When to go on mat leave?

Hey!

I work in an office and I’m due at the end of April and I’ve still got two weeks holiday left to take by the end of March so I’ve decided to leave a month early. My friend also in a different office had her baby early and hadn’t started maternity leave either so I think it’s all down to yourself but I’m glad I’ve done what I have as I then have time to prepare and to relax before baby makes an arrival☺️ xx

I’m due 6th April. So taking may leave from 1st (makes sense to me as that’s when my A/L renews, and taking my last week from the 25th. I worked from home 3 days a week (more if I’m tired) so feel I can get some of my prep bits done while I’m working. I just want more time the other side with baby 👶🏻

I worked in supermarkets for my boy and now my current pregnancy and with my boy I went at 36 weeks and I’m planning the same for my pregnancy now too, but you’re always able to change this and move it earlier if you need to x

I work similarly office/WFH and I was very grateful I took extra AL prior to my Mat Leave starting. I was due 12th Oct, Mat Leave starting 6th Oct, took 2 weeks AL prior to that and I absolutely needed the rest and just enjoyed being able to shut off and focus on myself and baby! Baby ended up arriving promptly on 6th 😅

I left at 38 weeks and used two weeks annual leave. Both mine were ten days late so I had a lot of time sitting around waiting! Think it depends on how you feel. Our office were changing teams first time round, second time making redundancies and moving locations so I’m glad I left before all of that.

I like to take around 2 weeks before due date off so I can prepare and focus on myself a little bit I take it as annual leave and have ways put the due date as the start of mat leave. I would spread the rest of your leave across the rest of the time your there, I have scheduled a couple days off every month to give me a break and some longer weekends

I worked from home and started mat leave at 39 weeks, was completely fine as the last couple of weeks I worked from my sofa rather than at my desk and now I get longer off with my little one - would definitely recommend doing it that way if you can!

I work in an office/ from home. First time, I finished work at 38 weeks as I wanted to spend as much time with baby as possible. Finding things harder second time around so I’m finishing work at 35 weeks, which means I can spend some quality time with my toddler before baby arrives too 🙂

I WFH. I worked 36+5 and I was shattered when I hit 37w so definitely was right for me. 💟💜 Used up annual leave first and the mat leave when baby was born. Bub was born 37+5

I'm due 7th May, I'm starting my mat leave on the 4th May, I'm taking two weeks annual leave before I start my mat leave, however, I work from home, if I was commuting into the office I would probably start my mat leave/ annual leave a week earlier but that's because my commute is 2 hours on the train each way.

It's entirely up to you, but you have to remember you could go to 42 weeks really, so that could be 5/6 weeks before baby comes!

I went off at 36 weeks. Where i work you had to go on maternity leave at 38 weeks and id already booked prior to finding out I was pregnant two weeks that happened to be the two weeks before. It was nice having that time to myself

I worked in a lab/office about 50/50 I started mat leave a week before my due date and he was born a week later.

If you are going to use the 30 funded hours, make sure you start your maternity leave so you qualify for the correct term for baby starting nursery!

Everyone’s experience in late pregnancy is different, but I was also working an office job from home, and whilst it was tough, I stuck it out until my due date and I am sooo happy I did because baby didn’t arrive until 42 + 2, and now that baby is here I am so thankful to have those extra weeks with her, rather than using them up before x

I work in retail and was on my feet for about 35 hours a week, I had all of my annual leave to use as well, so I started that first and my maternity started around 36 weeks, so I went on leave from around 32 weeks? We ended up moving house at the same time as well so it worked out well for us😅

I WFH and so took a week of holiday then started mat leave, baby was 5 days late and I was climbing the walls by then! So glad I kept my holidays and had a year off so I could really embrace being a mummy, but was ready to go back to work then!

I’m not going off until two week before I’m due at I’m working from home and don’t want to eat into my Matt leave before she’s here

I WFH, I’m due 22nd feb and with my daughter first time round I finished the day I hit 37 weeks, used two weeks AL, then started ML from 39 weeks, had her at 41 weeks, was a long bit of time off where I got very antsy.
In our area you have to book childcare spaces well in advance so I already know I’m going back to work 11th Jan and I want as much money to cover my time off as possible so I’m working till 38.5weeks, using my holiday after stat pay ends and topping up the rest with kit days. I’m quite checked out of work but carrying on the best I can, I work 4 days a week so I’m on single digit countdown till I finish now which is very motivating 😂

It all depends on what you feel you can handle. With my last 2 pregnancies my mat leave started on my due date, but I used 2 weeks annual leave to finish at 38 weeks. I work in childcare so very physically demanding. With my middle child I was furloughed for most of the pregnancy, thankfully, as I dont think I could have worked right up to the end like I did as I could barely move from the pain. But with my last pregnancy I felt fine right up to the end

I was due early July last year and took mat leave in may but used 3 weeks of annual leave that I had left tto get more time off before then but mainly because I had horrible sickness all throughout and couldn't be bothered about work anymore. Baby ended up coming in June instead 😅😆

Thanks everyone! Ill have a little rethink about my dates now I think!