How ealy (or late!) are you starting your maternity leave?

just interested really (or nosey?!!)...

including annual leave, how many weeks before the baby is due are you leaving work? I am thinking around 4 to 5 weeks before hand. - guess it may depend on the job you do and if you have other children and finances, but just wondered what was feasible.

With baby no.1 I left with 4 weeks to go and he arrived a week early! I also obviously have a toddler to cope with as well so wondering if I should be leaving work earlier rather than later (especially as its christmas just before due date (15/1/10)

thanks

I finish on 20th October and baby is due on 10th November.  So 37 weeks exactly.

I am taking 1 week 3 days A/L out of that.  ML does not start until 2nd November

Last time I left at 36 weeks, I really struggled with my back, the long hours to and from work and could have done with leaving earlier, baby arrived a few days early.

This time I'm planning on leaving at the same stage. I find work easier at the moment as they are quite flexible and I can do some hours from home too and I only work 3 days now. PLus I actually find it easier going to work and more tiring being at home with LO as I'm constantly findnig things that need doing. I'm 31 weeks at the moment but if things go downhil I'll just take some more leave

I'm due to finish work 11 days before baby is due, I think I am mad!! Mind you all I need to do is get up in the morning and drive to work and sit at my desk then drive home, so it's hardly physical, although we are going to be super busy in the run up to my mat leave so it will be interesting to see how long I really last! I think in reality I may end up leaving a week or so before but we will see!

I started my ML officially last Sunday when I was 30+4, so just over 9 weeks before my EDD.  However, I am a teacher and was on summer holiday before that for nearly 7 weeks!  So in all I'm having about 16 weeks before baby arrived.   It's my 2nd and I have a toddler to contend with, but the main factor was that workplace is horrible and just not worth the extra stress. It's just as well I've gone earlier as my back/hips are rather sore and low iron has added to my tiredness, not sure I'd have managed another 4 weeks until I had originally planned to start ML. 

I started my ML a week before baby was due so I could have more time once bubs was here.  Worked out really well, I had a nice relaxing week and baby came on due date!  I do have a desk job though and just a 20 minute drive to work.

I started my mat leave on the Sunday as R was due on the Tuesday. Was convinced I would go 2 weeks overdue. As it turned out she was only a day late but I'm glad I have more time at home with her.

I know I was very lucky though to be in v. good health 

My ML officially started on my due date but I had 6 weeks off before that using up annual leave.  However I was actually signed off sick from 28 weeks so really started then.

I am due to give birth 26th October and am starting M/L 19th but i am currently waiting to see if i can have the week before off as A/L.

Sproglet due 31st Oct, I finish 21st Oct - quite late on but I can work at my own pace as I work on a research grant so work will stop when I stop and will restart again when I go back!! Plus our only form of heating at home is a log burner and the idea of crawling round on the floor trying to keep it lit for weeks when heavily pegnant doesn't appeal! Heating at work is instant and free!

However, I'll b going down to 4-day weeks as of next week, using one day of annual leave per week

Last time I left at 36 weeks and had 3 weeks AL before starting my ML at 39 weeks.  P was 2 weeks late so I had 6 weeks off before she arrived!  This time I will be working until 39 weeks I think because we are brassic and because I will only be working 4 mornings a week so hopefully will be less tired. 

Baby is due 7th December and i finish work on the 14th October (i'll be 32+2)

My maternity leave actually starts at 38 weeks so end of november but i have over 35 days annual leave to take and they would only let me carry over 9 into the next year so am taking 27 days prior to mat leave.

I'm due on the 18th December and ML starts on the 20th of December. I'm taking 3 weeks annual leave before so will leave on the 30th November.

I will be taking 4 weeks annual leave for weeks 36-40.  My mat leave starts from my EDD.

Baby is due 21st November and I am due to finish on 29th October when I will be 36+5. 1 week is annual leave and then ML starts officially on the 9th November.

I am however, also using annual leave to cut my working week to 4 days in October so am looking forward to a lot of 3 day weekends

I didn't want to finish too early so I could use as much as possible afterwards, though I can only carry 5 days holiday forward into next year hence using leave the way I have.

smarties x