When to start Mat leave/how long to take?

[EL332]

When have people planned to/or started their Mat leave?

How long do you plan on taking?

What sort of job are you in?

I'm a civil servant took 3 weeks off before my due date on annual leave with DS mat leave started my due date. I went a week over with him.

This time I will use 4 weeks annual leave with mat leave starting my due date again!

@Angelmiracle - Hi, I'm also a CS as an EO.. Have HR given you any idea how much you will be paid during the Mat leave period at all?

Also an EO in CS so interested to know! Believe it's 6 months full pay but only got that from intranet, not contacted HR yet.

OP....all going well plan to take 2 weeks annual leave then start mat leave from due date. Will be off for year and intend to "give" a month of my leave to my partner.

Teacher- the plan was to work up to 39 weeks.

Baby had other ideas, tried to come at 32 weeks, they managed to keep it in, was signed off work and baby then came at 34 weeks! I guess it meant my whole mat leave will be with DD! 😊

I’m a nurse and plan on taking mat leave from 4w before due date but also taking 4w holiday so technically finishing work 8w before due date. early compared to most but I don’t think I’ll manage to work any later. I’m taking 10 months off I think

I am going on Mat leave 10 days prior to due date but have just over 3 weeks of annual leave to use up first so leaving work just after 35 weeks.
Not sure how long exactly I will take off as it depends on what we can afford at the time. It will definitely be 9 months (plus annual leave tagged on end) but hoping I can afford another month or 2 to take my total time off to about a year

I work in the NHS (office based though, not frontline) and have my mat leave starting 2 weeks before my due date with 3 and a half weeks annual leave added on to that so finishing at 34.5 weeks. For actual maternity leave, I’m taking 9 months and then with accrued leave I will be at home with baby for another month and a half

I worked to 38 weeks, which felt like one week too long - I was still feeling fine at 37, but that last week was really hard (it was only a few weeks ago, so it didn't help that that week was also really hot). I'm having six months but then DH is having three so DS will start nursery at 9 months.

I finished at 37 weeks with my eldest and 33 weeks with my youngest. I used 2 weeks annual leave so technically went on mat leave at 35 weeks. I was physically ready both times. Especially with my youngest and having a 2YO to look after!

I'm leaving at 34 weeks. It would have been 37 but I had loads of holiday to use up!

Planning on working until 38 weeks. Have an office based job where I can work from home as needed. Am carrying over all annual leave until the end of my maternity leave and doing SPL, with DP taking the last three months.

I'm going off in 4 weeks time I'll be 34+4! Went off around 35 weeks with my last pregnancy (wasn't planning too but it all got too much and I had to leave early) I work in an office so not doing anything too strenuous, but I'm only 4ft11 so my growing bump is really hard on my body, I feel rough already!

Planning on taking the 9 months SMP period then going back but could potentially go back earlier depending on money.

i finished last week at 34+5. i’m taking 4 weeks annual leave so actual maternity leave starts at nearly 38 weeks. i do a physical job (healthcare) and would have struggled to carry on! i’ll have 10 months off.

I'm a shop manager so on my feet all day 9-5:30. I went on annual leave for a week at 35weeks and started maternity at 36weeks, convinced she was going to be early. I'm sat here at 40weeks and still no sign! I couldn't have worked much longer but these 5weeks have been quite boring. I'm taking a year although only on SMP, we saved so i can afford to do it.

Always plan 12 month off as it's easier to return earlier than it is to extend.

I'd prefer not planned 9 months off, but due to complications I couldn't return as early as I wanted to.

This time I'm taking 3 weeks annual leave, then mat leave from 2 weeks before due date and planning a year off.

I'm a social worker.

I planned to go on my due date but i went into labour at work at 37 weeks. I preferred being at work and being active than rolling around at home.

I teach and my due date falls in the middle of a term. So I am taking 3 weeks annual leave and then beginning mat leave on my due date. I'm taking 6 months leave because a) I can't afford the time after full pay ends; b) there will be summer vacation so why be on stat pay instead of full pay when there is no teaching ot do anyway?

I'm a teacher. Intended to work until 38 weeks but ended up leaving at 36 weeks as I couldn't cope any longer. Dd came at 41 weeks, those 5 pre-baby weeks were absolute bliss of long walks and long naps and catching up with friends (helped that it was over Christmas!). I stayed off for 9 months. I wish I'd gone back sooner as I was very depressed. Ideally I'd have gone back when dd was 6 months and dp would have taken the next 6 months.

Press officer. I've had pregnancy complications - I've been on pregnancy-related sickness for the last 6 weeks. Today is the start of my maternity leave (triggered by sickness, the w/c 4 weeks before my due date). But I'm being induced in a fortnight. I'm taking 9 months (using SPL with husband - so he gets 3 months). I also a lot of A/L from this year to use at the end of my mat leave next year as I wasn't able to take it before my leave began.

I'm a teacher- worked until 38 and a half weeks, took 12 months mat leave. I loved it! Next time will probably go back to work after 8/9 months though as financially it was a stretch.

I'm a scientist.

Took three weeks annual leave, and then maternity leave started a week before my due date. Baby was born a week early so mat leave started right on time!

I took twelve months, plus another month of holiday at the end.

I’m finishing up at 38 weeks (taking 2 weeks annual leave then starting Mat Leave on my due date) which feels like a bit too late now (I’m 36+2 today) as I didn’t anticipate this horrendous heat! I will be taking a full year plus racking on some holiday though so all in all will have 13 months off.

I work in the Nhs.
I’m starting mat leave at 37+2, having 9 months mat leave then adding on my accrued holiday onto the end which I think is 34-35 days. So in total 10 months and a bit. Start August 18, will be back June 19.

Thank you all for posting 🙂 I've set my Mat leave date as 10 days before my due date but think I'll leave a couple of weeks before that with A/L depending on how I go 🙂