Naive to think I can work up until my due date?

[GoalDigger]

Just joined mn (thanks for having me) - 25 weeks pregnant and am wondering whether I am naive to think I can work until my due date?

I have an hour commute door to door either end of work (work 40 hours a week) but no issues with trains (always offered a seat, sometimes prefer to stand on my way home after sitting all day - I know this won't be the case soon).

Work are asking when I am going to start my maternity leave, and have a policy in place that I need to give them 8 weeks notice to change it, so even if I wanted to work longer, I would need to let them know 8 weeks in advance. They can use their own discretion however there are no guarantees from HR.

I know a few people who worked up to their due dates and had no problems. Am I naive in wanting to give this a try? I can go earlier if I need as I could just get signed off sick, but to go later it's a little more difficult if HR decide to be stubborn...

Any advice? Never had a baby before so no idea how realistic this is.

In my experience by the time I reached 38 weeks in my pregnancies I had a lot of trouble sleeping so I needed to be able to nap during the day. I expanded massively at the end and very few of my maternity clothes even fitted me. I had to go to the loo all the time! Everything was exhausting and everything felt 1000x harder. I had intended to work up until my due date with my first but my manager told me I couldn't and pretty much forced me to stop work earlier. In hindsight I am so glad she did that! (not least because DC1 was born early - actually officially on the first day of my mat leave because, as a compromise I used my annual leave for the first couple of weeks) When DC2 was born I stopped work at 34 weeks because I wanted to get everything straight before the baby arrived and get a bit of rest in (with a 2 yo! ha!)

I have an office job and foolishly worked up til a week before my due date. Never again.

I was so miserably tired the last 4 weeks of pregnancy that I dreaded going to work every day and I love my job.

Next time I'll go 3 weeks early I think.

I worked until a week before, desk based, no issues. My boss asked for a date for recording with HR but did say if i felt i needed to finish earlier i could do so, in reality i could have worked longer than i did as i felt find and got bored, baby arrived on due date

My baby came at 38 weeks last time. I finished up on the Thursday was in hospital every day after until the baby came on the Monday. I wish I’d have had longer as the commuting was hard and I was knackered. This time round I’ll start mat leave at 38 weeks and take annual leave at least 2 weeks before

I only took a week off before my due date, mainly because I wanted to finish off things at work before I left. Desk-based, very flexible job although the commute is not the greatest. I got terrible sciatica pains during my leaving do on my last day, which ruined that week completely as I could barely move from that point onwards. In hindsight, I wish I had taken an extra week off, if only for the luxury of enjoying some quiet alone time to 'nest' and read a book or something. Now pregnant with DC2, I'm considering taking a bit more time off, although having a toddler around complicates things!

Not niave but seriously, enjoy some time at home before the baby arrives. You will never get this ‘you time again’.

I had quite a few weeks at home and I’m so thankful for that. Just time to sleep/relax/wind down and think about the baby.

I finished at 36 weeks (annual leave then mat from due date), I was really glad to finish.
I was getting no sleep by that point, my ribs were so sore that by lunchtime I was almost in tears.
Ds wasn't born until 40+8 but I was really glad to be off.
At 25 weeks pregnant I felt at my best during the pregnancy fyi.

The Physio that ran the antenatal class I went to said she preferred women not to work past 36 weeks if possible.

I finished at 35 weeks from a busy frontline healthcare job. Mainly because I was moving countries and needed time to settle in to new house/get booked in new hospital etc. DD arrived 10 days late and to be honest I was getting really bored at that point. This time will be having planned c-section and will try to work up to a week beforehand.

I worked right til week before due date and had baby nine/ten days after due date.
I think it depends on your job and how you feel.
I enjoyed being at work and my husband worked away so I enjoyed the company.
If Im honest I really only cleaned the house and watched tv once I was off.
I got a bus to work and back so can sympathise with you there.
I cant remember how much notice I had to give. But if I had gone off sick after 36 wks they automatically start ML.

With my second baby I finished at 39 weeks and originally wanted to work until my due date. 2 days after I finished along came baby! He was 5 days early.

I guess it depends if you are fit, healthy and feeling fine - also if you have the energy. DS came before I was due to finish for maternity so yes, I was working the day he was born (running up and down stairs on heels after working until 3am the night before night seeing a project go to bed). I called work the next morning to tell them that I wouldn’t make the 9:30 team meeting (for a few months).

However - I was very fit, had loads of energy and had a very easy pregnancy.

I did. DS1 was due on Sunday and my last day was scheduled to be the Friday but I went into labour on Thursday and my waters broke that evening so I missed my last day, even though he wasn't born until the Saturday morning. I had a similar job of mostly desk based office work but with some long presentation sessions to deliver and an hour's train journey with a walk of just over a mile from the station to the office.

