When are you thinking of starting Maternity Leave?

[suzanne108]

I'm being a bit risky....

I'm due on 1st January and am planning on finishing work on the 18th December which is exactly 2 weeks before my due date!!!

Good thing is...work have said they'll be flexible and if I want to finish earlier they will let me (without the 28 days notice!)

I'm doing the same - I gave my last day as December 18th and I'm due January 1. I told them that if all goes well I'll be at work until the end...but I had my DD at 36wks and was told that chances are this one will be early as well..so we'll see!! I'm lucky that they are very flexible at work and said that it was no problem if I had to go off work earlier then expected.

I'm hoping and praying I don't go into labour early

I have warned people in work that I have the number for the delivery suite in my mobile!

And I'm lucky I only live 5 mins away from work! xx

 

[ellie27]

I am due 15th January.

I am a school teacher so plan to work til end of term - 22nd december and my maternity leave will officially begin 5th january.

 

[geekone]

I am going to go back for the fortnight after new year and go off on holiday for a fortnight from then, that should be 4 weeks till bubs is due most likely I will be late so I may be sitting about for 6 weeks blegh

 

[Celesse]

I currently have 3 weeks and 2 days leave outstanding and I work flexi time so I can increase by leave using that as long as I work the hours.

I am considering leaving on Christmas eve, even though baby isn't due until 24 Feb. I was thinking of leaving half way through January, but I will be using the 2 days leave during the Christmas fortnight and would rather have a clean break, then go on hol for a week, then back, then on mat leave.

One of the main reasons I want a chunk of leave before the baby is I have realised I have a lot to do before the little one is born.

 

[BBonBoard]

I will probably start my Maternity leave around the middle of November, I am just working to bring in a little extra cash but my husband knows its getting harder and harder for me to work as the days go by. I am a Certified Nurse Assistant which is a tough job even when your not pregnant. So I will probably start Maternity Leave in about 10 weeks.

 

[Pink_Tinks]

im due 26th Jan, n my maternity leave is starting on the 25th!
i am taking the week before off as holiday... but thats it. i will be far too bored at home else! and its not as if i have a difficult job... just sit in an office lol.

im appauled at how little maternity pay is, it wont even cover my half of the mortgage and bills so got some hardcore saving to do!! maybe i should stop working, would get more money from benefits if i did... like so many people i know, ggrr makes me angry!!

 

[Maybebaby80]

im due 26th Jan, n my maternity leave is starting on the 25th!
i am taking the week before off as holiday... but thats it. i will be far too bored at home else! and its not as if i have a difficult job... just sit in an office lol.

I am glad there is someone else doing this! I am due 30th December and my first day of mat leave is 29th.

However, with the Christmas public hols and some annual leave I will leave work 2 weeks before. That's saying bubs doesn't come early!

 

[Kelstar]

I'm hoping to work right up to 23rd Dec and then go off on holidays for 3 weeks until my due date - and start maternity leave on my due date I think with it being a first baby it will probably be late!

 

[Zeri]

So is it about standard to start leave about 4 weeks before the due date? That's the impression I'm getting from what most persons have said here?

I was thinking of working until at least 2 weeks before.... Is that really cutting it close? I know the baby usually comes anytime between 37-40 weeks, though.... Hmmm. Still, if your water breaks, you can rush to the hospital right? As long as you have a bag packed before or something? I work pretty close to the hospital - in a very small office - so I don't think it would be a problem for me to rush away.

Is anyone else thinking of cutting it close?

 

[sun]

I am due the beginning of december and I plan to work as long as possible - so maybe working until beginning of december LOL!!!
xx

 

[jem02]

I'm ginishing up end of nov at 32 weeks this is because I had a temp contract anf that's when it's due up. I get smp through the agency as been in same work over a year. Im happy about this as I travel 1hrto and from work everyday so it's already making me tired. Plus means I can do all the Xmas shopping xxx

 

[AutumnSky]

I'm due on 6th Feb, but I plan on finishing work on 24th Dec. I have 14 days annual leave left, so will take that first, and then mat leave will start mid-Jan

DH and I wanna try and have a nice weekend away together somewhere in January before bubs arrives! Not TOO far from home though obviously!!

 

[arnz09]

I due 20th Feb so probably work full time until the end of January and then see how I feel, I've got an office job that's quite flexible so can do a few days in February if everythings going well.

 

[_Vicky_]

Vicky you are lucky! but being self employed im guessing any day you miss is a loss so the more you work the better x

Well yes there is that and all my scans and appointments are unpaid so its swings and roundabouts but when I am knackered at 2pm and want a long soak I can so I wouldnt swap it for the world. I do get Maternity Allowance though too which is the same as SMP I think (£500 a month?) so its not all bad.

 

[Pingu]

I plan on leaving just before Christmas but won't be actually starting my Maternity leave until a week before I am due as I have holiday to use up

 

[jmac]

I'm finishing work on 04 December (13 weeks past yesterday (58 working days once I've taken bits of hols off) - I'm not counting by the way...) and am having two weeks annual leave before officially starting maternity leave on 21 December with baby due on 26 December.

My boss has said that I can look to work from home before any of this if it's all getting too much which is great.