working until you give birth.....a good idea?

[fairymo]

I have a new job about to start which is due to finish on the week after I give birth. I should be able to arrange the work schedule so that all work is over by my due date - but I still run the risk of letting them down if I give birth early. The job is amazing and I would excel at it, but really don't want to let them down if I go into labour early, or find I'm too tired in the final month (it will be quite a busy job leading projects and presentations).

Does anyone have any positive stories of working through to the end of their pregnancy? I have heard all the negative stories, and my friend gave birth six weeks early just now.... so I am aware of all the downsides!

Many thanks.

I stopped working Feb 28 and DD1 arrived 5/03. My job was stressful up to mid Jan however I had taken annual leave in Dec as it had to be taken by 31/12 which I know helped. I was lucky easy pg and as 1st child as soon as I was at home it was feet up, healthy eating and days off were spent doing little or nothing. All jobs are different but I did as much desk work as possible and spread out my walking standing up bits as much as I could. I also found perching on a bar stool during presentations was a great help. I also found clients very understanding...... Good Luck

i stopped at about 36 weeks last time, was mentally totally fed up, but physically just a bit tired. i went into labour a week past due date when DS was born.

this is my last day before mat leave for dc2 and it couldn't come quick enough. i am 36+4 and have slept badly for months, everything hurts and I've not been able to rest as much, as DS is bouncing about waiting for me and grinning when i get home.

so i guess it does depend how you end up feeling!

good luck. :)

I worked until 4 days before my due date (trying to preserve my maternity leave for post-birth, was on SMP only back then). DS was a week late, labour was about 8 hours, no complications (to refute an earlier post associating lengthy labours with not resting in the last month).

Yes, the last month was a tad trickier, because the acid reflux meant I had to sleep propped up at an angle, and I sleep badly in that position. And my ankles swelled (painful as well as ugly). But all this made no difference to my work, and didn't interfere at all. The only downside was my colleagues' increasing nervousness every time I coughed or winced in the final weeks . After the first trimester, I have to say pregnancy made me feel incredibly well and I flourished.

My ds was 5 weeks early, and the only reason my waters didn't go at work was that I'd taken a day off after a week of travelling and presentations. My colleague worked till the day before her twins were induced at 38 weeks - we both had very easy labours.

If you want to, Work as long as you feel able to do yourjob and commute , unless your dr tells you otherwise. It will be many years befroe you get to suit yourself again

It will make no difference to the mind of labour and birth you have

Most women dont get to rest with second and subsequent pregnanvies, tney are either at woek or at home with toddlers and other children. This doesnt make second births harder.

If you were climbing everest you wouldnt be resting, you would be training hard for months. You cant train for child birth

Through poor planning on our part DH was a student and I was the breadwinner when both of ours were born, so with DS I worked tili 39 weeks with a 2ish hour commute and with DD I was booked for a planned c/s and finished the day before.

I wanted as much of my mat leave with the DCs hence doing it that way round.

This is so not a "I can work later than yow" post as I wouldn't recommend it, but for us needs must. I had crap pregnancies - hyperemesis but a labour was fine (epidural) for DS and elec section for DD.

You just never know how you are going to feel.

Is your job desk based? You will need to factor in tiredness from poor overnight sleep in the last month. You will also need to pee a lot like at least every 90 mins I think.

I had 3 months off, but I was overseeing house renovation. It was great to relax for so long. I have a lovely chilled out baby and I wonder if not rushing about helped a bit.

I worked up until a week before. Had severe hyper emesis which I managed with . It was the lack of sleep that killed me in the last month.

duchesse - it's one of those anecdoctal proofs

she was worried about me.
i do think she has a point, though, that rest is a good plan because you've got a lot of hard work ahead of you. it's not foolproof, of course nothing can be predicted, but next time i would go for the rest in advance

I think even people who sail through pregnancy find the last month very hard work. I worked until 3 weeks before DS1 and found I was short of breath when speaking in meetings or doing presentations and very tired each evening, also incredibly uncomfortable sitting down. I took an extra week with DS2 and that was much better ( he helped by being a week late too)
I went back to work when the baby was 8 weeks old each time, that was OK as I'd got my strength back by then and was getting bored at home. One thing that I hadn't thought of the first time around ( though it is obvious) is that you start being a mummy from day 1 - even if you have help and support at home. If you have only just finished work, then have a long labour and then have to start night feeds etc. all within a few days you are not really getting off to motherhood on the right foot - allow a litle bit of time for rest, pampering and things you enjoy before you get stuck into the real hard work.

I worked FT until 1 week before my due date with all 3 pregnancies (each between 7-10 days overdue).

Felt totally fine & could have carried on until I went into labour to be honest. I have a desk job which I absolutely love - it does have a lot of responsibility & staff that I'm responsible for & particularly during the third pregnancy was v stressful (often working until 11pm or later through the week - logged in from home at that time of night) but I was fine & all births were relatively easy.

Only you know how you're feeling & how you find the work, but if it's something you enjoy & think you can handle then I don't think the pregnancy would necessarily stop you (but obviously that's unknown at this stage).

Good luck with it all - hope it goes well for you