Maternity Leave - when to start....?

[SarahH]

Hi all!

I'm looking for your advice again! The outside company that does the payroll at my work has called asking for an approx date that I will be stopping work.

How many weeks before is the norm? I am due 2nd July and still have 2wks hol's to take. I was thinking either finishing 5th June or 12th June - that would give me my 2wks hols plus either 1wk or 2wk on Maternity. Is that too early or too late!! Arrrgggghhhh!! My head hurts too much getting things organised!

PLEASE HELP!!!!

S. xx

 

[Anna Marie]

Hi Sarah,

I will be stopping about 4 - 6 weeks before due date.. mainly because my consultant has suggested it... maybe you should ask your midwife how she thinks you are and what she advises..

My reasons are: I am 37 and considered a high risk pregnancy due to history of m/c and a kidney condition which puts me at high risk of pre-eclampsia.. and my job involves alot of driving and up and down stairs looking at properties so I am not sure how long I will be able to do it for...

x

 

[Kelly G]

I work at Next i was going to leave 4 weeks before im due (Jully 11th) but i also had 2 weeks holiday to take so im going to use those and leave 6 weeks before!

Reminds me i must write a letter and let them kno !

kelly

 

[sophie]

i am goin to work up to 22/9 im due 2nd oct if all goes ok of course! that gives me a week an a bit before due date, an my boss has said thats fine! obviously things can change an i might have to leave earlier but ide rather have longer off with baby after birth!
take care and good luck
xx

 

[Dee1985]

iv got 2 weeks holiday that im taking when im 34weeks then my mat leave follows.

depends thou if u are only getting 6months leave try and stay as long as u can then u get longer with baby,
with my first child i asked for my mat leave to start when i was 39weks, but she came at 35weeks any way lol so didnt get leave before but then i spent the full 6months with her.

 

[Lindsay]

Hiya I am due on May 24th and am finishing work on 5th May, 2 weeks and 3 days before baby is due. Obviously if things get too hard for me I will re-consider but that's the plan! I wanted longer off after the birth, I am taking 6 months off and adding 2 weeks holiday onto the end of it. Roll on 5th May!!

Xxx

 

[hayley]

it all depends on how you feel... i'm sure wat ever date you give work wont hold you to it... you should consider things like... will you be on your feet much (you don't want to standing for too long heavily pregnant) will you be driving much. Is your job going to put you in danger in any way... is your job very active?

I'm similar to you.. i have 4 weeks holiday left (using one week in June) leaving me with 3 to take before my maturnity leave... i'm going to finish exactly 3 weeks before so maternity (26) weeks will start on my due date...

I'm going to then take 22 weeks off - which will take me to the first week in Jan... i'll start back in the new year fresh (hopefully) For the remaining 4 weeks of my maternity i'll work 3 days a week but get paid for 5... that way i'll ease me back into work and get baby used to being away from me....

They're my plans so far! between now and then anything can happen...

x

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

i had to stop at 34 weeks my work place wouldnt let me go further

 

[SarahH]

Work shouldn't be to bad for me - not got too far to travel and they have been really good so far and are just giving me work to do at a desk rather than running about like I used to do!!

I've pencilled in my plans for leaving - but will wait and see!

S. xx

 

[Amanda]

Hi Sarah

Unfortunately, my maternity leave has had to be planned for financial reasons and not whether I would like time off before the birth or after. I earn double what DH does and we have no idea how we're going to manage while I'm on stupid £106 per week. It'll mean a drop in over £1000 per month for us. Anyway, I digress!!

My EDD is 7th Sept, but I'm finishing work on 28th July (week 34). The first 2 weeks will be paid holiday so my maternity won't kick in until week 36. I then get 6 weeks at 90% wage, so I should still be earning proper money when the baby is born, as I'm sure there will be something major that we've forgotten and will need to buy. I should then go back to work around mid Feb 2007, but may have to go back in January to pay the bills!! Although, I do get 27 days paid holiday a year, so may take some of these to try and extend my time off. It's really annoying as I'm also entitled to the extra 6 months off unpaid, but we really can't afford it.

Oh well, haven't I waffled!!!

 

[Keely]

I will be stopping work at 34wks ... hoping to take the first two weeks as holiday, but work are still deciding as I have to accure my holiday so they may not pay me.....

They suggested I carry two weeks over to next year, but they dont know I am not coming back hopefully!!!... if I need to get a job after maternity if finished end of dec, I will look for new one cos I hate this place. xxxxx

 

[nicki]

My due date is 15th April (yikes ) and my official maternity leave started on the 12th March but I actually finished work on the 23rd Jan coz I had about 7 weeks leave to use up from last summer, this winter & this coming summer! I work part time anyway so it amounted to alot.

I'm so glad I could finish that early because of my bad back & SPD, walking is quite difficult. I've told work i'll take my 6 months paind & 6 months unpaid mat leave so should return to work on the 12th March next year but I doubt I will!

Love being off work - hated it!!

 

[hayley]

keely&bump - what your work is doing is wrong! they can't make you earn the holidays... every week your off on maternity is counted as working - so your earning holidays whilst your off.... if you decide to use up all your holidays early on in the year it wont matter as you'll still be employed till the end of the year but you'll be on maternity... if they are asking you to carry weeks over that is to make life easier for them.... do your hols run jan to dec? if so tell them to take a running jump!!!! i'll be using up all my holidays by the end of July... i'm not going back to work until Jan next year so wont need them in the 2nd half of the year....

 

[Bagpuss17]

It's so difficult to know what to do...it all depends on how you feel nearer the time doesn't it?

I'm planning on working up to 36 weeks, taking 2 weeks hols and then starting mat leave early July. Due on the 11th of July.

I'll be carrying holiday over to next year so that I can go back part time to start with on full pay.

That said if I'm really struggling in June I'll use up more holiday and finish earlier.

I just don't want to be on mat leave for 6 weeks before baby's here - I'd rather get paid mat leave and enjoy that time when babys here but it's so easy to work out because there's no saying when he/she will come into the world.