it was August (she is October born). Mainly due to child care issues, but it was bliss long lazy summer days, going to the park and the paddling pool with ds, picnics with friends, then settled him into nursery in September in advance of dd making her appearance. Was tough at the other end though I only got 6 months paid (7 with holiday) and had to go back when she was not quite 5 months. Wouldn't change it though.

[babyblabber]

I can't believe how much time people take off before the birth reading this thread! Time to yourself is lovely & it's defo not easy working at the end but would you not rather push on and then have an extra month/two with the baby?!!

I'm in Ireland and no one I know has finished earlier than 38 weeks unless there was a medical reason. It's just standard, although our maternity leave entitlements arent quite as good as UK. I'm self employed though and finished at 39 weeks first time, went 2 weeks over and was so frustrating just waiting! Those 3 weeks were like 3 months!

Had an elective section with DD on a Tuesday & finished on the Friday before so technically only took one day off. Had been organizing bits every weekend and on my one day off had a massage, got last bits and got blackout blinds fitted. Was perfect, no hanging around!

[Stillwishihadabs]

Well baby blabber I took a year with ds so he was 10 months when I went back, with dd I went bAck just 2 days a week so still had time with her. But those magical weeks with ds before dd was born I wouldn't trade them.

[Mrscog]

babyblabber as I said up thread depending on where you are in an annual leave year means you might get quite a lot of time to 'use or lose'. It was 6 weeks for me the first time around. This time (currently gp with DC2) it's 4 weeks to use or lose. Only works like that if you're planning on taking a year though.

[Gennz]

I had annual leave to use as well so my mat leave actually started on 20 November, with ELCS scheduled for 24 NOvember.

Plus it was GREAT having time to myself with no baby, I don't regret "losing time" with the baby at the other end - I have a very full on job (sole lawyer for a reasonably sizeable company) & the way I see it I will never have time off to muck around by myself ever again.

[Gennz]

I was very bored in the first week off work, as I started winding down, but as I've got more huge/tired/achey I just find myself doing one or two tasks a day and reading the Mail Online-

[WantToGoingTo]

The norm where I am is about 34 weeks. I think I am going to go at 35 weeks, but most of that will be annual leave, with actual mat leave starting at 38 weeks.

My Mum, who is an ob-gyn, says that back in the day any woman who wanted to work beyond 34 weeks had to have a doctor's fit note because it was deemed to be risky and not the norm! I think people work much later now due to financial reasons.

I have just under an hour's drive to work, so will see how I feel nearer the time, but I will have approx 4 weeks annual leave to take which I have to take before mat leave or I lose it, so likely to go around 34/35 weeks. My mat pay is good though - 8 weeks full, 18 weeks half, 13 weeks stat only, 13 weeks unpaid; it depends a lot on that I think, and health, commute etc and the nature of your work.

[cluttercluttereverywhere]

Hmmm. I started my leave at 37+1 when I went in for a scan in my lunch break (and I had a big meeting to go to at 3pm) & they wouldn't let me leave... DC was born the next morning by CS. I still feel bad about the state of my desk...