Maternity Leave

[Soozee]

Is anyone here working while pregnant? How far along will you be when you stop, or how far along were you when you left work for maternity leave?

I stopped working when I was 4 weeks along! Got extremely danger zone ill.

 

[mrs h]

I have a week left in work taking me to 35 weeks and i am struggling like hell with the daily commute to work.Sometimes i feel i am going to pass out when i am standing up on train for 20 mins.can you believe no one offers you their seat even when people can see im huge and unsteady on my feet.
At work i feel i cant go on much longer,originally i wanted to work right up to my due date as i cant afford much maternity time off but i cant work much longer.
I would advise anyone to stop work early as poss if they can afford full maternity leave

 

[luce1]

Finished 2 weeks ago (so I was 36weeks)

 

[Soozee]

You are both a lot tougher than me! I couldn't handle going to work at this stage.

I can't beleive no one offers you a seat in the train! JERKS

 

With my son I stopped working at 5 weeks, I was so sick and tired. Started temping at 24 weeks I think, but had to stop again at 27 weeks when I had contractions. This time I'm not working, I'm a free woman! Well, a stay at home mum anyway

 

[Cloughie]

Last pregnancy I stopped working at 36 weeks, I was just about ready to stop then, but was working full time.

With this pregnancy I am working up to 37 weeks (I finish this week! Yay!), but I'm only working part time now, so I'm not finding it too difficult. The most difficult part, I think, is the first trimester, when you're nauseous and exhausted. Once you're past that you can cope with anything!

 

[Shaz]

Hi Soozie - I'm due 30th January and I've given my notice of SMP the friday before..I'm intending to work right up to the birth if I can mainly to get every penny I can out of the company before I go onto the SMP rate of £108.00 per week!

I'm usually travelling a lot in my job, but I've negotiated with my boss that come December/January I will be office based and only go out if someone else is driving me. Luckily as well I'm about 10 minutes from the office where I work so I'm going to keep trying to struggle through until the Friday before the due date.....fingers crossed!!!

 

[cab'o'holic]

When I had my son I worked untill the day I went into hospital, but with this one I have been signed of for my pregnancy, but I cant aford it.

 

[babyjay1]

I'm due on the 20th of december and taking 2 weeks holiday on the 4th. I'm actually starting my maternity leave on my due date.

 

[Vicki83]

I'm taking a weeks holiday at the end of November and officially starting my maternity leave on 4th December.

The countdown is on!

 

[cassi]

finished at 35 weeks...

 

[Lyndsey]

I have sent my letter in to work saying that I intend to start Mat leave from 37 weeks... however this week I have been signed off sick from the GP as I am really not coping well... I am just so tired. I know they can't make you start your Mat leave until 34 weeks so I may just stay off now until LO is born. I am intending to talk to work about maybe working part time hours but if that can't be accomadated then I will definatley stay off........

What does everyone do when at home? I do not have the internet at home at the min so I am at mum and dads house to read these posts!

I am trying to potter about and keep things tidy but for example today I stopped and sat down with a cuppa and 4 hours later woke up!!!! I had fallen into a deep sleep on the settee!!!!!!!!!!!

Lyndsey

 

[Dippy]

I have got four weeks left in work so I will have about two weeks to go before my due date. Some days are worse than others, but I just keep focusing on the fact that I am so close to the finish line- I am lucky to get 6 months full pay whilst on mat leave so I want as much of that to be after my LO is here.

 

[Rubys mummy]

Finishing on 22nd December @ nearly 38 weeks, but working 3 day weeks during December I have saved up my annual leave, not had any hols since april so I am really tired now... We get Christmas holidays until 2nd Jan, then I have 4 days leave and start my maternity leave on 6th Jan, 2 days before I am due

Work in an office so I am sitting down all day luckily xx

 

[Soozee]

Hey Lyndsey, thats mostly what I do around the house is sleep! I'm surprised I am awake right now actually

When I am awake I am usually cleaning the house. Don't really like watching TV, it drives me nuts. I can never clean enough! If I don't have a project to do for the baby, I get really bored.

 

[cassi]

I would have stayed on for longer but it wouldnt of been healthy for me or baby as im on my feet all day everyday at work and it can be very stressfull on busy days (which is everyday except fridays) lol

Lyndsey id ask doc to sign you off hun so at least you get your full pay cause if you go part time they can then only give you part time mat pay hun.

cas xx

 

[Lynsey]

I'm finishing work on the 8th December exactly a month before my due date but I get Christmas bank holidays etc in between that so it will work out to be less. If I didn't have to commute into London then I would try and stay longer but I think I will have had enough by then!

 

[Lyndsey]

I am having a meeting with them next week..... as I work in Occ Health I would hope that they would be accomadating and pay me full pay whilst working part time... thats what we advise companies when an employee is sick. If they won't and say that a return to part time hours will mean a drop in pay then I will get signed off sick ...... I get 13 weeks paid sick time so that will take me up to my Mat leav which I can start early.......

it is all so complicated.

I honestly thought that I would sail through this and the only "pains" I would feel would be during labour!!! How naive!