How far in advance to take maternity leave

[DDS]

Hi there.
Soon i will need to give my date, of intended start of maternity leave.
I am due 19th Jan. I would like to take it as late as possible, rather svaing my maternity leave for when the baby is born. I was thinking 1 week, but have nver had a child i am not sure if i will be too tired by then. Alternatively 1 week before, then using some annual leave to work 2/3 days per week for 2 weeks leading up to my one week.
Any ideas from experianced mums.
I work in a hospital, and see patients almost daily.
Thanks

 

[zedandbee]

Hi there

I too am due on 19th January and this is my first baby - I plan to go on maternity leave on 2nd January all being well, but its hard to know how tired u will be by then!!

xx

 

[carlyr874]

I think about 4 weeks before is good - I don't know what you do, but sitting in an office chair all day is quite uncomfortable when you're huge! This time round I am finishing at 32 weeks on the Friday before Xmas because i thought that would be quite a nice time to finish and taking the full 52 weeks - to will be taking the whole of 2009 off I can't wait counting the days now!

 

[lisaspoon]

I too I'm finishing up at xmas which will be about 4 weeks before I'm due....... I couldnt be bothered with the drag of going back after the xmas break!

plus I dont have enough holidays to be off the xmas period so didnt particularly want to be in the office when its really empty

 

[Julie84]

I'm starting my maternity leave at 38+1 on 15th December. I think I'll probably stick a couple of weeks holiday in front to try and get all the Christmas presents and wrapping out of the way as early as possible!

 

[Alicebabe]

I'll be leaving work at 35 weeks but I have 6 weeks of annual leave saved up so not taking my actualy maternity leave until due date and having 5 weeks off before this as annual leave and the other week of my annual leave on the other end (baby end!)

I cant wait - I'm a theatre nurse and finding my job soooo exhausting as its mostly standing - no swollen ankles so far though!

 

[Sherlock]

Depends how your pregnancy goes and how much standing/walking around etc you have to do in your job. And also how well you cope with it all.

TBH I'd say to look at using up any outstanding annual leave also and maybe go off work a few weeks before hand. This also gives you time to yourself for a little while before you baby arrives and I personally felt having lots of rest and not having to drag myself out of bed in the mornings was a big benefit. Yes I did housework and so on, but I also got to read the books I'd piled up and just have some 'me' time before baby arrived. Once baby is here time to yourself goes out the window so I'd make the most of it.

 

[KERRYGOLD00]

.

 

[emx279]

Im gonna be leaving around xmas as on new years eve ill be 36 weeks and with my 2nd pg I gave birth at 37 weeks so roughly about when Im 35 weeks.

 

[ninjawomble]

Im a nurse, and Ive saved up my annual leave to finish at 33 weeks. Im fooked already now though!!
My mat leave offically starts 4 weeks before my due date. I couldnt manage finishing any later!!

 

[lisa-marie]

I plan to finish on Friday 19th Dec (we are due Jan 30th) using up holiday first with maternity leave starting on 2nd Jan. Decided to finish earlier for a few reasons:-

My job is being made redundant next year whist I am on maternity leave so my team are being made redundant in Nov this year so don't want to be around too much after they have gone as it will be really hard not having them around

Also couldn't face the thought of coming back after Christmas with no team for a couple of weeks and felt what was the point

Fancied having some me time and extra time to be prepared for Christmas

I am counting down the days as work is horrible and it's my DH and Bump that are getting me through this!

 

[Petra]

My last day is 28th November and baby is due on 30th December.. As off October I will work only 4 days a week and take every Monday off as I have some holidays saved up. I am not due to go back to work until 5th January 2010 !

 

[widowwadman]

I hope to work right until the christmas shutdown. Possibly leave a week earlier than that due to my holidays (I have a week booked off at the beginning of October because my sister wants to come over and visit me, but if she doesn't get flights sorted out I'll cancel it and tag it in front of ML), so that my maternity leave starts officially on my due date.

It makes me really sad already to think about not going to the office in 4 months time. I love my job and I enjoy working there and my colleagues are great. I know I'll return soon, but it makes me strangely sad anyway.
I'm still looking forward to Horatio, though, there are certainly no regrets.

 

[chookie]

I work in a hospital and am planning to start my mat leave on my due date but taking 2 weeks annual leave before then, so finishing at 38 weeks. Recently I was thinking that maybe I should take another week off ie finish at 37 weeks, but want to take more time after the baby is born so want to work as late as possible. I'm also thinking that if I go overdue it will be even more time at home to get bored if I go off too soon. If only I could see into the future to see exactly when the baby is going to arrive!

 

[pammie]

hi i work in a hospital and my plan is at 32 weeks to take all my anual leave (havent taken any this year so have quite a bit saved up ) and then go on maternity, all though am off ill at the moment with SPD so i may not be back in at all so i have to show my intention to go back to work at 32 weeks but go straight on to holidays,

you can always give a date in of when you ant to leave but if you find it to much nearer the time they can alter it for you

Good luck with everything
PAm x

 

[shesmurf]

I was planning to wait as long as humanly possible. Due Feb 22nd so was going to start from the 20th Feb (last Friday before). It's my first so didn't realise how many people went off a lot earlier, maybe I won't last that long I want as much time with the baby as poss as I have to go bac to work F/T after my maternity leave and OH will be going P/T. It might be really hectic though - I'm a flood officer so Jan/Feb is the busiest time. If the floods to come are as big or worse than last year we're in for a crazy few weeks!