Milestone! - Maternity Leave has begun!

[knk2011]

Friday was my last day at work. Next week is my 'holiday' and then at 30 weeks, 24th May, my maternity leave officially begins.

My work colleagues all clubbed together and got me a very cute baby grow that has a picture of a tie on the front of it
A toy that clips onto the pram.
A bar of toys that can clip onto the car seat or pram.
And some blue cot bedding, it has a little robot on it. Here's a picture of them.

https://i44.tinypic.com/2ni9mjd.jpg

https://i40.tinypic.com/9kmjap.jpg


I didn't want blue in the nursery and I haven't checked yet if it will fit as we have a cot bed, not a normal cot. But it will be excellent as a spare or if maybe I can't afford to buy a different one yet as we are moving house I'm so pleased that they got me things that I haven't yet bought and not just repeats of things I already have.


I don't think it's completely sunk in yet that I won't be getting up for work anymore and that I won't be going back there, but it's starting to and it feels a little weird lol. I'm glad that it gives me more time to take care of myself and show my fiance a little more attention that maybe I was too exhausted to do before


Congratulations to anyone else also starting their leave!

 

[Smudge101]

I'm a little bit jealous!

I still have 5 weeks to go but I found out Friday that I have to take all my annual leave before I finish so I'm only actually in the office for 17 working days between now and 21st June. Then I have 2 weeks AL before my
Maternity starts on the 8th July.

 

[BabyB2]

My mat leave started on Friday (at 39 weeks!). I've been holding out so I can spend as much time with baby once he arrives, but tbh I wish I had started a week or so earlier!

 

[knk2011]

I took mine early due to having to find a house and move etc and also my SPD was starting to make even just the journey to and from work really painful.

But I'm really lucky to be in a position where I don't HAVE to go back to work, but I'm glad I left work having the option to go back if I wanted to



Smudge, I broke my maternity leave down into days, counted them down and when it got closer, I counted down the hours ahaha.

 

[spunky84]

That's really exciting I hope that it'll help with the SPD a little, without having to go into work.

 

[knk2011]

That's really exciting I hope that it'll help with the SPD a little, without having to go into work.

Yeah, I think I'm better off at home tbh as I started to notice that standing up a lot at work was causing my left leg to start swelling and that really hurt.

 

[butterfly_85]

I'm very jealous! Although saying that i do only have 2 weeks left to go myself so it's not all that bad! I absolutely hate the place so am desperate to get out of there and it's great knowing i won't be ever going back!

We're moving house, 120 miles away!, the weekend that i finish work so i've got lots to do between now and then to keep myself busy!

Despite all this it still hasn't actually sunk in that in 3 months our little girl will be here!

Hope you enjoy your materniry leave and that the spd starts to feel better now you're not on your feet all day.

 

[knk2011]

I'm very jealous! Although saying that i do only have 2 weeks left to go myself so it's not all that bad! I absolutely hate the place so am desperate to get out of there and it's great knowing i won't be ever going back!

We're moving house, 120 miles away!, the weekend that i finish work so i've got lots to do between now and then to keep myself busy!

Despite all this it still hasn't actually sunk in that in 3 months our little girl will be here!

Hope you enjoy your materniry leave and that the spd starts to feel better now you're not on your feet all day.

It is perfect. I am in the same place. I HATE my job, but it paid my way just 'for now'. I have no intentions on going back, but I'm glad the choice is there should I need to.

I will have so much to do between now and baby arriving with sorting the new house out and moving, decorating etc but at least I will be able to sit and take a break when I feel I need to

Can't wait to finally get started on a nursery!

 

[Sweetkat]

I have 11 weeks left as working right up until the end . And also moving house in that time (but we don't have to find anywhere and will move over a weekend).

 

[suffolksazzle]

Yay exciting times! That's lovely stuff your coworkers got you enjoy mat leave!

