Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Maternity leave

20 replies

lulu81 · 31/07/2008 21:34

Hi i'm new and just over 14 weeks into my first pregnancy. I know it early to be thinking about this kind of thing but I was just wondering how many weeks before EDD on average do people tend to start their maternity leave?
Many thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

madmouse · 31/07/2008 21:51

Congrats, I hope you will have an easy pregnancy!

I started at 31.5 weeks, but then I had a commute consisting of 1.5 hours train and 30mins cycling each way and I could only keep it up for so long.

fledtoscotland · 31/07/2008 21:52

congratulations on your pregnancy.

With DS i worked until 34 weeks and this time i am working til 35 weeks. I am a nurse and the only change i have made is to do 7.5hr shifts instead of my normal 12hr ones.

laura325630 · 31/07/2008 22:03

I finished at 35 weeks and wished I had finished earlier as I had very swollen ankles and my bump was huge! Luckily I used all of my years holiday before dd was born - 11th June this year so I saved all the maternity leave for afterwards. I think you can finish as early as 29 weeks. The best thing to do is to see how your pregnancy goes, I was able to change my leave date a month before I left so see what your employer will offer.

littlelamb · 31/07/2008 22:42

I left at 29 weeks which is the earliest you can take leave. I had bad SPD and was feeling very low and couldn't have gone much longer to be honest, as I don't drive and just getting to work was too painful on my pelvis. It depends how you feel- I know my work was very flexible with the date you leave- if you wanted to leave earlier than you initially thought they were fine with it.

Rhian82 · 31/07/2008 23:06

I'm planning on finishing work at 37 weeks. I can't really afford to leave sooner, but I have an easy ten minute walk into work, and I sit at a desk all day, so it shouldn't be too bad.

MamaG · 31/07/2008 23:08

I'm planning to finish at 38 weeks! I did teh same with other two children after pleasant straightforward pgs - work have said I can finish earlier if I get knackered, but if i carry on as I am I will continue to 38 weeks agian.

Ambi · 31/07/2008 23:10

I did at 36 weeks which was just enough time until edd, shame she was 2 weeks late which was way too much.

elkiedee · 31/07/2008 23:22

It varies a lot - legally you can start 11 weeks before EDD but that obviously takes a big chunk of time you might prefer to keep until after the birth if possible.

Will you have annual leave to take before you start maternity leave? Last year my first baby was due on 24 April and my last day was 5 April (Good Friday next day) but I didn't start actual ML until 23 April - that was using annual leave and Easter holidays.

As ds didn't show up for a few days, it was just as well, really.

The downside of this though is that if you find you're too ill/tired to make it into work up to 4 weeks before your EDD the employer can say you start your ML then. If it's not what you planned it can mess things up.

You must be due very close to me as I'm 14+3 today with 2nd baby. I'd suggest not wasting any leave you'd get over Christmas on maternity leave - I have to use AL then but have worked out that I can probably go in for 2 days after New Year, when tube can still be a bit quieter than normal, and if they get someone in to cover my job do handover and use the desk of someone who's off to help out with stuff if mine is occupied. Then I will start ML on my due date or very close (so long as baby doesn't come early, then I'll waste annual leave, but I don't expect that for me).

MissusH · 31/07/2008 23:26

I'm finishing at 37wks (same with dd) but am adding 2wks holiday on to the front this time.

So 3wks left at work for me - whoo hoo

dinkystinky · 01/08/2008 09:17

With DS I finished work at 38 weeks - took 2 weeks annual leave then my maternity leave started the week he was due (was pretty convinced he'd be overdue - and he was by 2 weeks!)

Pregnant again and as have a slightlyl longer commute am planning to finish work at 37 weeks (doing the 2 week annual leave then maternity leave thing again).

jette · 01/08/2008 09:33

I'm planning to leave at 39 weeks - but older women keep smiling pityingly at me..
In my office there's a legendary former employee who worked up until the birth, took a month off and then bought her baby into work until her contract finished some months later - I have a lot to live up to..

Wisknit · 01/08/2008 10:26

I finished at 29 weeks but was a plantswomen at a garden centre and did lots of heavy (HEAVY) lifting and stuff and didn't feel I could do the job properly by then. Also I hated the place by then and used to get up at 5 not home til gone 6 and felt enough was enough. Became sahm so didn't apply to ds2 nor this pregnancy.

dinkystinky · 01/08/2008 10:51

Wow Jette - 39 weeks is impressive! To be honest, I really loved my 4 weeks of toodling around not doing much before ds arrived - make sure you cram lots of you time in before your DC arrives!

LittleMissNorty · 01/08/2008 10:56

I went till 36 weeks - only just - it was pretty difficult I have to say. Took two weeks A/L and had DD at 38 weeks. Last day of A/L was the Friday, had her Saturday, mat leave started Sunday .....the longer you work, the longer you get with your baby....if you go back anyway.

Guitargirl · 01/08/2008 11:08

I finished at 37.5 weeks last time but then DD was 2 weeks overdue. Am also 14 weeks now and am planning on finishing around Christmas this time when I will be 35 weeks (but will probably have an elective section this time anyway so baby will be before 40 weeks).

Gracie14 · 01/08/2008 11:33

Hi, Its my last day today, yippee I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow. I'm taking 3 weeks holiday from monday and so maternity leave doesn't start until 26th august (baby due 30th august).

I think it varys depending on how your feeling in pregnancy - I think just wait and see how you are. Hope all goes well

ten10 · 01/08/2008 11:47

I finished at 31 weeks but this was because of how it fell with christmas holidays and term times (I teach so these things had to be factored in)

If it had been an option I definately could have worked a bit longer, but not too much longer as I became very large and uncomfortable and in a job where I was on my feet all day I definately would have struggled in the last 3 weeks or so.

But then this could also have been that I had far too much time to stuff my face with chocolate and cakes etc in the time I had waiting for the baby to come and not having work to distract me

pregnancy1 · 01/08/2008 13:11

I finished at 37 1/2 weeks - am currently using up my holiday so I keep my ML until baby arrives.
I think it depends on your circumstances - I have quite a stressful job and commute in on the tube every day so I found it really hard in this weather (I only finished on Monday). In hindsight I'd have left slightly earlier. Having said that, if I was due in winter I'd have pressed on for longer to save my ML!
Hopefully your boss is understanding - can you suggest a date (36 weeks is the norm), but request flexibility nearer the time?

notcitrus · 01/08/2008 14:28

I was planning to continue to 37 weeks, partly because I know lots of people who worked to 37/8 weeks but also I'm on a temporary promotion allowance so it's a lot of extra cash, and then annual leave would cover any time until the actual birth.

However I'm stopping next week (35) having used my leave up to work 3 days a week for the last 6 weeks, and all of that 6 weeks has been working from home, as I have bad SPD and have been banned from commuting.

Even without the being unable to walk, I've just been totally exhausted for the last 6 weeks. At least working at home I've been able to have lie-ins - but had better get back to some of that work...

katz · 01/08/2008 14:31

with dd1 is was doing my PhD and i stopped in the lab at 36 weeks, i went into labour at 36.5!

with dd2 i start maternity leave at 39 weeks but took the 3 weeks before as annual leave so stopped working at 36 weeks.

Flip