Is 38 weeks an unrealistic time to start MatLeave?!

[KWebs]

I'm new so be gentle

First time mum and 22 weeks pregnant. Looking to apply for my maternity leave soon and I'm trying to leave it til as late in pregnancy as possible for a number of reasons, however is 38 weeks absolutely ridiculous to aim for?! I have no idea how I'll feel in 15 weeks so no idea if this is completely unrealistic. HOWEVER my work is low impact and not very stressful, my colleagues are quite happy to just put work in front of me if I decide to stay that late, and I work in the same building as my mum so if I'm too big to drive then she can. Plus a cheeky bonus of working across the road from where I'll be giving birth, should I happen to go into labour during work hours. Combined I feel pretty chill about working til 38 weeks but I can't find much opinion online and people I've asked have been pretty neutral in their response I half expect people to laugh at the naivety of my intentions but I welcome honesty!

Also if anyone worked for the NHS and chose to declare they'd be resigning once their mat leave finishes I'd love to talk to you as I think that's my intention!

Sounds fine to me. If you develop medical issues that mean you simply can't carry on then you can be signed off till 36 weeks (I think) and then maternity leave would automatically start anyway.

I worked till 39 weeks and 40 weeks but had to stop at 32 weeks too - it's quite random with your first but likely as not you'll be fine to 38 weeks. Knackered though! And you may have your baby before the due date (37 weeks onwards is full term) so worth thinking how important baby-free time is to you.

I worked to 37 weeks with both of mine. I was glad to leave but could have pushed on to 38 weeks if I had really wanted to.

I worked until 39 weeks and felt fine - just struggled with the commute as my feet were so swollen.

You should be fine. I know of people who have worked to 40 weeks and still had a couple of weeks on mat leave before baby arrives ☺ then again people who have had their babies early but as soon as you have the baby you automatically go so it doesn't matter.

If you have been fine so far and it's not a strenuous job you will probably be fine and then will probably have 2 or 3 weeks before baby comes to relax etc.

Sister worked until 38 weeks and was bored to tears last two weeks off! Pregnancy was pretty straight forward though. I'm in the same position as you, hoping to work as late as possible but not sure how long ill last!

Totally fine.
Just see how you go. I was 39 weeks with DD and 37 weeks with DS but only because I had to use up annual leave!

I started mat leave at 37.2 and dd was born that night. I had been working from home for a few weeks. I cleared everything up, ealked down to PO to send work back. CM delivered ds home and i went into labour about an hour later.

I stopped at 38 weeks (first and only baby!) I was looking forward to a couple of weeks with my feet up but DS turned up 5 days later so those plans went out the window.

In hindsight, I would have stopped earlier. Crappy commute into central London whilst heavily pregnant in the height of summer (DS was born mid August) - never again!

But forgot to say spent when DS was born i spent from 32 weeks in hospital. I was in 7 weeks .

Ah thank you everyone, that's great to hear. I don't particularly feel I need much baby free time before the baby is here, so I'm not too concerned by that really. Good to hear people have done it too, and lived to tell the tale

I'm 37 weeks today and go on mat leave next Friday.

Personally I am now absolutely exhausted, I fall asleep on commute home and then nap for a bit when I get home.
I am working from home a few days a week next week I intend to work from home for three days. I am really flagging.

However I am making deadlines and when working very focussed so my work isn't suffering.
If it were I'd have taken leave earlier.

I think you should play it by ear, can you not go earlier if you find yourself unable to physically carry on?

You may be fine working up to 38 weeks but it's good to keep your options open if you can and be able to decide nearer the time if you want to bring it forward. I left at 36.5 weeks and was really ready mentally to leave work behind and to enjoy having time to get all the last bits ready for baby. I could probably have kept going physically. Baby came early so I ended up having 2 weeks off work before she arrived.

No experience of resigning at the end of May leave, but I'm pretty sure NHS maternity pay is good and you'd have to look into whether or not you'd have to pay it back, but you've probably already done that.

Good luck!

Congratulations! I worked till 38 weeks. I took 2 weeks annual leave and my maternity started on my due date I was so tired , but I prefer knowing I have more time with baby now.
Also I had so many plans of what I wanted to do in those two weeks HAHAHA ! I stayed in bed and watched box sets most of it I was so tired ... sleep and rest as much as you can.
I will say by about 32 weeks I worked then came Home and slept and that's all I did (work and sleep) , I was aching and up every two hours for a wee (this is good it gets you used to being up all the time) 😂

I worked till 40 weeks with DS1. Last week from home, was due on the Sunday was induced on the Monday. With DS2 I was on a conference call 5 hours before he was born at 38+6. I really really don't recommend this.

Watch out if saving annual leave for those weeks, if baby comes while you are on A/L you will switch to M/L immediately and lose the A/L. My first was born at 37.5 weeks.

I worked I think till about 39/40 weeks with both pregnancies. Besides having to sit down a lot at the end, I was fine.

I started at 38 weeks too. I tapered down a bit (so, for example, stopped flying for work travel at 36 weeks). But I worked until as late as possible - I'd been sent up to the hospital for some monitoring and basically got told I couldn't call back into the conference call I'd been on as I was being sent to be induced.

Not personally resigned but my understanding is that if you dont return to work for at least 3 months following mat leave then you have to pay it back

My job is quite stressful and hard work but I made it to 39+4, I'd planned to finish that day.
I went into labour the very same day! My waters broke slowly at work (I didn't tell anyone 🙈🙈) and then went into proper labour that evening.
I have no regrets at all, totally made the most of my maternity leave, it also meant I could take a full year off work with my LO!
If you can.. go for it!

I worked until 38+4 the only hard thing was the commute (I took an Uber everyday for the last week). DD was born at 42 weeks, I sometimes wonder if she would have arrived sooner if I'd given myself a bit more time to relax (and create some oxytocin, I was basically running on adrenaline and cortisone for the last two weeks).

I'm 27 weeks now and plan to come off at 36 weeks on 2 weeks of A/L before my mat leave starts at 38 weeks. I've got a pretty easy going job so I'm hoping that I will manage to continue. I was planning to just come off at 38 weeks but I have to use up holidays before I go. My only worry is my (currently) 25-30 minute walk to work... and how that's going to go when I'm a huge waddling mess in late June.

*cortisol, not cortisone

In Ireland it's pretty standard to work until 38 weeks, I'd much rather work for longer and have that extra time when the baby's here. I worked till 38 weeks both times in a moderately physical job, both babies arrived 2 days later!

I'm finishing next week at 35 weeks. Huge danger I will get bored as DD born at 41+11 but I have MH considerations too and want to be able to have a few weeks to transition from work to home with lower risk of baby arriving in this time.

I worked till 38w the first time and baby arrived 39+2

Worked till 36w the second time and baby arrived 37+4

The first time I had no walk to the car, but very swollen ankles, hence decided to stop at 36 weeks as I had a walk to the car from work.