when did you go on mat leave with your first?

[elpreggo27]

FTM expecting in March. My mat pay tapers off pretty quickly so I need to stay working as long as possible (health/comfort depending). When did you go on mat leave with your first? I know everyone is different but interested to get some rough ballpark figures :)

I work from home a lot so I finished when I went into labour which was handy as it was a Friday. My role is desk based.

Work were great about letting me work from home for the two weeks before I went Into labour.

Had her Early hours Sunday morning.

I was 6 days over when I went on maternity leave. I recognise that this was very late but my job is office based and I was able to work from home the last few weeks of my pregnancy.

In hindsight this was probably too late as I was feeling extremely stressed and cried a lot as my work load was crazy but I have an extra few weeks of maternity leave now to spend with my girl so it was worth it IMO.

Started ofically at 38 weeks but actually had two weeks before as AL so was off work from 36. He was born at 41+1 and tbh I was bored and miserable for 5 weeks. I did manage to go to the gym a lot though! I was working as a community midwife carrying equipment around, running busy clinics, not getting breaks etc. So I don’t feel like I actually could have lasted any longer at work as I was shattered by the time I got home every day. If I’d been able to change my duties and was doing admin or slightly less full-on clinics, it probably would have been better for my mental health to keep working up until 38-39 weeks.

Officially, I'm starting a week before my due date (which is Feb 9). However I'm self-employed so am working up till Christmas, then taking January to finish off anything outstanding and do admin, and then hopefully have a couple of weeks to wind down before baby arrives in early-mid Feb.

With my first finished at 38 weeks and baby was born at 39 weeks so felt a bit cheated out of longer to relax!

With my second I've just finished at 37 weeks and was more than ready to leave as my work situation was more stressful! Currently have 2 weeks of annual leave before mat leave kicks in.

I'm an office worker and went on mat leave at 36 weeks.

I was glad of this because the whole swollen feet etc started a couple of weeks before that but I wanted as much time as I could with baby and also didn't want to be twiddling my thumbs.

She timed it perfectly, she came 10 days early so I had a week and a half of prepping etc and then waters broke Wednesday evening, she arrived Friday morning.

With my first I went to 38+2 and born at 41. I was still cycling to work up until my mat leave but getting slower. I was a nurse on a busy, physically heavy ward. I was in the gym on my due date. This time I am using 4 weeks annual leave before mat leave and starting mat leave on my due date. However, I am currently off with pelvic pain and very bored and frustrated. Different department to previous pregnancy but still bedside nurse. Hoping to go back before my annual leave starts when sick ends of pain allows. Don't do well without something productive to do.

I go on maternity leave today! I am almost 38 weeks. It's been fine to be honest but I've done this last week from home and I have an office-based job.