when to quit work?

[Viola82]

I'm pregnant with my first baby and feeling very good.
No issues, no problems, feeling very well and would like to keep working as long as possible however I'm wondering when to stop.
I have my own company so can be little flexible with time (when to stop working) but not location as I have to visit clients (usually around 1h commute each way). Originally I was planning to stay home a month before the due date but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't quit little bit earlier and just stay at home and prepare.
How tired can I be in 7th month? it will be November as well so rubbish weather, rain and loads of formal clothes to put on ;)
If I'd like to take more time off I need to plan for my absence so I can't really decide last minute..

when did you stop working if you had a client/office meetings type of a job?

I’m a teacher. I stopped at 37 weeks with my first and it was too early so I stopped at 39 with my second and then 38 with my third.

I stopped 3 days before my due date. Ds was born December so same kind of time as you. I felt absolutely fine and was still mucking out horses etc so depends how you feel.

I'm stopping at 36 weeks. I think a month off before baby is long enough but everyones pregnancy is different.

Do you have to decide now? Can you wait and see how you feel later on in the pregnancy?

Sorry just ré-read the last part of your post. I get not being able to decide last minute but you still have time.

I'm in an office job/meeting client and like I said I'm leaving at 36 weeks. I was fine at 7 months with my last babies. It's abit early to leave, the last few months of pregnancy drag. They do for me anyway :) So I like having work as a distraction.

As late as you possibly can imo! Just give yourself a few days to 'nest' and maximise time off afterwards which is infinitely better value.

depends what kind of job you have. I work as a healthcare assist in a hospital so the 13 hour shifts on my feet are killing me now. I'm 31 weeks so going on leave at 35 weeks

Can you reduce your workload rather than stopping earlier? I'm self-employed too but do all my work from home and I don't tend to need to plan that far in advance, thankfully; I'm intending to take on a bit less for the last month or so, so I have time to think about nesting/getting everything ready.

If I had stopped working a month before my due date I would have been really bored and restless at home. I stopped working at 38 weeks and baby ended up being 2 weeks late so I had lots more time than I expected. There's only so much housekeeping / cooking / list-making / online shopping you can do!

Of course, it all depends on how you're feeling towards the end and how tiring your work is.

I think it's a personality thing. I personally found the time off before dc1 arrived to be of great value as I was able to do so many lovely things that were impossible with a baby or young dc. I finished at 36 weeks with dc1 and ended up having him at 41 weeks. It was wonderful! I napped, went to cafes, read books, met friends in their lunch break, went for walks, went to the movies, went to see bands in the evening knowing I could rest the next day, went out with dh for dinner knowing I didn't have to get up for work I had to the morning, and met up with my nct group a few times. This was 8 years ago now and I'm still so glad I had that time.

Having time with my dc as a baby was also great (and I was fortunate that I was able to take a full year of maternity leave) but I love time to myself so those 5 weeks were great and very worth it. But if you're not good at entertaining yourself I'd work as late as possible as there is a lot of time to fill if you aren't at work

I stopped at 36 weeks with my first and 35 weeks with my second. I was knackered when I finished and spent the first few days catatonic on the sofa. The timing worked for me, though, as dh is a teacher and most of those weeks before the baby came fell during the summer holidays so we had time together.

@Charlottejade89 totally agree! Depends on the sort of work you do. I also do upto 12 hour shifts on my feet all day, upto 6 days a week. I'm only 30 weeks but cannot wait to go on mat leave as work refuse to do any adjustment to my working hours or type of work I do. Always just say "none of the other pregnant women asked for that in the past, they just went on mat leave".

Im planning to go at 32 weeks, i have been really poorly but due to long hours i cant see myself managing to function for much longer!!

Im only 21 weeks now so seems like forever away especially on the days where im struggling! Doesnt help that most colleagues have the view that its self inflicted (yes i got myself pregnant but didnt ask for HG!) anyway, just think it depends on how your managing now x

@user1906 also had HG. Flipping. Horrendous. And made a lot worse by tiredness. Comments at work such as "morning sickness is sign of a healthy pregnancy" or "try ginger" have made life even more of a misery!

Thank you all for replies.

I'll stick with a month off and fingers crossed everything will be fine.

again thank you for replies!

@Aw12345 isnt it just!! I honestly feel lucky to be pregnant took us a looong time to get here and people view my moans like im being ungrateful when actually im just struggling!!

Hope things look up for you

office job. stopped at 38 weeks each and when pregnant with DC2 I even had a toddler with complex SN. It was hard but manageable and I really wanted as much time as possible at the 'other' side of the birth.

I had severe sickness until 22/23 weeks with both DC.so the last trimester which was not overshadowed by sickness was actually my easiest - by a mile. If you are ok, then stopping at 36 weeks should be fine.

I stopped at 36 weeks and my DD was born at 38 weeks. I’m so glad she came early as I was climbing the walls!

After the day I've had I could stop today at 22 weeks. But I reality I think I'll stop at 36 - like a PP, I love my own company and can think of a ton of ways to use that time, both in terms of preparing and relaxing. By the looks of the replies it's a very personal thing!

I stopped at 37 weeks, gave birth the next day! had planned 3 weeks of nesting! This time I'll stop at 35 I think. I was exhausted for the birth.

@BridgeFarmKefir you’re speaking my language there! I’m nearly 23 weeks and could quite happily walk away now!

I do an office job but spend hours hunched over spreadsheets. My back aches and I’ve got constant pelvic pain which really sucks. Can’t see me lasting longer than 32 weeks.

If you want the time to yourself, I say go for it.

Currently 21 weeks and I am stopping work at 35 and I cannot wait. I work in an office but I am looking forward to a few weeks of resting and nesting before baby arrives.