Early maternity leave? _ WWYD

[Marquand]

Tomorrow is four weeks until my due date (c-section, so I'm quite sure it will be the date).

I've planned to work until the 22nd (6 days before my due date). I only have 4 months of paid maternity leave, and have also planned a combination of annual and unpaid leave to ensure that I can have a break of 5 and a bit months, going back early January. We cannot afford any more unpaid leave, and I need to save up a handful of leave days for the new year, as my daughter is starting school (we're in South Africa, so the academic year starts in January. Also, maternity leave setup is different).

I'm really really struggling. The whole family has been sick (we have 2 DC, aged 6 and 4). I've been on 3 courses of antibiotics the past two months, for bronchitis, sinus and a bladder infection. Chances are the bladder infection is still there - I'm getting the results of the urine test today.

At the moment just being at work is difficult, nevermind getting any work done. I know taking early maternity leave will shorten the time I'll have with the baby, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to cope with working for much longer. However, it is school holiday at the moment, and with sick children, I'm not sure if I'll be able to rest at home either.

What would you do?

So you are about 35 weeks
That's not going off early in my
Opinion. Your body should tell you when it's time to give up work. Don't struggle just for a couple of weeks. If you need to rest go now I'm 34 weeks and really struggling and I leave early couple of days a week and have dropped from 5 to 4 days x

You could consider going off sick. In the UK they can't enforce maternity leave until 36 weeks. It sounds like you're very run down. It would give you an extra week or so at least!