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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

What date do you plan to finish work

24 replies

Newlywed56 · 02/12/2014 23:12

I'm 17 weeks pregnant with our first baby and need to begin to think about my estimated maternity leave date and was wondering how many weeks most people aim to finish at?

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Pandapickle100 · 03/12/2014 05:56

Hi, I'm 36 weeks this Friday and it's my last day, but I've worked from home for most of the last week. If you have any annual leave you could use this too before you go off? Most ladies in my NCT are finishing around 36 weeks like me.... Dragging yourself into an office gets very hard! It's personal choice though, and probably greatly depends on how much time off you can take in total? If not the full year, then I'd work as late as you can...

browneyedgirly · 03/12/2014 06:20

Hi, congratulations! I'm currently 24 weeks and plan to start my mayernity leave the Friday before my DD (a Tuesdsy) but have 22 days leave to take before I go or I lose it, so I'll be finishing work about 35 weeks and I can't blooming wait!! As previous poster said though, so much is down to personal choice, how you're feeling and your financial situation.

Monstamio · 03/12/2014 06:25

I'm finishing on Friday at 36+5 and am soooo ready to go. I originally planned to work two weeks longer than this but brought it forward when I realised that I was being a total loon!

Cric · 03/12/2014 06:48

I worked until 38 weeks and then had a week holiday so started mat leave at 39 weeks. Everyone told me that I wouldn't be able to work that long but it was fine. However everyone has a different experience of pregnancy and even within my friendship group we would all tell you different things about how late we could have worked.

purplemurple1 · 03/12/2014 07:19

With my first I worked until 39 weeks when I went into labour. But I stopped travelling long distances at 37 weeks.
This time I'm stopping travel at 35 week's and again working until I go into labour.

My last week's I'm mostly working from home in a desk job.

tuffgingernut · 03/12/2014 07:59

finishing work in 3 weeks and 6 days! I'll be 35 weeks. I'm taking holidays up to my due date, then my mat leave will kick in. It's a totally individual choice, some people sail through the final trimester others don't. Personally my hips are killing me and being chained to a desk for 8.5 hours a day is too much.

mrshjb · 03/12/2014 08:16

I'm 32 weeks today and am finishing work at 35 weeks. I have quite a lot of leave though and there are Christmas bank holidays in the middle so my official maternity leave doesn't start until I'm 38+5. I've been working from home quite a lot for the last few weeks though because I find a lot of the time I really don't have the energy to get up and get ready to go to work. I'm also finding it hard to be sat at a desk for a lot of the day.

Each to their own though and there was a woman in my yoga class who finished about 2 days before her due date and she was absolutely fine :)

Good luck!

bellaboo88 · 03/12/2014 08:30

32 weeks...I'm in a job that requires me to run around on really busy days & lots of hazards...I'd of maybe gone 2weeks later if my job wasn't so crazy but it means I'm off for crimbo ?

LittleRedRidingHoodie · 03/12/2014 08:33

I aimed to finish at 38 weeks. I ended up being signed off at 30 with severe rib pain. It doesn't matter when you originally say you're going off as you can always change your mind.

CleaninQueen · 03/12/2014 08:59

I'm planning on going on maternity leave when I'm 39 weeks pregnant

dayspringjubilee · 03/12/2014 09:32

I'm planning to finish at Christmas, when I'll be 36+4 - but because of all the public holidays, my actual maternity leave doesn't start until 5 January. Woohoo! I am currently 33+5 and getting a lot of pitying looks and comments on the street as I waddle up the hill to work. I'm huge and can't wait to sit on the couch all day, getting up to go to the kitchen for "exercise" between movies! Just have to hope Flipper doesn't come before I get a chance to rest up.

HazleNutt · 03/12/2014 09:36

I was working until due date, and then from home until actual birth (week over). Planning the same with this one, but I had an easy pregnancy and a short commute. So it really depends on your work and how you feel.

