Maternity Leave - When are you taking it?

LaurendaMB

Who plans to work up until giving birth and who plans to take off a week or two early? I'm almost 36 weeks and feeling great - would love to work up until labor - but I am nervous about my water breaking at work. Haha

pumkin597

I work from home. So, I plan to work until I go into labor. I can't justify sitting at home and not working. Plus, I want to save my time for when the baby is here.

LaurendaMB

pumkin597:

I work from home. So, I plan to work until I go into labor. I can't justify sitting at home and not working. Plus, I want to save my time for when the baby is here.

 

That was another reason I wanted to work up until labor - I want all of my leave spend with my baby!

Native+Girl

I plan to work until I can't, hoping that's up until I go into labor. My job will let me WFH if it gets to a point where I'm just miserably uncomfortable, but I won't start leave until the baby comes. I feel ya on the water breaking at work/in public.

kennazebrowsky

Likely working up till the very day. We are going to be having a c-section so it will depend on when it gets scheduled. If I can I will try to to maybe take the day before off to get things ready.

Dani428

I plan on working until the end. I much rather take the time with my LO after she's born.  I'm 38 weeks so I think I can do it. The only annoying part is having the same questions asked and comments at work every 2 minutes...

 

When are you due? Wow you look like you're going to pop! When are you working until? Why are you still here?  AHHH!!!!!!!!!

Mom38673

I work in accounting at a commercial construction group.  I plan to work up until the day before my RCS.  I did the same with my first as well.  Even if I go into labor early, I'm not worried.  The guys get so freaked out about "girl bodily functions & emotions" , I will probably have a crew with me at the hospital! HAHAH.

Erinm278

I will be going in to work (I work an hour away) until almost 39 weeks and will be working from home for a couple of days after that.

ehnasto

I'm 39w 1d and plan to work until my LO shows up or until the day before I am induced. I don't want to waste the very little vacation I have saved up to just hang out at my house.

If I do end up getting induced I am taking the day before hand to finish whatever else needs to be done and maybe get some pampering as that won't happen for quite some time once DS arrives.

vintageutopia

I am 32 weeks, but plan on working until the end.

mben1119

I worked until I delivered, at 40 weeks 5 days. Less than 15% of women have their water spontaneously before they do into labor.

mrsf123

I plan to stop working at 37 or 38 weeks.  I live in Manhattan and just can't figure out how I would get to work at 40 weeks pregnant in the dead of the summer!  The subway will be about a million degrees by then!

I will be on maternity leave through the end of the year.

1234Nevaeh

I plan on working straight up until my due date unless more complications start to arise.  plus if my water breaks while at work, I work at a clinic, So I just need to head up stairs one floor as that is where my OB is

LJUTCMommy

I'm planning to work until 38 weeks. Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of job where I can just leave without an exact start and return date.

If I did, I'd work until I was in labor.  

sdtchica13

I am currently 37w, 3d and plan to work till I go into labor or my actual due date (since I would have to have a repeat c section that day, docs won't let me go past 40 weeks) if I fail to go into labor. I have a desk job with an easy commute though, so I see no reason to pace around my house and be driven insane by my three year old when I can be sitting in the office, lol!

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kkay1982

I was going to work until the Friday before my due date, due on a Tuesday, until
I found out I can take a week off ahead of time without it cutting into my post birth leave and that if LO come late it doesn't hurt anything. So now 38w4d will be my last day unless LO comes early.

ELauren88

I'm 32 weeks, due mid-August. I'll be taking my weeks vacation starting August 1st, then I have to go back and work 1 shift, then start my LOA until January 2nd. So I'll be 37w 3d when I start my leave (minus 1 shift).

Monilee1017

I worked until giving birth with DS, 1 week late, I wasn't worried because I worked in the hospital I gave birth in. This LO I plan on working until my csection date, but we'll see. 

Michelle N

Not soon enough!  

I'll probably try to go till August 1st (due on the 20th). But I'm in Canada so if I do go back to work FT after baby, I will still have around 49 weeks with him if he's born on time. 

CNYBride05

Mine starts the day the babies are born and thanks to state law, I get 16w (job protection, not pay).  By federal law (FMLA), my understanding is that it's not maternity leave until a child/children have been born.  I think you can take vacation time prior to that, but that may vary by employer.  Mine is also all unpaid since I used all my sick time for bed rest.  I had hoped to work up until I went in to labor.  It didn't pan out.

nnikki10

Due August 9th and I was thinking my last work day would be August 8th. But I might burn some vacation time and take that week off just to relax and prep stuff.

blondii428

My maternity leave starts one week before my due date.  I too worry about going into labor at work, I work a hour long train ride away from home!

monalisa577

California SDI pays for 4 weeks before and 6 weeks after your DD. The time can't be rearranged (i.e. you can't work up to your DD and then take 10 weeks off with pay.) So, that's exactly what I'm doing. My last day of work is July 2nd and my first day back is September 11.

