When to stop working?

[maggz]

I know this is a personal decision but I really don't know when to stop working. I work at a restaurant so I stand and walk the whole time I'm at work. It's part time so it's really not so bad and I don't have any health issues except my pelvic girdle pain which is not extreme.
On one hand I wanna be one of those ladies that work till the last day but on the other I just wanna stay home and get ready for the baby and do my schoolwork well.
I'm so on the fence... Should I quit like end of March? Due date is April 16th so that will be 2 weeks at least (and I'm expecting to go past edd). Will I go stir crazy if I quit sooner? Will I regret not having ample time to prepare? Ahhh going in circles here!

 

[mrs_park]

It's such a personal decision. With my first, I worked right up until 39 weeks. I had an office job, my husband worked nearby so we rode together in the car. It was Christmas/New Year period so things were very quiet in the office. My mum and husband (and colleagues!) were worried about me but I felt totally fine otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I went a week overdue and I was so, so, so bored at home I hated it!

With my second I was only working one day and worked up until 38 weeks again (though being a stay at home mum, you pretty much "work" until you give birth )

Do what you feel comfortable with. If you feel well, keep working but don't put any pressure on yourself xx

 

[mcwhmm]

I've been struggling with this too! With DD I worked right up until the day before I had her. This time, I'm thinking of working through March and maybe the first week of April or week and a half. I plan on getting ahead on my school work and spend time with DD in that time. I keep going back and forth though with what I want to do because its a hard thing to plan because I could stop working at 38 weeks and have baby the next day or go over due and then I worry I will feel like I don't have enough time at home with baby before going back to work.

 

[george83]

I'm a teacher so I've always just stopped working the holiday before baby was due. With my first it meant I stopped at 35 weeks and to be honest I absolutely loved it. Those 5 weeks were the most relaxing I ever had and looking back I'm so glad I took them. I could do what I wanted when I wanted without any worries - something I've never been able to do since having baby! With my second though I worked up to 38 weeks and found it easier than I thought I would. This time I'm planning on stopping at 37 weeks.

 

[Cattia]

I'm a teacher too and working up to 38 weeks. I've done the same with my other two. I've always found the last week hard, but I think that's partly psychological as I know I'm nearly at the end! This time, my DD Is at school and my DS is in pre school four mornings a week so I'm looking forward to actually getting some rest before the baby, working five days a week and looking after two children I get literally zero down time.

 

[MrsMandy]

This is my first and honestly I'm kinda looking forward to not working for a little while before baby gets here - I have no energy to get things sorted when I get home from work so hoping I can use the time to finish of the nursary.
I'm due 27th April but I have some holiday to use up so I have taken 2 weeks from Easter off and then my maternity kicks in from about 20th April. My work seemed to think that I was leaving it quite late! But I wanted as long as possible after baby is here - its only an office job too so I'm sat most of the day, however mentally its quite tiring!! I think just do what your most comfortable with! Xx

 

[Beanonorder]

There really isn't a right or wrong time to stop working. If you have things to do and are able to keep busy then it is nice to stop working a bit earlier. I stopped at 37 weeks last time and then I went 6 days over so I was home for almost 4 weeks. And there were moments when time dragged - even though we moved apartments on the day I stopped working! I could have easily handled working longer - but I was only teaching 10 lessons a week then and didn't have to do any office hours. This time I have to working til 38 weeks and I wish I could stop earlier. Even though I'm only teaching 16 lessons a week I have to stay at school the whole day doing office hours. I'm already in pain and uncomfortable and I'd love to have the time at home with dd before the new baby arrives. I guess I'm grateful I at least have some holidays now to spend time with her.
If you can handle it and it will give you more time off after baby comes I'd work longer. If it doesn't make a difference about how long you'll have with baby then I'd stop around 37 weeks.

 

[Charliejones]

I work at a nursery working with ages 2-5 and it's in my maternity policy that I have to go 8 weeks before mainly so that I'm not a hazard to myself or the kids. There's a lot of bending down and nappy changing and to be honest I had tremendous back ache with my 1st so I'm glad I'm going when I am! Bumps is only going to get bigger & me a lot slower! Lol

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

Do you have control over your schedule? Is it put out every week? I think I would play it by ear and see how you feel as you go along.

I have a full-time desk job and until this week (35) I was working my full schedule. I have some personal days and vacation days banked that I am taking before I start my leave, so I am working every other day this week and next, the first week of March I have vacation time booked and then I start mat leave on March 9th. I have a scheduled c-section for the 13th (assuming I don't go before that!).

The last few weeks I have noticed a steady decline in what I am comfortably able to do. Getting into and out of our small car seems nearly impossible now, so I had to switch to taking our truck when I go into the office. I also get winded and hot just getting from the car park to my desk....and the washroom & kitchen are on the opposite side of the building from my desk which has been causing some difficulty as well. I started working from home every other day starting at 33 weeks and that has saved me quite a bit. Now I'm very grateful that I'm only working every other day though.

