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?

Scientist/project manager. Have been very sick all pregnancy and now unable to walk without crutches as well. Been off since 32 weeks because I had a lot of holiday to use. Actual mat leave started at 36 weeks and I’ll take 18m off.

I have a office based job, using 3 weeks annual leave to finish at 37 weeks with mat pay kicking in on my due date all being well! I only get statutory pay so I’ll be going back after 9 months when that ends although I’ll have annual leave to tag on the end which should take me to more like 10 months

With my 1st I had an office job and planned to work as long as I could, ended up finishing up about 3 weeks before my due date, but some of that was annual leave.

With my second I was in a more active job, I hoped to work as long as possible again but the closer I got to the end the more fed up I got, all I could think about was washing baby clothes and sorting the nursery ! So I finished about 6 weeks before (still, some was annual leave) .

I'd say it's better to work as long as you can purely because you have more time at the other end, but maybe keep your options open if your work are happy to change the date closer to the time, because you do need to rest too! It's nice to have some me time and relax before baby arrives !

I'm a university administrator and planned to go on mat leave for 12 months at 38 weeks. Then I got induced at 37 weeks as I had cholestasis.

Fairly easy going work from home type job in finance so physically I can manage but mentally I’m so done! I just don’t care about doing work when all I want to do it lay on the sofa or get things ready for baby so although I initially thought I’d go to a week before due date I’ve brought it forward by a week and taking a weeks annual leave before that, so I’ve technically finished at 36 weeks. I’m so so so happy I don’t have that Sunday afternoon “back to work tomorrow” feeling
Taking about 9 mths off, perhaps flexi time when I first go back to ease my return.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy - a baby AND no work for the foreseeable, it’s like a dream

I am a university fundraiser. Planning to split my maternity leave with my husband (IT Manager). My due date is mid April 2019 so I will probably finish working at the end of March 2019.

Hi @riaviolet I haven't told them yet 7 weeks today!

With DS it was 18 weeks at 90%
SMP until week 39
Then unpaid until week 52