Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Maternity leave

24 replies

Miss2820 · 25/10/2020 13:08

Hi ladies

When are you finishing work to go on maternity leave ?? I was thinking of finishing when I’m 37 weeks...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

peachypetite · 25/10/2020 13:17

I’ve just finished. Five weeks to go but I had a lot of annual leave to use first. I’m definitely ready to finish and haven’t been sleeping well for a while now.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 25/10/2020 13:18

38 with my first, I have one more wk left pregnant now with my second and I’ll be 39 wks- but working from home, if I was schleping uptown I probably would have been forced to stop around 37 wks.

Fruitloops34 · 25/10/2020 13:20

I’m due a few days into May. So I’m gonna use all my annual leave and finish up at the start of April. So I’ll probably be 35 weeks-ish.

Bluejayway91 · 25/10/2020 13:27

I'm going at 36 weeks, but using two weeks of annual leave. I've not been sleeping well and I get tired so quickly these days.

Oneandabean · 25/10/2020 13:47

I was 36 weeks with my first but a lot of waiting and being bored. I’ll be 38 this time but two weeks holiday so officially starting Mat leave the week I’m due

lucyFTM · 25/10/2020 14:19

I'm finishing 10 days before due date because I'm working from home I thought I'd try to go as long as possible so I can use my annual leave when the baby's here before going back to work 🤷🏻‍♀️
I've convinced myself she's going to be late because apparently most people do with their first ?
I'm 35 weeks pregnant now so guess I will see how tired I feel nearer the time

Nat4392 · 25/10/2020 14:36

I plan on saving up my annual leave and adding it to the beginning of my leave. I’ll probably finish around 36 weeks. I’m on my feet all day so don’t fancy working beyond that. I’ll see how I feel closer to the time. Ideally I’d like to finish as late as possible.

Original poster

Miss2820 · 25/10/2020 14:36

I’m working from
Home too I’m trying to long it out as much as I can but the girl who does the job share with me has left so they have kind of expected me to work the other days.. which atm it’s getting too much as I’m getting quite tired and all I wanna do is put my feet up and relax.. I have some days to take for annual leave I had my last day as 31st of December and then I would be 37 weeks on the 3rd.. but I’m thinking if I use my leave so I actually go on my maternity leave say when I’m actually 38/39 weeks... I’m just confused lol.. my new holidays start from January but I think I can carry over three or four days..

OP posts:

NoahsArk17 · 25/10/2020 14:41

I finished at 36 weeks with my first last year and I was SO BORED! But I had loads of holiday to use so didn't have much choice. This time I'll be leaving at 34 weeks as I have 5 weeks annual leave to take but I've also got a 12 month old and I'm so much more tired this time so I think I'll need it!

ivfbeenbusy · 25/10/2020 14:47

Day before with my first (planned c section) this time I'm having twins but my maternity leave is shocking - only around 18 weeks so I don't want to start it early if I can help it. I'll be having a c section again though so will probably finish the week before if I can make it that far

EithneBlue · 25/10/2020 14:58

I've just finished at 36 weeks, but I'm a teacher so pretty content to get off my feet now! I would probably have waited an extra couple of weeks if I were working from home.

SanFrancisco49er · 25/10/2020 15:05

I finished at 29 weeks as I'm not planning to go back after mat leave finishes and I just wanted to stop working! I do have a house move and Christmas at the same time as baby is due so quite a lot to plan and prepare for.
I'm hardly sleeping so really glad I finished as early as I could as I'm getting plenty of rest and relaxation. I'm nearly 39 and this is my first, I may have felt differently when I was younger!

PotteringAlong · 25/10/2020 15:07

I finished at 36 weeks with my first and it was far too soon. Finished at exactly 39 weeks with my second and that was fine and then 39+6 with number 3 and that was about a week too late.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 25/10/2020 15:07

I think it also depends on your maternity financial package. With mine I went on ML at 35ish weeks as I had holiday to take for that year plus holiday for the next year because I was taking 11 months off in total, part ML the rest AL.

But it is nice to feel completely rested before having the baby if you can. So give yourself a good few weeks in case you go into labour early. I was 4 days late!

Contact your HR department about ML/AL and get them to run some scenario dates with you. This is what I did.

yarrow89 · 25/10/2020 15:10

I'm thinking 37 weeks. I would go sooner but I feel guilty because I'm just working from home so it's not like I have to commute or be on my feet!! It's really up to you; I personally wouldn't get bored being at home but I know some people who like to keep busy and would be.

peachypetite · 25/10/2020 15:20

@yarrow89 really wouldn’t feel guilty! I can’t wait to make the most of time to myself and nesting before baby comes.

Original poster

Miss2820 · 25/10/2020 16:16

My daughter goes school so thought it be nice to get some rest in while she’s at school as I’m getting bigger lol.. I need to tell my work Tomorow ideally what I would like to do

OP posts:

penguin423 · 25/10/2020 16:18

I've put in to go at 38 weeks but just going to see how I feel at 36/37.

MaverickDanger · 25/10/2020 17:35

I technically start mat leave when I’m 39 weeks but have annual leave to use. I’ll finish when I’m 37+2 and take the rest as leave.

I’m 33 week next week and that’s my last full week, I’ve used leave to have 4 day weeks from 34 weeks.

husbandcallsmepickle · 25/10/2020 17:47

I've been told that I have to use up my annual leave ASAP as I can't add it on to my maternity leave. Interesting to see how many of you are able to do that

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 25/10/2020 17:52

I do feel very lucky I get to roll all my leave so I get 40days annual leave to tag onto my maternity.

MaverickDanger · 25/10/2020 17:59

I’ll be doing that on my return @husbandcallsmepickle as our leave policy runs Jan to Dec, and I won’t be able to physically take it all in 2021 with 12 months leave.

I’ll be able to roll over 17 days to 2022, and then get my 2022 allowance to use too, which will come in useful as I’m planning on returning 4 days per week.

LavaCake · 25/10/2020 18:13

I’m officially going on mat leave at 38 weeks, but using 2 weeks of AL before that so will actually go at 36 weeks. Only 3 weeks to go - genuinely can’t wait.

Trinpy · 25/10/2020 18:26

With my last 2 I finished at about 34 weeks but this was including A/L so actual maternity leave probably started at around 36/37 weeks. I was a nurse working 12.5 hour shifts at the time so I was dead on my feet by the time I finished up!

This time round I'm working from home and have flexible hours so could work right up to the birth if I wanted to. Baby is due mid may though, I'll be taking the full year maternity leave and my a/l runs from April to March, so I might have to fit 6 weeks of A/L in first if they won't let me carry it over! Dc2 was born at 39+4 so I reckon I would need to plan my mat leave to start at 39 weeks, which would put me at finishing at 33 weeks. I'd rather have that time on the other side of mat leave tbh.

Flip