Maternity leave

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I’m new to this and just learned that you can start maternity leave up to 11 weeks prior to your due date by giving notice to your employer. Has anyone done this and if so what are the pros and cons (leaving aside the question of whether you can make the financial side of things work)?

It means you don't have the time at the other end, when you are likely to want to spend as much time as you can with your baby. Most people I know worked as long as they possibly could up until their due date.

It depends so much on your job and how well you are during pregnancy. Not everyone has a choice if they are just too unwell to continue working.

Generally though most people prefer to get longer with baby after the birth.

If you plan on returning to work it’s worth looking at when you will qualify for the free childcare hours. It’s the school term after your child turns 9 months. That can make a big difference financially (literally £1,000s) so I would include that in decision making of when Mat leave starts and ends.

Some people like to take it so they can get things done, that they won't as easily do with a newborn, but it really depends on your job, and what you're planning on doing after. We all feel different, and some people struggle in their jobs towards the end. Most people try not to take too much before if they're planning on going back to the same job, same hours etc, but some have different experiences.

Thanks, that’s helpful. I’m not too worried about cutting short time at home as my work maternity policy is quite enhanced already so I think it will be enough. More worried about how I’d keep working until the due date as it’s
already not easy!! Massive admiration for those who do.

I stopped working with my daughter at 38+4 which was a Friday with my maternity leave starting on the Monday at 39 weeks. My waters went on Saturday evening and she was born the following morning.
I had a week of rest and time for me planned but didn't get any time. This was in 2020 so I was working from home and never left the house. I had had hyperemesis on and off until 36 weeks and found those last few weeks some of the easiest of the pregnancy. My waters went after I dismantled my office desk and helped to put it into the loft.

I stopped working with my second at 8 weeks as I was made redundant. Lots of time for rest and me! However I got really unwell in pregnancy I developed obstetric Cholestasis at 32 weeks and would have had to stop work then. I had insane levels of itching that meant I couldn't sleep and was having to attend triage every few days for monitoring and blood tests. I started having contractions at 33 weeks and by the time I was induced 4 weeks later I had had two assessments for preterm labour, two admissions for extreme fatigue and had to stop driving and looking after my daughter as I was unable to stay awake.

I wish I had gone earlier with my daughter and I was glad I had the rest time with my son before I got unwell as I had been able to have some quality time with my daughter that I would have missed out on had I worked until I couldn't.

From the other end perspective, I had severe pnd and at 12 months when my maternity leave ended I was unfit to return to work so went on to sick leave then did a phased return. It was 15 months before I was back properly.
This time around it's about figuring the right time for looking for new jobs. I'm still recovering from my ill health in pregnancy. I was due to put baby into nursery from June 1-2 days a week to allow me to start the job search and potentially retraining but I'm too unwell so I have pushed it back to sept when he will be 1. If I was still in employment I would most probably looking at going from maternity to sick leave again or using up accrued holiday to extend the leave.

It comes down to your health in pregnancy, your health post pregnancy, what baby you have - at 10 months my daughter could still wake up 5 times a night! She was a high needs baby due to multiple food allergies and silent reflux.