Maternity leave

[clarey]

I am trying to decide when I should start maternity leave so I can book my remaining holidays with work, but I really need to keep going as long as poss for financial reasons, I am thinking 4 weeks before my due date but am I being unrealistic?
Did anyone leave it late and wish they had started it earlier? Its so hard, I have no idea how its going to feel by 8 months!!!

Thanks!

 

[jenni32]

I worked full time up to 2 weeks before my due date. I was very tired but wanted to keep going, I think it depends on what your job is and how strenuous it gets.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

I worked until two weeks before my due date and then she was a week late, I was peeved cause I wanted to keep going as long as poss so I has all my time off with her after she was born.

It really depends on your job and how nice they are being to you. If they are working you to the bone and you are on your feet I'd say you'll probably be ready to go 3-4wks before due date. If they are nice (mine were) and you get to sit down and maybe 'work from home' (!) a bit you could probably go a bit longer.

 

[Lola's Mummy]

I planned to start mine 2 weeks before my due date but was taken into hospital at 30 weeks cause they thought i was developing pre-eclampsia and my doctors wouldn't let me go back to work.

I was really bored though after a couple of weeks so try not to go off too early

 

[Tina & Gabs]

I worked until 3 weeks before my due date and Gabs decided to arrive 3 weeks early; so I didn't get any time off before she was born but I got to spend more time with my little girl; so I was happy

 

[clarey]

Thanks ladies, I have quite a physical job so I think I will be glad to have a rest by 3-4 weeks before, but several people have made me think I am being unrealistic and have told me I should stop 8 weeks before!!!
I think I would be bored out of my mind doing that not to mention broke, so thanks for your input, I feel much less worried now!!
cheers xx

 

[trixipaws]

i started mine early, i started maternity leave at 36 weeks but took 3 weeks holiday so i finished at 33 weeks and OMG IM SO GLAD I DID!
melissa is my first child so those were my last weeks of "freedom" with no responsibilities before i became a mum. i wondered whether i was doing it right at the time but now im really glad i did it, coz ill never get time to myself like that ever again and those 7 weeks really flew by i dont regret it at all.

 

[Gem & Leland]

im starting early too , with hol that we have to take at xmas and then jan as my years hol mat leave wont start till 1st feb , but i will have stopped working at 29 weeks , im finding driving etc hard now and my work in jan will be impossible for me anyway so thought may aswell

 

[enn]

i left on fathers day well my last day of work was 16th june my mums bday. mat started on the sunday cause i work suns sats and thurs. i was due 2nd aug she came 10th

 

[Gemma & Jake]

It depends what sort of job you have. I work as a Health Care Assistant in the hospital which can be quite tiring running around the ward all day so I left 6 weeks before my due date which I feel was the right time to leave. I would imagine that if you have a job where you are sitting down for most of the day though then leaving 2-4 weeks before your due date would be fine.

 

[Eblinx]

i work at argos and last time i left 4 weeks before i was due, i found this too much for me as i was working 40 hours a week on my feet for most of it so this time i have decided to leave a bit earlier and i am leaving 6 weeks before i am due - i really think it depends on the type of job you have.

 

[Fiona]

Hi, I ha a job where I worked standing up all day - was still at work 3 days before Grace was born - she was one week late - I just woke up one morning and decided it was time to stop.........

Physically I felt fit and fine the whole time but I must say that I wish I had stopped sooner and enjoyed some time on my own. Getting myself ready for baby and just sitting with my feet up and a good book - once bubs has arrived you don't get a minute to yourself....

 

[Nicky_Jones]

My boss was very flexible and allowed me to carry leave over from my previous leave year so I had more leave. This meant that the official finish date I was 38.5weeks. However in reality I finished at exactly 38wks, and I didn't do full weeks those last couple of weeks I took odd days of to rest. However my job involves sitting down in an air conditioned office most of the time. Find out if you can carry leave forward and if your boss will be flexible with when you take it. I took the rest of my leave as soon as I "returned" to work from Maternity leave. You carry on accruing leave while on maternity leave.