Original poster

Newlywed56 · 03/12/2014 09:42

I had originally thought 39 weeks too but since my husband telling me he thinks I'm crazy (in the nicest way ??) and hearing from other people i think I will change it to around 35 weeks or so. Have had a difficult enough pregnancy so far and am already having to work from home at least 2 days a week I think it will probably make more sense!
I can take up to a year off so I hope overall I shouldnt regret the few weeks for myself too much!! ??

OP posts:

Emilyrose1290 · 03/12/2014 09:50

I would say it depends what job you do. If you do a physical job then working that late may not be possible.

Zahrah5 · 03/12/2014 10:04

Just a questions

if you are starting at 35 weeks or so, do you generally start talking your maternity leave at that time, meaning does it go from the paid time your employer provides (we have 6 months). So if I start at 35 weeks I will get only 4 months and some weeks after the baby is born?

Sorry, I am new to this.

ToriB34 · 03/12/2014 10:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

browneyedgirly · 03/12/2014 10:29

Your mat leave and therefore mat pay starts on whatever date you agree OR the day you give birth if that happens early! In my case I'm starting mat leave on 16th March, but my last working day will be 11th Feb (I'm taking 12th Feb-16th Mar as annual leave which doesn't affect the mat leave). I'm planning on taking the full year so will be back at work on 15th March 2016. Well that's the plan anyway

That'd my understanding. Happy to be corrected by anyone if that's wrong.

Pisghetti · 03/12/2014 10:44

Yup I think that's right brown. I was going to start my mat leave on my due date and use annual leave before and after mat leave to bring me up to the start of next year for my return to work until someone pointed out that if I gave birth a little early my mat leave would kick in and I might lose the holiday time. So I've adjusted the split (it makes no difference to the dates) so mat leave starts at 39 weeks and I'll finish at 36+3 using annual leave. I've been quite lucky with the way my dates have fallen to be able to use holiday in that way. If I didn't have that, I'd work as late as possible to ensure more time off after the birth. As it is I'm hopeful I'll still be pretty mobile and able to enjoy the time off and time to myself before baby comes along.

Mammanat222 · 03/12/2014 11:06

Worked until 37w with DS, then had 2 weeks leave so ML started from 39w (he was born 9 days late)

This time I am working until 38w - very ambitious but the last few weeks will be short weeks as they fall over festive period - then have a little leave tacked on so ML will start from 39w again.

Trying to keep as much ML for after baby arrives!

Eminybob · 03/12/2014 11:09

My mat leave started the day before my due date but I took 4 weeks holiday before so finished at 36 weeks. DS came 2 weeks early so I now have those 2 weeks back to add on to the end

Mammanat222 · 03/12/2014 11:09

You are correct Brown, if you actually give birth before your agreed ML start date then ML begins immediately from day baby is born. You may or may not lose your leave though?? Depends on your co. I know my co. would have paid me for my annual leave had I had baby before 39w.

montymonty · 03/12/2014 11:39

I'll be finishing at 37 weeks. Which is in 12 working days. I am so excited because to be honest, I'm feeling fairly knackered. The commute and days sitting spent sitting at a desk are really getting to me!

RetroHippy · 03/12/2014 18:18

I'm finishing at 35 weeks when Christmas hols begin. Mat leave officially starts at 37 weeks on 1st Jan, but if I didn't have holiday I'd want to be finishing at 35 anyway.

As a full time teacher it's pretty hard going, but if I was in a job where I could use holiday to work short weeks for a bit I might make it to 37.

Fermin · 03/12/2014 22:40

Currently 35 weeks and maternity leave starts at 39+6. I have a few days holiday remaining and our office is closed from Dec 24th - 5th Jan so will actually be stopping work at 37+3. Hopefully will make it that far. This is DC2 and he feels very engaged right now. My commute from Home Counties to Central London is becoming quite painful!

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