Which week is best to start maternity leave?

[FlourishingMrs]

Hi ladies, just wondered when you started or will start your leave?

[Bella1985]

I'm in a similar position to you- due after xmas and alongside work closure I've got 2 weeks annual leave booked beforehand so will finish at 36 weeks. I have booked mat leave to start on due date though. 2 ladies in work keep giving me conflicting messages, one says take a month off, she felt rested and prepared and was glad she had time to herself. The other says don't do it you'll be bored of the waiting.

I've decided to stick with my instinct and finish at 36 weeks for these reasons: work is mentally intense and I find that quite tiring - so can't wait to finish that, and I find it so hard to get up some days as I'm exhausted from not sleeping very well, just imagining not having to get up until I want to is amazing! It will be Christmas time. being able to walk in to town and do present shopping bit by bit over a course of a week, and enjoy warm hot chocolate breaks instead of being stuck behind the desk is a big bonus! I will also be able to head home to see my grandparents before Christmas (I won't be travelling that far so close to due date around xmas time and they don't tend to travel this far to see me anymore) so I'm hoping baby stays put so I can get these things done at an easy pace and I can enjoy time with DH over xmas before our lovely arrival! If it wasn't Christmas time, I think I would have pushed it to 37 weeks, but as that's such a busy time anyway, I'm going to make the most of it!

Good luck with your decision!

[IfAtFirstUDontSucceed]

With DS I worked up until I was 38 weeks. Although I had an hours drive each way, I felt great up to the last minute. I would have gone off on his due date or the week before but I was talked out of it by so many people. As it happens, DS was born at 41 weeks. Those 3 weeks off before he was born were bliss.

This time, I'm hoping to take 2 weeks AL at 37 weeks, then start ML at 39 weeks. Although, I'm much more tired this time and have had a bit of pelvis pain, so we'll see if I can last out.

[lr12345]

I'm 35 weeks now and have another 3 weeks at work. Touch wood I've been fine up until now, even working away last week

[WinterRose92]

I have two more weeks to go before I'm on maternity leave, and will be 35 weeks by that point. I am so ready for it to start now! I'm a community care worker and I get up 5:30 every morning I work and its just got to a point now where I'm dreading it. Kind of wishing I took it a little earlier as it's quite a full on job but then I wanted as much time as possible with my little one once he's born. Not long!

[cantmakeme]

Last time I went on ML at 36 weeks and gave birth at 40 exactly. It worked well as I had no DC and it was mid December and very icy, and I had stopped being able to fit in my work maternity clothes! I had a nice four weeks of relaxation and preparation.

This time, I don't know yet... due date is straight after Easter hols, so I will need to be at home with DD then. I also study with the OU and will be trying to finish the module early, don't know how though!

[mmgirish]

I started my maternity leave when my waters broke at 37 weeks and I had the baby that day (both times). I live overseas and had very short maternity leaves - 11 weeks for the first baby and 9 weeks for the second one so I couldn't afford to waste any time off before.

I'm a teacher and was exhausted. I actually fell asleep when I was having moderate contractions. The obgyn woke me up and asked me why I was sleeping. I told her I had been at school for 14 hours the day before and was so grateful to have a day off!

I'd imagine other people have similiar stories but I remember feeling very jealous of my cousin who was due at the same time had a month off to rest before her baby was due.

[NorfolkEnchance]

DC1 - 38 weeks. DC2 - 39+6. It was easier going to work than being hounded by a 15 month old 😂

[notskinnyasarake]

I finished at 38 weeks, only worked half days in my 37th week. I had a hard pregnancy (there wasn't anything 'wrong' but she was well over 10lbs and back to back so very uncomfortable). That last week was pure hell. Once I started mat leave I felt amazing, it wasn't pregnancy that was hard, it was working and pregnancy combined that was hard. I went 2 weeks over and enjoyed my month off immensely, daytime cinema, swimming every day, reading lots and no one judging you for just sitting around all the time.

[littlepooch]

I went at 38 weeks. I was lucky that I could work from home and only went in once or twice a week and managed to avoid the rush hour on the tube. I am glad I did it as its meant I have been able to have over a year at home with DD before I have to return.

[imisschocolate]

I'm starting at 35 weeks, then using 4 weeks AL as have full years AL entitlement to use. ML will officially start at 40 weeks. (unless the baby decides to make an appearance sooner!).

[ToffeeForEveryone]

I went off at 37 weeks and was very ready to stop working - minimal commute and desk job, but I was mahoooooosive and very uncomfortable sat at a desk all day. And expected to concentrate and do stuff!! Clearly unreasonable.

DS was 2 weeks overdue and I was very ready for things to get going by the end. Now that DS is here though, I am aware the next time I am likely to have any significant time to myself is sometime in the 2030s, so I think 5 weeks was not nearly enough!

