Maternity leave help!

I've requested to start mine a week before my due date, but am going to take a week to ten days annual leave before that - although I think it's all fairly flexible if I want to change it.

I work in an office & given covid have mainly been working from home. I worked until 39 weeks so I get to spend more time with baby once they’re here 🙂

I’ve been struggling with this decision too! I’m a store manager and can delegate a lot my jobs to my team - so I’ve decided to work up until 38 weeks. But it’s very hard to know what the future holds- every women is different

Depends on how you feel, I had plans to stop 3 weeks before due date, using mostly holidays until the actual leave. Even if I am WFH due to covid, I am absolutely exhausted. As a driver, your pregnancy brain may affect your level of attention when driving, therefore bear that in mind in your decision. Due to the stress I am getting from work, I am now stopping 5 weeks before due date

I plan on taking 3 weeks holiday and 1 week mat leave before due date. But also taking each Wednesday off with holidays for 4/5 weeks before my leave starts, that way I’ll only work 2 days in a row and have a break. Hoping that’ll help stop me getting too tired!

It’s really completely up to you, how you’re feeling and what your approach to life is.

Some people like to stop early so that they’ve got some time to themselves before the baby arrives and can spend time getting everything perfectly set up and folding and ironing and refolding baby grows.

Some (like me) get bored and antsy pretty quickly and the idea of having weeks to wait for something with nothing else as a distraction is quite frankly horrific. In that case, people tend to work as late as they can.

If you’re off sick for anything related to pregnancy in the last 4 weeks your maternity automatically starts - so that side of things looks after itself.

On the work front, it’s on your employer to make it safe and appropriate - so you don’t need to think too hard on that front.

I've said I'll work until my due date or I have the baby whatever comes first but I'm on furlough and it's unlikely I'll be working very much before anyways x

For my first I wanted to work until the week before, but I’m a receptionist and I ended up swelling quite severely in my hands and feet 😂 so I struggled to write and type all day etc so ended up finishing at 38 weeks :) it’s all about how you and your body is feeling closer too 🥰

38 weeks and that was perfect for me - he arrived 2 days early x

My doctor told me to stick within an hour range of my hospital in the final month since you never know when it will be time. I would be curious if they would let you work in the office the last handful of weeks before you start your leave

Im taking 2 weeks holiday and then start my Maternity 2 weeks before due date 😊

I worked until 39 weeks & 3 days

I was going to work until I gave birth but I have a desk job and work from home. I went into weird early labor that made thinking impossible and just felt generally unwell so I started my 12 week leave a week before my induction date. I just hung out for a week just waiting which likely just made it worse haha! She still didn’t come in her own 😂

Make sure you are across your entitlements to a safe job or no safe job leave ie. If you've got 12 months service under your belt and they can't find a safe job for you, you are entitled to be paid 'no safe job leave' at full pay until you commence parental leave 👍
I'm working up until 11 days before csection but could easily chuck it in now (office job).

In some enterprise agreements you will need a doctors certificate to work beyond a certain date. Make your own decision with what you feel will be safe and works for you. If you can do office work is it possible to work from home in the last few weeks?

I worked until labor, and I worked in a restaurant scrubbing floors until 3am. But I did not have the money to take a real maternity leave.

I worked up till 30x weeks and used holiday, so I have most of my mat leave afterwards x

Talk to your doctor and your office to determine. The date you document can of course change. I worked up until my water broke because I sit ar a desk and physically was able to. Everyone's situation will be different however

I started at 34 weeks as was working on nights in a supermarket with sever SPD but then I gave birth at 37 weeks so didn’t wind up having too long without a baby

One other thought on reading the comments - all the information about options etc and requirements will vary depending on where you are.

Some of the answers are from the UK, and some from the UK and the set up is very different.

i have one more week left, finishing at 37weeks. i am a nurse and finished at 34weeks but woth 2 weeks leave last time and it felt too soon. plus i have been in the office since 28 weeks which is so much easier then 13hour shifts x

I planned to work until 39 weeks (as desk job no physical exertion etc.) but in hindsight the last two weeks of work were really tough fatigue and pain wise, baby was measuring 41 weeks at my 34 week scan so just not a fun time 😂

I worked till 6 weeks before my due date as I had to use my holidays and I gave birth 3 weeks after leaving work.

With my first I worked all they way through the pregnancy. I had him on Christmas morning and I worked Christmas Eve. I was in retail on my feet all day. I plan on working all the way through this pregnancy too because I’m doing it alone and need the money.

