When did you start maternity leave?

[PhoebeBear]

I know it's different for everyone and some people can work right up until due date and some get more tired.
I'm 22 weeks and so far I'm coping OK.. I work in retail and I'm stocking cosmetic stands. I've had my health and safety and I know I now cannot climb on ladders but I'm still lifting heavy totes and stuff with the help of other employees. My knees hurt from bending and after each shift I'm worn out.
I'm due August 8th so I was thinking of starting my leave the beginning of july, I also have holidays to take so thinking of taking June off. How does this sound to other people? Sorry I know it's only me that can make the decision but just wanted some advice xx

I'm due 18th July and planning to take my remaining annual leave in the lead up, so will be finishing on the 25th June with mat leave officially starting on the 19th. I guess you could say I start mat leave on the 26th June as I will be out of the office until I return next spring.
Does that help?

I hope the totes you're shifting aren't too heavy? You need to watch your back as well as your knees and the weight lifting guidelines, don't push yourself too hard!!

Hey lovely,

Today is my first official day of maternity leave and I'm 37 weeks tomorrow. I also worked in retail at a supermarket so was constantly bending and lifting all day and by the end of the shift my back was in bits. Eventually moved on to checkouts from around 35 weeks because I was struggling to bend!

Now I've been at home for a few days my back pain has gone so going to enjoy the last few weeks before little one makes an arrival! I was also lucky enough to have decent managers who allowed breaks to sit and chill whenever I wanted to! 💗

Yeah yours sounds similar so it's like almost a month before your due date? I think that's going to be best for me too. Only thinking of taking my holidays in June as they go April to April and I'll lose them anyways (unless I take them earlier like may)

Yes I'm trying not to push myself too much. The shop I work in has cosmetics aisle which is my aisle, only one person works on cosmetics at a time so all the other workers are on the shop floor or tills so I work alone which I've loved but seems to be getting harder when I need a extra hand or to helping me. I hate pestering people but I know if I were to injure myself or baby it would be a lot worse xx

@blh23 you are I sound a lot similar in our job types! 😂 I was going to ask to be put on the tills but there's a lot of pressure when selling loyalty cards and such and the managers never go easy on you!
I had a week off last month and let me tell you... to not feel that back pain for those 7 days was bliss! X

One week before due date.

But I’d stopped commuting into London a month earlier & just gone into a local office because I got fat ankles if I went on the tube.

Annoyingly early!

I was due 19th January this year and finished on 21st December as my work shuts down over Christmas. My first official day of maternity was 2nd of January. My little blighter decided to be 2 weeks late!
In fairness I probably didn’t want to work much later than I did as I have a hefty commute and despite being 8 months pregnant people were surprisingly reticent to give up their seat on the train.

32 weeks, but first 4 weeks were saved up annual leave.I didn't fancy a daily 3-hr commute round trip ;-) anymore

I worked on the health and beauty section so I know what you mean about lifting totes, might not look like a lot in there but they're still heavy 😂 it's also not the weight of products when stocking the shelves, it's the constant bending to the bottom and then back up that was the killer!

Store manager was an ass and would try and make me work heavy products (pet food, tins etc) at like 30 plus weeks and would moan when I refused but my actual department manager was an angel and basically let me do what I wanted in the last few weeks 😂 honestly though, when I would have my three days off in a row, I never once had back ache but as soon as I was at work it was horrendous so make sure you take it easy and get on a till if possible! Even if it's just a couple of hours to break your shift up from lifting! xo

I know this post is quite old now, but I've been looking to see what seems to be the round about time to start mat leave. I do the same sort of job, working health and beauty but on a night shift. I'm coming up to 29 weeks, I'm not huge or anything, but I'm just so tired and really struggling bending down and getting up when putting out stock. I'm looking at starting my leave at 31 weeks, but all my colleagues have to voice their opinion and are telling me to leave it until April so I'll have more time off after the baby is born. But to be honest, I have no intention in going back, although they don't know that. I'm so tired and achey, I just want to finish now but don't want to look lazy when others are starting their leave closer to their due date

3 weeks before due date, but DC1 was over a week late so it ended up being nearly a month

I started mine at 29 weeks,no medical reason, I just wanted to have me time tbh!! Best decision I ever made!!

@Lipperfromchipper I’m so glad you said that! I’m 22 weeks and just counting the weeks the weeks until I could potentially be on maternity leave. I’m a nurse and keen to get out of work if the corona virus gets worse. I know people say you should stay at work as long as possible so you have more time with the baby. How did you feel? Did you wish you had more time once the baby was born?

@Lipperfromchipper I'll be 30 weeks when I go off.
Just finished my shift and feel stiff as anything, and my sciatica is playing up too. I don't think I could drag this out for another 7+ weeks

38 weeks with both DC.

@Itsnoteasyfeelingqueasy I intended on taking a full year anyway but I actually ended up staying home for 6 years so I can’t say how it was going back tbh