Anyway, back to my original point: If your schedule is posted every week (or even every other week) and you have a decent relationship with whomever makes it (and even if you don't if they are any kind of reasonable person) then I'd say just keep them posted on how you are feeling and what you honestly believe you are capable of doing. If one week you need slightly less hours but you are feeling up to more the next week they might be able to accommodate you. Plus if you have less hours you might be able to pick up an extra shift here or there depending on your co-workers.

 

[MindUtopia]

How much maternity leave to do get? Or are you just planning to leave work and be at home with no definite return date at this point? If you have ample time off or no plans to go back, then I don't see any reason why you couldn't give yourself a few weeks to rest and prepare. Don't underestimate how completely overwhelming and exhausting the first 6-8 weeks with a new baby are. If you have time to take off, lie on the sofa, take naps, read a book, do the food shopping in unhurried/unpanicked fashion without trying to squeeze it in between feeds, I'd do it. I really wish I'd had more time to prepare and relax before my daughter arrived. I was working full-time and under lots of stress to meet work deadlines (I'm self-employed) before I could stop working, so it was really busy right up to 36 weeks, which is when I stopped. I was really looking forward to a few quiet weeks to get ready and rest. I had a weekend of running errands, then 3 days of shopping and cleaning the house and generally preparing for baby, then one day to relax, then bam! my waters broke and my daughter was born at 37 weeks, exactly a week after I stopped work. I really only got a day to sit down and relax and rest. So I definitely didn't feel rested or prepared yet.

That said, if you feel like you had time when you aren't working to get things organised and to relax and take naps, etc. then you may not feel like you need much time off in advance. Also, has a lot to do with when you'll need to go back and whether you can afford to stop work early. If you need the money, I'd keep going, or if you only get, say 3 months off, then I wouldn't waste it sitting around being pregnant. But if you can spare a few weeks off to just get yourself ready and pamper yourself a bit, then I'd do it.

 

[luz]

I'd rather have as much time as possible with my baby after they are born, so I plan on working up until the day I go into labor.

 

[mcwhmm]

It's kind of like a lose lose situation when I think about it. I'm so uncomfortable being on my feet most of the day and it's a lot of up and down and up and down. However, I'm uncomfortable sitting too! Then, I want to have time with DD before baby comes but then I don't want to regret not having enough time with baby either! I'm taking 8 weeks total and I have enough vacation and sick time saved up to get paid for 5-6 weeks of that time. Don't even get me started on maternity leave laws here in the US...

 

[SarahBear]

With my first, I was due on a Sunday and stopped working with one full work week between my last day and my due date. She was born 3 days before her due date. This time, I work from home and plan to go to the end unless I can tell it's coming and feel I need the sleep/rest.

 

[Tattoo]

I'm a teacher and I'll officially be working until 39 weeks, but I actually stop teaching at 36 weeks because of the Easter holiday.

 

[maggz]

Thanks for your input ladies

I think I'll do as pp suggested, since I'm on a flexible week-to-week schedule, I'll probably just ask for fewer days when it gets closer. I really don't have a reason to stop working earlier, I just kinda want to lol. Well that and I would like to have time to do some schoolwork in advance.

So for now I think I'll just roll with what each week brings, between school and other engagements I can't work more than 4 days a week anyways.

 

[Catiren]

ive been having vertigo or extreme dizziness after even the smallest tasks and it causes me to black out and faint. its embarassing but i know its pregnancy related, and the doctor tests say its normal and that im required to sit down from now on at my job BUT my job doesnt have any available seated positions as far as i know because i was a cashier to begin with. anyway, because of this becoming a hassle, i may take my leave late march(if not then, definitely beginning of april) and im due may 28.

 

[lcmorla]

I'm exhausted now and would love to stop working but I will try and work until April so that I'm insured until after delivery. I won't be taking a leave. I'm quitting all together which I'm happy for but that wasn't my original plan. I was going to take the normal 12 week leave with FMLA and get some pay and return to my same position part-time. Now with new owners/company, I don't qualify for anything at all! We don't need the money but it would be nice to have some extra income

 

[dom85]

I've gone quite early, I was 31 weeks but I wanted the half term holiday to spend with my little boy and i didn't have anymore holiday left. I also have pretty severe sciatica and SPD which makes doing anything for any length of time pretty painful, I had been doing a job that meant I was constantly weakling and lifting which was a nightmare so I got switched to the checkouts so I could sit down but even that was uncomfortable so I'm glad I left when I did. Where I work it's pretty typical for pregnant ladies to go about the same time as i did.

 

[mwah_xx]

I banked all my holiday and took it the weeks before maternity started so I finished up at 35 weeks my actual maternity kicked in the day after he was born (born on a sunday)

I wasn't bored as I had plenty to potter round with and was at the hospital every week and all the girls I met at antenatal went off as well.

 

[saveme]

I'm a nurse and I have already cut the amount of days I work until my leave which is the 28th of February and I'll be 38+ weeks at that point. Starting to get very uncomfortable at work too much walking standing and if an emergency pops up running. Really stressed most days and actually was supposed to go on leave on the 16th but changed up and stayed longer. So now I'm on the count down to the 28th. But like all theses ladies have said it truly is a personal decision, if your ok to work, and if not stop! Good luck!