How many weeks before due date did you finish work?

[Jellybabie3]

I am due 23rd September. I was thinking of finishing at the end of August, which will allow me time off (with annual leave) until 1st October 2018 but i am not sure 3 weeks is enough before? I have no idea obviously how i am going to feel - i am currently approaching 21 weeks. I am just aware i will need to let work know soonish

38

itsjustaphase

I would have loved to have been able to do all that, however I could barely walk and it begun to get painful. All my friends were themselves working but I did have my mum at the time, just a shame I couldn't get about much.

dippypanda Same thing happened to me! My mum came to stay with us and I was so looking forward to a couple of weeks of relaxed walks and time with her before I gave birth as I was sure I'd be overdue. And then, right after the end of my leaving do on my last day, as I was walking back to my office to pick up my stuff and leave, I started suffering from terrible pains, probably sciatica according to my midwife. I could barely walk for the rest of the time and the pain only disappeared after birth.

I finished three weeks before my due date, but DS was a week late so it ended up being nearly a month. It was great - I really enjoyed it. Meeting friends for coffee, gentle exercise, getting things ready for the baby. Sadly not so enjoyable second time around when I had a toddler to look after!

When I was pregnant with my son, I was due to work up to the Friday before his Sunday due date but ended up going into labour on the Thursday so I missed my last day. It was so nice not to have to go back to work until after he turned one. That felt like the right time for us as he developed quite a lot in the month beforehand.

This time is very different. I commute by train and tube an hour and a half each way to work and as my son attends the workplace nursery there, he does too. I carry him on my back for the walking parts of the journey as he only started walking recently and still can't manage that on foot and as my joints are loosening and that weather is getting warmer, I'm finding it quite hard.

Luckily I still have some of the annual leave I accrued during my last maternity leave and all this year's leave to use up, so I'll be going on annual leave at the start of June for seven weeks and then starting my maternity leave straight after, which is ten weeks before my due date. I am really looking forward to having the summer to spend doing nice things with my son before his little brother or sister arrives, probably around the time he turns two.

I'll probably not return to employment this time as our family would otherwise spend more on childcare and travel than my work would bring in so I'm not worried about starting my maternity leave early from that point of view.

I'm finishing at 37+4 (currently 35+5) this time then using 2 weeks of holiday so actual mat leave only starts 2 days before due date. I have a 4yo and 3yo to run round after and want a bit of time with just them before their new sibling arrives.

I finished very early with my boys due to the first time getting married at 34 weeks (finished at 32 weeks, it was very stressful job), and second time I finished even earlier due to the commute time and cost making me worse off than just going on mat leave early. Plus I knew I wouldn't be going back and would be looking for something local.

It all depends on what your job is, if you like it, if you're going back etc etc

I finished at 35 weeks and that currently feels right. I wouldn't have minded finishing sooner as the commute was long and the work was tiring and left me with no energy to do anything else so I felt drained and ill a lot of the time.

I've got plenty of friends and family who are either retired, or also off on maternity leave or sahp, so I haven't got bored and have lots of company when I want it.

However, I am enjoying the quietude and relaxation that also brings.

I still haven't sorted anything for baby yet and need to pack my hospital bag (once I've bought the bits to go in it).

I have no idea how I would have managed if I'd worked to 39 weeks.

For DS1 I planned to finish at 38 weeks and at the time felt fit to do so. I went into labour on a Friday afternoon when I was 35+6 and still at work. I felt robbed!

For DS2 I planned to leave at 37 weeks but developed SPD so brought it forward to 35. Went into labour at 34+5, at work, again, so still no leave before baby.

I still managed to get everything sorted out so 3 weeks should be plenty

I finished at 33 weeks by taking 4 weeks holiday and 3 weeks maternity leave. I work in hospitality though so was working in a hot kitchen for 6 hours on my last day. I didn't fancy carrying that on.

39 weeks for DC1. Went a week and a half overdue. Was planning to work up to 39 weeks with DC2 but she arrived at 35+1.

I went into labour at work! Luckily I work on the hospital site! That was at 35 weeks, I had planned on working to 38 though. Sometimes things don't go to plan!

I finished at 32 weeks using annual leave - part time but 1hr 15min commute each way plus 4 flights of stairs to the office.

Maternity leave starts the week I am due - next week - so it's all worked out well.

With my first I left as soon as I. Plus I had serve sickness and spd and couldn't cope. 11 weeks I regretted

This time I've left 6 weeks before I've been little bit bored on some days but I have spd again and wanted to spend some quality time with my little boy before baby gets here. 6 weeks has been just nice 1 week to go (planned section next week)

Women who's work with less than 4 weeks to go need a medal i cant do it lol

I'm going on annual leave next month, 4 weeks from my due date for my first, at which point mat leave starts. I have to use up my annual leave by the end of the year so there wasn't much choice about when to take it. I'll try to stay in some shape with swimming and yoga, practice my breathing exercises, get baby bits and bobs and try to get in the right frame of mind for labour. I'm also going to enjoy my last month of being relatively free and go to the theatre, indulge in hobbies, read books! My work is ok, peaks of stress - I am really looking forward to the time off!