Maternity Leave - When do I start?!

[EllMae]

Hiya, I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and I am going to have a meeting with my manager around when I want to begin Maternity Leave! I was thinking 38 weeks but when did everyone else start / planning to start? Baby due 21st Sept 2018

I planned to work until 38 weeks, and I did, but the commute became unbearable after 36 weeks so I worked 10 - 4 for my last two weeks to avoid rush hour. My work were happy to accommodate this.

My mat leave officially starts on my due date, but have been off on annual leave since 36+1. I don't think I could have continued any further because my job is very mentally demanding and I have to drive twice a week to get to another work location.

I finished at 37 weeks, DD arrived during 38th week so kind of wish I'd had a bit longer beforehand!

I don't understand how people can get bored being off work for a couple of weeks. You will never get that time to yourself again, enjoy it!

I finish next week at 35+6 but then am taking just over 2 Weeks holiday so start mat leave when I am 38+4 which now feels v late (I will loose the holiday should the baby come early). I am so ready to finish despite a short commute and a desk job (stopped travel at 30 weeks). My job is mentally demanding and I've checked out, I just don't want to be there & I LOVE my job.

I did it at 38 weeks, however, I had holidays left, like around 15 days so what I did was to place all those holidays before the maternity leave and then I was off at least a month and a half before having the baby.

Now I'm pregnant again and I plan to do so at 39 weeks as I work from home and I'll place holidays before that as well as what I really want is to have more time with the baby after born.

It also depends on your physical situation and how you feel.

I'm due on 18th September and planning to finish work on 10th August at 34+3 because I loathe my job and can't wait to get out of there!

I saved very hard prior to pregnancy and still am so will be able to afford that month off beforehand plus another 7 or so months after he arrives

My DD was due the 21st September last year! I planned to go on maternity leave on the 18th, with annual leave from the 1st. By the 1st I was more than ready to go!

She actually turned up on the 11th so it worked out well in the end!

I finished at 36 weeks at first I thought I might have finished too early. However DD came at 38 weeks so worked out well really.

I finished work at 36+4 as I wanted a week off before Christmas. My waters broke at 38+0 and I wish I had a week to rest before DD arrived as a busy Christmas wasn’t really a rest!

I'm starting mat leave at 39+3, but taking two weeks holiday immediately prior. Currently 32 weeks and already starting to feel very tired though.

@NelleB I'm also a teacher, due on the 28th of September! Planning to do something similar to you: work two weeks in September and then go off at 38 weeks, health permitting. Bit worried about my waters going in class though Do you have any idea what work they'll ask you to do? I can't imagine I'd be given timetabled classes for two weeks? Unless my maternity cover doesn't start until the day I go on leave?

I wanted to leave it as long as possible to get more time at the other end with the baby, but I think it also depends on what kind of job you’re doing. With my first pregnancy I was working in retail that involved lots of physical work and being on your feet all day so I officially went on maternity leave at 36 weeks but took 2 weeks holiday before that. DS came at 38 + 4.
By my second I was a massage therapist which was much less physically demanding so I worked until 38 weeks, and DD was born 2 days later!

@TeachingPuffin hi! I'm in reception so the first week we only have half in the morning and half in the afternoon while we settle routines and the next two weeks we do baselines so I will just be one to one tucked away, sat on a chair asking questions and carrying out little games. I bet you're so excited?! My school weren't too pleased when I said I was going to try and stay until 20th however I won't be able to sit at home for 10 weeks and then what if we go over?! It's such a long time!! X

I planned to work up till 39 weeks last time but ended up having my daughter at 34 and a half weeks so literally went straight from work to hospital. This time I'm finishing about 10 days before due date. I'm 36 weeks now so hopefully can hang on that long! I'm a teacher too and just teaching a full timetable till the end. But I imagine it would be different at the beginning of a term. I guess maybe cover or admin or team teaching?

I was wondering the same thing. I was planning on starting my maternity leave at 34 +5 but I'm not sure if this is too early? I work as a healthcare worker in a hospital so I work 12.5 hour shifts and am on my feet, sometimes all day and barely get to sit down. My partner has 3 children from a previous relationship but this is my first baby

@charlottejade89 Yeah I was planning on starting Maternity leave at 37+1 just because my job is mainly sitting down and I can work from home. It is hard to judge isn't it, especially being first baby! My partner also has a child from previous relationship. How are you finding that? I was always worried that my partner wouldn't be as excited second time round but he's been so supportive and he is over the moon.

Yea I get on brilliantly with his children. And he was probably more excited than I was to find out we were pregnant. He was the first to bring up the subject if trying for a baby so we are both so happy