When are you finishing for Mat Leave?

[Ritchie30]

Wondering when everyone is thinking of finishing up for Mat Leave? Or if youve had a baby...when did you finish up and was it the right time in hindsight?!

I’m a FTM and need to hand in my dates to work within the next few weeks but just not really sure what to plan for 🙈
I work in retail so am on my feet for 9/10 hours a day. When TTC I had always planned on saving my annual leave and finishing up at 36 weeks on annual leave then rolling into my mat leave and hopefully having a nice 4-6 weeks off to nest/see friends etc before baby arrives. But I’ve been furloughed since March (although am going back to work soon) and at the moment I can’t think of anything worse than more time alone in the house 🙈😂

I'm planning to start it at 28 weeks, my job is sat down but my hips and knees are gradually getting worse so being sat down for hours will be uncomfortable later on and I decided I'd rather be strict with social distancing in the 3rd trimester as they believe it could be more dangerous then.

My maternity leave officially starts around 38 weeks but I've got 5 weeks of annual leave to take first as I can't carry over more than a week to next year so I've gone off at 33 weeks.
I'm grateful with the summer heat and lockdown lifting.

@1990shopefulftm Yeah that’s fair enough if you’re finding sitting uncomfortable! I’m a bit concerned about going back to 9/10 hours a day on my feet when I’ve been at home for the last 3.5months 🙈 i was early in my first trimester when I finished up!
@sel2223 Definitely make the most of that annual leave 😊 especially with the weather we’re having just now!

I was working retail on nights so was planning on 36 weeks. But went at 34 weeks. Had baby 2 weeks later due to complications.

I go back tomorrow!!!!!!!

I’m starting mine at 38+4 weeks. But taking my remaining 16days holidays before it starts. I also am WFH on part time furlough until then. I just wanted as much time after she’s born, before I have to start nursery.

But working in retail your situation is obviously different. Is there any reasonable measure you could put in place with your employer? I.E work you could do sitting down for part of the shift? Shorter shifts? My understanding is that you can change the date with notice if required, or if you go off sick etc.

I'm 38 weeks and on Furlough. I have decided that if I was to have another baby I'd want to be off from 36 weeks at the latest as being heavily pregnant is tiring. I have an office job but just moving around and driving and tiring so I'd definitely go off nice and early

I went at 38 weeks on my first (I am a secondary teacher). I was bored stiff. On this one I plan on going at about 38 weeks again, but also my school have said I may be WFH anyway.

I’m taking mine from 38+0 but I’ll likely be working from home in the 4 weeks before that.

I went at 38 weeks with DC1 - I was so bored. DC was 13 days late as well so I had 4 weeks at home.

I’m going at 38 weeks again this time - hoping for ELCS so will be 39 weeks when have the baby.

I went at 38 weeks with DC1 - have an office job so it was really only the commute that was tiring. He was 2 weeks late so I had a month off in the end!

I’m probably going to go at 38 weeks again with this one. I’ll be wfh until then anyway and would rather have as much leave with the baby as possible.

I’m going at 36 weeks but have a months annual leave to also use before then so probably around 31/32 weeks. This will allow me to minimise contacts if transmission rates have started creeping up again given risks to pregnant women of Covid complications are higher in the third trimester.

All being well, I’ll take 2wks holiday from 38w and then start mat leave at 40w. Will still be working from home so no commute to contend with.

I work in retail too. With my first baby I was planning on going at 39 weeks but baby came at 37+1. I was exhausted by 35 weeks and really struggling . I didn’t want to go any earlier because I wanted as much time as possible with my baby after .

I’m pregnant again and going on my maternity leave at 30 weeks. Financially I’m in a better place to do this , plus I am not returning to work after as I have enrolled in school. Also I want some one on one time with my first born before he becomes a big brother . Technically I am using up some of my holiday first and will probably start my maternity leave around 34 weeks .

I finished the day before my due date. To be honest it was only really possible because I was working from home. I didn't want to be bored and I was convinced baby would be late (she was). I don't regret it but it was getting harder to work towards the end.

I'm taking three weeks annual leave and maternity kicking in the day before my due date!! Hopefully LO stays in place and I get to use all of my holidays and don't need to go off earlier.. In hindsight I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not, time will tell 😂

For me it was more about when I was going to return to work after having DD and working backwards from that.

So she was a Feb baby, knew I'd be taking 12 months off. Knew I'd have accrued Annual leave and bank holidays and the new leave year would then kick in the April. So started from April and worked back with the accrued leave/bank holidays. Then worked back for the 52 weeks mat leave. Then the annual leave I had left before I had DD. Turned out I finished 2nd week of Jan when I was about 32 weeks.

As I'm wfh I'm starting my mat leave at 39 weeks. I can roll over as much of annual leave as I want to next year so I'm going to try and save as much as I can until next year.
If I was still commuting and still on my feet in the lab I would probably finish earlier.

I was going to finish at 37 weeks but then lockdown happened and I figured I may as well keep going to 38 weeks as I had lots on at work and I wouldn't be able to do any of the nice things i had planned anyway like having my mum to stay or going swimming. I'd had enough of relaxing at home thanks to lockdown! I didn't feel that tired or uncomfortable though and I was working from home. I figured that would give me a bit of downtime before she arrived and first babies are often late aren't they... nope she arrived at exactly 38 weeks on what should have been my last day of work! If I'm ever lucky enough to have another I would probably finish a bit sooner! I don't mind though as it means I've got my entire maternity leave to spend with her.

@DressingGown87 Yeah I’d love as much time off as possible after baby is here but I’m scared about pushing it too close to my due date. Unfortunately there is no possibility of me working part of my shift sitting down or doing shorter shifts (assistant manager so I’m in from before opening until closing). I work in a footwear store so actually spend most of my day up and down on my hands and knees fitting customers. I’ll get my lunch break and can wing another couple of 10 minute breaks through the day if I need but will be a minimum 8 hours on my feet out of a 9 hour shift. Then v.small commute each way - 5 min walk to train, 10 mins on train).

I’m thinking being finished by 36 weeks might still be my best bet!

I will go at 36 weeks from my patient facing job where I'm stood all day ( but currently on furlough and next expecting to be asked back before)

My second job I'm WFH so will work up to the week I'm due unless he decides to arrive early.

With DD I worked full time in the patient facing role with a long commute so left at 36 weeks, which happened to be last working day the day before Xmas eve, so was nice to have that break. But I did get bored by the end of jan, but I had to have extra monitoring so was probably for the best

I'm starting my mat leave on my due date but I'm taking some holiday before, so I'll be off from 38 weeks.
I can work from home with no pressure to return to the office so if I'll felt well enough i see no reason to start it earlier. Hope all goes well for you all.

@Sunsage 😂😂 I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your little one is a due date baby 😂

I'm starting mine at 37 weeks as had annual leave to use up so official mat leave doesn't begin until my EDD. I'm working from home but think I would have been tempted to finish up a little earlier in normal circumstances as the thought of commuting at the moment fills me with dread!

@sunshineandsea 😂😂 always nice when a plan comes together 🙄😂 lol. That’s the thing, you can plan what you want but baby will do what it wants 🙈 as you said though, at least you have your whole maternity leave to spend with your little one!