When did you start maternity leave?

[Ozzybear123]

When did you start your maternity leave?

36 weeks. Would have been capable of working longer but had had so much trouble organising my leave it wasn't worth the hassle of reorganising. The stress they were causing me was also not worth it. I was due today so in hindsight I should maybe have pushed to work a week or two more but what's done is done. Also meant I could relax over Christmas and New Year and didn't risk having to work them, although I could have opted to finish on the 23rd haha.

Finished at 38 weeks as was tired from being on shift work. Dd came at 39 weeks exactly. Glad to not go over but wish I'd had a bit longer off before she arrived

2 weeks holiday at 34 weeks then maternity from 36 weeks. Baby arrived at 38 weeks so I was glad I finished when I did

41 weeks and 4 days was my last day but the last three days were only half days. I’m working right up to labour again but this time I’ve already started using my sick days to work half days (I’ve just gone over my due date). My maternity leave is very short so I want to maximise it and I only have an office job so it is fine. Not sure what I would do if I had 4 weeks off before the baby came!

Baby 1- 34 weeks, moved cities and baby arrived at 41+3.

Baby 2- 37 weeks. Hospitalised that night and baby arrived 37+2.

First was too long, second far too early!

Sorry, second baby came too early, could have used more time!

Both times I finished up around 37 weeks. I saved some holidays up to take so mat leave didn't officially start til about 39 weeks.

I planned to work a bit longer with my second but got so fed up towards the end that I requested to go off a week earlier.

You'll be glad of the rest. People worry they'll get bored, I didn't ! You struggle to sleep towards the end (or at least I did anyway) so I'd much rather be able to chill out at home than drag myself to work. I spent my mornings lazing on the sofa watching TV and eating ice cream lol

On a side note, I'm pregnant with #3, im a stay at home mum this time around and kind of dreading the last few weeks already, I don't imagine I'll get much peace with a toddler running around 🙈

With dc1 I went of at 36 weeks, my first baby and I really didn't have a clue! I could easily have carried on working plus dd was 10 days late.

Dc2 was due early January so I finished at Christmas time. He was also over a week late!!

Dc3 my doctor signed me off at 32 weeks due to anxiety.

If all goes to plan I will finish at 37+3 but start maternity at 38+6 due to holidays. I did a similar with my first

37 weeks, but DC1 was a week late so I had nearly a month off work before he arrived.

I hadn't actually started my mat leave - I was using two weeks holiday. I went off at 34+5 with then plan to start my leave at 37 weeks. My ds arrived at 36 week!

I was meant to finish at 37 weeks but last minute changed to 36 as I felt DS would be early. My waters broke at 38+2.