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.

I did :-) I worked up to the day before with all 3 my births with a 1.5 hour daily commute. Also had SPD and mobility issues. Can be done but everyone is different.

It's hard because you don't know how you're going to feel. You might be fine, but if you're not it will be too late by then to change your plan. I would want at least 2 weeks before my due date to wind down from "work mode" and give myself some leeway. I would also be nervous about catching any bugs from the office that close to needing to be on tip-top form for giving birth.

I worked until 38 weeks and gave birth at 38+4. Those 4 days were a god send. I cooked and froze meals for when I was shattered after birth. Had a nice relaxing bath everyday and generally just got a bit of rest before the chaos started lol

I finished at 36 weeks with my first, and 35 weeks with my second, and will prob finish about 36 weeks this time. They were both a couple of days overdue. I was generally well and working a desk job, but very tired by that point, and really enjoyed having a few weeks off to just put my feet up and watch tv, and not be answerable to anyone. The first few weeks were annual leave, so actual mat leave started at 38/37 weeks, and with some accrued annual leave I went back around their first birthdays.

You might, nearer the time, feel anxious about not being too far from home when they baby starts to come. What happens if you go into labour or your waters break at work for example? Are you just going to go home on the train?!
I certainly felt the need to be safe at home, or at least close to home, in those last couple of weeks (both my babies came early anyway, so there wasn't much waiting around).
And don't discount how huge and uncomfortable you'll feel in those last weeks; I found it really quite hard work to walk even ten minutes into town.

I was due to finish the day before my due date, then ended up in hospital with reduced movements for a week around 32 weeks, went back to work but had to leave early for daily monitoring the following week, took the Monday off for a consultants appointment and had csection that night. Worked well for me in the sense that baby was born bang on 34 weeks therefore I couldn't be pushed onto maternity leave (which I think would've inevitably happened) and now DD is healthy and strong 🙃

I gave birth the day before I was supposed to start maternity leave at 37 1/2 weeks. Like the OP, I also had an hours commute each way. The birth was very quick. If it had started while I was at work, I would almost certainly have had to call an ambulance to the side of the road, mid commute.

I worked until 40 weeks as I was on a Bill team and wanted to be there when the legislation passed.

No issues and I also had flexi, although I couldn't use it while the bill was in session. Meant I had longer off afterwards, which was good.

I just want to put it out there that babies don't know when their due date is, they come when they're ready. In my case 3 weeks early.