Help! Anyone good at working out Maternity Leave?

[dismemberingdora]

I've been struggling with this all morning . I plan to start mat leave on 23/01/09(first day off then) and to take 26 weeks leave, followed by 16 weeks unpaid. There are 7 bank holidays to be added on to this, and after that I plan to take 4 weeks annual leave so I'm off nearly a year.
My head is addled. Can anyone tell me when my ordinary paid leave ends? When the additional leave ends (i get mixed up do I come back on the Friday or Monday) and when I should be planning my AL for.??
I'm very good at Maths but am thick at the moment . please help want to sort this out this week.

oh please anyone?. I just can't figure it out, if I could I would be so happy.

Sorry dora don't have a calendar to hand.

Ordinary leave ends after 26 weeks but you get SMP for 39 weeks now. Whether you come back on a Friday or Monday depends when you start, but if the first day of maternity leave is a Monday, your first day back normally would be as well.

I would plan to take your annual leave and bank holidays either immediately after your pay ends, or immediately before you go back, depends when you want to go back really - obviously that might be the same.

Thank you flowery, that helps clear things up.I really couldn't go counting days as had similar effect as counting sheep!
I am in Ireland,so that's where the figures are coming from.
Am in a tizzy of my own making, I think.

This works it all out for you nicely too....

tiger.direct.gov.uk/cgi-bin/maternity.cgi

Oh if you are in Ireland ignore my advice about pay and leave as I don't know what the entitlements are there at all I'm afraid, so don't know when ordinary and/or paid portion of leave ends.

I get paid full pay from my employer for 26 weeks (I sign over the statutory payments to my employer for this time)then I can go unpaid for 16 weeks maximum and then I hope to take unpaid leave. Nearly a year off, bliss!
Thank you flowery and laidback!

Full pay for 26 weeks, you lucky thing! Enjoy!

Thanks flowery, I will!