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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

How many weeks pregnant were you when you left work for maternity leave?

96 replies

loganberry12 · 21/02/2009 19:53

was wondering at what stage i should stop working i know you can finish 11 weeks before the birth date but was wondering how many ladies work longer than this?

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pavlovthecat · 22/02/2009 11:46

officially 38 weeks. Unofficially 32 weeks.

brettgirl2 · 22/02/2009 12:59

I will be finishing with AL at 34+3 - a week and three days to go, I can hardly wait!

babyc · 22/02/2009 14:29

I'm due to finish in 2 weeks at 35 wk, CS booked for 39, but I'm feeling fine so really want to carry on, not sure if I can change it at this stage though and DH wants me to stop as my job is really hectic

PuddingChops · 22/02/2009 14:35

1st - 39 wks
2nd - worked until 5.30pm dd born at 8.10.
Was self employed so had no choice.
Whats maternity leave?!!!!!!!!!!

Belgianchocolates · 22/02/2009 14:35

I find that most women seem to stop at around 34-36 weeks. Plenty of time to arrange things before baby comes, but not too late so you don't miss too much for after.

Saying that with dd I stopped at 29 weeks, because as a childminder I struggled doing my job with my spd/pgp

This time around same thing (although the 1st 2 weeks I'm at home are officially annual leave), although I've got a very different job, it's still a very physically demanding job and again the SPD/PGP has made it impossible to work longer.

If I worked in an office I'd work until 34 weeks though.

Heated · 22/02/2009 14:36

Am a teacher and stayed 'til 36/37 weeks for no 1 & 38 weeks for no 2. Was managing work fine but powerful braxton hicks on the long commute was a literal pain.

abbierhodes · 22/02/2009 14:37

Went into labour 5 days before Mat leave was due to start with DS1!! Had planned to go to 39 weeks, but he had other ideas.
With DS2, I gave up at 36 weeks after being told he needed to be born at 38 weeks due to a blood disorder, I had planned on stopping at 38 weeks. I would have carried on until the induction date tbh, but had so many hospital appointments it impossible to manage!

Biglips · 22/02/2009 16:36

38 weeks..... was starting to push it from 36 weeks as sssoooooo shattered!

laweaselmys · 22/02/2009 17:21

I stopped at 35+1, but I had to cut my hours down two weeks before then, as I was spending more time off sick than at work. Once I cut the house I was much less exhausted and stressed and consequently ill. I probably could have managed another week or two on reduced hours.

This is quite a physical/on your feet job though. If it had been a desk job I would have tried to push it out until 38!

mspotatochip · 22/02/2009 21:24

Signed off at 28 weeks with dd1 (high blood pressure) started mat leave at 35 weeks when she was born This time round if blood pressure keeps behaving planning to use a/l at 35 weeks start mat leave 38 weeks. Feels impossibly optimistic after last time but you gotta hope!

AnybodyHomeMcFly · 23/02/2009 21:27

Was 37 weeks with DS but was induced two days later so got no actual time off as such. So this time I planned in case of same event (which now looks likely) and am leaving at 35 weeks which should give me at least two weeks before any induction.

AnybodyHomeMcFly · 23/02/2009 21:27

PS the first two weeks I am taking are annual leave so mat leave doesn't start until 37 weeks.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 23/02/2009 21:31

36 weeks with ds1 and I throughly enjoyed every minute of the 6 weeks until he arived (he was late!!) but I didn't cherish that time enough!

36 weeks again with ds2 but I had awful spd so I had been desk bound (usually on my feet doing rehab with elderly patients) for a few weeks before that. As soon as I finished ds1 got chickenpox and it was not restful at all!

cmotdibbler · 23/02/2009 21:32

35 weeks - the day DS was born and the engineering manager had had to take me to hospital.

Colleague had twins 7 weeks after me, and only stopped work to be induced. She reckoned that being at work in air conditioned office was much easier than being at home with her toddler

ChasingSquirrels · 23/02/2009 21:32

around 31wks with both.

thisisyesterday · 23/02/2009 21:34

34 weeks first time, 37 weeks second time.

twinsetandpearls · 23/02/2009 21:34

I was a complete pampered diva and stopped working at 12 weeks. It was bliss but I would not get away with that now.

pooka · 23/02/2009 21:35

34 weeks with dd (but 4 weeks leave and then 2 weeks ML).
24 weeks with ds (5 weeks annual leave and 11 weeks maternity leave - in fact, I left the day after my second scan). Knew I wasn't going back, and wanted to enjoy a long summer at home with dd. Was lovely.

susiey · 23/02/2009 21:46

38 weeks both times and I had them both about 2 days after I finished work

Twinklemegan · 23/02/2009 21:50

I think it absolutely depends on how much you hate like your job and the health of the pregnant you. I think I stopped at 34 weeks because my job was so stressful (horrible female boss) and I'd had a difficult pregnancy. Ironically, at the point when I stopped I was feeling the best I had felt for the whole pregnancy, so I slighly regretted losing the time. But then, I think one reason I felt better was that the work stress was lifted off my shoulders.

llareggub · 23/02/2009 21:52

Last time I finished work at 32 weeks or so due to SPD but had a lot of annual leave to take, so in effect started my maternity leave at 37 weeks.

This time I've left at 29 weeks, as my maternity leave crosses the annual leave year so I can still have 12 months off but then tack my annual leave onto the end, giving me 13 months off. It is lovely to spend so much time with DS before we are joined by baby.

jbakedbean · 24/02/2009 19:28

I'm 35 weeks, have a reasonably stressful job and don't plan to finish until 39 weeks depending on health, but apart from a bit of spd I am doing fine and use my weekends to sleep and catch up. My work have been nice and cut down my hours from 50 per week to 45 so I can start the day a bit later, and I also used to have to commute 3 days a week for 1.5 hrs each way up until 33 weeks, which I have now cut down to only commuting one day per week.

Think i must have an easier pregnancy than most, but due to money worries and the fact that spd stops me from doing much other than sitting or lieing down, i think i'd be bored stiff at home, have this feeling I'll be 2 weeks late as well.

If i need to leave earlier I can as my work are good and I can take it as annual leave, but in this climate want to have as much money as possible as long as it doesn't put me or little wriggler at risk.

MrsMattie · 24/02/2009 19:31

34 wks with DS. I was standing on my feet a lot of the day while at work and it was a long commute. I had severe SPD, too. I'd planned to string it out until 37 wks but had to admit defeat in the end.

Was a SAHM with a toddler when pregnant with DD, so, urm...never got to give up work

MollieO · 24/02/2009 19:31

33 weeks - ds came early!

supergluebum · 24/02/2009 19:35

36 weeks with DS, but had already started coming in late (extra sleep as was total insomniac towards the end) and staying late or using toil to make up for it.
And 32 weeks with DD, but used 4 weeks annual leave, then started ML officially at 36 weeks. But she came 10 days late!

Don't forget you can use your full annual leave entitlement in advance of mat leave or go sick if needs be. But if you take annual leave and then have the baby during the AL period your mat leave will automatically kick in and cancel your leave and you'll be paid it at the end of the leave year.

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