When to go on mat leave?

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Advice needed!

I'm 39 currently pregnant with my third baby (first for fiancé). I work ft as a SEN 1:1 support in a primary school. My fiancé also works ft but we both work on pretty low wages.

Due date is 29/5.

Fiancé is keen for me to work up until 22/5 as after that half-term begins. I'd have my boys over this holiday of course.

Whilst I appreciate money is tight, I do worry a little that this doesn't give me much time to prepare or rest myself before the birth. Esp if baby arrives early!!

Work (in a nice way) thought I'd be leaving around April.

Huge thanks for any words of wisdom 😊

I'm planning to go at 38 weeks (1 week leave then 1 week mat leave before due date) but I've definitely slowed up in the last week (35 weeks tomorrow). It's an office based job, half an hour drive and I've the luxury of working from home, which has been increased to 2 days as of next week. Perhaps aim to get to half term if things are going well but check whether you can adjust this if you can't manage.

I'm planning on starting mine at 38 weeks. I'm 34+4 now and struggling because I'm on my feet all day.

Sorry pressed reply too soon. My first 2 babies were 12 and 13 days late so I didn't want to go on maternity leave too early.

I'm a full time nurse on a very busy ward but won't be going on mat leave until next week at 39 weeks. I have gone over with both previous pregnancies and could bare sitting at home twiddling my thumbs for potentially 3 weeks.

I've planned to go on mine the maximum time before my due date that I can, I'm working and at university and it's becoming increasingly more and more difficult to walk around at 23 weeks, I can only imagine what I'll be like even in a couple of weeks... My fiancé and I are both happy to adapt our working schedules around this plan so I can go back to work when the statutory leave comes to an end

I want to add that I'm due May 3rd and my lectures go right up until my due date so stopping work so early should be the most beneficial way for me to use my mat leave

I am planning to go at 36 weeks. Due 27th March and last day will be 28th Feb. I will take 19 days leave which will take me up to my due date and my maternity leave will start then unless the baby comes early.

I’m planning on going at 38 weeks then will have an elcs at 39 weeks. With my first I had 4 weeks annual leave before my due date then DD arrived a week late. It was lovely having the time off before but for childcare reasons after may leave I don’t have that luxury this time.

Mine came the night of my work xmas party at 38+3! I was holding out to go on mat leave at 39 weeks. All financially driven as my company's mat policy was so dire I could barely afford any time off before.

It depends how you feel. I went at 36 weeks as I had about 3 weeks AL so used that but gave birth to DS at 38+3

@shutupsteph I understand that but we also rely heavily on my wages.

It’s so individual it’s hard to say but I’d certainly go off how you feel than your partner! With my first 4 years ago I planned to leave at 38 weeks but ds arrived at 37+4- thankfully on a weekend! I felt fine working at that point but was gutted to have no time off prior to his arrival- especially as it then meant I had to move house with a 5 day old

This time I’ll be finishing at 34 weeks and it cannot come soon enough I’m absolutely done in already and have no idea how I worked so late last time!!

Thank you. I'll have a think but might be I go a little earlier at 38 weeks. Just mindful that I'd like to take the nine months off as much as possible when the baby is here and the earlier I leave the less time I'll have off before I have to return to work.

I told work the latest date I could foresee me being able to carry on. You can always stop earlier - they can't say no. I don't like to mess people around, but you don't know until you get there, and I'd rather have put my work to a (rather foreseeable) inconvenience than lose a couple of weeks with my baby.

I was due to start my maternity leave at 34 weeks, but would have finished work 2 weeks before because of christmas. I actually finished at 28 weeks due to my husband being very poorly due to losing his eyesight & eventually being diagnosed with MS due to all the stress my GP advised me to be signed off sick at 28 weeks until my maternity leave was due to start. With hindsight it was the best decision as my husband needed 24/7 care, we were at the hospital at least 3 times a week after he was diagnosed. At 36 weeks I had a fall at all places, the doctor's surgery & broke all my fingers on one hand, within 4 days I had developed pre eclampsia, I was admitted to be induced & ds was born bang on 37 weeks.

I'm sure if your partner was the one carrying the baby he would want to leave work now! I'm pregnant with number 2 (also due in May) and I'm exhausted already!

Having a similar dilemma as you OP about when to start - half of me wants to leave it as late as possible so I have more time with the baby once s/he arrives, but the other part of me just wants to go as early as possible and have a massive snooze for the next few weeks!

I think I'll probably finish at 37 weeks and will use annual leave to have shorter weeks in the run up to this & get some practical bits done around the home while DS is at preschool (although I appreciate it may be more difficult for you to take leave ad hoc working in a school setting than it is with an office job).

I can't really complain about leaving later (around 38/39 weeks) as my boys are not young any more (9 and 12) so although they need looking after they're not toddlers or anything like that.

I feel I need to be working as much as possible as joint household income is only around £2400 pm and rent alone is £900. No other income or maintenance etc.

It's only going to get tricker when returning to work as I only earn £9.50 p/h and will need childcare!!

Also a teacher 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m due mid June and am currently playing the game of wether to go back for a week after half term just to extend my mat leave with baby for as long as possible.

Dd1 was an early bird (32 weeks) so obviously I can say I’ll work to 39 weeks all I like but it may not be the case!! I did enjoy the fact that all of my previous Mat leave was with baby and she was 11 months when I dragged myself back into work (just before a holiday 😂)

Keep us updated with what you decide 😊