[1frenchfoodie]

Started at 38 wks by using 2 weeks leave so maternity leave itself started on my due date. I went to 40 +15 in the end so glad I did not start sooner. I had a 2h door to door commute of bus, train, tube though so would have needed to start sooner if I had a tough pregnancy.

[Theknittinggorilla]

I worked to 37 weeks with dc1, 33 weeks with dc2 (made sense to finish at Christmas and I suffered with nausea and pelvic pain all the way through). Planning to finish at 29 weeks this time, but I have generous mat pay, and may take a career break at the end.

No chance of being bored, planning on spending more time with my dc, sorting my house out, decorating and when my dc are at nursery I'm going to do things for me! Before I have 3 dc and never have any time to myself again..,,

[mikesh909]

People laugh at me in real life when I answer this question.

I'm currently at 33+5 and planning to go on leave when the baby arrives, or at 40+1, whichever is sooner.

Home is a one bedroom flat, which we keep tidy and organised all of the time due to the constraints of living in a small space. There is no nursery to decorate or similar projects to complete.

Work is 15-20 minutes walk away, I enjoy it, and the days are somewhat flexible in terms of leaving / arriving times. It would be possible to reduce my hours towards the end if I wanted to.

Yes, I am tired, but I am also tired when I laze at home (uncomfortably) on the couch all day. It's a first baby, thus-far complication free pregnancy.

Am I really as crazy as everyone seems to think?

[Want2bSupermum]

I have done this three times now. Best answer is to have a plan on who will take over your work if you have to leave early. Pick a date as far out as you are comfortable with. If things change you can easily transition work. Don't be a champ and work through to 39 weeks. There are no medals, only healthy thriving babies. I have stopped work at 39wks, 35wks and 38wks.

[Minispringroll]

Half term starts in three days and I'll be 33 weeks. So, I'll have a week of half term and then start mat leave officially at 34 weeks. I'm tired and grumpy and my commute can take between 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on traffic. It's also not as if I can just sit down and get on with stuff quietly when I'm at work. (It already feels weird to be doing so much teaching while sitting down. I'm not used to that at all...but I just cannot stay on my feet all day anymore and kneeling down next to tables and then getting myself back up a hundred times a day is getting difficult.)...So, I'll be stopping comparatively early. No way would I be able to keep this up until I'm 38 or 39 weeks.

[stripeyorangesocks71]

For me it'll be ML at 39 weeks with two weeks annual leave before so I'll finish work at 37 weeks. Currently 31+2.
Every woman and every pregnancy is different so do what is best for you and listen to your body.

[minipie]

I planned to work till 37.5 weeks with DD1 - she turned up at 34 weeks. I'm still annoyed about not having had that time pre baby!

With DD2 I still planned to work till 37 weeks but used annual leave to go part time (ie fewer days per week) from 30 weeks. So I had some days to myself to pootle and get stuff in order. Thank goodness I did as she turned up 36+6.

[buckyou]

I think I was off from 37 weeks and did a few weeks part time before that. I want to work as long as possible this time.

[PotteringAlong]

Dc1 at 37 weeks, DC 2 at 39+6, planning on finishing at 38+5 with DC 3

[Terrifiedandregretful]

I worked till 36 weeks. I had planned to go longer but just couldn't. Those 5 weeks before dd arrived were just wonderful. Lots of naps and long walks, and more naps... Happy days!

[Stickyjellybean]

I'm officially starting mat leave at 39+2 but our work is shut over Christmas and I have two weeks annual leave to take before that so will finish about 36 weeks. But now wondering whether I should move one weeks annual leave to the other side of Christmas and start mat leave at bang on 40 weeks. So I'd work up until 37 weeks. Torn between just being fed up of work and so wanting to finish and also wanting to extend paid leave with baby by that extra week.

[pitterpatterrain]

38 weeks last time, 39 weeks this time. Plodding along but I don't have that generous ML and we need to pay the bills so stopping super early seems a bit of a luxury tbh.

[middlings]

DD1: 34 weeks. Everyone told me I was mad. I'd be bored. Going bonkers waiting for the baby to arrive. She was born at 41 week. Seven of the best weeks of my life.

I have a very busy job and a long commute. I had been working til 11 at night and then back in the office at 7 in the morning for three months.

And so I relaxed. And ate lunch. And got ready. It was fabulous.

DD2: 32 weeks as DD1's childcare setting was changing and I had no cover for the school holidays. It was baking hot. BAKING hot. DD1 was 14 months and not walking when I finished work. That was less relaxing .

[user1471507699]

Annual leave at 37 weeks, mat leave at 39.5 weeks. I was glad to finish then as the commute on the underground was too much, plus I work with under 5's! However I'm not one for not doing much and was bored quickly so I definitely wouldn't have wanted to go any earlier.