When should I stop working away from home?

[ElsieMay123]

My very first baby is due at the end of February. I study 3 hours from home 3 days a week and usually stay over with a friend for 2 nights a week to reduce the travel. I'm trying to figure out when I should realistically tell the university that I can no longer attend. I can do some work from home, or I could start mat leave and relax (I have no idea how I will be feeling) but there are things happening in Feb that I would like to join in with. Should I push it to the wire, knowing that 3 hours isn't that far to go once it all kicks off, or should I admit that I can't have it all and play it safe? As naive as this may sound, will I be able to drive myself/catch a train if labour starts earlier than expected?

I'd be thinking about stopping in early January myself.

I agree that it would be best to stop working come January. It's better to be safe than push it down the wire knowing this is your first baby and you should be well prepared and rested come your due date.

No you won't be able to drive or catch a train once labour has started. There are so many variables with childbirth. You might be in labour for minutes or might be days. But it's definitely going to be painful and it's not safe to drive when you're having contractions. If you're willing to accept the risk that you might give birth alone near where you study then go for it. If not then play it safe and stop in January.

I have a 2 hour commute. I've decided to finish work a month ahead of due date. I've had a few urgent trips to hospital already (bleeding, reduced movements) and I just feel I won't be happy being too far from home/hospital by that time.

How will it work in regards to picking up your studies once baby is here?

Is the work done on a term basis or modules? If so it may be easier just finishing in xmas hols.

I am in exactly your situation, though I'm not a student but employed by a university. My office is 3 hours from home. I commute up and back each day I need to go in (no overnights, but it is a long journey and I would be far from home if I went into labour while there). This is my 2nd and my first came at 37 weeks. My plan was to no longer go up from 35 weeks just in case this one came even earlier. As it turned out, I've finished work on the project I was on and no longer need to be in person in the office at all anymore, so I am working full-time from home as of this week (I'm 21 weeks). Though that's more just more a matter of preference and to save myself on commuting costs. But for me, had I needed to be there more, it would have stopped by 35 weeks.

fluffybrain thanks for the wise words, I was reading the NHS pages last night saying that from the initial show it can take days and that the initial contractions are like period pain, so I was wondering if that would be enough time to get back home/get my partner to where I am. Annoyingly it seems like it's just too different for everyone, so better to play it safe.

Hi ijustwannadance I'm a research student so there's no term as such, but there are workshops and modules I can go along to. I can put the research on hold for 6 months - year but that starts from when I go off. I don't want to be sitting around doing nothing for ages before the birth as I feel like I'll need as much time as possible after to come to terms with being a new mum and student at +35.

I might be able to compromise and work from home if I am up to it from the beginning of Feb until the big day. My supervisors are all being very supportive and I think will agree to a plan, I just need to present something credible to them, which is hard as I have no idea what to expect!