When to start maternity leave?

fruit-loop

Hi All

Have just found out this week that I am about 5-6 weeks pregnant:j

I was having a conversation the other day and was asked when i would start maternity leave, I thought about eight months was about right so that i had more paid time off with the baby.

But everyone i speak to seems to think that will be too late and that i wont want to work that long.

So my question is when did you start maternity leave or when do you think would be a good time?

Many Thanks in advance

Fruit

Chell

I worked till 38weeks, I intended to carry on till 39w but I found that I had holiday to use up so had a week for that.

Lydia.42

Congratulations!!!!
I'm interested in this too. Isn't it funny how as soon as you say you are pregnant the first thing you are asked is when are you leaving? Are you giving up work?

I wish i could give up work to bring up our child, but our mortgage will mean that i have to go back to work asap really. I also plan to work as long as i can before the baby is born. You get 90% of you full salary for the first 6 weeks fo maternity leave (providing you have worked for your employer for a certain amount of time), and then SMP for the rest of the time. I think that as of April 07 (your baby will be born after this so it will apply), they are changing SMP from 6 months to 9 months.

Obviously i don't know how i will feel, or i may be ill towards the end of my pregnancy, which may mean that i can't work up to the end, but on the other hand it depends on your job.....i am lucky that i can work from home a lot.......so am keeping my fingers crossed. That way i will have as much time as i can with our baby before i have to go back to work.

Good luck!

india

Congratulations!

With my first child I worked till 38 weeks and he was late. So I felt really bored at home.

With this pregnancy I intend to work till 39 weeks.

But I think it's one of the things you have to leave nearer to the time, especially if it's your 1st because you don't know how your going to feel nearer to the end of your pregnancy.

You could be full of life or you could have swollen ankles and fed up and may not want to work any longer.

Also my husband set up the nursery while I was in hospital so it was ready when I came out some women like to prepare the nusery before the baby comes so you may want time to do this.

I'm 15 weeks and I haven't told my work when I will be going on leave and I don't think I will till about 6 months. So you have plenty of time to decide.

Good Luck

funky-footprints

congratualtions on your lovely news.

I guess the first thing is does your job have you on your feet all day ? ? I have many friends who worked until 39+5 and literally had the baby the day after they finished work ..which meant all thier maternity leave was at home with thier baby, i could of left it a lot later ....but my dh's job meant he was at home a lot in the week and away on weekends, so we had some great us time.

I went back to work when my son was 6 months and then quit when he was 10 months old to become a sahm.

have a great adventure.
xxxx

immoral_angeluk

Congratulations!
From experience I would say wait and see when you are further on how you feel. You have to give 4 weeks notice before you take maternity leave and the earliest you can go is 29 weeks, I would see how you feel when you are 25 weeks and go from there. The reason I say this is that you don't know if something might crop up which will mean you need to take your leave earlier than planned. I planned to take my leave at 37 weeks, but developed SPD which now means that I'm currently sat here on maternity leave at 29 weeks pregnant on advice from the physio, my midwife and my boss.

clarew

1st child i left at 37 weeks, but tagged on a couple of weeks annual leave first, so my offical mat leave kicked in at 39 weeks. (he was 2 weeks late in arriving!) i was working as a nurse and on my feet for 12.5hr shifts and thought 37 weeks was the right time to relax at home.

2nd child-left at 38 weeks (by now was working in a office capcity so easier on the feet, and also felt that leaving earlier wouldn't be more restfull as 1st child was 2yr 4months and clambering all over me at home anyway!!) Again i had saved some annual leave to tag on before starting offical mat leave.

Personally with child 1 the first couple of weeks was lovely- i did my shopping,cleaned the house and then had a long lovely bath each afternoon reading books etc, but after 2 weeks of this i was sooooooo bored. Particularly as he made a late arrival.
With child 2, the relaxation aspect just doesn't occur, due to child 1, so my theory was that work was more relaxing than being at home!

Each to their own though. (just factor in the earlier you leave, the earlier you have to return)

Chell

If you end up with something like SPD then can you not take paid sick leave if you are under 36w?

Louise1521

With my first two children I finished 6 weeks before, with my third I started my maternity leave at 39 weeks, but had a couple of weeks leave beforehand. I too had SPD, and at times wished that I could have finished earlier, it was a struggle, but I managed it, but then I do have an office job.

immoral_angeluk

chelltune wrote:

If you end up with something like SPD then can you not take paid sick leave if you are under 36w?

theoretically yes.. but my company only offers 3 days paid sick leave per year, which meant having to rely on SSP of £75 a week, which would've financially crippled us.. I just muddled through until I could finish this friday just gone.

immoral_angeluk

immoral_angeluk wrote:

theoretically yes.. but my company only offers 3 days paid sick leave per year, which meant having to rely on SSP of £75 a week, which would've financially crippled us.. I just muddled through until I could finish this friday just gone.

OH and I forgot to mention I'm a nursery nurse with a toddler at home, which is a very physically demanding job so it really depends on how you can cope in your job if you do get anything like SPD.