when is it a good time to give up work?

Hi everyone,
Just wondering when does everyone usually give up work during pregnancy?

I work on my feet so I get quite tired, Im only working 2 days a week but keen to give up soon as my back aches like hell when I get home.
I have been getting comments from certain people saying that its too early to give up work and that they worked till they were in their 9th month...
My DH is very supportive in whatever I choose, but when people ask I cant help but feel like im slacking off or something..
Does anyone else get the same feelings?

EDD - 11/10/07

Give up work whenever you feel like it, or if you want to continue, cut back to one day or two half days if you can. With my first I was working on my feet too, I cut down gradually and stopped completely at 36 weeks - at that point I think I was doing about two or 5 hour days - if it is the nature of your work you could offer to be on call for occasional staffing emergencies if you wanted to. As it's your first, the time you have for yourself before bub arrives is very valuable and you will never have the opportunity again..plus there are plenty of things to be doing in preparation - it certainly isn't 'slacking off', besides what's wrong with 'slacking off' occasionally!
People have an opinion on EVERYTHING when you are pg...natural labour vs c section, drugs vs no drugs,breast feeding vs formula, to work or not to work...everyone is different so just do what is right for you.

i work 4 days a week and am giving up 6.5 weeks before due date. it is very difficult though. i have been so tired at work all year that i feel like i'm only 70% productive most days. we need the money though- otherwise i would have already stopped so far. it's totally up to you, but you shouldn't feel guilty- you need to do what's right for your individual circumstance and your baby- don't worry about anyone else. you're lucky your dh is so supportive of you on this issue...good luck!

I work 2 days a week now.. DD goes to FDC....id give up work when u feel u cant cope....also depends on financial situation

I'm stopping work at 37 weeks, but dropping to 4 days a week for about one and a half months before that. I have an office job and sit on my bum, which is much easier than being on your feet all day. Go with what your body tells you.
good luck

Hi,

I'm not working at all ... i left my job last year for a holiday overseas and we decided then that we would start trying when we got back.. and thought it wasn't worth going back to work for only a few months to then say.. ohhh by the way..i'm pregnant! :rolleyes: so DH agreed that i should stay home and concentrate on conceiving! and you know what... i think that being so relaxed helped!

So basically, don't listen to what others say, and do what you want and can afford! remember that it is important to spend some time looking after yourself before bub comes! and getting lots of rest! I must admit that if i was working still...i WOULD be struggling through the day and definitely be NON productive!

My SIL is due this friday and waited until the last two weeks before stopping work and you know.... i used to look at her and think that she must be crazy! she was exhausted by the time she got home and would fall asleep just sitting there...! and could not even walk to the car without struggling! she was still working full time...! So cutting back is definitely the way to go if you want to continue working!

It also depends on your financial situation too. Im tired really really really tired but there is no way I can give up work this early. If I had my way I wouldnt have worked the entire time too and if I win Powerball tonight I wont be going in tomorrow. Sometime health issues come into it too. I planned on going off 2 weeks before my due date last pregnancy, got PE and ended up having to stop 2 weeks before that. Its an individual choice I think.

I have a desk job, and I'm finishing at 36wks [only 15days to go!] (day 1 of maternity leave will be day 1 of 37wks). I feel incredibly guilty about it.. being at home with no money coming in and doing nothing, but dh would have me finish today if he could! Finish when you feel you need to finish. I'm sure most employers would be happy to accomodate you. You and your baby's health come first.

Good luck!

Hi,
It is a hard one! Everyone is very different.
I work 10 hours a day pretty much 7 days a week (days off are only some weeks) as we run our own business. Some days I spend my days cleaning accommodation somedays in the office sitting down and other days I am out and about in the park helping with raking and weeding etc. No one is very keen on letting me completely stop work prior to baby being born (except myself of course), but I think we have come to the decision I will work less hours in the last four weeks of my pregnancy in the office where I can sit down and hopefully stop work about 2 weeks prior to baby's arrival.

I have spoken to many people about this as well and most people told me to stop about 2 weeks before. But with being on your feet for so long, you need to really listen to what your body is telling you!!!

