in October 2023 Babies 🇬🇧

So upset having to bring my mat leave early

So I'm highly emotional today. Last two days I've been in pain. Walking, sitting, her moving and anything is pain. Sleep is so interrupted. Today was my last midwife before my induction (a week Sunday). I was told that my baby is back to back. I have ketos in my urine due to gestational diabetes and I generally feel horrid and exhausted. My midwife strongly recommended starting mat leave a week earlier as I am so tired, emotional and in pain. She said the rest will do my baby and me good. It will also give me time to harvest colostrum should my baby need help to regulate her sugars after delivery. Which I can't do regularly enough to build a supply working full time till the end. I was due to finish on the 29th but with all that is going on and being so exhausted it was deemed impractical. This would only give me one day before her induction also. I'm a teacher mostly admin at the moment but still struggling. I am so scared about losing a week's pay and this has kept me perhaps unrealistically thinking I can keep going with only only day before my induction and ignoring my body. I just feel defeated and scared. I'm the main earner and although this has taken 5 years of infertility to get here, now it's here I'm so scared and overthinking absolutely everything. My partner is on nights for two nights so being left on my own with my overactive and worrying brain isn't helping . No real point to this just a ranting emotional and scared mess 😭

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I know our maternity pay is rubbish but you have to ask yourself if staying at work and running yourself down is worth it for a weeks pay. You’ll be on full pay for the first 4 weeks anyway so the weeks difference in pay won’t be felt for a while, and is there the option to go back to work a week earlier than planned/using KIT days to top up pay/ using the shared parental leave scheme to use school holidays to boost pay to make up for this? I’m having to leave work at 36 weeks, this week is my last week, because I’m struggling with working. Im covering people’s classes at the moment, but it’s left me coming home miserable and exhausted and brought to tears for no reason. When I spoke to my midwife about this she said that maternity leave is a really personal decision though and you know what’s best for your home/financial situation and your health and baby.

Defo consider leaving earlier. I brought mine forward a week and it’s made such a difference! I got my breakdown the other day and it’s shocking how little I will get but the most important thing is that I get to spend time with baby at home. Work isn’t worth it. It’ll always be there and they’ll replace you whenever they need to. Also maybe think about selling some bits on Vinted to make up that extra weeks pay?

I'm a teacher too and ended up bringing my maternity a week forward. I was due to finish this Friday but went last week. I was only doing interventions and that was tiring enough. I just decided an extra week for me to rest outweighed loosing a weeks pay towards the end. I've used shared parental leave to get a bit extra and will use some kit days to top it up. Only you can decide if it is too much for you now and if it's bettdr to rest or keep going.

I’m not a teacher, but I planned to work to 38 weeks and I actually finished a few days because I was so exhausted, Ill, in pain. Honestly this week I feel so much better, it’s like the stress has left my body and actually being able to rest I almost feel normal. I know it’s hard feeling like you’re losing a week but It will be worth it and you’ll thank yourself x

I’m a teacher too and actually brought my maternity leave early too and finished last week. I was still teaching and just so exhausted. I just cried every day on the way to work and way home, slept from coming home until dinner then slept again. Just felt so emotionally and physically drained. Figured it was not any good for me or for baby. I’m now being induced next week due to some complications so it was the best decision for me. Im feeling so rested now (even if baby is waking me up around 4am with dance parties from the inside!) I’d already planned on using SPL and it works so I end up being paid for school holidays. Then Im just going to top up with KIT days which I’ll probably do around mock/exam season to see my y11s/y13s, do revision sessions and get my brain working again before summer holidays!

I hate that I didn't know that strike days would affect our mat leave too. I only did 2 days but payroll have said that they will use May and June to calculate my pay. Despite one of the day not falling within my 8 week qualifying weeks I was first told about. Not even sure if we will be calculated at last year's money or at the new 6.5 payrise 🤷‍♀️

Just hoping my head can support me working from home on what is mostly admin I am doing anyway. Not sure if this is a reasonable request x

The strike days haven’t affected my mat pay? I’ve also been told I’ll still get my rise from going up the pay scale + the 6.5%. Hopefully your school does the same!

Payroll Hampshire said they will calculate my pay from May and June and the 2 days will affect it. I should get the pay rise though. Who knows 🤷‍♀️. It's too late now I guess. I decided to work half the week this week then half resting before my induction on Sunday. A week today. My head wouldn't support working from home. At ease with my decision now which is good. I have applied for shared parental leave too and I have KIT I can do to top up x