Maternity leave HELP!

Hi All, i wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this, would be good to hear some suggestion as im finding it tough to make a decision and just go with it.

* I'm due on 29 January and currently still having thoughts on having a vagional or elective C-Section.

*planning to take full 1 year off mat leave.

*I have 10 days remaining A/L from this years allowance.

*I would of accured 36 days of A/L from March 2024 - March 2025.

My thoughts are to start my maternity leave two weeks before my Due date, which is 15th January 2024. Then have my full 1 year off, plus my 10 days A/L, plus my 36 days A/L. So in total i would have nearly 14 months off.

I know it can only ever be a rough plan as anything can happen, baby come late or early! But regardless i would like to have some time to myself or to get out of work mode before first baby etc...

Note: i would be working from home in January / after Christmas.

Thoughts on this?? 🤎🤎

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Your company may be different but usually you have to use any annual leave you have left before you take your maternity so those 10 days would need to be used before you start Mat leave x

You are due on the same day as me! I am hoping to finish 2 weeks before too, finishing 12th Jan hopefully. Need to finalise the situation around annual leave etc. with HR x

my boss actually made the suggestion, ill double check, but im sure i can carry over x

Im doing something similar!
Im taking 3 weeks AL
Then 10 months MAT Leave (starting the week of my due date)
Then finishing with 4 weeks AL xx

Sounds like a good plan to me. I’m in a similar situation, due 31st Jan and have negotiated to carry over some days from this year for January and then take my annual leave for 2024 after mat leave. Here’s a handy link that explains your rights for mat leave and holiday.

https://www.acas.org.uk/your-maternity-leave-pay-and-other-rights/holiday-and-maternity-leave

I’m taking 3 weeks AL. Then starting maternity from due date.
I’ll have leave to carry over and also accrued a full years leave while off. Lol so will be off fair bit after and through year when I return to as I’ll have to carry that over too (mine run April to April) xx

I’m due 24th Jan and also working from home after Christmas. My plan is annual leave from 39 weeks, and Mat leave has to start 40 weeks. This allows me to keep my 2024 annual leave allowance for return to work. Legally you are allowed to roll it over into the next leave year. Still to decide if I use as a block to cover the unpaid section of Mat leave, or to facilitate a phased return but still full pay, I need to decide this 8 weeks before my return to work.

Second time mum to be here - if you’re going to be able to have all of that time off and you’d like some time off before baby arrives I’d personally suggest maybe taking it at 35/36 weeks instead of 38 weeks. My first came at 38 weeks and I didn’t finish work until the week before, really wished I’d have taken it sooner. I’m starting mine at 36 weeks this time just in case :)

I'm due 22nd Jan, I was able to take 14working days from the year 2024 as Annual Leave, and start MAT pay on the 22nd of January. I also had a couple days spare from this year, so have got xmas off this year as part of Annual Leave. Which means not back to office until 2025 🤓

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