When are/did you go on maternity leave?

[TreeSparrow]

I don't know when to say I will go off. What did others do?

I was going to finish at 36 weeks with annual leave then go on Mat leave officially at 38. However I am so exhausted I don't know if I will last :( I'm only 18 weeks so will see how I go.

33 weeks with dc1. 25 this time! (Redundancy forcing early mat leave) nut if it wasn't I'd go at 33ish again. Was so lovely having that time first time. I still look back at smile fondly. last pure me time for the next 18year

Technically 38 weeks but taking 3 weeks annual leave before that.

A/L from 33 weeks with mat leave from 36 weeks.
I considered going later but actually 33 weeks worked out well. My job involved 2 1/2 hours commute each day, walking upto 8km and standing for up to 4 hours at a time, and by 33 weeks I was knackered and not sleeping well. I also had loads of stuff to sort out at home and was in no way ready - now at 37 weeks and much more ready!
Difficult to know in advance how you are going to feel though!

I’m in the US and I have to stay at work until I go into labour. I literally have to wait until I’m in the car on my way to the hospital before I can officially start my 3 months ‘extended sick leave’ to have our baby.
I’m 36 weeks at the moment and so fed up about it. I’m just shuffling around my office in a total grump because I’m so uncomfortable and exhausted, which is not exactly the most professional thing to do… Plus I’ve been having excruciating conversations with other mothers about their waters breaking while sitting at their desks at work that just horrify me. People are constantly reminding me how lucky I am that I get three months off at all, when most women in the US don’t get any paid leave and many only take a couple of weeks off. But oddly that’s not making me feel any better… Reason 1000 why I wish I could move back home...

36w with twins. At that point I could still drive and wasn't too tired. After that I was pretty much in hospital for monitoring every other day so think I would have been put on mat leave then anyway.

miss I'm in the same boat. My boss has told me to work from home in the last 2-4 weeks before I'm due though, mainly I think because she doesn't want my waters going or me going in to labour in her office

am 26 weeks this week and am feeling it; really wish I could stop work in about 4 weeks, but that's not going to happen!