When did you/are you taking maternity leave?

[Penguinandminipenguin]

I'm due 31st July, so I wanted to go at the end of June ideally. However, I've been signed off for 3 months now with sickness and anaemia (having hospital treatment for this). My sick pay has now run out, and I'm being moved to SSP. Really can't afford to live off SSP, so thinking of taking ML from 1st June.

I'll be 31 weeks then, and it'll be pretty much 2 months before EDD which seems SOOO soon. However, I'm really struggling and don't think I'd manage going back to work for 4/5 weeks until the end of June, so just wondered when others are taking theirs?

Afaik mat leave starts automatically if you are off sick.

Hi i'm 33 weeks pregnant with twins. I was hoping to work up until the end of April i had 3 weeks holiday and was going to start maternity leave when they ran out however due to SPD and a whopping weight gain of 2 stone (lol) i had to finish middle of April when i was 28 weeks. I just couldn't cope with work anymore 5 days on my feet constantly was hard work i also had 2 weeks off before starting the annual leave due to anaemia!

SSP is shit! Do what is easiest for you

I'm finishing work at 33 & half weeks, which is on 3 June. However taking rest of June as annual leave then starting my maternity on 1 July. Due on 19 July!

Only 19 weeks so a long way yet but I plan to go off at start of sept when ill be 35 weeks.. in the process of buying a house at min so I plan to use that last month in doing the deco and getting all furniture in! Not sure if it'll work out though. Lol

If you're off sick, mat leave kicks in four weeks before due date. Make sure they font start it any earlier if you are off sick before!

Where I live you have to go at least two weeks prior to due date,mand I'm hoping to take accrued holiday before that. If I feel really shitty (this has been a rough pregnancy!) I will have zero guilt about going even earlier. My company have worked me to the point of dropping these last two years...!

Mat leave only starts automatically if you off sick due to pregnancy after 36 weeks.

My first was automatic as I gave birth at 36 - I wish I'd listened to my body more and actually left. This time I'm going at 32

I went off at 36 weeks (used a week of annual leave, now I'm on maternity leave). In hindsight I could have stayed a little longer (and I am really bored at home!).

OP maybe check when your qualifying weeks are. If you were getting SSP over your qualifying weeks you might not be better off on maternity leave as it's 90% of earnings or 138 per week, whichever is lower for most of it, so if it's 90% of SSP it's not much. If you can take annual leave to cover your qualifying weeks you might be better off when on leave. Unless your employer offers an enhanced maternity package of course.

I'm going at 29 weeks on the dot - I'd go now if I could!! I'll have a weeks holiday to use up after I actually leave. 52 weeks off and my accrued holiday for the year (nearly 7 weeks) so I'll be having nearly 60 weeks off and I can't wait. Looking forward to picking my older kids up from school and having time with my toddler before the baby comes which is why I'm going so early

38 weeks!

It's a sitting-on-my-bum office job and I work in academic circles so it's the summer hols (ie. quiet time) so provided I don't go into labour too early I should be OK!

I'm finishing 24th July, taking a weeks' AL then onto mat leave. Want to have as much time off post-birth as I can afford!

I'm wondering about the best time to take it. I've been off sick for months with hg but hoping to go back to work for a bit on reduced hours, rather than just straight into mat-leave. I'm thinking maybe 32weeks is a good time to start mat leave? Though if hg doesn't improve i might need to take mat-leave earlier e.g. at 29 weeks.

My job involves being on feet a lot, going to clients' homes, leading education groups etc... so I'd struggle when heavily pregnant. In addition to hg i'm also struggling with back pain and needing to wee every 15mins, which i imagine will only get worse in last trimester, so i'd rather be at home with easy access to loo!

I really admire people who work up to 38 weeks but have no idea how they manage it!

39w here but I only work from 8-1 including commute once a week, so not too onerous!

Jackieharris Yeah, it does start if you're off sick, but that's 4 weeks before EDD which would be 28th June, so doesn't apply for right now :)

Abbeyroad The qualifying weeks were ages ago, back when I was still working for part of it, and then on full occupational sick pay for the rest so I think I'm fine, thank you though :)

Thanks for all the replies everyone, seems it varies between people and the type of jobs we do and if we're having a difficult pregnancy etc. I guess it shows there is no 'right' answer really. I don't get annual leave in my job as it's term time work, so the only option I have really is to go early at 31 weeks.

Good luck for Sunday Tori!

That's good OP, glad you'll qualify for some decent mat pay

I should've said with my 1st I was going to take mat leave on my due date. I have no idea why I thought that was a sensible plan!

I finished work last Wednesday at 38 weeks, as long as baby isn't early (due next Wednesday) these 2 weeks are annual leave with maternity starting on my due date then I will tag the rest of my annual leave at the end. I wanted as much time off as possible after the birth but wanted some time to relax before baby arrives