Did anyone manage to work until their due date?

[Thefallingleaf]

I’m due on the 23rd July, and am also a teacher. We break up for the summer holidays on the 21st 😆

I am really pleased to be pregnant but the timing couldn’t be worse which is typical. So hoping to drag myself through to the end and then have a full 12 months off. I work three days a week so will actually break up on the 19th, not that this helps much!

Yes, I did. But it likely won’t work if you want an elective - they usually plan those for around 39 weeks, and my hospital doesn’t give you a set date beyond that until the week or so before, so you just need to be ready for at any point that week. I don’t know if that is standard?

yes i finished work 48 hrs before i was induced

I had 2 weeks off before dd arrived, and tbh I could have probably worked right up to my due date

In the hospital I work at if you wanted an ELCS you would have the date given to you in advance. It's usually for the 39th week but you could request around your due date.

In a similar way to @TwitTw00 I went back to work (in school) in July, my mum and husband took leave / came for a visit so that we could wait to start nursery in Sept. If you do have to finish early you might be able to make it work for childcare still.

Yes.

DC1 - Finished work on Friday. He was born on Monday morning.
DC2 - Finished at 38w as wanted some down time before baby arrived. Spent the next 2.5 weeks crying about how bored and inpatient I was. Baby born at 40+4.
DC3 - Worked until 40+3. Induced at 40+4

But honestly there are so many factors at play. I had a short commute (10 mins drive) and sit at a desk all day with office staff bringing me cups of tea and biscuits. I also had pretty straightforward pregnancies with no major issues. If you were on your feet all day with terrible SPD, I think it would be very different.

Yes, I was a community mental health nurse and worked right up to my due date with second. With my first I had gone off 3 weeks earlier and was sat at home bored just waiting.

I know people who have worked up to due date but obviously depends on type of pregnancy, job type and when baby comes!

However if you planned to work until c.38 weeks it would not make much difference. Two weeks working in July 24, so 6 working days for you. Most people would be able to cobble together childcare for these days between partner, family, friends or nanny agency. Then go back to work properly Sept 24.

I was working on my laptop in hospital waiting for pre op checks for my c section (! Bad planning, just hadn't finished everything on time). However I definitely got too fat to stagger into the office about a week before with dc1, and earlier with dc2.

I was supposed to but DD arrived a week early.
Woke up in labor and called to say i wouldn't be in.
Honestly it caused a right mess with work and I went in twice in her first week so finalise things.
If anyone plans on working to their due date I'd suggest having everything tidied up and handed over 2 weeks prior then you can either work or take the time off without any guilt of leaving colleagues in the lurch

I worked up until due date with my previous pregnancies, but time I’m exhausted and already struggling to keep up so I’m planning to leave around 35 weeks.

My maternity leave started on my due date for each baby, but i managed to take 10-14 days annual leave for each one in advance.

However my job is a sit on my bottom job. Would have been harder teaching in July..

Yes, I had DD overseas where it's normal to go from the office to the hospital to give birth (six weeks maternity leave so you don't want to waste any time without a baby). One of team panicked me by doing all her breathing exercises at her desk and refusing to leave before midday so she only had to count it as a half day. Her baby is nearly 20 and I still remind her of that!

I stopped at 8 months but I had a more physical job.

I did, but not on purpose! I had planned to take three weeks off before my due date to nest, but in the end I finished work on the Wednesday evening and waters broke Thursday night/Friday morning!
Plans; what plans?!!!

Yup. And since DD was 15 days late I just carried on working until she was born. Even took work in in my overnight hospital bag, but didn't touch it because I had other things to do then.

I know people who did this in education but they lived very close to their work place and their partners also worked nearby. I possibly might have been physically capable with a few adjustments but worked an hour's drive away from home and had particular reasons for baby needing to be born in our local hospital. So I didn't want to take the risk of being stuck at work in labour and not being able to get back.

With DD2 my contractions started at my desk! 😁

DD1 was slightly mor relaxed. Finished work 5pm Friday. Induced 8am Saturday morning.

Having said that, I was very lucky to have very straightforward pregnancies, had a desk job, and worked for myself so was able to give myself some slack when I needed it. Teaching is so full on I'm not sure I would have managed that!

I did - worked right till the end. Due date on the Friday. Went into labour on Sunday - had my baby on the Monday

I went on maternity leave a week before due date

I finished a month early, in large part due to my employer not caring about continuing to put me in risky situations, but I was also knackered. I then had a lovely few weeks of chilling out as much as possible. The problem with working right up I suppose is that you might not get any respite before baby comes.

It's definitely possible but every pregnancy is different. Would be great if you can start maternity leave after the summer holidays though.
With my first I worked up until the day my waters broke - I was early though but regardless didn't plan to take maternity until my due date.

I worked until 2 days before my due date, and was then 2 weeks overdue anyway! I’m not a teacher though, I had an office job - hopefully you’d be allowed to sit down during your classes?

I worked till a week before but in reality I had the Easter holidays can had a training day as my last day. I did do some GCSE revisions dais I the holidays though. Baby was born 4 days early so only just made it!!!

My mat leave started the date I went in for induction at 39 weeks, I finished at 38 weeks using holiday, but I would have easily been able to go to full term, albeit slightly miserable lol

With my first I was signed off at 31 weeks for the remainder of my pregnancy.