Midwives/nurses/hca/carers - when did you go on maternity?

[CreamyCoffee]

Hiya,

2nd thread of the day, I'm on fire lol. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and work in healthcare, within a specific area with one provider nationally, hence the reluctance to name my role. Anyway, it's quite a physical role, with bending, lifting, and walking and I'm already feeling heavy. Initially, my aim was to work until end of December, at 31 weeks. But honestly, I don't think it's feasible so I'm thinking until the end of this month. The idea to get baby stuff ready is so exciting!!!!! Can't wait, BTW that had no bearing on my decision making lol
Comments appreciated!

If your role is patient facing you should be working from home from 28 weeks then your employer hr department should be able to advise when your mat leave should start

MH nurse here, worked CAMHS inpatient until 37 weeks.

One thing to consider is the earlier you start your mat leave, the less time you have off once baby is born. If you’re overdue you may have 10 weeks off before baby arrives.

@HeyDW96

If your role is patient facing you should be working from home from 28 weeks then your employer hr department should be able to advise when your mat leave should start

Thanks for your reply, never heard of this rule. Is it covid related or the norm?

@MalbecIsMyOne

MH nurse here, worked CAMHS inpatient until 37 weeks.

One thing to consider is the earlier you start your mat leave, the less time you have off once baby is born. If you’re overdue you may have 10 weeks off before baby arrives.

Goodness me, 37 weeks! Wow, how did you cope?

@CreamyCoffee used my annual leave to gradually go part time, by the end I was only doing 2 or 3 short shifts a week.

Plenty of rest on days off, made sure I took my breaks & I wore a support band under my bump to help with SPD pain. I think staying active helped me though, by the time I had my second I was community based & struggled more sitting at a desk a lot of day. Still got to 36 weeks second time around though!

I worked until 32 weeks FT and it was a mistake, should have gone around 28.

I used annual leave from just after 37 weeks I think , mat leave officially started a few days before my due date. I stopped doing long shifts and started 9-5 hours but I was the only qualified member of staff on the unit so it was pretty full on still. I probably could have continued if I hadn’t needed to take my annual leave, I found the distraction of work made the pregnancy go super fast!

I work in an NHS patient facing role and I'm WFH from 28 weeks and changing my rota to 9-5 rather than full 24 hour rota.
I plan on going on mat leave at 37 weeks to give me maximum time off with baby.

[quote MalbecIsMyOne]@CreamyCoffee used my annual leave to gradually go part time, by the end I was only doing 2 or 3 short shifts a week.

Plenty of rest on days off, made sure I took my breaks & I wore a support band under my bump to help with SPD pain. I think staying active helped me though, by the time I had my second I was community based & struggled more sitting at a desk a lot of day. Still got to 36 weeks second time around though![/quote]
Not sure what spd is, but I'll look into the support band, it sounds interesting!

@gretagreengrapes

I work in an NHS patient facing role and I'm WFH from 28 weeks and changing my rota to 9-5 rather than full 24 hour rota. I plan on going on mat leave at 37 weeks to give me maximum time off with baby.

It sounds like quite a few nhs staff are doing that, I'm actually not going back to this role and plan on starting a course in September, if all goes to plan. Until then, I'll have to hold on a few more weeks before putting me feet up!

@CreamyCoffee no patient contact is the guidance from 28 weeks currently, if you are in the UK that is!

[quote HeyDW96]@CreamyCoffee no patient contact is the guidance from 28 weeks currently, if you are in the UK that is![/quote]
I've just looked it up, thanks for the info

Finishing at 28 weeks onto special leave with mat leave starting at 36 👍

I finished at 37 weeks. But if you’re patient facing you shouldn’t be working in your third trimester. You should either be working from home or furloughed due to Covid

I'm a paramedic and went on alternative duties (admin/office based) when I told them I was pregnant at 12 weeks. Started maternity leave at 37.5 weeks.

Officially started mat leave at 39+6. But used A/L from 38+3.

This was pre-Covid, but a colleague (who had the same due date) and I both went off at 36+2. We used annual leave up until our due date, then maternity leave from then on.

Definitely couldn't have gone beyond 36 weeks. Especially if patient facing and regularly on your feet.

I went nom patient facing at 18 weeks due to Covid, now working from home and plan to start mat leave at 37 weeks.

Hi jumping on this thread. I’m a community MH nurse and have been told from OH that from 28 I shouldn’t be patient facing, however my manager said I’ll be office based. Should I be WFH from 28 weeks?

I think RCOG advice is enhanced social distancing from 28 weeks, not necessarily WFH. So patient facing is probably out, but if you can adequately socially distance in an office then that's ok.
I'm planning to continue going in to work as long as the risk assessment allows, but I just won't be doing any patient facing jobs.

I am 26 weeks, a HCA in a nursing home and work have choosen to furlough me this week. I am questioning at the moment with HR if 80% furlough is what I should be on or should it be maternity suspension on full pay if they have no safe role for me.
They have set date until early Dec in the letter however I dont think me returning at 30 weeks pregnant when the risk is greater would work so if they dont extend I guess I’ll have no choice but to start my annual leave and maternity earlier than planned.

I'm a nurse I went off around 34-35 weeks with all of mine. I think you might find you have to go off on authorised leave at 28 weeks though given the current pandemic- that's certainly the rule in my trust at the moment.

The current rule in my work is from 28 weeks you get placed on special leave, which is fully paid due to covid. I'm a nurse in a nursing home.