 

[Anderson8]

I've still got 5 1/2 weeks left, then 3 1/2 weeks annual leave meaning my maternity leave starts at 40 weeks

 

[Lovemybump1]

But I'm really lucky to be in a position where I don't HAVE to go back to work, but I'm glad I left work having the option to go back if I wanted to

Lucky doesn't come close. I would completely LOVE not to have to work after baby arrives. A lottery win would be needed first though!

 

[Willow87]

I thought you were struggling and now on benefits? So I guess you mean you won't have to go back to work due to having these benefits? Sorry was just confused..

But I wouldn't count those benefits as part of your perma income. Things change and your bf IS only contracted 10 hours.

But enjoy your leave! I left at 35 weeks and had 3 weeks holiday to take. My leave officially starts tomorrow though!

 

[Pink Flowers]

Hope you enjoy your leave.

I wont be going back after but purely because I doubt I will have a job to go back to and it costs me more to work than I earn. (After travel and adding business on to car insurance)

I am signed off sick but dont start leave till 36 weeks. I have thought about struggling through a few weeks as I am so bored

 

[shelx]

Lucky you! Ive 6 weeks left to work!! Xx

 

[Sarah125]

Woo congratulations on coming off! The gifts from your colleagues are lovely! Very thoughtful of them

I'm pretty jealous though My maternity starts on 24th June! Only 13 shifts to go though so not too bad! I doubt I will be going back either as I work 12 hour shifts and just don't see how they can work with a baby Nice having the option to go back if you need to though.

Enjoy your maternity!

 

[Dani_Ldn]

I wish that I could afford to not have to go back to work & be on benefits. Guess my tax dollars have to go to someone other than me.

Enjoy your leave, it is nice afterall not to have to be commuting & working while pregnant.

 

[knk2011]

No... I'm not on any benefits.
We don't get any benefits until baby is here and that is not the reason that I'm not going back to work...

We live on our income at the moment and I have qualifications in beauty, which means after baby is here, I will be able to work from home. I stayed at my job after qualifying because it meant I was able to have my maternity leave, where as if I got a new job at a Salon, I wouldn't of been there long enough to be entitled to any leave.

The amount that I earn at my retail job would barely be enough to cover childcare where I live, so I would be working to pay for childcare and that's it, where as I could stay at home with my baby and work around him.

I'm not saying I have no intentions of working at all after baby is here, I just have no intentions of returning to THAT job.

I hope this is making sense. I'd hate for any of you to think that I'm one of those lazy first time mum's who just don't want to work and choose to live on benefits

 

[Willow87]

You will be getting your whole rent paid for and you plan to not work... I see that as living off your benefits. Yes you will try working from home on beauty qualifications but trust me thats easier said then done. I know loads of young women trying to do the same thing.. Tough competition. I guessed what rubbed me and probably others the wrong way was your use of the word "lucky."

 

[knk2011]

You will be getting your whole rent paid for and you plan to not work... I see that as living off your benefits. Yes you will try working from home on beauty qualifications but trust me thats easier said then done. I know loads of young women trying to do the same thing.. Tough competition. I guessed what rubbed me and probably others the wrong way was your use of the word "lucky."

Well then you got me all wrong.
I meant I was lucky compared to some, as I know that in some countries, some people's maternity leave is a lot shorter and they don't get paid for the 39 weeks like we do here - I've read about some ladies only being able to stay home with their baby's for about 6 weeks or less.

That was all I meant, our rent is not getting paid for us. We will be paying our rent and I'm sorry, but I don't think that was fair of you to just assume that I was going to be living off benefits. OH will be working full time still.

We have NO problems paying our way.
The last few days I have been getting grief on this website any time money is mentioned. My threads about benefits or money advice were not intended to be hurtful to anyone, I just wanted help understanding the system.

I'm sorry if it has upset you, but you really did read it wrong. I never meant that I was "lucky to be getting benefits", just wanted to make that clear.