Help With My Maternity Leave Start Date - Does This Sound Ok ?

[Louisa K]

Im due on 4th May 2008 and Im just sending an email now and Im gonna put start maternity leave on Monday 21st April 2008.

Does that sound about right do you think ??

 

[Jules]

Thats about two weeks before aint it... If you feel you will be able to work up until that day i'd say its fine! I think i am going to finish 4 weeks before, i hate work as it is! and was tempted to finish earlier but decided to have longer after birth to have with the baby.

 

[Louisa K]

Yeah around two weeks before, i just couldnt decide on a date.. Ive sent the email now but they have said i can adjust it later if i want to..

Im thinking the same as you, the longer i work, the longer i'll get with the baby..

 

[xxleannexx]

My manager said i have to leave about 8 weeks before my due date which is in five weeks time! Do you think its because in my job i have to be on my feet all the time walking around?? As to be honest i didnt really want to leave tht early, i dnt feel ready at all! (not saying i wont do in 5 weeks tho ha)

xx

 

[Louisa K]

Thats odd, I thought you would choose when to start your maternity leave, if you feel fine and felt fine right up to say the last couple of weeks, it would mean you would have missed out on a good month or so with your baby...

I dont think thats very fair to tell you when you have to leave..

How do you feel about it..

 

[xxleannexx]

She said i can go back when i feel ready and as im only part time anyway and i am only going back and doing like 2 4hour shifts or something as i want to go bk to college for a day a week too eventually so im not too fussed about tht. Its just i think i will get bored having 8 weeks of work, i wnt kno to do with myself. Plus i cud prob due with another months wages as i only get maternity pay for so many weeks i think as im only part itme it is not as long as normal. jus thought 8 weeks sounded like like a really long time!

xxx

 

[Louisa K]

Yeah I thought so too... You'll just have to do lots of baby shopping to keep you busy !!

 

[xxleannexx]

I kno, wish i hadnt of rushed around buying everything now, dnt have tht much left to get, oh well im sure i can find plenty of stuff to buy when im shopping! xx

 

[Firsttimer]

I think I am going to leave 4 weeks before my due date. It i leave 21st march i wont go back to work till Jan 2009 sounds good to me. I would like to leave earlier but I need to try till 21st really for the money.

 

[lorrilou]

Yeah, that sounds fine. I had planned to have two weeks of before callum was due but ended up having to have five!! I wouldnt have too much time of beforehand, it gets really boring!

 

[seattlemama]

I think I am going to leave somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks before my due date. I stand all day long though and its getting harder and harder to do what I do with my belly in the way! I just talked to my doc yesterday and Im switching down to 32 hours a week right now.

I think maternity leave is all personal preference and based on your job and pregnancy. So do what is best for you and baby!

 

[nikkybaby]

I still haven't decided when to take maternity leave...not like it matters. I haven't been at my job long enough for them to secure the fact that I will still have my job when I come back. I'm going to try to stay as long as possible, because when I'm off, I won't be getting any income at all. I really don't know what to do about it either. Everyone keeps trying to talk me into doing the stay at home thing, but I don't think I'm cut out for it. I would go stir crazy!

 

[supernurse]

I'm finding it hard to decide how to work mine out.
Our holiday year runs from April each year. If I'm not going to be back before the end of March next year (I'm due on 3 June) I have to take my full years holidays before I come off on maternity leave.....5 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!

They suggested I could leave my maternity leave until the 1 June say and add the holidays on before. This means I'm not using really any of my maternity leave before I'm due. Sound good but, I work on a busy trauma orthopeadic ward plus I drive for an hour to get to my work so it's difficult to say what kind of state I'll be in 5 weeks before I'm due.

Why is it so complicated

 

[Louisa K]

Wow yeah i suppose alot of when we decide to start our maternity leave does depend of our own circumstances at work.

How long can you drive a car for when your pregnant?? I didnt think of that lol

 

[coz]

hiya that sounds good alltho im leaving 6 weeks b4 but my 14 year old sister is coming to visit me from devon and stay with me for a week or 2 whilst on my maternity leave as she lives in devon(3 and half hours away) and i havnt seen her for months then shel be up again with my mum and dad when i have the baby xxxx

 

[ColtonsMom]

I think I am going to take mine about a month earlier than the due date. I am up on my feet, walking, and bending over the whole time! It sucks, but I need money, and it's only part time right now.

 

[coz]

I think I am going to leave somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks before my due date. I stand all day long though and its getting harder and harder to do what I do with my belly in the way! I just talked to my doc yesterday and Im switching down to 32 hours a week right now.

I think maternity leave is all personal preference and based on your job and pregnancy. So do what is best for you and baby!

yes i agree all jobs are diffo too so it can be harder or easier to work whilst pregnant for people , i also stand all day and its annoying my legs kill now xxxx

 

[coz]

I'm finding it hard to decide how to work mine out.
Our holiday year runs from April each year. If I'm not going to be back before the end of March next year (I'm due on 3 June) I have to take my full years holidays before I come off on maternity leave.....5 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!

They suggested I could leave my maternity leave until the 1 June say and add the holidays on before. This means I'm not using really any of my maternity leave before I'm due. Sound good but, I work on a busy trauma orthopeadic ward plus I drive for an hour to get to my work so it's difficult to say what kind of state I'll be in 5 weeks before I'm due.

Why is it so complicated

im also thinking of taking my holiday b4 my mat leave i was told most places like u to do that for some reason but im not sure what holiday ive got need to find out soon xxxx

 

[Soontobe]

I would kill to be a part-timer at the moment, just thinking ahead with you guys is making me think about stuff.. I'm a store manager of a major music store so i'm going to have to work right up till i pop..literally lol I'm going to ask for at least 6 months off and then only go back for a few 4 hr shifts a week, just to get the store back in order.. Its hard because im leaving just before christmas which would be the worst time of the year to do so lol

 

[luckyme225]

Sounds like a good date. I said I'd work until the end of April as long as this baby will let me. I'll be working part-time then though!