Bringing Mat leave forward

[MinisterforCheekyFuckery]

Hi all

I am lucky to work term time only so just coming to the end of 6 weeks off. I'm due back at work tomorrow. Before the break I had been feeling really well, reasonably energetic, so told HR that I wanted to work up until 38 weeks. I'm now regretting this.

Over the last 3 weeks or so, as I've gotten bigger, I've developed terrible pelvic/hip pain and have found it a real struggle to do anything some days even though I've been able to rest (well, as much as you can with a four year old) at home. Have tried a support belt and all the other suggestions the midwife and physio made when I had SPD with baby no 1 but nothing is helping so far. I'm also massive (baby is above 90th centile apparently and I'm petite) which doesn't help. I'm barely sleeping at all due to the pain in my hips so I feel completely exhausted.

My job is 'full on'. As well as being emotionally draining it's quite physical, lots of time on my feet, constantly up and down stairs and responding to incidents across a large site so I do a lot of walking. I can't take annual leave due to being term time only.

I'm tempted to tell HR and my boss when I go back that I want to start my maternity leave earlier than planned (maybe 35/36 weeks?) but I'm worried they'll think this is a bit pathetic when I've just had six weeks off. I'm also not sure how it works, can they say no and make me work until 38 weeks anyway?

Sounds like you need the time! Be honest and open with them as soon as possible. It might be worth reassessing your risk assessment, would reduced responsibilities make it possible if you want? They can't make you work for longer though (although if you take sick leave it triggers your mat leave at 36 weeks).

If I were you, I’d go to the GP and get signed off with the SPD. At the end of the day, nobody’s going to hand you a medal for working up to 36 weeks. If you do go off sick, mat leave will start at 36 weeks anyway. I had horrific SPD in my 2nd pregnancy and just struggled on- in hindsight, I wish I hadn’t- it’s not like I got any thanks for it!

They can’t make you work until 38/9 weeks and it doesn’t really matter what they actually think, although I doubt they’ll think you’re pathetic.

I planned to work until 39 weeks, got royally fucked off with my boss on a Monday (after weeks of shit) and went into HR on the Tuesday and said “I want to finish at the end of the week, is that ok?”.

They said yes, we’ll put you on holiday up to your existing planned finish date and just let your boss know. So I finished at 36 weeks with hardly any notice.

So your options are, start may leave earlier as I’m assuming you don’t get holiday entitlement due to your term time only contract.
Or go to the GP and ask to be signed off with SPD. Personally I’d go with the former as I’d rather just be upfront and have a clean break rather than weekly updates of no still signed off etc etc

Personally I’d go with the former as I’d rather just be upfront and have a clean break rather than weekly updates of no still signed off etc etc

This is what I'm thinking. I'd also like to do a proper handover as my colleagues and my boss are both really supportive so I don't want to drop them in it.

I think I'm going to go and see the HR manager when we go back tomorrow, explain the situation and ask to finish at the end of this month..I'll be 36 weeks then so hopefully that'll give me time to rest before the baby comes even if he's on the early side.