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've just started 3 weeks of annual leave that I'm rolling into mat leave - I'm 37 weeks. I found the past two weeks at work really tough with tiredness (desk job, currently wfh), so I definitely didn't want to go on any longer. There's plenty to get sorted at home, so I don't think I'm going to be bored either!

I'm currently 38+5 and I was due to finish at 38 weeks however I had holiday to take and really started struggling so finished at 37 weeks

I'm due 25th Sept. Going to go on maternity from 14th. I thought it may be enough so I get a little break before they come and if I am late it won't be too bad. I'm going to tack on all my annual leave at the end of my paid maternity next year, not sure if we will do 1 month unpaid as well.

With my first child I did maternity 1 month before he was due, but then he was 1 week late and I spent 1 week in hospital after he was born. For me that was too long x

First baby I planned to start maternity leave at 38 weeks but was signed off early for rib pain. DS was born at 37+5 after a week in hospital with preeclampsia so never would have made it to 38 weeks!

This time I’m starting maternity leave at 38 weeks but taking 2 weeks annual leave beforehand to finish at 36 weeks. I think anything after that and you would be too tired and find it very hard to stand all day.

I'll be starting mine at 38 weeks. I work in an office and we've been told we'll be WFH until at least Christmas so I don't really need to finish too much earlier as I'm at home anyway. My leave year starts in October and I'm due at Halloween so I might take 1 weeks leave before hand and use the other 4 weeks leave at the end.

I’m currently working from home and if that’s the same then hopefully work until 39 weeks, take a week annual leave up to 40 weeks and then start mat leave right before my due date (this is all depending on her arriving on time or late, which I have a feeling she will).

I’ll be leaving as soon as possible! 😆 I’ve got about 4/5 weeks of A/L to take so sticking that on the front and running for the hills as soon as possible. I’d rather be bored at home than at work heavily pregnant.