Maternity Leave

[Tulips]

Hello Ladies!

I'm really struggling w/ planning when to start my maternity leave. I always assumed you "work untill you pop" but MW tells me the norm is 4-6 weeks before? What are you guys going to do?

It's so difficult, I'm a first timer and although I'm absolutely fine now at 24 weeks I've got no idea what I'll be like towards the end. Would love to hear what you guys are planning!

~Tulips X X

 

[madam bully]

I have decided to start my maternity leave 3 weeks before I am due. Some people say that is quite late but my job involves sitting at a desk all day, if I am finding it a struggle then my boss will let me go earlier but I am reluctant to as I only get the basic maternity pay and the longer I can get my normal wages the better!

 

[annie4]

this is my 4th and i wouldn't recommend working after 37weeks or so - its not that you feel ill but it is difficult to sleep by that point and nice to know that you can have a snooze dring the day i am a teacher so i'm really lucky - i finish school at the end of june and i am coming back to work for the last week in aug/1st week in sept - due to start mleave on mon10th at 37weeks (babes is due 1st of oct but i will have a section at 39 weeks) 10th suits me as well as my dd is starting primary school that day and it gives me a chance to get her all settled before lo arrives.
Perhaps your boss would let you play it by ear and simply let him/her know about a week before you want to finish? But i would def. have some time to yourself to recharge your batteries before lo decides to drain them

 

[enn]

im on mine now as of fathers day and not due back till march/june 08 dont have to take alll that time of if i dont want too

 

[nikkif]

i am taking mine from 35 weeks, i would probably have worked a bit later but i am on my feet all day at work rushing around so think i might be glad of it by 35 weeks

 

[leckershell]

I booked mine to start a month before I'm due, just because it's not unreasonable for the baby to be a month early.

I'm lucky that I have a whole year's worth of holiday leave to take too, so I'm actually off 2 months before I'm due.

You'll start to notice how tiring it really is, so do what you feel best with. I would have liked to work a bit longer too, but I physically can't manage it anymore!

 

[mrs_tommo22]

With the first i took leave from 29 weeks as my SPD flared up too bad for me to carry on working (was a chef) so had to give up as i spemt too many hours on my feet.
With this one not mych choice for personal reasons so have been out of a job since week 29 andf bored shitless, have tried to geta job down here but have been turned down flat, so am on ML till LO is due then will fond a job when shes born

 

[NIE]

I posted on this subject last night as I am confussed about what is the right thing to do.

I am hoping to start mat leave asap, which I think is 11 weeks before baby is due. This is because I have plans to go back part time and also thinking of taking 1 year off as extended mat leave ( 26 weeks unpaid )

 

[emska101]

If i get some temp work then I am finishing at 36 weeks. If I can't get any temp work then I will finish at 24 weeks (as my contract ends then), and start claiming mat leave from the earliest point.

 

[tiggerstacy]

I work in an office so an planning on finishing 2.5 weeks before I am due, I know I will be tired but want to take as much paid time off as possible after the baby comes.

 

[eightball]

I have a desk job and I'm working until 5 weeks before my due date.
I've got five weeks left of work and I can't wait to leave! I can't imagine what size I'm going to be by then but I'm already waddling around the corridors!

 

[Funkylady]

I'm currently booked to take 2 weeks off before my due date. Starting to think that isn't really enough... I only have a desk job, but it is quite stressful at times and I work in a printing room with lots of dusty printing presses running all day....

things may change x

 

[s]

I too am planning to finish two weeks before I'm due but I will probably change my mind. My friend, who is due in 7 weeks, is doing the same and she seems fine at the moment.
I have a sedentary job so I think I should be okay but I'll just have to see.
I'm making no firm judgements on any of it - when to take leave, what sort of birth etc as so many friends have said that it's best not to have fixed ideas about how it will all be.
S

 

[Nicola]

My DH would tell you I've been on maternity leave for the past 3 years at least ok so I'm lucky and don't work but honestly I couldn't imagine getting up and going to work now and I'm 33+4 today - I just don't sleep through the night, awake a few times for the loo or just uncomfortable etc - I love just having slow time talking to the baby in the mornings etc, I really can't imagine working up till 37 weeks or so, I think you'd be exhausted. 2 girls in my NCT class work full time still, they do nothing but moan about it so why they are still working beats me!! One girl is 34 weeks and counting down another 3 weeks of work. Crazy in my opinion, you need the rest and relaxation in the last few weeks. Take the time off, enjoy it.

 

[weenik]

My maternity leave starts the day that my baby is due, but I've got 4 weeks of annual leave that I'm taking before that. I personally wanted to work as long as possible because I would rather have longer at the end of maternity so I can spend it with the baby. I'm a c/s manager but sit most of the day and don't allow myself to get stressed - I have a 45 min drive each way and that's the worst bit