Maternity leave- when did you decide to start it?

[bluebellll]

Hi

As the title suggests please can you share your stories on how you decided when to start your maternity? And what you did? lI'm due with my first on the 20th January 21 and I've decided to start maternity a week before so the 11th and I've booked two week annual leave before then.

Thanks in advance

Finished at 39 weeks with my first, had a week off to clean and potter about and then labour started pretty much on due date. This time round I am absolutely knackered after working full time through lockdown whilst also looking after a toddler as childcare was closed. I will be finishing at 37 weeks (2 weeks from now) and really hope for a bit of respite before the baby comes.

I planned to hang on about a week before with both pregnancies. Both were prem and i was working until the day before with both in the end! Luckily i preempted it both times and had everything ready to go

I’m finishing at 40 weeks unless I give birth before. I worked til the day before my induction with my son. But that was because I felt fine and dandy, just pregnant.
My work have agreed for me to take the rest of this years annual leave at the end of my maternity so that I will get a bit of extra money in.

I’m currently 21 weeks and planning on starting maternity leave at 39 weeks, with about 7/8 days of annual leave before that, meaning I would go off at 37+2.

I am also planning on using annual leave to reduce my working days down to 4 days pw from 34 weeks onwards.

I’ll be wfh up until then anyway, so at least I’ve not got my commute to worry about.

Really depends how you feel and what your job is like. I stopped at 38 weeks last time and will again this time. First time I felt fantastic but wanted to relax before the baby arrived. He was 2 weeks late so I had a month in total! This time it just works with work commitments etc. I have an office job so not strenuous at all.

I was planning to go about 2 weeks before due date, I ended up on furlough so it worked
Out better to stay on furlough until literally a few day’s before due date. Turns out I’m so glad I didn’t work til 2 weeks before due date, it would of been really difficult, have quite an active job. Anyway now I’m 11 days overdue so didn’t come on time anyway x

I’m 31 weeks at the moment, and have known since about week 20 that I wanted to go 4 weeks before my due date. I’ve taken 2 weeks as annual leave, and then my official maternity leave kicks in straight afterwards.

I was already getting very irritable at work from week 20 (even though I’m WFH) and I’ve had very little patience since then . I think I’ve made the right choice for me (only 4 weeks left!). I also just thought that if you feel anywhere near as exhausted In 3rd trimester as you do in 1st trimester (I found my exhaustion unbearable) then I knew I wasn’t going to cope well trying to stick around any longer. I’m super excited to be able to have a bit of time to chill before he arrives.

Finishing for annual leave at 35 weeks then maternity starting at 37 weeks. Was planning on starting later than that but I work 9/10 hour shifts in retail on my feet all day and work is chaos since reopening so I’m already pretty sore by the end of the day.
Currently only working part time and part time furloughed but due to go back to work full time at 35 weeks so seems logical to avoid that!