Starting maternity leave at 38 weeks?

[PurpleBananaSmoothie]

I’m 21 weeks with my first and will need to let work know when I am planning to start maternity leave in the next few weeks. I’m thinking about going off at 38 weeks exactly (a Thursday) and using annual leave for the Friday. My mat leave would then officially start at 38+4. I’m also thinking of using one day of annual leave each week from 34 weeks, taking me down to a 4 day week. Does this sound sensible (obviously with no idea when baby will turn up)?

I’ve been working from home but expecting a couple of days in the office a week from the autumn (depending on cases). Commute can be anywhere from 40 mins to 2 hrs each way. It’s probably going to be about 1.5 hrs by the end of October/early November when I’d be looking at going off. Work is significantly closer to the hospital, as is DH’s work, so if I need monitoring and regular appointments that would be easier. I will have stopped site visits by then and so will only be doing desk based work by this point. Baby is currently measuring a bit big but my due date got pushed back slightly on what I expected based on my dates, so bigger baby could be slightly more in line with my original dates.

Sounds a good plan!
Would that be using your AL up before you go?
I managed to take 2 weeks hol then officially started mat leave at 38 weeks.

As long as you think you're be able to work when that heavily pregnant which depends on your work. Also to consider whether your office is covid secure or if they'll let you wfh closer to the time as you don't want to be covid positive when you go into the maternity unit

I’m doing this, I’m 31 weeks now but from 32 /33 I’ve decided to take a Wednesday off using annual leave and then finish 2 weeks before my due date at 38 weeks (again using 2 weeks leave, so mat leave actually starts on my due date)

As long as you are okay with working to then I don’t see the issue but be prepared you may need to be more flexible/ cut yourself some slack. You’re pregnant not ill, until you get ill if that makes sense! I feel okay at the moment to carry on but everyone is different

Also I second the PP re covid secure office. Absolutely no way I’d be commuting to an office at 38 weeks with the potential of bringing covid home to my husband who could end up missing the birth (plus picking it up myself). I’m not stepping foot in the office at all now or getting public transport anywhere as I don’t need to and I don’t think it’s worth the risk but you know your office and colleagues as to whether there is a risk there!

Good luck it will soon come round

Depends on your job role. With my first pregnancy I finished at 38.5 weeks. This was pre covid times and I worked in the office

I worked up to 37+2, full time in a busy day unit (I'm a nurse). Commute was about an hour each way. It was totally fine as I was lucky to be really well and I'd do the same again. I started maternity at due week and used up annual leave before it. Baby arrived at 40+6 so I was very happy with the amount of downtime I got.

You can always go off earlier if you need to. Also think about how you'd feel if you finished on the Thursday and baby arrived on the Friday. I was happy with the gamble and would have preferred it to hanging around for weeks waiting for a baby.

Thanks both.

@cookiesandcreamm it would be using most of my annual leave, I should have a couple of weeks that I am hoping to carry to the end of the maternity leave.

@Bells3032 I have no idea how I’ll feel at that stage but I won’t need to do anything too industrious at that point, all site work will have been passed over to my replacement. I can’t say for definite but my work has been quite good throughout Covid and I think they would probably allow me to continue working from home if cases got really bad. They’ve been really good to those that had to shield but couldn’t WFH and those that needed to go back to the office for their mental health. They’ve kept all social distancing measures in place despite the lifting earlier this week, return for WFH staff will only be if numbers are at a good level. So I’m hopeful they won’t force me in if it’s not safe.

@Bellyrumble You’re pregnant not ill, until you get ill if that makes sense! it does! How are you meant to predict how you will feel in 15-20 weeks time? The dates to give notice to work are so odd. 25 weeks isn’t enough notice to put a job advert out, interview, get the replacement (assuming they have a notice period) and do a sufficient handover but in most cases it’s too early to tell if you’ll suffer in later pregnancy. I’m prepared to be flexible.

@BobbleWobble1 I think I’d rather take the gamble, like you. That is partly why I’m thinking of building in the 4 day week though so at least I have a day or two to myself if baby is early. If the baby doesn’t come until 42 weeks I’ll probably be really frustrated at going off at 38 weeks and see it as wasted time.

@PurpleBananaSmoothie exactly, it sounds like you have a good employer though so hopefully the flexibility works both ways

I only decided on my 4 day weeks today because I’m exhausted to be honest, and they’ve said to just keep an eye and let them know How I’m feeling. Hopefully yours will say the same
Most places will make you start mat leave automatically if you end up going off sick anyways, but hopefully you’ll feel well enough right up to 38 weeks! Everyone is different at the end of the day and just important you do what’s right for you x

Yep. I'm doing the same as you..going of at 38 weeks and I work 4 days a week anyway.
Although I'd be tempted if I were you to just save your annual leave for adding onto your Matty leave so you don't have to leave baby as early (even if it is just a few days!)

I wasn’t allowed to carry that much leave over so used it all before I went off. I started my mat leave at 39 weeks but used AL to go off from 37+3 and had a day off per week from 33 weeks.

And my DS came at 39 weeks so I only got one week of pottering about/nesting/cleaning before he arrived!

I plan to go on Maternity when I’m 38 weeks, so only 8 weeks left! I’ve got 10 days holiday left but I’m going to carry that over as I’ve got a week booked off after Augusr bank holiday so no other need to use the holiday really!