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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

When did you start maternity leave?

38 replies

EnjoyItAll · 13/04/2019 09:42

I have been avoiding discussing maternity leave with my boss as this is my first pregnancy and I have no idea as to what is realistic. My job is low stress and is office based so I don’t need to worry about being on my feet all day. I’m thinking of starting maternity either a week before my due date and taking 9 months. I know it can be changed but is a week before a realistic time to start it provided baby doesn’t come early?

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Original poster

EnjoyItAll · 13/04/2019 09:43

Should say either a week of 2 before my due date

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ShowOfHands · 13/04/2019 09:43

I started at 38 weeks.

MCPT · 13/04/2019 09:44

I am planning to go off 2 weeks before the due date (in case it's early), and that seems fairly normal for most people I know!

Mumof1andacat · 13/04/2019 09:45

Worth checking your maternity leave policy. I started my mat leave at 37 weeks but left at 36 wks as I had to take accumulated annual leave before my mat leave started

mummytothree87 · 13/04/2019 09:46

im due in october with baby no 4 and honestly just go with what u feel with my first i came off at 6 months due to spd and that was an office job with low stress my last two have been between 33 and 35 weeks and that was only because i now work in care and became more of a hindrance due to the sheer size of the bumps i had with this one im hoping to come off at 37 weeks in the same job. Honestly just go with what u feel u can cope with theres no right or wrong and u may feel different the further along u get xx

Whitechocandraspberry · 13/04/2019 09:47

Work around your due date. I was due one on 7 January so stopped working on Xmas eve because fitted in with the holiday. He came early so I hadn’t used any maternity leave until day he was born. With another one due on a Monday so worked up until Friday before. You may go overdue. I personally didn’t want to waste any days before babies born. But some friends I know went off quite a few weeks before. Whatever works for you

tumpymummy · 13/04/2019 09:49

I planned to start mat leave 2 weeks before baby was due but then he came 3 weeks early! I'd planned to do sedentary tasks like sorting out all our photos, including the wedding photos. So that never happened!

Podemos · 13/04/2019 09:51

I've put down to go one week before due date. I figured I can go earlier if I find I need to if I'm struggling, but if I'd put down, say, 36 weeks but then got to 36 weeks and felt fine, I wouldn't be able to stay longer and would just be sitting around the house annoyed with wasting my paid maternity leave.

Sunhill4 · 13/04/2019 09:52

I literally went on mat leave as my waters broke. Figured it was more sensible to take it once baby was here and no reason not to work beforehand.

xJune88 · 13/04/2019 09:53

I'm currently 36 weeks. Mines fallen really well I work in a school and Easter holidays started yesterday for me so my maternity starts when I'm 38 weeks. I wouldn't of been able to work any longer though I'm exhausted! X

Newmumma83 · 13/04/2019 09:53

38 weeks was gonna try until 39 but was not able to cope anymore ... baby cane 3 weeks after ... best 3 weeks ever ... I didn’t want to go out much but squeezed in all family and social niceties blitzed the house , batch cooked food for when baby came ( best idea ever honestly do it if you can ) and slept loads and binged watched rubbish! Last time I had all that time to me so glad I had it.

So glad for baby too but your world changes so be selfish and look after you for a bit if you want to x x

BeHereNowx32 · 13/04/2019 09:55

Maternity started at 38 weeks, but I finished work at 35 weeks, using holidays. At the time I worried it was too early. But I was getting bad sciatica pain, and was so tired. Baby came the day before my due date. Looking back I am glad I had all that time to rest and sort out the house etc. Nice to have time for myself before.

zombee · 13/04/2019 09:57

Going at 35 weeks due to having a job that involves lots of lifting and quick moving which isn't possible with the amount of pain I'm in, not sure I can last another 8 weeks to get there if I'm honest. I'm also already on reduced duties so I'm not much use at work at the minute anyway so it won't make a difference to them if I'm there or not really.

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 13/04/2019 09:59

I had to use my annual leave entitlement so I finished at 35 weeks then my maternity leave started on my due date for the 9 months following that.
Initially I had thought I’d work until just the week before due date and was a bit annoyed that I had to take my holidays. However, by the time I got to 35 weeks I was absolutely exhausted and really struggling so I was glad to finish then!

allabouteve1 · 13/04/2019 09:59

Baby one and two I went at 37 it fitted with school holidays well.

