When are you starting Mat Leave?

jwls84

I can't remember if this has been discussed. When are you ladies planning to leave work for mat leave?
I am pretty torn between going at 36 or 37 weeks.

kmason1128

I work up until the end!! And both mine were a week late

erind0213

Ill work till I go into labor or hit my due date. No sense wasting time home just waiting.

Only exception will be dr.s orders or work telling me I gottago...which is not to likely. 

mbhalla33

Ill be working up until the baby is born and I am a school counselor. FTM so we will see how that goes.

aracelyluna

I worked up to 40 weeks, I was so miserable. I stay home now but I was an elementary school teacher. My son was born a week later.

MamaWino

I planned to work 'til the end but ending up leaving at 39 weeks with DD.  (I stopped taking clients out about a month prior.)  I'll probably shoot for the same this time.

BabiesFTW

The day I give birth. Last time I left work at 6pm and had DD before the day was done.
I should note that I have a desk job.

karacakes98

I went to work while in labor with DS. Never went back again. Since my job now is decorating cakes from home, I won't be accepting any orders past 36.5 weeks, barring any complications that might require me to stop sooner. I don't want to accept any orders that I can't fulfill.

BethRN1987

I'm a nurse and I hope to continue working twelve hour days until I go into labor. Ha it's a big hope but possible. I can always switch to eight hour days if I need to but I'm afraid they will make me work second shift and I really don't want to do that

BethRN1987

Oh and since I'm at the hospital ill deliver at it doesn't matter if my water breaks at work or not.

legallyginger

I don't work, but I do go to school. Thankfully I will only be I school two days a week next semester. I am due the week of my spring break, so I'll go until then if I can.

novelblessings

I plan to continue to work until I go in to labor. I am a therapist, so I sit all day. I probably will not go to any staff meetings during that time though, because they are at our main office, which is an hour and 20 min commute. 

I am a little nervous though because I work 45 minutes from home and my commute in the winter is horrible because of the way the wind blows the snow across the highway. It is my biggest fear that there will be a snow storm and I will go in to labor at work. 

novelblessings

bearsbearsbears said:

@novelblessings that stinks.  Typically FTM labor for longer, so as long as you just leave as soon as you're feeling the signs of possible early labor, you'll likely be fine.

Yea, that is my plan when the time comes. I know even with the snow I'll make it, but it's still a fear. My co-worker reassured me that if she has to she will drive me home or to the hospital. 

akb1125

My employer allows me to take 4 weeks prior to my due date as disability at 100% pay so im definitely taking it!

ring_pop

Probably 37-38 weeks, depending on how I'm feeling. Last time, I worked to 38 weeks thinking I'd have a break for a couple of weeks, but DS came less than a week later. (I have a year off though, so that extra week or two won't make a huge difference.)

PerkyErky

I plan to work until I am either put on bed rest (even then I will still partially work from home) or until I go into labor. 

jwls84

Laura8388 said:

I have an office job so plan on staying as late as I can, am a FTM so will see how I feel. They are pretty open that way.
I don't think the mat leave pay actual starts until the day baby is born tho?

My mat leave will start my last day of work (Canada) so I don't mind starting early. With my first I was laid off when I was 6 months pg and I loved it lol. I obviously wouldn't do that again by choice but it was nice.
Due to a blood condition I have the last 4 weeks of pregnancy for me are hectic and I will have up to 4 appointments a week, which makes it hard to work.

benevolentforce

The plan is to work my desk job until the very end. I only have the option of vacation/sick pay during maternity leave. I'm still going to take 12 weeks off, but a bunch of it will be unpaid, so I don't want to dip into my time off until I absolutely have to. FX I can pull it off.

jrw526

I plan on working until I go into labor or the day before my due date (a Friday) unless I need to go out earlier if medical reasons. I'm a teacher and do a ton of walking but it wasn't an issue with DS.

With DS I was due on a Monday so I put in for my last day to be the Friday before. Light contractions started on my last day of work. I worked all day and had my first "this is for real" contraction on my way home. He was born Saturday at 10am.

VineyardMel

My c/s is scheduled for Mon, 2/24 and I'll work through the week prior (barring any complications, of course).

liamandlettie

With my first I planned on going until labor but I was so miserable that I left at 39 weeks on Friday. ..then had him monday! I hope to work up til 39 again.

