DD arrived 39+5 so I was a little bored at home but I had a new 8mth old niece to play with and my sis and mum both off work so that was great.
DS arrived smack on 41 weeks but I was not bored at home at all - just kept busy with DD and stuff around the home. I love being at home so for me it was a case of "how soon can I finish?" Financially we needed me to stay as long as I felt comfortable.
I definitely felt it a lot more with DS. So I know how you are feeling.
P, I think it'd be a great idea for you to finish up sooner. Being at work is not really helping anything... you know your productivity isn't really the greatest, you're focussing on other things right now HotI makes a good suggestion - can you do a day or so from home or wind your hours back? Finish up whatever case work you've got going on, wind it up and then finish completely?
You need time to spend with DS, time to meditate on what is coming.
I worked up until 37+5...I had initially planned to work until 38+5 to make the most of my paid mat leave, but work was really busy in the months before I went on leave and I managed to accrue enough flex time to leave a week early without it affecting my pay. I had quite a lot of pre-labour in my last week at work and had thought baby might come before EDD but he stayed put until 41 weeks.
Are you able to work shorter hours or do modified duties?
While I'm sure my work would be happy to chat about flexible options (shorter hours, less days) I don't think that would solve the issue ... I think I would still be needing to get the same amount of work done, just in a shorter space of time!
Plus I have a 1hr commute each way, which doesn't help, for shorter days, and DH and I share a car which he uses to get to and from his work ...
I have an Ob appointment tomorrow - I think I'll chat with her about it then.
Definitely looks like there's no "standard" though!
I was informed by HR this morning that if I want to stay past 34 weeks I have to supply a medical certificate stating I am still capable of safely working but considering what's involved in my position they would prefer I left at 34 weeks as from now til then I have to have someone help with some of my duties it is. Thankfully this is only a week earlier than I was planning. They pay me for the 6 weeks before my due date so I guess I can't complain.
With DS1, I finished at 32 weeks. I was in a lot of pain, exhausted & wasn't productive anyway. I had planned to finish at 36 weeks. He arrived at 35+3.
If you can afford it, finish early and have some time to rest.
With DS, I finished at 32wks because of the stress factor of the job I was in at the time (shift worker, no help, on my feet up to 10 hours a day and a bit of heavy lifting) and was able to cause I had an inheritance from my granddad to tide us over.
I've literally only just finished on the 29th of December for this one and was 36+2 - but completely in the opposite line when it came to having no help and such (had so many wonderful people looking after me) so was able to last that long.
As it is, I still had to take out a loan from my dad to tide us over till PPL kicks in
Look after yourself and Ziggy Nutter xx
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - even though I should be cleaning or sleeping
I'm planning on taking off Mat leave 2 weeks before I am due (but this is my first). I figured I would get more time with bubs before I have to go back to work 12 months later. I have to supply a medical cert to say it will be ok, which I don't see a problem with getting, but I figure I don't need to get it til I am a little closer...
I started mine at 35 weeks - I had GD so there was a chance I was going to be induced early. Also it was a rare quiet time at work so I had nothing to do.
Am so fortunate that I have 16 weeks paid leave from work, which I'm taking at half pay to last me 32 weeks. Then 18 weeks paid parental leave from the Govt (about the same fortnightly as my half pay). The other 5 weeks is annual leave at full pay. And I have long service leave if I decide to take any more time off, but planning on saving that if/when DH lets me have bubs #2!
I left at 38 weeks and bub arrived at 39+6. I would have been bored, but sadly my dear Pop passed away 2 days before I went on mat leave, so the first week was filled with family gatherings, the funeral etc.
Hi hon, I think you're right, there isn't any 'normal' time when to start maternity leave it's so individual. I finished up at 34 week and ds was 10 days late so I had loads of time! dh started his 2 month leave when I was 39 weeks I think (or 38? hmmm I can't remember). Lots of people told me that I would get sick of being at home but now way, I new I would love it and I still do
I went part-time, <15 hours/wk, at 23 weeks, and then stopped altogether at 28 weeks. DH would have had me finish even earlier if he could have - my workplace was disease central, there was a fair bit of manual handling involved, and while I was comfortable, I could see that my team weren't. So I left. It was tight, financially, but being at home longer I could do a lot of stuff that saved us money because I had plenty of time. Baby was born just shy of 42 weeks, so that's 13.5 weeks that I had on mat leave! I look back on the time incredibly fondly.
I worked until 37wks with DD. It wasnt work but the train travel (an hour each way) that got to me in the end.
We had to get a Dr's cert to say it was OK to work past 34wks but as I work in IT in an office there was no problem there.
This time around Im going to finish up at 37wks....but I am also taking a months annual leave first so I actually leave at 33wks...
I am so tired this time around and just want to spend time with DD and go on a relaxing holiday before the baby comes but not cut into my maternity leave too much!
Well 'technically' my maternity leave started the day AFTER DD was born.....but that was because I am a teacher and she was born on the last day of the summer school holidays and my maternity leave was technically starting the day teachers went back to school for term 1. In reality, I worked up to the end of my 33rd week, at which point the holidays started (DD was born a week early).
I started my maternity leave at 36 weeks, DS arrived 36+3 so I didn't really get much time to relax as had a few appointments and errands the first few days
I am starting maternity leave at 36 weeks again. I considered maybe stopping at 34 but in the end if I go early I don't mind, I'd rather have more time off while bub is here
I finished at 37 weeks with DS.. with this pregnancy I'm working up until 39 weeks. Financially we need to extra money and I am the main breadwinner. I will stop my interstate travel at 30 weeks, so I'll be desk bound. However, DS came at 39+2 so I am slightly worried that things might happen before 39 weeks and potentially at work.. I have spoken to my OB who has agreed to monitor me more closely and let me know if he thinks I'll be OK to keep working. Also, of course how I feel will come into it.
I just figured that I would be better off sitting at a desk at work all day than trying to deal with a 2 year old at home.. but I'm still really nervous!!
I finished at xmas when I was 30 weeks. I usually have 4 weeks off at xmas, so I figured it wasn't worth coming back for 2 weeks after my break and then going on mat. leave at 36 weeks. But I was already really sore at 30 weeks so it was just as well.
I stopped work at 37 weeks as it was Christmas and work was closing-ish for 2 weeks. But at 41 weeks when baby hadn't arrived, and work had some work for me, i did a day of work. Baby was born that night.
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HotI makes a good suggestion - can you do a day or so from home or wind your hours back? Finish up whatever case work you've got going on, wind it up and then finish completely?
xx
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