Maternity Leave - when do you plan to go?

[2020mumtobee]

Hey guys! When is everyone planning on starting their maternity leave? My baby is due end of July. With everything that is going on now I'm starting to get sick of work, so lonely and bored at home alone. Thinking of starting earlier... what are you thinking?

I'm 36+5, I was meant to finish work last Wednesday which would have been 4 weeks before my due date but as we're in lockdown and I'm working from home, I've asked to stay on a bit longer! Work although not particularly busy is giving me some structure Mon-Fri, I'm not having to commute into London so not getting too big and tired and with lockdown we've had the chance to get everything ready for baby's arrival - so I figured working a few extra weeks will give me more time after once baby is here! But everyone is different, I guess you have to weigh up if you're lonely and bored at home already and we can't go anywhere or see anyone, will not working too add to the boredom and loneliness?

Pregnant with 3rd and going off at 36 weeks. Toyed with the idea of staying on a couple weeks longer but I'm increasingly exhausted working full time.and looking after my other 2 kids who are under 5 😥

im due 28th august with my first and plan to finish on the 21st august.

if you finished work earlier, how would you fill your time at home to stop feeling lonely and bored?

I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and Friday was my last day. Been wfh for the last 6 or so weeks. Could I have worked longer maybe but I'm not sleeping great so very tired! Hoping I get a couple of weeks to catch up on sleep before little one arrives

I'm due beginning of July and had things be normal, planned to go a couple of weeks before. Although now I'm working home and don't have the stress of the commute etc I'll work closer. It's a slower pace working from home and have been told I can go right up to delivery date if I want. I'll see how I feel closer to the time. (Fingers crossed have a house move in between then, so might not be so keen to work so close!!!)

Thanks Ladies. You're right. I'll probably end up more fed up with nothing to do and nowhere to go 🤣🙈🙈

With DC1 I finished work at 35 weeks, but took 2 weeks of annual leave, so my maternity wasn't due to start until 37 weeks (he was born just before 37 weeks). At the time I was working full time and commuting 2 hours twice a week by car, and was worried about going into labour whilst at the office or on my way there, plus my work was quite full-on and made no allowances at all for me being pregnant, so by 35 weeks I was ready for a rest.

With DC2 I was self-employed and working from home, so I planned on starting ML around 37 weeks but went into labour again at 36 weeks, so had no time off at all before the baby was born.

DC3 is due in September and I think I'll try and work until 36 weeks then see how it goes. Still self-employed and still work from home, so I can easily cut my hours down.

I’ve just submitted my maternity leave request. I’m due 13th August. I’m starting mat leave from 10th August but using 4 weeks of annual leave so will be off work from 36 weeks. I’m a nurse and struggling on shifts already so could imagine working any further into my pregnancy. 😊

I'm due Aug, planning to start maternity on 1st Aug and taking 4 weeks annual leave before that.
I'm hoping I'll still be working from home until then so I won't have to go back to shift working (or even back in the office full stop)

I'm due on 22nd July, my last working day will be 3rd July. I'd decided before lockdown and if we're back in the office by then I don't fancy the commute (40-60mins each way)!

I'm WFH at the moment so planning to leave on my due date.. thinking of using annual leave to take a day off a week until then though..

I'm due Mid August so have planned mine for the end of July, was also lucky to carry all of my holiday to next year so i get another month on top of the leave 👍🏻
Hoping all goes to plan but you never know..

Due 15th August, and if all goes to plan 17th Aug will be my first day of maternity leave. I was going to take AL first, but as I'll be WFH til then (work has confirmed that my office is definitely not opening before Aug), I'm going to save my AL from this year to carry over and take at the end of mat leave, so I get more time with the baby. It helps that I work in HE so summer is relatively quiet compared to the rest of the year, so I'll be able to wind down from mid-June onwards.

@heroineinahalfshell you're expecting your baby to be late?.I thought maternity leave had to start on the day you give birth (at the latest)?

15th August is a Saturday. I've only just handed in my forms, so may need to take from the 14th if HR isn't happy with that. But tbh I am fully expecting to be late, as they haven't changed my EDD from when it was based on my LMP.

@heroineinahalfshell just curious if they haven't changed your due date from your LMP why would that mean you would be late? Mine hasn't changed either so just intrigued!

Due end August- 28th. Will use AL to take the 4 weeks prior. I am going to need this to have time off with my other 2 kids . Also I will be shattered, job v mentally draining & wfh plus minding my two. DH works away on a rota so it's been a lot tougher when hes away. Boredom isn't an issue when stuck in lockdown with 2 kids already!

@2020mumtobee I know, from dates we dtd, that I conceived the last weekend of Nov, but my LMP was 9th Nov. So surely that means that they're counting my pregnancy from 2 weeks before I actually concieved? But I also assume that if they didn't change my EDD at 12w scan the baby is on track growth wise for this stage of pregnancy so who knows. FTM so no idea really, just guessing!

@heroineinahalfshell they always count pregnancy from 2 weeks before you conceived, it's from when the egg is released so the day you fall pregnant, you are already 2 weeks pregnant.

A pregnancy dated from 9th Nov would mean conception on 23rd Nov (or thereabouts).

@sel2223 yes they do, but doesn't that often change at the first scan? Bc you're not actually that far along? All the stuff i read said you were likely to have the EDD change at 12w scan when the baby is measured. Happy to be told I'm an idiot and have it all wrong tho!

@heroineinahalfshell basically, the average woman's cycle is 28 days long and most will ovulate right in the middle, so day 14 of the cycle. You start with LMP as a guide.
If you have an average cycle and did indeed ovulate on day 14 of that cycle then your EDD won't change.

If your cycle is longer or shorter than average then that would affect the date you ovulated and so baby might be slightly ahead or behind by the time you have your dating scan.....the date is still taken from 2 weeks before you conceived regardless though.

So, my LMP was 2nd Nov but I have longer than average cycles (32/33 days). At the dating scan, my EDD was changed by 5 days. According to baby's measurements, I actually ovulated on day 19 of my cycle (not 14) which was 21st Nov. They then count back the standard 2 weeks, and my pregnancy is dated from 7th Nov.

Hope that makes sense?

So your EDD will be 38 weeks from the date you conceived, then the 'extra' 2 weeks at the beginning is what makes it up to the 40 weeks of pregnancy.

@heroineinahalfshell the EDD based on scan is based on size of the baby, factoring in the 2 weeks before conception. So as a pp said you have no reason to think the baby will be later than that. First babies are often late but that doesn’t mean your EDD is wrong.

I stopped at 38 weeks with my first baby who was 2 weeks late so I had a month off. It was great! This time I think I’m going to stop at 36/37 weeks to have a little bit of time with my son before the baby arrives.

Today! I am 36+6 but I've been off work since about 28 weeks because of the virus. And thank goodness because if I had carried on I would've been so exhausted. I struggle to have the energy to move around my house never mind do my job!

Thanks for educating me @sel2223, that makes sense

And apologies to OP for slightly derailing your thread!