Next time round I took my maternity leave as early as I could and used up all the annual leave I'd accrued during my maternity leave immediately before as DS1 commuted to nursery at my workplace and I walked from the station to nursery with him on my back which wasn't fun as summer got underway.

The longish daily walk on the commute kept me very fit, I think, and I felt well and able to move around during the long labour. I was in hospital for two weeks before having the second one and I was so much less fit and found it a lot harder to move around and cope with even the fairly quick labour I had that time.

I can see you’ve had a lot of replies but adding mine anyway :)

With my first I worked up until 39+6 (that was the Friday). It was 100% fine and he was 12 days late so I had plenty of ‘me’ time. I did use annual leave to have a day off a week for the last month and I was glad I did that - I have an easy pregnancy but was tired towards the end.

Basically I thought that if I wanted to leave earlier it would be easy to get a sick note for ‘pregnancy related tiredness’ so it was worth a go - I never regretted it...

It entirely up to how you feel. I wanted to work as late as possible as I only took 4mths leave so my last day was due to be the day before my due date. Left work at 5pm and had the baby that night (was supposed to work one more day). I plan to give the same finish date this time too all being well. My logic is that if I go over, I'll have up to 2 weeks after I leave and if I go early I get longer with baby. As others have said you could always get signed off earlier.

I'm 38 weeks and working till due date if not more to maximize the limited time off I get on maternity leave after the baby's born. If I were living somewhere with longer maternity leave I still wouldn't have given up before 38 weeks, maybe even 39 because I know I have a good chance of going significantly overdue (personal and family history of long pregnancy). I don't get the appeal of sitting around at home waiting for the balloon to go up if, like me, you're in good shape and have a job that's not physically taxing.

I’m debating what to do too. Currently finishing at 37+3 but I’m so so bored on my days off at home already (31+1 today) that am thinking might regret it, especially if he goes over.

That said, I’m 2 months off turning 40 and bloody exhausted!

I worked until 39 weeks (went into hospital with DS at 39+5) and was fine - struggled to walk a bit in the last two weeks as my feet swelled up but luckily it was summer and I work in quite casual environment so I just ended up wearing flip flops to work. I also wanted to use my maternity leave when I actually had the baby rather than on my own and am glad that I did so. However, I had a pretty straightforward pregnancy all round and had a pretty easy commute (45 minutes with one change of train and short walk at either end). I did have to take a lot of toilet breaks near the end though!

I think that if you feel well enough to work until your due date, and you want to do so, then there is no reason not to. As PP have said, if things change you can always be signed off sick if cover is not a problem.

I work for myself so I needed to book clients as close to my due date as pos.
I was going to work until 39 weeks but 38 week falls when the kids go back and that week is a bit flat at my salon so I thought I'd go 38 (fully booked till the minute I leave)

However they now want to induce me at 37 so I'll be finishing work the Friday and being induced (probably) the Monday.
I had to cancel a weeks clients and now I have no time off before the baby.

Full term is 37 weeks so I think 36 or 37 is sensible

I did. But wouldn’t do it again. I was very tired when I got into labour. I realised then that I should have been preparing my body for this almighty thing it was about to do by resting as much as I could. Knowing what I know, i’d go a month before due date. Good luck.

I worked up to 39 weeks, thought I would treat myself to a week of feathering my nest first. DS was 8 days late, had I known I would have worked to 40 weeks. I felt absolutely fine and was bored waiting for him to arrive after I finished.

I also wanted to do this. Desk job, own breaks, own start and finish time.
But doctor said he'd only sign for me to stay til 37 weeks, easy uncomplicated pregnancy but he said I'd be happy by the time 37 weeks rolled around.

I am so so glad!!! I was so tired and just lost focus completely on work and only thought if my baby, labour and the discomfort of the last couple weeks.
It's also only after it all that you reflect on those last few weeks of just you. You'll never have that back. Well not for a while. I love my daughter so much but sometimes I'd love to just veg out on couch with a box series and do nothing but I cant. Savour this time!!!

Even with the next baby I will start around 36w because it's soooo mentally and physically exhausting.

I planned to work until quite late but I'm now 33 weeks and have decided to stop at 36 as I'm uncomfortable, achy and generally totally fed up of being at work!

I worked to 38 weeks teaching full time with a 45 minute commute. Was hard work but manageable.

I would tell them you are working to due date for now. You can always go off earlier if you need.

It can be done. My daughter worked up until 38 weeks, finished work on the Friday. Moved house on the Saturday, went into labour on the Sunday and gave birth to a lovely, healthy baby boy on the Monday almost two weeks earlier than anticipated.

Your life at work sounds comfortable so if you think you can do it my advice would be to work up to 38 weeks. There is less chance of baby arriving before you finish and hopefully baby won’t be two weeks late. It would be nice for you to enjoy a few mornings of waking up at your leisure, even if only for a few weeks or so. It will be a long while before you get that luxury again.

Have a great rest of pregnancy and happy mat leave, good luck with whatever you decide.