Maternity Leave Question

[RosyCheeks93]

Hi all,
22 weeks pregnant with my first baby. I want to take my maternity leave as late as I possibly can. Currently working from home and have done my entire pregnancy due to COVID-19. We're not returning to the office until around September time, and I am due at the end of November.
There's a high chance my employer will let me resume working from home for the last month of my pregnancy. This should allow me to work from home for as long as I can - pretty much until I give birth. (A total financial decision, plus I want as long with baby as possible before going back to work and don't want to waste it whilst pregnant if I can manage it).

I believe you have to tell your employer the date you'd like to start your mat leave at least 15 weeks in advance. How does it work if I didn't take my mat leave until just one week before I'm due, but I end up going into labour earlier than this date? Will my employer reset my mat leave start date, or pay me sick leave, or make me use that time as annual leave?

I will of course ask my employer these questions, but just wondered what your experiences were? How has it worked for you in the past?

If you end up having the baby before you had planned to start mat leave, mat leave automatically starts at the time you give birth instead.

The government guidelines are here: www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/leave

If you go into labour earlier than you're due to start mat leave, then your mat leave automatically starts the day after you give birth.

As above your mat leave will start on your due date or whenever you give birth before DD

I'm pretty sure I gave them the day OF my expected due date as the day to start maternity leave as you get given that at your first midwife appointment - but then at 36 weeks I was booked in for a c section which obviously gave me a firmer date to work with. So I then took a couple of days of annual leave the Thursday/Friday before (my maternity leave is crap so wanted to avoid using any before baby arrived) and had baby on the Monday

Oooh! Thank you so much ladies!! Helpful info. Seems like a no brainier for me to take my mat leave as late as I can then!

Personally I think you’re doing exactly the right thing, I left it til 38 weeks first time round and had her at 39 weeks, and planning to stay even longer this time. There was someone on here a few weeks back who was planning to take her leave at 28 weeks, despite working from home - it completely baffled me but each to their own!

I’m 20 weeks and planning to start mat leave when I’m 39 weeks.

I will have about 11 days of annual leave to use though, so planning to finish up when I’m 37+2 and have 4 day weeks from me being 34 weeks.

I’m sure this will end up changing slightly, but as I’m also WFH until the end of the year, I think this will mean a good balance.

Just a word of caution, I wanted a few days to get ready for little one - clean the house, put meals in the freezer, stock up the cupboards with 'easy' foods. So I finished work at 37+5 (tied in with Easter Hols). Cleaned on day 37+6, cooked on the morning of 38 weeks and waters went that afternoon. Of course I could also have been late giving birth to him in which case I would have considered my leave as 'wasted' but I'd advise that you try and have some time before to get organised and also to relax and enjoy time as just being you and OH (assuming that you aren't doing this alone). Good luck xx

I’ve requested mat leave to start at 39 weeks, I think I’d feel too risky to start it any later in case the baby came early. But if the baby is very late I could end up being on mat leave for like 3 weeks until I actually have a baby, which seems like a waste but unfortunately babies don’t generally follow your plans!

I only had four days before giving birth and it wasn’t enough. I got my hair cut (def worth doing) but didn’t have any time to relax which was a pity as you really need your energy for labour and first few weeks.