MA&CB

I'm having a c-section on a Friday at 39 weeks, I'll probably take the day before off, but otherwise will work right up until right before.  I have 12 weeks of FMLA and want to spend all of that time with the new baby.

pattipants

With my birthdaughter, I worked up until I went into labor. However, I now live elsewhere and have a 2-hour commute (each way). I already work from home a couple of days a week, so toward the end I might just transition to working from home the last couple of weeks; I really don't want to be sitting in traffic and going into labor.

That being said, when I was pg with birthdaughter, I had a complication that is 70-90% likely to happen in subsequent pregnancies (called cholestasis of pregnancy), which would require me to be induced around 36-37 weeks. So, in the likely chance that I have the condition again ( ), I will probably already know around that time that I'm going to be induced, and I'll schedule my leave right before that day.

DEL14

I'm going to start my "maternity leave" as a pet sitter at 35-36 weeks, just because I don't want to commit to care for dogs and then once the owners are out of town I go into early labor. Just better not to risk it. 

I hope to keep dog walking and teaching yoga/pilates/barre classes until the end. Teaching doesn't invovle actually doing the class with the members and right now all of my dog walks are pretty mellow and I want to keep moving. 

southerncharm24

As long as I can! I can work from home if needed but I'm hoping to make it until march 7th. I'll be induced if I get to the 10th. Here's to wishful thinking!

angelsnight

bearsbearsbears said:

I'll be working until I go into labor.  I have a desk job, so there's no need to sit at home and wait for the baby to come.

Last time I was due on a Wednesday, went over and worked until Friday....I had my baby on Saturday.

This.  Unless I end up on bedrest or have any other complications, I hope to work until I go into labor.  I only get six weeks off so I want to spend as much as possible of it after the baby comes.

theluckiest9

I'm going to try to work up until I go into labor. I'm saving up PTO so I can take more time off with the baby than what my STD provides. The plan is to try and take around 10 weeks total. I'd love 12, but don't know if that'd work. :-/

Jens222

I plan on working as long as possible. I want to work until I go into labor, but I'm not sure it will be allowed (I'm a bartender). I work 9-10 hour days by myself

JagWife00

Whenever my doctor kicks me out of work.  I'm stubborn and would work to the day my water broke.  I went to work while 5 cm dilated last pregnancy.  Everyone thought I was crazy, but I wasn't having pains of any sort.  For the last pregnancy, my doctor told me to stop working the week before my daughter was born.  I'm hoping to do the same thing this time too.  HOPING!

flows912

38 weeks. My OB said I should stop going into work (I have a 90 minute commute) at 36 weeks. So, I'm hoping work lets me work from home for 2 weeks before I start my leave. I'd like to have some time nesting and hanging out with DS and since I'm sure I'll have GD and be on insulin again, I know they won't let me go past 40 weeks.

lopezalonso

I am hoping to work until I go into Labor but I'm still debating this.

I live in NJ and work in NYC so I am a whole cab ride to the train station, train ride, and car ride away from the hospital. I could always deliver at a NYC hospital but I much rather be close to my doctor and the hospital I've already chosen.

lvlichelle

I will be working until I can't take it anymore... or until Dr tells me no more.. or I go into labor. No exact time picked out yet..to early to tell how I will feel by 30+ weeks

Kewii

I'm planning to go around 38 or 39 weeks.  I'm another teacher and I figure if I leave early March, that will take me through to the end of the school year.

I could go later and wait til I'm in labour, but then my maternity leave would continue in September and I don't want to miss the beginning of the next school year.

TDeneeS

I work at the hospital I will be delivering at and mostly at a desk, so I plan on working till the end. I may bring my hospital bag to work when I'm a week away from my due date and just leave it in my office.

JerseyBella

I'm working until the day before RCS

bumpuser9058414

I will be working as long as I can. I have a desk job and I'm only 20 minutes from my hospital. I work with all cops and agents and they have joked that they could deliver the baby for me if need be. 

LaurenAsh23

As long as my pregnancy goes smoothly (no bed rest) and my job stays semi stress free, I'll work until I'm induced. My dr won't let me go past 39 weeks because of my high blood pressure. So March 7th probably if all the dates stay the same and no other complications. 

ufsandra85

i will be working till my c section unless i am on bed rest

amberlynnr7

I'll be working til the last possible moment. Although, I am kind of scared I'll go into labor at work. Eeeek.

ellajune2012

I haven't really thought about it, but I'm guessing I'll want to stop or at least work from home - if that's an option - starting at 38 weeks. I take a train to and from work and the last thing I want is to be waiting for a train or a car service to take me home while I'm in labor, and I do NOT want to be in a situation where I have to deliver at the hospital near my job.

Melbelle11

I'll start once I deliver