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4 weeks? That wasn't an option for my work, we got 2 weeks before due date off. I was good with those 2 weeks off (and went early both times) but I think I would have been driven crazy if I took 4 weeks, OR if I went past my due date. It was all I could think about all day every day. Work was a nice distraction and at that point I wasn't doing much challenging work to stress myself. I wouldn't want 4 weeks less at the end of my leave though.

4 weeks?!?!? Wow, nice. If you don't use it before can you tack it on after?? If so I'd do 1-2 weeks before, I think 4 weeks is quite a bit.... unless you have lots to do or get done before hand?

I won't have this option because we don't have paid maternity leave and I'll barely have enough leave to cover my time off after the birth...but I'm hoping to maybe be able to talk my bosses into letting me telecommute more during the last month. My commute is up to two hours, and it's already kicking my butt.

I took time off before my second, mostly to get some quality time in w/ my first. There was a cost, but I don't regret it for a moment.

With my first, I worked up until 41 weeks and my scheduled induction. I was a frazzled mess trying to tie up loose ends.

The second time, I went into everything more prepared, and more calm. It was worth the cost.

I took off 2 weeks before my due date with my second but I was given 2 paid weeks without it counting toward my leave for once the baby arrived. It was actually instrumental in making me feel ready for the baby. With kid #1, I had so much more time to get the nursery ready, etc. but it was so much harder with kid #2 to find the time. It was great to send him to school during the day for those two weeks while I made tons of freezer meals, set up the nursery, etc. I actually vowed that I would take off time before the baby even if I didn't get the paid bonus time that I got last time. I felt as rested and organized going into childbirth as was possible.

We're in Canada, so I didn't have any qualms with starting my leave 4 weeks before my due date. I would have gone longer, but I worked in retail at the time and my feet were swelling to such a point that only my sneakers with the laces as loose as they would go would fit at that point, lol.

This time (yay!) I'm due in July. I'm also a teacher now, and we will be a few weeks into summer vacation, so I don't have anything to worry about!

@Meowkers: I'm in CA too. With my first I didn't take it but my doc pulled me out at 36 weeks and I had the baby at 37+5 sonit really didn't matter.

For my second I took the full four weeks. It was amazing to not have to rush anywhere. I could take my son to preschool and go back home and rest. I didnt feel guilty at all.

@Meowkers: Well, this hits close to home for me! Of course my experience is no clue for how yours will go, but it could at least remind you of the options of how it could go.

First: went out at 36 weeks, I decided since those 4 weeks disability were "use it or lose it", and I hoped that maybe he would come a little earlier than my EDD. Plus my job is pretty physical. I did start swelling a lot and get really uncomfortable after i went on leave, so I don't know how that would have gone if I kept working. But, he wasn't born till his due date, so those last 4 weeks were long and went by slow!

Second: Born 10/27 (10d old today!). Which was supposed to be last day of work, at 36wks and 1d. I went back and forth on this, agonizing about if I should work a little longer. I ultimately decided to work one extra day past my DD, and then use a week of educational leave, so that my official maternity leave started at 38 weeks. Well, that obviously didnt happen, and I had nothing ready! We were so extremely unprepared, and I had so many nice thing planned with my son to enjoy the first few weeks of maternity leave while this baby was supposed to be still cooking!

So my vote is, maybe work an extra week or so past 36 weeks, but remember that it is always a possibility that baby could come early! : )

Also in CA and it was use it or lose it. I went out at 37 weeks with my first due to a break in busy season and i loved it. Had her at 39w3d so glad i didn’t wait longer and still would have found something to fill in more time if needed!

I went out at 38 weeks for LO1 and 36 weeks for LO2. I don't regret it at all and I had absolutely no guilt about the financial aspect.

I had some guilt about leaving my team in a lurch at work but in the end I thought it was really good for my employer too. I was able to wrap things up at work with a specific target date. My team had a few weeks to figure things out with my limited assistance (technically not allowed) before I was of no use to them.

I’m not in the States but I took about two weeks vacation off before my due date and would have loved to have more time off by the end, but I was trying to save my time off for when the baby was born. I was so exhausted and ready to be done.

@Meowkers: I worked until the day before my induction at 40.5 weeks.

BUT if I had the choice, I definitely would have taken maybe a week beforehand to rest and organize and whatnot? To me, a month would have been too long.

With my 2nd I had prodromal labor from 37-39 weeks, and then a repeat C at 39 +1. I sort of worked from home for that time and I was really glad I didn't have to go into work, since I basically spent all day feeling like I was in labor. And with my first I was bordering on pre-e and miserable and couldn't work after a certain point.

So anyways, I needed those weeks before giving birth and I wouldn't regret time to rest and prepare as long as it was financially feasible.