When did or when are you planning to go on Mat leave how many weeks will you be?

Im only 18wks n 2 days n im so exhausted i drive 1 hour each morning and night to get to work and its really taking its toll on me i leave at 8 in the morning and not getting home til 7 (yes 11 hours in total). Im dreading when i get bigger and driving in with this heat!

I decided to go on mat leave as soon as its legal 2 and thats at 29 weeks i have 3 weeks holiday to use and so i wont offically start my mat leave until im 32 weeks.

Although i am getting the comments "thats early!"

you will probably feel better as your pregnancy progresses. My maternity leave officially starts today (I am 36+5 weeks) but I have had 2 weeks holiday off now so left at 34+5 weeks.


My days were very busy also, leave house at 7 am, go to my horse, muck out, walk the 1/2 mile to the field with him, be in the office for 9am, leave office at 12 to come home and walk dog, back at work at 1pm, leave office at 5.30pm to go and see to horse and get back home again around 7pm. I have to say I found my routine much more tiring in early pregnancy than in late pregnancy so hopefully you will feel the same.

Hope you feel better soon
Julie x

I was like you for the first five months - utterly shattered. Take a few sick days if you can as it can't be recorded against your sickness in most companies.
Hopefully if you are like me you will suddenly feel much better and more awake! If you are going to return to work its best to work as late as possible so you get more paid leave and time to spend with the baby.
Also see if you can reduce your hours a bit so you are not stuck in rush hour traffic.
Good luck.

I'm 34 + 1 and had last day at work today but mat leave doesn't kick in till 25 June. I had annual leave to use and there were some public holidays too.
You might have a bit more energy before becoming exhausted at the end so you may end up working on a bit so you can have more time off with the baby.
I was only back for 5 weeks from my previous mat leave so nobody really cared or noticed that I was away again today (poor me lol) Bring on Jeremy Kyle!

Jen x

i know what you mean. i worked 1.5 to 2 hours drive away left at 7am and got home at 7.30pm. ended up working until 36 weeks but it was killing me by the end and so happy left when i did but i needed the money and i wanted more time with my little girl once she was born.

do whatever you feel is right for you and ignore everyone else.

all the best
Lis and Isabella (4weeks 3 days) x

"Hey "

I am due at the end of Aug so hoping to go on ML at the beginning of Aug, ie 36wks. In saying that I am shattered now in the morning and finding the heat unbearable at times in the office even with the fan on the go! Am really starting to get big too so I dont know how I will cope with the 1hr drive here and home again when I get even biggggerrr!lol I am going to try and leave taking ML as late as pos so I will have more paid time off when baby comes.

tc Sharon 24+2wk pink bump xx

Hi,

Just wanted to say that I finish work on Friday, but I do feel as though I could carry for another week or so, but I won't!! I will be 36 weeks + 3 days which is later than when I left to have my daughter. I had chronic backache with her and left about 33 weeks as I was sitting down all day. Carrying different this time though and not had the same backache - yet!

You need to leave when you feel like it, and let your boss be as funny and grumpy as he/she likes - its your right to finish whenever you want to after 29 weeks!

Good luck + take care.

Jo + boy bump 36 weeks + 1 day. x

im starting my mat leave at 30 weeks, which just happens to be this week YEY. coz of the job i do im on my feet all day and its soooo tiring (im a hairdresser) but i am getting comments like ooh your leaving early and it really p#sses me off coz i just think well you try diong this job when your the size of a house and in this weather too. (sorry bit of a rant there)

you could actually take your 3 weeks holiday at 26 weeks then start your mat leave at 29 weeks.

take care emma+30wk pink bump

to leave at 26wks but dnt think manager would go for that! already annoyed that im going at 29 haha oh well!

xx

to be honest she cant stop you!

I went at 32 weeks even though I only had a desk job I was knackered from waking up in the night and had just had enough. It's been really nice having a few weeks to myself and I've been a lot less tired. If you can afford to go early I'd say do it!

I should still have a year off after the baby is born as everything worked well with leave years etc but I'm not sure I'd have stopped work so early if it meant going back while the little one was very tiny.

well im not really planning on coming back at all i dont enjoy the job and i am the same tired alot of the time!
i will start looking for a new one before i want to come back and if not will have no choice but to return...

xx

Im due on 21st october but Im having a c-setion so my date will be brought forward by a couple of weeks. Im going to finish work 1st week in September. Its nice to have some chill out time before the baby comes. Im going back to work then in June next year. I dont think its too early. It all depends on how you feel.

tc love Debra 16wk bean xxxxxx