How long before due date to say I’ll go on mat. leave

[Greenery1]

I work in a primary school as a teaching assistant. I work long hours for a TA (8-6 three days a week and 8-4 two days a week) and have a 2.5 hour total commute by bus and two tubes (1.25 there and 1.25 back). Luckily the commute is with my partner who works a couple of stops away from my work. I am due on Wed 23rd September and was thinking of going back Monday 14th Sep. Since I’ll have had the summer holidays to prep for baby and rest up, do you think saying I’ll have only a week and a bit is okay? I say “saying” because obviously if I’m feeling rubbish in the summer holiday or in the first week back then I can ask to go earlier and since they’ll already have my maternity cover TA there it won’t be a problem. I’m just trying to maximise my pay because it means if I’m physically able to go up to that date then I’ll only have 1 month of no pay (just partner’s salary) before “going back to work” at the beginning of the summer holidays 2021.

If its your first baby youre likely to be late - i was due Tuesday 29th, took leave Friday 25th, DD was born Saturday 2nd. But i work from home, so no commute. You'll likely find it absolutely fucking exhausting to do that commute 8 months pregnant. I'd be tempted to see if you could get a cab/share a lift with a colleague for those last few weeks.

I'm due 31st March and starting leave on 20th March. But like PP, I work from home. If I had to commute I'd probably be starting earlier.

My first baby came 3 weeks early which meant I basically had zero maternity leave - so I'd give yourself a bit of leeway from due date if you do want a rest before!

I'm a teacher with a 30min driven commute. I finished two weeks before EDD (now just twiddling my thumbs waiting for baby to arrive) and whilst I am bored I also feel like crap so wouldn't have wanted to be in work. Two weeks I think is a good amount of time.

We are quite similar with our dates... I'm due 22nd Sep and I am a primary school teacher. I'm think I'm going to work up until Friday 11th Sep. I will have majority of July and whole of August off so will actually only be working from 3rd Sep-11th Sep (7 working days!). So hoping I get through those 7 days being 8 months! By drive to work is only 10 mins so not a commute like you. But I'm similar to you in terms of wanting to wait as long as I can. Will also then go back end of June for 2 weeks before summer 2021 so I get paid over whole summer. Fingers crossed for us both! Xx

@LuckyWright I'm pretty similar 😊 a full time secondary teacher and head of year with a 10 minute drive in. I'm due 16th Sept, will go back to school 2nd-5th for 3 I SET days and start maternity on the 8th, that gives me between 8-22 days (if I go overdue) before baby. I'll then go back in June so I only need to claim 8 1/2 months mat leave x

I think your plan sounds good, especially because you'll have had the 6 weeks off to rest like you said. I did similar but with the Easter holidays.

I know everyone says if it's your first you'll probably go overdue but my baby came 2 weeks early at 38 weeks so I'd only been officially off work a few days but because I'd had the Easter holidays off and everything was sorted and organised I was quite glad, don't think I could've coped with 4 more weeks sat st home. Although I had an easy pregnancy.

I teach at a college and I left at 36 weeks. I was exhausted and couldn't face standing up most the day trying to deliver lessons and fighting behavioural problems etc. If I has a desk job then I probably could've continued but I think you need to know your own body and how well you're coping. Turns out I was carrying a 9lb 9oz baby so that might've been why I was so tired and massive haha

Sorry, I meant to say going back to work until the 14th Sep i.e. taking maternity leave from the 14th but you all worked out my mistake and understood anyway. Thank you for all your replies, it looks like it varies a lot from person to person and depending on the situation. @GagaBinks that sounds tough, I’m sorry it was like that for you. Luckily there aren’t really any behavioural problems at my school and I’m not on my feet most of the day but hopefully I’ll be able to go early if I’m carrying a big baby like you were! So @LuckyWright, you are going back in June because your school requires you to in order to get full pay over the summer (or does it relate to which day of the month your payday is?) @newlymarried2019 are you going back in June because you don’t want any time with no pay at all? Congratulations to all of you by the way (expecting and already given birth).