Can I go on maternity earlier? Advice anyone?

[Ros2023]

Hi everyone, I am 31 weeks pregnant this week. I am meant to be leaving work in about 3 or 4 weeks time. I’ve then booked in holidays for a few weeks and then at 38 weeks my maternity will start.
I am in a really physical job and I am in so much pain on every shift with being on my feet for hours at a time. If I leave work earlier and go on sick will this affect my maternity pay?
I don’t get sick pay so I’m really trying to hold out with working until I go off but I’m struggling so much!

It won’t impact the amount of your maternity pay but if you go off sick in the last 4 weeks of your pregnancy then it triggers your maternity leave to start early, so you would potentially be starting your maternity leave (if off sick) at 36 weeks rather than 38 weeks

Can you speak to your employer to see if they can adjust your duties so they are less physical? They should have done a risk assessment and it should be regularly reviewed to keep you safe.

This is correct but it has to be a pregnancy related illness.
https://www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

my boss is great and we’re following the risk assessment but it’s just being on my feet for so long. I can have a sit down every now and again but I don’t feel like it’s doing much. The bigger I get the harder it’s getting. I’m sure I have symphysis pubis dysfunction!
I like to try and be a hero and push through and not make a fuss but I think I need to listen to my body and maybe take some time off.

Your maternity pay has already been determined by the wages you earned in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy so being on sick pay would not affect that. Could you bring your holidays forward and start your maternity leave earlier? If you are off sick with a pregnancy related illness then your maternity leave will start at 36 weeks anyway