Then again, I'm a chef, so I have an extremely active job. I'm on my feet 40+ hours a week, heavy lifting, high heat, etc. If I had a desk job, I'd probably be looking at it differently.

JCWhitey

Working until I pop, going back a few days later.

rachelstauf

I'm a nanny and I'm only taking 3 weeks off total, so I am working until the day I go into labor! With how often I'm here, I'll probably be at work when it starts.

achadwick19

I'm planning on working until 39 weeks, but I have a strong feeling I will go early, so that would mean I'm working until the baby comes! I figure I will work unless I am in horrible pain or something. 

magdalina.h

My last day is on Friday 8/23 and RCS is on Monday 8/26

shelbell1028

EDD is 8/3.  I'll start working from home FT on 7/15.  My leave starts 7/26.  My company allows me to start leave 1 week prior to my due date with pay.  They pay me until I deliver and then I get 8 weeks on STD. 

olga1311

monalisa577:

California SDI pays for 4 weeks before and 6 weeks after your DD. The time can't be rearranged (i.e. you can't work up to your DD and then take 10 weeks off with pay.) So, that's exactly what I'm doing. My last day of work is July 2nd and my first day back is September 11.

Then again, I'm a chef, so I have an extremely active job. I'm on my feet 40+ hours a week, heavy lifting, high heat, etc. If I had a desk job, I'd probably be looking at it differently.

same here. I am in CA so will be taking all 4 weeks allowed by the state, even though I have a desk job. I just want time to be at home, not rush to work and mentally prepare for the baby. So it puts me into working untill 36 weeks.

luvmyducks

I stopped working with DD1 about a week and half before her EDD.  But I worked about an hour away from home.  Otherwise I might have gone up until labor.  I'm a SAHM primarily now, but have a photography business that is mostly just weekends.  I stopped doing shoots after last weekend, so at about 37.5w.

Jewels93

Today is my 1st day of leave! I am 38 weeks. I don't think I could have gone any longer it's just so painful when I get up & walk.

Khaleesi07

I'm currently working temp to perm...if I get a job offer before my due date (Aug 31) I will definitely work up until then.

I'm working in an office, and so far working hasn't been a bother at all. Aside from the extra trips to the bathroom of course

laurakaz13

Went into labor at work. It's pretty rare for the water to break like they show in movies. Also, I drove my hour commute home and hung out all day until it was time to go to the hospital. I didn't want to waste one day of my 3 month maternity leave before the baby got here. 

kducharme

my maternity leave starts Monday!  Friday is my last day of work for 4 months!!  I will be 39 weeks

NaplesKate

I am also worried that my water will break at work - although mostly because I work in the evenings (I am an editor at a newspaper) and I worry that I will have to call one of my fellow editors in to finish for me because I am in labor!

 

I am planning to work right up until baby. Luckily, I feel great and my company only gives six weeks paid leave (I am taking some time off in addition) and I don't want to waste it sitting at home waiting for the little man to arrive. 

katiebenes

I plan to work up to birth. God willing and if the creeks don't rise.

LiveNLove44

I'm due the third day of school, so I hope to work the first couple days to set the tone in my classroom. I work half an hour away from home in a rural community, but I'm still confident I'll be able to make it back to the hospital before baby arrives even if my water breaks at work. The more I talk to people about it, the more I am comfortable with the fact that at least the first baby will give you enough time to get your things and head to the hospital without the Hollywood-style rush to L&D. I'll take 8 weeks PP (unpaid) and return in the first part of November.

LBeez13

I am still at work and I am due June 27th. I will come in Friday too if he doesn't show up by Thursday.

KPatrick24

I plan on working up until I give birth. The hospital that we are delivering at is only 10 minutes from my work so I just plan on bringing everything I need in case it happens. I want to save up all of my time for when she gets here

heathny

I have six weeks of vacation time saved up, not a problem I'm complaining about, but I have to take at least five of those weeks before going on leave. Then I'll take a year off. I'm in Canada so mat leave benefits are different. I guess I'll be done at 35 weeks and I'll start working full time at nesting. I'd rather work until closer to my due date just so I'm distracted and not bored.