Morning Ladies,

When did some of you leave to go on maternity? I have to give a date next month and I'm not sure when I want to leave.
I'm due 2nd Feb and I was thinking maybe leaving the 14th Jan, this will be about 2.5 weeks before I am due. Do you think this is too late? My boss thinks my last day at work could be xmas eve then this gives me at least a month off before I'm due but I'm thinking what if I go overdue by 2 weeks then thats 6 weeks out of my maternity leave...ohh decisions decisions.
Also i'm a PA and sit on my butt for most of the day so not too stressful.

Thanks in advance xxx

I left 2.5 weeks before having Aimee and am leaving the same this time around too.

Aimee was due on 4th Feb and I was glad I didnt leave on Xmas eve as I would have missed out on all of the Xmas holiday if they put me on mat leave. So I waited and went back for the first two weeks in Jan.

x

Thanks Laura

My maternity won't start until Jan so I won't miss out on the xmas hols thankfully.

xx

I was due the 8th feb with lillie, I finshed the week before xmas. and I was sooooo glad I did.
but then depends what you do. as I worked on a hotel reception and was soo busy, I was runnig up and down the stairs like a headless chicken as we had parties in all the time. plus I would have had to work xmas day and all over newyears. so I got out, but I also had holidays saved up so I used them.
x x

i left 4 weeks before and i was more than ready, i planned on 2 weeks before but had to change at the last minute as i was totally dead on my feet.

i was due 30th June and started my maternity leave 21st June but i actually finished work on 21st May cos i had to take all my holidays. i ended up being 6 days late so i was off work for 6 weeks and loved it!!

I was off 6 weeks before my due date (although half my pregnancy I was off work sick haha), and had Elijah at 37 and a bit weeks, so had 3 weeks 'off' before being a mummy. I had quite a difficult pregnancy though so really couldn't have held on much longer!

I was due 24th Feb, took maternity from 16th January - and moved house the week after! Bean didn't arrive until 4th March though
Tbh I can't believe I lasted that long, a difficult job with plenty stress and not sat down for more than ten mins at a time. Was knackered by the end but glad I got paid for the Christmas hols too like you say. Was very very glad to be out of it! x

I finished at 37 weeks last time and dropped at 39 weeks. The most difficult thing was commuting during snowy weather in the february, actually being at work wasn't too bad. (I'm finishing earlier this time but that's due to a backlog of annual leave - though I am more tired this time round.)

I know someone who worked a few days past her due date, in an office job (she went 12 days over in the end and was induced).

Ros

I left work about 10 days before due date but she was early so i never had much time in the end! I decided to go as long as i could to get more time off after the baby was born but my work are very good and i dont have to do loads of standing etc x

Thanks ladies xx

The way the work is at the mo I want to leave now...there's me saying my job isn' too stressful..I think I spoke too soon.

I also started taking annual leave plus my 2 days off a week but splitting them up (but I worked shifts/7 days a week so I know it isn't always possible) so I never worked more than 2 days in a row

I ended up having 5 weeks off before Wil arrived because he was nearly 2 weeks late. I finished fairly early because I commute into London and the journey carrying a laptop was painful. I was also concerned that if I stayed too late and he came early I could end up going into labour 1.5 hours from home.