Starting maternity leave at 40 weeks?

[Pandora2016]

It's an easy office job which I enjoy.

I have SPD but the commute is 15 min on a bus and I manage with a walking stick so far (28 weeks). I don't think this baby is going to be small.

Am I mad? Should I bring it forward a bit?

First baby so know nowt.

I worked until I went in for inductions with my first two - 40+4 for DC1 and 41 weeks for DC2...but I'm in the US and since we only get up to 12 weeks leave, I wanted to save it for for when baby came. I'm now 36+4 with DC3, and will be working right up til the last moment again this time.

If you're walking with a stick at 28 weeks, you won't be going far at 36+ weeks

I planned to work until 38 weeks - until my low risk, super smooth pg turned into premature labour at 34 weeks...

I'm surprised that you have so much choice - in my country, maternity leave has a mandatory start date of 38 weeks although you can also choose to start it earlier if you prefer. As an employer or manager or colleague, I'd be nervous about working so close to the due date. There is a much greater chance that the planned final day / handover / tying up of loose ends will be missed. I would be stressed by the uncertainty if I were either the person going on mat leave or someone else in the working relationship

I worked up until 39 weeks with both my boys. Yes it was tiring but I'd rather do that and have the time off with my babies the other end. I know people that have stopped work a month or so before hand and then sat and twiddled their thumbs at home, then had to go back to work when baby was only 7/8 months old. I couldnt do that. It's personal preference. I was also lucky they my pregnancies went smoothly and I wasn't suffering any pain x

I planned to work until 37 weeks but DD arrived at 35+5. The person taking over from me must HATE me, there was so much left to do that I was planning to finish off in my last week. But it did mean that I get to maximise time with DD before having to go back. Back in November

I planned on working till 30 weeks, then taking annual leave for 3 weeks and maternity leave starting at 33 weeks (twin pregnancy) however I've been signed off since 25 weeks with Back/hip and pelvic pain. I can't stand for very long at all and since my job involved mostly standing for 10 hours I couldn't do it.

If you have a stick already I'd reconsider your end date, after my shifts I literally hobbled to my car and my OH had to help me in and out the bed/off the couch etc.

I'm so so SO bored but my pain is only getting worse so I'm glad I'm off.

You should still accrue your annual leave next year so maybe take a few weeks of that at the end to prolong your time off? That's my plan for next year or else I won't be able to use it up before it renews.

I totally understand wanting as much of your leave as possible to be spent with baby but I would definitely leave earlier than 40 weeks purely for the fact that little one could arrive early! I've never been in the situation but I'd imagine it mucks around how you get paid at the start if you have to bring your maternity leave date forward and you don't want to be worrying about that when you've just had your little one! Take just a little time for yourself

I started at 39+6 with DC2 and am intending on starting at 39+5 with DC3

I worked until 38 weeks, but was on my feet a lot (nurse). I saved my annual leave and used that so towards the end of my pregnancy I worked three weeks then had a week off, three on, one off, right up to the end when I came back for two weeks then started mat leave. Tiredness was my biggest killer so having regular weeks off just about kept me going. Baby was a week late so the three weeks after I stopped working seemed to drag!