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Original poster

When to start maternity leave??

36 replies

trinket · 07/03/2006 16:18

Hi there
Im going to be a first time mum in september and work full time at the moment. Im trying to decide what date to say I want to start my maternity leave. I want to work for as long as I can so I can have more time off with the baby afterwards, but have no idea realisticly how close to my due date I should work to...have any of you other working mums got any advice as to when you stopped working? any help appreciated.

OP posts:

Ailsa · 08/03/2006 20:33

1st - left work at 34 weeks - dd1 born 8 weeks later, wished I'd left later, I was bored beyond recognition

2nd - left work at 37 weeks - ds born 4 weeks later

3rd - left work at 39 weeks - dd2 born 1 week later. I was glad to work until then as it was the hot summer of 2003, so was glad to go to work in an air conditioned office, my house gets REALLY hot in summer. If I didn't have dd1 and ds school uniforms to get ready I'd have worked up until 40 weeks, then dd2 would have been born 2 days later.

chocohead · 10/03/2006 09:25

Planned to leave 2 weeks before due date, but ended up going into labour and giving birth the day before i was due to leave!

If you are feeling o.k in you preg, i would say as late as poss.

JenJam · 10/03/2006 09:30

see how you feel trinket---i wanted to leave it until 2 wks before my dd...but i was so hugem was decorating up til last minute and really needed the hands free time...nesting,tidying washing new baby clothes .... i puffed up like a puffa fish too!

so i had 4 weeks and i loved winding down...sleeping loads reading etc

Hulababy · 10/03/2006 09:35

I stopped work at 35 weeks, and my maternity week started at 36 weeks. I got a "free" week, as I was a teacher and was able to use half term holiday as the freebie.

lahdeedah · 10/03/2006 09:36

I think this really depends on how your pregnancy is going, and what sort of person you are.

I stopped at 35 weeks, had two weeks holiday and maternity leave "proper" started at 37 weeks. I didn't give birth until 42 weeks, so had a good 7 weeks rest and relaxation before the baby came. I was desperate to leave by 35 weeks - I used to commute on the Tube and it was exhausting, especially when people ignore you and don't offer a seat. I was really big though - I know plenty of women who have had no problem working right up until their due date. You don't have to give a leaving date until you're 20-something weeks I think, so keep your options open as long as you can and don't commit to anything until the last minute!

JenJam · 10/03/2006 09:37

one handed typing im feeding hence typos...

it is exciting getting ready.....

with hindsight if you can manage it leave 3 weeks before your due date, that gives you enough time to indulge

madchad · 10/03/2006 09:38

40 weeks both times and that's what's planned for no 3 in June. However I was working 3/4 days a week.
Felt fine and energetic for both pregnancies, and would have been bored stupid at home-all my friends work F/T.

Could you negotiate working from home towards the end?

Enid · 10/03/2006 09:38

my maternity leave starts in the middle of the Easter holidays

DOH!

anniemac · 10/03/2006 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

katyp · 10/03/2006 10:23

Worked until 37 weeks with my first - born a week late. Stopped two months before due date with second (more or less as early as I was allowed to legally). I was doing a fairly stressful job with lots of travelling. I felt in much better shape for the birth second time around - had plenty of time to do ante-natal yoga and aqua aerobics so I was a lot fitter and more rested. We had a lot of work to do on our house so it gave me time to get some of this done before the baby arrived. I think first time around in general though, it is easier to work for longer because you can rest when you are not at work. When it's number 2, you always have a toddler to deal with when you are not at work.

Original poster

trinket · 13/03/2006 13:07

Thanks for all your thoughts Mums!! Really useful. I am an IT Trainer and work in a University so technically sugust shoudl be fairly quiet, so I think Im going to aim to work till end of 37 weeks, so should get two weeks before the baby comes.... unless it appears early of course! I dont have a particularly stressfful journey to work and my boss has said I can work at home if I need to so guess Im lucky. plus Ive been feeling well so will aim to work as long as poss before and have more time off after -Im planning on having 6 months off then going back part time, but we shall see! Thanks again for the advice. :)

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