Maternity Leave, when did you start yours and why?

[Tilly18101]

Just that really!

I’m 19 weeks, and need to let my employer know by 25 weeks my start date of Mat leave.

I’m taking a 6 month enhanced package which avoids such a drop in wages to SMP, so I get full pay for 3 months, and half pay + SMP for 3 months upon the condition I return to work for 12 months after. I’ll then take 3 weeks annual leave at the end of Mat leave essentially making it 7.5 months Mat leave in total.

I was planning on taking annual leave of 3 weeks before Mat leave, basically meaning I’ll start Mat leave 3 days before my ‘due date’ and would finish work at 37 weeks? (I work from home, no reason to back to the office unless I want to and have been given confirmation of home working being here to stay permanently) So I feel like I can work quite close to my due date without struggling as I can take lots of breaks from my PC.

Did you got later? Early? Any reason why? I’m a FTM so have no previous experience!

Thank you!

Started at 36 weeks both times. I wanted some me time before the baby came first time around and time to get everything sorted. Second time also some me time and 1-2-1 with DS1 before baby came. Both babies came a few days early so worked out well for us.

I finished at 39+1 and was worried I hadn't given myself enough time to relax/prepare for baby coming. I'm now 40+4 and glad I didnt take any more time off as have had time to catch up with family and friends, finish sorting the garden/house, cook some freezer meals etc. Now I'm just waiting around until the baby decides it is ready!

I was dictating my out of office message to DH from the labour ward at 10cm dilated 40+3. It worked for me - I was self-employed, only working 2/3 hours a day at that point, and wanted to keep busy.

This time round i’m in a much less independent role and expecting twins (who tend to show up early), so likely just after 30 weeks. I’ve never not worked, not quite sure what I’ll do with myself.

I finished at 35 weeks because there was a chance I would deliver early. I didn’t, and ended up being induced 2 weeks late.
Still, I’m glad I went off. I had a physical job and where I was working had so many bloody stairs.

@EssentialHummus haha that really made me laugh! If it was my DH giving birth he’d be doing the same, he loves his job too much!

This has been so helpful thank you all, it’s actually made me rethink and I’m might try and start my ML on my actual due date and just take any holiday left (but at least a week) before I finish, a week will be plenty to rest up and get some batch cooking done, and if baby arrives early it’ll just start then but I won’t lose any ML time just waiting around for baby :) being a winter baby too not like I’ll be enjoying the garden!

I worked until my due date, or 40 weeks. All my babies were late so it worked out. If they’d have come early, I would have started maternity leave the day labour started.

As to why. Well I didn’t want to be gone for more than 12 weeks in total and I wanted to spend as much of that as possible with my newborn. So working to my due date/40 weeks seemed only way to ensure that.

I intended to go until 39 weeks. Ended up going at 35 following medical advice due to blood pressure issues.

I started both of mine quite early, around 33/34 weeks IIRC, mainly because I was exhausted having suffered bad morning sickness throughout.
With dc2 I was in hospital having steriods due to contractions at 32 weeks, which was just before Christmas, and basically I didn't go back to work having planned to do a week in January.

As it happens they were both born at 37 weeks, so I was glad I'd finished early.

I went back when dc1 was about 7 months (18 years ago, different maternity provisions) and with dc2 I took a year and then used holidays and didn't go back until he was 15 months.

Dc1 I left on Friday, had baby on Tuesday he was 12 days early.

Pregnant with dc2 but I'm leaving work at 30 weeks as I have just over 7 weeks annual leave to take, then start my maternity a week/ ten days before due date.
I don't want to work in my last trimester as I'm on the bmi pathway, I'm a carer so face to face, the risk of covid in third trimester is worse and all that 😬 so plenty of nice time off to spend with Dc1 before he goes to nursery in September

I wanted to start as late as possible but have so much holiday to use due to covid, I'm taking nearly 3 weeks holiday before my mat leave kicks in at 39+5. Our holiday year runs August to July and I am not allowed to carry any over, so it was use it or lose it. I'm actually glad I'll be finishing at 36+6 now, the hot weather and commuting 2-3 days is getting a bit much now, and it's taking all my energy not to let my workload stress me out! Luckily I'll have 5 weeks with my cover to handover and help them settle in, so soon I can hopefully start stepping back and reduce my days in the office. And I'm still using up holiday, so going down to 4 day weeks from next week! I don't think I'll get bored if bub comes late, there's still some organising and prep I need to do, and I'd quite like a rest too.

I'm not due to start maternity leave until 39+2, however I was signed off early in my previous pregnancy. I have blood flow issues this time round and growth scans due to a previous SGA baby so I may end up being induced early. Once you are in the week you turn 36 weeks, if you are off for any pregnancy related sickness, it automatically triggers your maternity leave to start. If you are unsure, put in a later date and you can always start earlier if you are struggling. It's a lot easier to bring your leave forwards than move it back.

26 weeks! I was really ill and couldn’t work anymore.

I did 39 weeks for my first as I wanted maximum time afterwards.

I did 37 weeks with second as we were about to move to a different part of country. In the end, we didn’t move until three days after I gave birth, so I hadn’t needed to finish quite so early.

I started at 38 weeks but she wasn't born until nearly 42 weeks and that waiting nearly drove me completely insane. For me I could have stayed at work longer although of course there was no guarantee she would arrive late. This time round I'm doing similar but I know I won't be bored and stressed out this time waiting as I've got a toddler to contend with too!!

Due 15/9
Started mat leave 7/9

I'm a teacher, so could have started on 1/9 but decided that I wanted a full week of pay, without having to do very much! Also, I thought that as I was having my first, I'd likely be overdue. I'd had 6 weeks summer, so was happy to work a few more days. I went into labour on 16/9 at 40+1.

First pregnancy went off at 36 weeks but used A/L up until 38 weeks. I got bored and depressed waiting 5 weeks for a baby tbh.

Second pregnancy went off at 38 weeks, using A/L to my due date. She was born at 40+2. It was ideal.

It was easier to stay at work longer with the second as due to covid I wasn’t patient facing and was office based. I also had a toddler at home so going to work felt like a break!

I finished at 34 w 5d,

I have taken a month worth of holiday so technically maternity doesn't start until 38 1/2 weeks.

I couldn't cope with being on my feet and working treble shifts in a manual handling job any longer. My job also had me constantly bending down to the ground which was getting nearly impossible with the size of me.