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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Start Maternity Leave - due day X-Mas day!

13 replies

user1469992853 · 28/08/2018 14:40

I'm in two minds as to when to start my Maternity leave - my due date is Christmas Day and is our second baby :)

So on one hand I was thinking of working up until the end of November which means plenty of time to wind down a little, get daft things done like batch cooking and generally making sure everything is in order.. but will have spent nearly a month of my Maternity without baby having arrived yet!

One the other hand I could work up to 2 weeks before due date so mid December. Flip side to this is the first two weeks of each month is our busiest time at work and we literally are manic. I regularly work later than usual (currently work full-time 9am-5:30pm with half an hour for lunch which never gets taken) and with it being December everybody wants to get everything completed earlier due to the time of year.

Sorry for the ramble but unsure if I should "spend" my maternity leave prematurely or face the madness that is works busiest time whilst being so heavily pregnant.. I understand all this is figuratively speaking as baby decides when to turn up in the end! Also potentially having an elective C-Section but waiting to speak to another Consultant to see whether they grant this or not - and to be honest I am still researching after a previous traumatic experience.

Any advice from Mums that have had Christmas babies?! [santa] [santa]

OP posts:

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Mosret · 28/08/2018 14:47

I didn't have a Christmas baby but I did have one in the month that is our 'year end' so always hectic. I officially booked mat leave for 2 wks before that but the doctor signed me off an extra week early so I finished 3 wks before dd

jennac · 28/08/2018 14:53

Hello!

I'm in a similar situation (due on New Year's Day) and am wondering what to do! It's also such a busy time as so many other people are on holiday so less people to do the work! Luckily as it's the end of the year I have some annual leave built up that I need to use, so thinking of taking that in advance which will hopefully take me to a few weeks before Christmas. Will you have any remaining that you could use?

Figmentofimagination · 28/08/2018 14:57

One thing to think about with taking your maternity 4 weeks early is if your baby comes late. I took my maternity 2 weeks before my due date and DS came 2 weeks late. So when my maternity ended DS was only 8 months old.

Thamantha · 28/08/2018 18:30

Is there an option to take annual leave at the start of December, or otherwise to request lighter duties?

Poptart4 · 28/08/2018 20:49

Im due 30th September. When i first found out i was pregnant i planned to work up to 38 weeks. But ive had afew complications that i didn't know i would have. One of them being spd. I get very little sleep because of the pain so im going to work everyday exhausted. There have been afew other issues too.

I have holidays i have to take before i go on maternity leave or i will lose them. So i decided to finish at 36 weeks. One week of this is annual leave then maternity leave starts at 37 weeks. I would have really struggled to work until 38 weeks.

My point is you dont know how you will feel at the end. I was 30 weeks before all my problems started. I would suggest you keep your options open. Can you give your job a leaving date of 38 weeks with the option of leaving earlier if needs be?

Also do you have any holidays you can use before you start maternity leave?

firesong · 28/08/2018 20:57

I had a Christmas baby and started mat leave at the end of November. I was able to do Xmas shopping and it was so cosy and nice, relaxing with hot chocolate amongst the Xmas shoppers.

problembottom · 28/08/2018 21:32

I’m due Dec 27. I’m off from Nov 30, using seven days holiday then just under three weeks mat leave until my due date. I have no idea how I’ll be finding work by then but figured it would be nice to be off for the month, all cosy and Christmassy with none of the work stress. Hopefully it will be like your experience firesong

FirstTimeBumps · 29/08/2018 10:03

Due Jan 2nd but I'm taking my leave from December 3rd. The commute is miserable in the winter as it is let alone being huge. Throw a bit of snow and slippery conditions into the mix and I'm done. I've also considered the fact I'm already suffering with back problems at 22 weeks. I may change my mind closer to the date but at present I think I've made peace with my leave date all be it a bit early. Get to enjoy Christ for the first time in years after working/studying for past five years providing bump doesn't make an early appearance

mumofmunchkin · 29/08/2018 11:02

This is my third baby, due start of Jan. With my others I finished at 36 and 35 weeks, and am finishing at 36 weeks this time. The first two weeks are holiday, and then I "officially" start mat leave at 38 weeks. I love having that time before the baby comes - no pressure to get up and out of the house in the morning, you can put your feet up, potter round, sleep, and generally get used to the idea that you are about to have your baby. With taking accrued annual leave at the end, I have always been able to stay on mat leave until my baby was just 1.

wimbler · 29/08/2018 11:17

I've been thinking about this too as I'm due Christmas Eve! I think I will probably try and work up until 2 weeks before so finish on 7th Dec but will see how things go. I won't have any annual leave left by then so weighing up whether to try and work a bit longer but I think I'll be more than ready by then!

Rachsaund01 · 29/08/2018 11:28

I would agree with other poster is its a good idea to take into account what if baby is up to 2 weeks late and you take 4 weeks off prior. Everyone is different but I found on my first baby i was pulling my hair out with boredom and waiting after a week of maternity. Each to their own I guess. Best of luck with what you decide

jennac · 29/08/2018 14:38

Has anyone else spoken to their company about what happens if the baby comes early while you're taking the last of your accrued annual leave prior to maternity leave starting. Because obviously maternity leave must start as soon as the baby is born. Will they let you carry it over?

Also if you take the full 12 months maternity leave, what happens to the annual leave for 2019 that you will have accrued? Can that get carried over into 2020?

The confusion of having a New Years Day baby! I'm waiting for HR to give me some answers!

FirstTimeBumps · 29/08/2018 14:56

@jennac I was worried about that too so am taking my remaining annual leave as one big lump of pay without actually taking the time off. I was initially going to use it at the begining of my maternity leave but then that worried me. Already having trouble with maternity pay calculations with out account and only gave them my notice yesterday

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