Help on deciding when to finish up...... for all you experienced mummas out there

Hey guys,

I'm having a little trouble deciding on when to finish work.

I'm due on the 5th April. DH and I have just bought a new house and we get the keys on the 1st Feb and our current lease runs out on our rented apartment on the 12th march so that gives us a nice overlap of time to move.

I was initially thinking of finishing work on the 19th Feb (I'll be almost 34 weeks by then) but now I am thinking Friday 5th Feb (almost 32 weeks). The reason I want to maybe finish earlier is so that we can get settled in the new house before bubby comes along and before I get too big to be able to do a single thing.
I'm already getting really clumsy and tired and am not sleeping all that well.

What do you think?
Thanks for your input in advance.
Sue xxx

Hi there congrats on preg and new house!!!

Work wise it depends what sort of work you do and how you are coping! Also where you live as feb in melb is hot and being home would be more relaxing than going to and from work etc.

With DS I worked till 34 weeks as I was working shift work and 4 days a week, where as this preg I worked till 37 weeks as was only doing 1 day a week, still shift work but it was a struggle as I work in health care and was very tired, sore and big by then.

Good Luck

My work isn't particularly strenuous - I am a nurse manager in a day therapy unit. But I am up and down out of my chair a lot through the day which isn't doing anything for my round ligament pain!! And it gets HOT in Brisbane. I'm struggling with the heat at the moment!!

I'm kind of swaying towards finishing earlier - this little bubba has taken so long to get here, I want to really look after myself whilst cooking her in the last few weeks.

Thanks Feeb.
S X

Wow, exciting times! :lol: congrats

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The reason I want to maybe finish earlier is so that we can get settled in the new house before bubby comes along and before I get too big to be able to do a single thing.

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I agree, if you are wanting to 'get things done' it might be worht finishing up a bit earlier.

I worked admin-type job until 38.5 weeks, then at home until 41 weeks - in hindsight, waaaay too long on both counts, I had forgotten how tired you get at the end...

Good luck ;)

Oh you sounds like a good time for you to finish earlier then.

At least you will get a decent mat leave plan well at least VIc is ok.

Brisbane would be hot eeekk, take the time to rest relax and sleep!!

I finished at 36 weeks with DD and 32 with DS. If I had another I'd go with the 32 weeks. SOme say they are bored but I loved having the 'me' time. You never get that back.
And besides you sound like you'll have heaps to keep you occupied! Congrats!!

I worked up until 2 weeks prior to my son's birth - and it definitely was NOT enough time to wind up work, allow the last straggle of work calls to come through asking about particular things (I was still getting these bloody calls one week after his birth :shakehead: ) as well as wind down to be completely relaxed in time for the birth.

This time around, I am a full time SAHM and found that from around 32 weeks I really really needed the afternoon lay down's when my toddler naps and am generally a lot slower!

So I would suggest that even if you think you'll be bored, with a new house and just heavily pregnant, take the earlier date, enjoy some relaxation, meditation and birth prep just in time for bub.

And congrats on a huge exciting year ahead :hug:

I finished up at 34 weeks but working that long was hard I wished I had have finished at 30 weeks like I was intending too initially. 32 weeks at the latest.

If I return to work, when the next one comes I will be finishing earlier regardless its far too tiring and you really do need a break before bub comes to rest as much as possible and be a little "self indulgent" :D

i finished at 33 weeks. as ~Kim~ said, some people say they get bored but i def didn't. i left pretty much all nursery-type organising till then, incl washing clothes etc & i spent LOTS of time napping & relaxing. i'm so glad i did because i haven't had a decent sleep since :lol:

I finished up at work when I was 30 weeks & it couldn't have come quickly enough!!
I loved being home for 10 weeks, just did whatever I wanted. DH had some time off too & we did a couple of little trips away. I wasn't bored at all!!
I think it does depend on the kind of work you do - as a nurse at an aged care facility I was well & truly over it by 24 weeks lol.
Sounds like you would do well to finish up earlier so you can get your new house organised - you definitely won't be up to it in the later weeks!!

Finishing work earlier the better I think (only from my experience though). I finished work the 1st week of December which was when I was about 34 weeks. I had my DS on the 27th December, he came 3.5 weeks early! So i was lucky to have a couple of weeks at home before he arrived.
Goodluck with the moving!