27+2, first pregnancy – overwhelmed with appointments, work stress, and now gestational diabetes. Has anyone taken early mat leave or been signed off sick?

[honeyjean]

I'm currently 27+2 with my first pregnancy and feeling completely burnt out. I've had constant morning sickness since around 7 weeks. I’m on medication now which helps, but for the first 16 weeks I could barely eat anything besides toast, mash, and chips.

Over the past couple of weeks, things have ramped up even more. I’ve had loads of appointments – some routine, one after a fall, and others due to being born prematurely with a heart condition, so I’m under closer monitoring. I live around 40 minutes from one hospital, over an hour from another, so it’s been a lot of driving back and forth.

To top it off, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes last week, so even more appointments are now being added. They've even double-booked my 28-week midwife appointment with a hospital one, and I can't get through to rebook it.
Work isn’t helping either. I head up a department, and it’s a demanding role. I had to let someone go last week due to performance issues, so I’m now short-staffed and trying to support multiple teams across our organisation and recent acquisitions. My employer is supportive when it comes to attending appointments, but that just means I end up working all hours to catch up. I’ve spoken to my boss about how exhausted I am and she’s lovely, but all I get is, “Don’t overdo it, make sure you look after yourself”… which feels impossible when there’s no one else to pick up the slack. She also doesn't have children so I feel just doesn't understand how exhausting pregnancy is.

I’m the main earner in our household, so my plan was to work right up to my due date to maximise time off afterwards as I’ll need to return after 6–7 months once my enhanced maternity pay ends. But I’m honestly just so drained. I feel like I need a break from the constant appointments and the relentless pressure at work.

Has anyone else been in a similar position? Did you end up starting mat leave early and if so, did you regret it or find it was the best thing you could have done? Did you struggle financially or just somehow cope? Or did you get signed off for a few weeks to get your head above water?

Sorry to hear that. Sounds super tough and stressful. How much holiday do you have remaining this holiday year? I’d suggest using the all as a block if possible to essentially start your leave earlier, without triggering EMP. Also, don’t forget that on accrue leave whilst on Mat leave (inc bank holidays) which can be used to extend your Maternity Leave period.

I started my first leave two months early due to accrued leave and was pleased I hadn’t ’shortened’ my time off with baby.

My first I was back at work full time at 5 months PP

This time im using annual leave to go off from 29 weeks approx. As I’m also struggling, and will plan to take the full year, finances be damned. We will struggle and probably rinse all of the savings we have, but in my mind I won’t get that time back, I know what it was like last time to go back earlier than I hoped, and it’s likely my last child. So for me that’s the trade off and I don’t believe I will regret it

It’s so tough managing all the appointments and things isn’t it

That's tough, I feel your pain with keeping on top of all the appointments.
You need a break. Take some sick leave. I work in HR so I support lots of pregnant mamas and I'm always telling them to use sick leave if they're struggling. It's what it's there for. Don't eat into your maternity leave or holiday yet.
Work will cope. They will have to cope without you soon anyway.
A bit of a break, some you time, some rest will probably do you the world of good and you'll be able to get through the last few months at work before maternity leave.
Hope the sickness improves for you. Look after yourself.

No two pregnancies are the same. Some women sail through it, some need days here and there and some need longer sick periods due to difficult pregnancies.
You do what you need to do and go get signed off if thats what you need. There's no guilt or shame in doing this and there's a reason that sickness for pregnancy related issues has to be kept separate from other sickness absences.