Take care,

I'm finishing up at 34 weeks (only because I have to go c-section and that will happen mid-November) so ultimately it will be 4 weeks before baby is born, but I'll be 34 weeks... Am seriously contemplating cutting back on the hours already though... Am exhausted!!

I am finishing up at 30 weeks (in 3 weeks time) and it cant come quick enough.

My work is just a desk job, but it makes my days go so slowly. I have so many things that i want to get done at home so hopefully time will start going a little quicker then.

I feel a little guilty about finishing so early but DH and i came up with the decision together and finacially we dont have anything to worry about.

You sound like work is really is starting to take its toll on you.

I don't think that there is a certain period of time that you should work up to. Each woman's body responds differently to pg. Some women suffer extreme m/s and exhaustion while others do not seem as affected by it.

The most important thing for you to do is to listen to your body - if it is telling you it is time to cut back on your workload then that is what you should do. Whether that means going to p/time or finishing up at work all together, you have to think of what is best for you and your bub.

Well I have given 3 weeks notice at my work, as my lower back just wont let me continue, and I cant help but think when im that tired that it really is not good for the baby at all....
My DH and I both agree that we can afford for me to stay home. Im not sure what im going to get up to though as we are building a house and it wont be ready until a couple of weeks before bub is due, so i cant set the nursery up just yet. :(
I will have to catch up on reading and doing things for myself and will just have to ignore the comments...

EDD- 11/10/07

i worked up to 36 weeks, but i also was in an office, and i could shut the door and hide etc. I would not have stayed that long if i was on my feet all the time

I am 23 weeks and planning on working until about 38 weeks!

Hey Belle

I am giving up work at 27 weeks so I am having 3 months off before our first Bubba arrives into the world. It's personal choice so it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks (your comment about slacking off etc). I work in an office and it's a very stressful environment and field so I am definately taking advantage of leaving work early! You get comments of "won't you be bored" and "that sounds great" so everyone always has a different opinion in my eyes. You just do what's best for you! You read so much stuff in magazines and books and some say it's best to give up at 32 weeks. But all in all, I believe it's the personal choice of the mother.

;)

I worked until 37 weeks. I could have worked a bit longer but I was over it by that time anyway. I worked in a sit down desk job, so it was pretty cruisy.
Just finish up work when you feel you need to. If your back is giving you issues, its better to not push it.
Who cares if so-and-so worked up until a week before their baby was due. That is them, this is you. You arent slacking off at all. It can be hard work growing a baby!

Well said Karina! I agree!

ASAP! That's my advice. :D

I just finished up at 35 weeks and the last week I've spent running around still anyway. :rolleyes: This coming week, I will sleep and watch DVDs and hang out online and just enjoy the end of this time in my life. And talk to bub all day long! I think he likes it. :)

But yeah, I don't believe in being a supermum. You deserve to relax and I've been told you NEED to sleep now because later....well, we all know what happens. My boss, the idiot, would say, "What are you going to do all day?" like I was the laziest person in the world so I'd tell him, "Probably just sleep" just to p!ss him off. :p

Hey Belle,
Ya know what? Only you know your body, only you know how you're feeling and what you can cope with. So many people have opinions on pregnancy that stem from their experiences or (if they haven't had a baby) their ignorance. Only you can make a decision about when to stop work. It's hard to not feel guilty or weak, i know, but they are the feelings that are forced upon us by the current trend of "supermum" Must work, must have babies, must look like angelina jolie while you're doing it!!! Protect your pregnancy and your baby. You'll make the right decision! *hugs*

I work in an office job only 2 days per week now so I'm working up until 36 weeks this time. With DD I was working full time in the same job and finished at 34.5 weeks because while being at work was fine, it was the middle of summer and travelling on public transport an hour each way just got to be too much. I had a total of 6 weeks at home before she arrived (she was overdue) and loved every minute of it.

Because I only work part time now and the weather isn't too hot, I'm working a bit further along this time. 6 weeks to go and I can't wait!!

I've got a full-time office job and am cutting back to school hours from the start of November and then giving up work altogether at the start of December.