When did you / will you start maternity leave with second baby?

[Justmycat]

First baby was born amidst covid and lockdowns so things were very different and I ended up ‘working from home’ (in all honesty not doing very much) for the duration of my pregnancy.

Now with a two year old and at six months pregnant I’m tired 🥱 original plan was to go off at 36 weeks (planned section at 39) but wondering if I’ll make it that long … How about others?

Im early days but im aiming for 36 weeks. I work in A&E as a nurse and I'm pretty much on my feet for 12 hours. Went off at 35 with my first in a similarly strenuous role. We will see 🙈

Took leave from 37 weeks. Baby born 38 weeks.

No problem! We get 26 weeks fully paid, including the 2 weeks before the due date and then the option to take 16 weeks unpaid. There's also 7 weeks parents leave from the government for both parents but it's only paid at €250 a week (I think this is going up to 9 weeks next year).

I don't think I'll take unpaid leave but I'll take the parents leave at the end of my 26 weeks and I'll carry over 5 weeks of annual leave from this year too so it'll be around 9 months.

First, I used holiday from 37 weeks and started mat leave on due date. DD was born at 42 weeks so It was a long old wait!

This time I think I'll try and make it to 39 weeks, it's an office job so should be fine

I planned to go until 37/38 weeks but ended up so exhausted I stopped around 35 weeks and baby arrived 3 weeks later, before my planned leave date! 🙈

Finished on the Friday had the baby on the Monday, I had a physical job at the time.

I'm working up to my due date or if things move quicker, earlier. There is no point in me taking early maternity leave as I want to have that time with my baby and I won't exactly be resting as it's my second.

My first was a covid summer baby. I planned to start mat leave at 38 weeks, with some furlough time before that, which worked out fine. But this time I'm at the start of my second trimester and exhausted! I'm planning to start at 38 weeks again, and since my new annual leave year will have started by then I think I'll do a week of holiday before that, so effectively stop work at 37 weeks.

I am quite nervous that I'm going to struggle though. I'm in an office 3 days per week and need to take a (shortish) bus to get there/back, and 2 of those office days I pick up the toddler from nursery as soon as I get home. My work from home days are easier but I still do the nursery run then, and there isn't always the option for husband to take that on instead. So we'll see how it goes I guess!

I went at 36 weeks with my first ( used 2 weeks al then started mat leave at 38). I was quite fit through my pregnancy and wanted more time with my baby after.

Second I went at 37, I had a high needs toddler at home (later diagnosed with ASD) and I found being at work much easier. I was lucky to have great colleagues who knew this and looked after me though!

Same as you my first baby was born in June 2020 so I spent the last 3 months of pregnancy working at home. I started maternity leave on my due date but took 2 weeks annual leave to finish at 38 weeks. This time I’m starting maternity from 2 days before my due date and then using annual leave so that I finish at 36.5 weeks. But I am worried about how I’ll actually cope until then as I’m already struggling at 25 weeks!