Does your job offer maternity leave or will you have to use FMLA? I’m asking because I know in certain states the FMLA rules vary and some won’t let you start leave until a certain date unless a Doctor says otherwise. I’m having a c-section & I WFH so I’ll be working up until the day before, assuming baby girl doesn’t decide to make an early appearance.

I worked until 8 months, the last month, youl be heavily pregnant and your feet may swell if you push yourself too hard. I took my mat leave but then went on a hen do in Barcelona it was hot...but I looked 6m pregnant I carried small, but my body reacted to the activity and heat as a full term pregnant person would. When I returned I was literally wearing something to support it thought I would give birth on the plain 😂😂😂

I'm playing it by ear the plan is to finish at 37 weeks and use annual leave before maternity starts but everyone different so it depends on how you feel I just want more time at the other side x

I worked up until four days before the due date. I work in hospitality so it was really tiring on the back and feet and it was lowkey difficult because you can’t nap at work and the last couple weeks are more tiring.

I worked until 36 weeks with my first. But I was on my feet all day long as a dedicated substitute teacher at a middle school and the last couple weeks I did work there were fights in my classroom and it was stressing me out. I also went into prodromal labor around 34 weeks and had it off and on the rest of my pregnancy. I was induced on my due date

It’s entirely up to you. I worked up until 37 weeks which was the start of the Christmas holiday. I would have worked longer but baby was due just before the Christmas holidays ended.

I was moving area so left work at 33 weeks, I am a manager at a restaurant and was beginning to struggle so I would’ve probably not stayed later than 35/36 weeks! If I had an office job potentially earlier! You can always change it, you just have to give 4 weeks notice so could always give a rough date and go by how you’re feeling xx

I worked up until 39 weeks which was when I was induced. I work EMS and did everything from day one until delivery date. I wanted to take as much time as possible off after baby, which I’ve done.

My plan was to work up to 39 weeks but I ended up going off at 36 weeks. I had a very rough pregnancy and just couldn’t do it past then. Everyone’s different tho. I know plenty of women who worked right up to their due date. I would just see how it goes and do what you feel is best for you

I worked until 36 weeks because I was able to start paid disability leave at that point.

I wanna work up to my due date if I can but if my doctor says I gotta take it I gotta take it

I went to 38 weeks and my baby was born a week and a half later. My job was pretty low impact so I /could/ have worked longer but the almost 2 weeks was perfect for me to have a break from work and do the last of my nesting and try to catch up on sleep.

I’m working up until 39 weeks + 1 day, however I work from home so it May be different. I think by like 36-37 you start to get real tired. Go based on how you feel

38 weeks

I’m planning to work up until my due date. I work from home so I wanted to take my leave as late as possible to have more time with my baby when he gets here on the backend instead of more time off during pregnancy when i dont really need it with such a physically low risk job. I think typically you can take maternity leave as early as 11 weeks before your due date so about 2 1/2 months before if you’re having any complications or doctor recommends it but dont quote me on that. If it were me I think I would tell them i’ll start my maternity leave on my due date but also give them a date that you would like to be put in the office exclusively, maybe 2-6 weeks prior to your due date just in case and depending on how well you handle the 3rd trimester which can take a toll on you. That way everyone is clear on when your desk duty starts and when your leave starts, given you have a healthy/uncomplicated pregnancy throughout

I was still working the day my water broke at 41+1

I worked until I gave birth so I could have all the time off when my son was here. My sister in law is going on leave at 36 weeks. It depends on how you feel and what you feel comfortable doing.

Until my due date 😊 took some leave to have 2 weeks off beforehand

I’ve planned mine to start two weeks before due date, but I have annual leave to use up so taking two weeks before that too to rest and get ready

Started 6 weeks before due date because honestly I just wanted some time to relax before becoming a first time mum, and work was soooo mentally draining!

I doing 1 month before my due date as been told baby may have to come early. U can do maternity leave from 29 weeks and only have to legally give them 4 weeks notice if u change so u could say you will take maternity at say 40 weeks and then move it to 36 weeks ect ect if u give 4 weeks notice..... What ever date u choose u can change is what I'm trying to say.... Hope this helps xx

Til the day I induced! I was nervous all 3 times, so I liked to stay at work to distract me.

It is up to you, for me until the last day because I wanted the maternity leave when the baby was here and also because the last weeks can feel sooooo looooong! You re basically just waiting….
But again, yo to you, if your job is stressful then it is probably wise to give yourself some time off before the due date

I’m a teacher so summer break started at 36 weeks for me, but I would’ve kept working until she came if needed just to have more time with her after she was born.

One week before my due date.

I went on leave about 5 hours after baby was born because he was 6 1/2 weeks early. I said I’d go until my water broke and I did