With baby 3 I went at 34 due to crippling SPD but that was after the Christmas holiday so was in bed rest from 32 weeks. Had planned to go at 37 again but I couldn't walk without crutches let alone be on my feet teaching all day.

I'd plan to go later as moving earlier is possible if needed.

MunsteadWood · 13/04/2019 10:05

I started my maternity leave on the date of my ELCS (39+1). Wanted maximum time on leave with DS and was lucky to have had a fairly easy pregnancy so work was still manageable (office job but with 1hr train commute). I took 10 days holiday beforehand, which I was glad of, although i found it quite a strange time and remember not being quite sure what to do with myself (I spent a lot of time washing and carefully folding baby clothes etc) so was glad I didn't take longer!

Gillian1980 · 13/04/2019 10:09

With dd I planned to stop at 38 weeks, but had to stop at 36 due to complications / being unwell. She was delivered at 37 by caesarean.

I’m scheduled to finish at 36 with this one. I’m 33 weeks now and desperately counting down the days!

Mammyloveswine · 13/04/2019 10:10

Im a teacher and had two early January babies. So i officially started maternity leave at 40 weeks but went off for the Christmas hols so was 38 weeks and 38.5 weeks.

I also only took 6 months off but went back for a week and then had the 6 weeks hols both times too which was nice.

Original poster

EnjoyItAll · 13/04/2019 10:11

Baby is due September and my holiday entitlement restarts a week after due date so I have made sure my holiday is used up before I go. I was thinking 9 months will be a good amount of time as if I can bf then baby will be able to eat more solids by then and hopefully be a little more independent than at 6 months but I might be naive there too! Im leaning more towards 1 week as if baby comes on time or late I will have some time to myself but not waste too much time that I could be having with baby and if I take 2 weeks and go over I will be sat around for up to a month.

Do you still get a holiday entitlement when on maternity leave? I’m debating going back 4 days a week instead of 5 but that’s a conversation I still need to have too

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ChrisPrattsFace · 13/04/2019 10:14

You might see some of my responses on other threads that I intended to go between 34-36. I am now going at 38+5! I have got a little holiday before hand which will give me more time.
I’m also due in September and I am quiet happy with this!

Perty01234 · 13/04/2019 10:22

I still get holiday entitlement on maternity so check with your employer? I am public sector not private though.
I was due on the Thursday, finished Sunday before, went into labour later that day and he arrived the next day.
Hindsight maybe I would have wanted a few days off extra as I woke up at 6am for work on Sunday and didn’t get to sleep again till 9pm Monday evening (on a ward../ with a baby)

Perty01234 · 13/04/2019 10:23

I am also due September with my 2nd, due on a Friday, probably finish the Friday before hand I reckon!

mynameiscalypso · 13/04/2019 10:28

Like others, I'm planning to start my maternity leave as late as possible but I will have 12 days of holiday to take before then. Will probably end up going off around 37 weeks depending on what's agreed as I'm having an ELCS. I'm taking the full year as baby is due mid August and I like the idea of having all of next summer at home with him when he's a bit older and more interactive.

Userwhatevernumber · 13/04/2019 10:34

With DD, officially 38 weeks but I took 2 weeks annual leave so really 36 weeks, but I had a really high stress job and was really struggling for my last few weeks and I was worried I was going to have an early labour. She came at 38.4

With DS, I went off early at 34 weeks with a week annual leave, he was due in mid October but I left at the end of August. But that was really to settle DD into reception at school, because I didn’t see the point of putting her in after-school and before school childcare for her first month at school only to then take her out again when I went off. It worked well because it gave me some time with DD before he came at 39.6 around 6 weeks later.

Original poster

EnjoyItAll · 13/04/2019 11:21

I will check about my holiday entitlement whilst off but not sure how potentially dropping a day would effect it or my maternity entitlement. Sounds like a week before would be reasonable. My due date is midweek so could end on a Friday and have around 10 days before which is starting to look more appealing than a week

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