34 + 4 and very tempted to go on ML early

[cunchofbunts]

I'm bloody knackered. I have had one good night's sleep since Jan and now I have a chest infection.

DH is away a lot as he's refurbishing a house for us to move into in November but that means that I'm left to look after 3.8 y/o DD at the weekends.

Yes, I'm slowing down by taking off Wednesdays but I can barely keep my eyes open and my planned ML start date which is the end of this month seems oh so very, very far away.

Anyone else not really coping right now?

Do it if can afford it, I've been off since 28 weeks and loving pregnancy now!

It's not so much money but time that I'm worried about. Taking a few weeks here means less at the end of maternity and I really want to be there for my DD's first few weeks of school.

I'm 34 weeks and have finished and feel much better for it. Assuming you will have lots of annual leave when you go back to work next summer could you break yourself in gently next year by using this around the start of school term?

I finished at 35 weeks and it was the best decision for me. Luckily, my pregnancy hasn't been difficult but I was extremely tired and don't think I could have worked much longer!

If you're able to finish, I recommend you do - you and baby come first!

Do you have any AL left? Can you work from home some days?

Well I've wrangled it so that I have Wednesdays off. I also do work half a day home on Fridays. I'm hoping I can just about power on through but this last week has been horrendous with a chest infection.

The thing is, if I go at the end of the week at 35 weeks and baby doesn't come for quite a while, it will be tight with the annual leave on the end. I really wanted to be at home for the first few weeks to settle this baby into childminder's and DD into school.

Argh. Decisions!

Have you looked into tagging some unpaid parental leave onto the end of your maternity leave? If you are eligible, that could add up to four weeks leave for you in aug/sep 2016, I think.

I'm not sure if I would be eligible. I'm officially a long term temp for the company.

Hi

I'm 34+4 today too and I've already finished work thank god!!!

I work as a nurse and do 13 hour shifts day and night on my feet so had to finish earlier cos I was knackered all the time feel loads better now I've finished tho!

I would ask if you can finish a bit earlier of use your holidays up if you have any and get plenty of rest

I don't have much holiday left so I've been using those odd few days to take the Wed off.

I just feel like crying at my desk.

Do you need to take a few days off, sick, for the chest infection? If you'll feel bad about deciding to do so yourself, could you speak to your mw? They might well advise you to. You might find once you're over the chest infection (especially if the weather cools down a bit), you'll be able to cope for a couple of weeks more.

If you can do it I would...I took mine at 29weeks with my first Dd. Mainly because I knew I wasn't going back either tbh. I loved every minute. Lol...

Get signed off work because of chest infection. Will give you a few days' rest and hopefully you can just power through then.

I don't get sick pay, only statutory sick pay!

I have to confess I work on my feet (although only two days a week). I took four weeks annual leave at 32 weeks then started maternity leave. I'm currently 38+4 and there is no way in hell I would have lasted this long, or anything near it. I have to say if you need to be off, you need to be off. yes the time with baby would be great but you don't want to overdo it and have any complications from stress, exhaustion etc!