Standard time to take maternity leave

[keeppassingtheopenwindows1]

Hi,

I was just wondering if there was a standard time to take maternity leave? Should I provisionally say two weeks before due date or would you advise more/less.

My first son came two months early so I had no choice over the matter.

I work in an office based job so low intensity.

Can anyone give any tips please?

Depends on how you're coping with the pregnancy as well. My tutoring naturally came to an end with end of exams at 36 weeks and that really was late enough.

People often go for 36 or 38 weeks I think, but I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and I sure as hell wouldn't want to be at work just now- I need my feet up a lot of the time, I'm hot, I'm HUGE, I'm tired and not sleeping. oh and I'm being induced this week anyway

But a friend loved her office based job, seems to have been fitter and definitely less huge and worked up to 38 weeks. And is overdue so has had the 2 weeks.

Think I did 37 weeks last time and 36 this time. Haven't really been fit to work for a couple of weeks before that- no major problems, just really, really uncomfortable and not sleeping

Thank you! Because my son came at 32 weeks I feel like I can't imagine what I will feel like heavily pregnant.

This baby is due in November so it will hopefully have cooled down by then - I'm more worried about the drive into work than the actual work. An hour each way stuck in the car might be hard work when I feel huge!

I think everyone is different and it depends on a lot of things like what your commute and job is like, how you're coping with late pregnancy, if you're want to try and work later so you've more time off with the baby or if you'd prefer a chance to get a bit more of a rest before baby arrives. I've been through it once and am pregnant with number 2 and I feel like 2 weeks before your due date is probably the latest I would start maternity leave, ideally I would start it 3 or maybe 4 weeks before.

Although I could have kept going physically, i felt ready mentally to finish work when I did, which was just over 3 weeks before my due date. My dd arrived early so it all worked out quite well first time round, I might have felt differently if she had been late, but of course that's going to be an unknown!

I work in busy retail, my plan is to work until 38weeks and use my remaining 2weeks of holidays to take me up to my due date, then start mat leave then.

In theory it makes sense but I don't know if I'll be able to cope with work up until 38weeks. DS could come early. I could get ill. Anything could happen. I'm knackered already at 24wks and would love to start now!

Thanks- I have thought I might just be too tired- my sleep is terrible at the moment. Maybe I'll say three weeks before but keep it all provisional

I stopped at 38 weeks last time and could have gone another week. This time I had planned similar but I totally underestimated how tired I would be with a toddler to look after as well so I'm stopping at 36 weeks and I can't wait. The work itself is not bad, but the lack of daytime nap and the traveling are.

I stopped at 37 weeks last time. I could have done another week at work, also office based. DS was 2 weeks overdue so I'd been off 5 weeks when he arrived which felt like a bit of a waste, time that I would have preferred to spend with DS.

This time I'm planning to finish at 38 weeks. I'm a bit of a planner so everything will be done before then & I can just put my feet up & relax. DS will be at the childminder for most of the day, he'll have far more fun playing there than sitting round the house with me & then I'll have more energy to play with him once I pick him up.

My ds arrived at 27 weeks so no options there!

I'm classed as high risk this time and advised to rest as much as I can - difficult as a full time police Sgt with a 4 year old! I'm starting mat leave at 38 weeks but using all my annual leave at the beginning of that so actually finishing at 34 weeks. I'm currently 25 weeks and been signed off for 4 weeks and struggling already!

I'm planning on leaving at 38 weeks, just because it fits with my work quite well. But I would say give the latest date you'd like to work and see how you go. You can bring the date forward if you need to (most places) but can't push it back. That way, if you feel fine later on, great. If not, you can give your reasons and start leave earlier.

I stopped at week 37.

DD arrived at week 42.

I officially started my mat leave at 38 weeks, however I finished work at 35 weeks (I think) as I had 3 weeks worth of annual leave to takes worked out great as I had 2 weeks off work before Christmas, then all of Christmas week and then started my mat leave!

However, DS was 9 days late so I was off for rather a long time before he arrived and once Xmas was over, I did find boredom set in a little.

Thanks everyone that's really helpful

I would leave it as late as possible depending how you feel. With DS1 I finished at 38+2 and could have actually done another week, I felt fine. Luckily I didn't because he was born the next day...

With DS2 I finished bang on 38 weeks and really could have finished a week earlier, I was done in. He was born at 39 weeks exactly.

The trouble is you never know when baby will be born but I'm glad I only had a week or less. 4-5 weeks would have killed me with boredom.

If I had my time again I'd go to 40weeks.

But I know that

a) I'm in the minority
b) hindsight is a wonderful thing

This is my first pregnancy and I'm leaving at 33 weeks. I think that's earlier than most, but I've had pretty severe nausea for 95% of the pregnancy and just want a good few weeks of rest before the baby arrives!

I'm leaving on Friday at 36+5. I probably could have gone for a few more weeks but this heat has made it really hard!

It's definitely the heat. I started mine at 38wks. Office job so not too bad but the commute was the killer. From around 33 wks I had started to struggle with the short drive to station abd 40 mins train ride. The PGP didn't help either especially the return journey which involved a hill climb to where my car was parked.

I actually worked from home from 36wks just to avoid the commute altogether but I also struggled with those last 2wks as mentally I had started to switch off but I did finish the tasks I had set myself to complete in that time.

This is my first so I don't know how I will be if this baby is over due. I'm 38+3 today. Heat is unbearable and my feet are massive and not much I do seems to calm them down.

I should be leaving at 33 weeks! But that's because I have an absolute ton of annual leave to use up so I'm taking all that and not having to trigger my mat leave until my due date.

If I had to use Mat leave, I'd probably stop around 37 weeks. I know a lot of women who aimed for 38 weeks but didn't make it as they were just too tired by that point.

I'm finishing at 34+5. I have a weeks annual leave, then no childminder for DD1 after that so had no other choice but to finish then

Ideally would have gone back for a week or two but I get a very good package which means I get almost a year off

I finished at 36+5, then took 3 weeks annual leave so maternity leave officially started at 40+1. Baby arrived dead on 38 weeks so only had 1 week off before. Worked well though as got everything done in that first week and means I have longer off with the baby. She's been here 16 days but my mat leave only started yesterday!

Sorry but it didn't, mat leave automatically starts when you have the baby.

It did as the accountants haven't been told that baby arrived early.

Fraud?

I'd be very careful you don't get caught - matching up birth dates on child benefit and SMP claims isn't rocket science for DWP

I'm 38+2 and self employed from home. I've been trying to work right up until I dropped but I literally cannot concentrate. I've got several pieces worth of work to do before i go "off" but my brain is so fuzzy right now I can't function.

With my first I was meant to go off at 37 and left at 31, never to return as they were so horrendous when I was pregnant. I was signed off for ages too.

Plan for one thing but don't be too proud to change it if you're struggling x