Every time someone asks and I tell them, "yes, I'm still working full time", they look/sound horrified at the thought!! I'm planning on going off one full month before my due date but until then, full time it is. There are days when it certainly sucks big time (and the first trimester was very challenging), but its not THAT bad.
ETA: I am a teacher, so mostly on my feet all day.
Did you work full-time throughout your pregnancy?
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
What kind of job do you have?
I'm a software engineer, so I have a nice desk job. No one batted an eye at the fact I worked full-time throughout my pregnancy and worked until I went into labor.
nectarine / 2951 posts
For DS 1- I worked until I was about 32 weeks and then I had the summer(I'm a teacher). He was born at the end of August, a few days before the start of the new school year.
For LO2- I'm due at the very end of June, so I'm hoping I work until the end of school, which I believe ends 6/24. If I'm really miserable I may try to get a doctor's note for the last week. We'll see.
hostess / papaya / 10219 posts
Yes til the bitter end with both pregnancies. I'm a teacher.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Yea working a desk job it got hard in that last week or so but I can't imagine sitting at home for a month with nothing to do! And I wanted to save my PTO.
pear / 1703 posts
@Adira: I am a teacher. So on my feet for the majority of the day. I see your point that if it was a sitting down job it might not seem as outrageous to people.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
Ditto @Adira: ... most women I know do work full time through their pregnancies...but most my friends and I have desk jobs...I could see a difference if it involves physical activity.
I plan to work from home the week of my due date - but will still be working for sure. With K I worked from home the last 1-2 weeks - I was 3 cm and completely effaced...basically terrified labor was coming any moment so I stayed safely at home!
cherry / 167 posts
I did. I worked up until 1 week before I had DS. I only stopped working because my BP shot up and my OB wanted me to sit at home with no added stress. Before I knew I'd be out early I was always anxious that my water would break at work! That was sort of a nightmare of mine. I ended up having a scheduled c/s anyway.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
Yes and I got that a lot, too. I always wanted to ask the people, "What do you want me to do? I have to pay for my time off, why would I take time off BEFORE the baby is here?"
pear / 1703 posts
@Alba4: Great timing on both your LO's!! Well done teach 
@travellingbee: Another fellow teacher 
Did people say anything about it?
@T.H.O.U.: All I can think of are things to do around the house to prepare for baby.... hopefully I'll have the energy in that last month.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
Yup! I was even working from my hospital bed when I was being induced so I could wrap up the final details for the project I was working on. Ha!
I plan on working up until due date time with DD also.
@mediagirl: While I wouldn't mind not working before DD gets here, but I rather save my time off for when she is here!
cantaloupe / 6751 posts
I worked until the weekend before I had my daughter (worked on Friday, had baby on Monday). I was determined to take as little time off as possible before baby so I could maximize my time w her at home.
The last month was miserable, no lies.
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
I'm a teacher too, both my girls were born in the fall so I was done work in June, which was really nice.
I think because we have such long mat leaves in Canada people might expect you to take some time before the baby comes. Almost everyone I know stops work at 35/36 weeks.
If I only got 12 weeks leave I would be working up until my due date for sure.
cantaloupe / 6791 posts
Yep. Both times I was working as a pre-k teacher. I worked until a week before my c-section with LO1 and until 32 weeks with #2 (because that's when summer break started). Working with 4 year olds meant I almost never sat down!
pomelo / 5660 posts
Yes, not sure why I wouldn't. Most people I know work until they give birth unless they are on bed rest.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
@Charm54: I guess that could be it, but I'm in Canada and everyone I know worked mostly to the end!
I worked until 38 weeks with DD and then she was 12 days overdue, so I ended up off for about a month, and it was actually horrible. I vowed to try to work longer the next time!!
This pregnancy I'm planning to work until 39 weeks depending on how I'm feeling.
I've had people ask me this question and I just find it so odd.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@Autumnmama79: While I definitely wouldn't want to stand and teach all day while pregnant, especially at the end, it still is weird to me that people are questioning you about it! What other choice is there?? Being a teacher doesn't seem like the kind of job you can just scale back!
pineapple / 12566 posts
I did worked until the end with both LOs. I had planned on taking 3 weeks off before LO2 was due, but she arrived 3 weeks early.
For perspective, where I live now, women are required by law to take off at least 4 weeks before their EDD.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I got some of those questions too which is so weird. I always said yes, I need to get paid esp since I have an unpaid maternity leave!
coconut / 8861 posts
With DS #1, I worked up until I delivered him. I went into labor on a Monday night and had him Tuesday morning. My boss wasn't in on Monday. When I didn't show up to work by 10am, he knew that I had him
With DS #2, I began having some blood pressure and discomfort issues near the end of my pregnancy. Since they changed the leave policy, I had a glut of PTO to use. I decided to take 2 weeks off before my due date. I got about day into my vacation when my blood pressure spiked and had to be tested a lot. We scheduled an induction for a Wednesday on the Friday before. I went into labor on Monday morning (Memorial Day) and had him later that night.
pear / 1703 posts
@Adira: Yes, scaling back would be difficult. Maybe they think I should just stop altogether for now or go down to a couple days a week? Who knows lol.
nectarine / 2466 posts
I stopped work at 32weeks and 33 weeks.I'm a nurse and the dr wrote me off for medical reasons. Because of getting off for medical reasons, I got additional time off so it didn't use up my mat leave.
eggplant / 11716 posts
yup! I'm also a teacher/school librarian but I have more time now just sitting at the circulation desk in the library than I did when I was an English teacher.
This time I worked up until 2 hours before LO was born. 
pomelo / 5573 posts
I worked full time through my first and plan to again this time (well, I'm taking the week before my due date off, like last time) but I have a desk job.
@sslm: With my first I started my mat leave almost 2 weeks before I was due. The first few days were great and then I started to get stressed out about how I was for sure going to be overdue and I was going to get so bored and antsy at home and I was going to go stir crazy and the time would go so slowly....and then I found out he was breech on the first Thursday of my leave and they scheduled my C section for the Monday and I was so mad about all the things I'd planned to do (haircut! pedicure! Go to a movie by myself!) that I suddenly didn't have time for.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I did, but I left work 6 weeks before my due date. The guidance was 10 weeks, I had to get a special exception to continue. I had an office job, which meant I was sitting, but I did have a long commute on three trains, which was kind of a pain at the end.
pear / 1703 posts
@cascademom: @lamariniere: @BandDmommy: @lilteacherbee: @JoJoGirl: @pinkcupcake: @Alivoo01: @Winterbee15: @Mrs D: @T.H.O.U.: @travellingbee: HUGE kudos to you mamas who worked until the week/DAY before your LO was born. You are truly amazing!!
pomegranate / 3580 posts
With DD I planned to work all the way to my due date, but I left a week early because I was at a good stopping point with projects so it made sense. That week was boring though since I was so excited about when she'd make her arrival and didn't have work to keep my mind busy. This time I'm planning to work as long as possible to maximize my maternity leave.
pear / 1703 posts
@looch: Yes, the commute is probably the least fun part. But thats pregnant or not lol.
@Anagram: 2 hours?! Superhero.
cantaloupe / 6397 posts
@erinbaderin: haha! oh no!! I had the opposite experience, I did all of those fun things and still had over a week of waiting which was excruciating.
pear / 1703 posts
@erinbaderin: Shoot I forgot about the antsy time when all the nesting and preparations are done and theres nothing to do but twiddle your thumbs and wait....
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@Alivoo01: yeah! If I didn't have to pay for my own leave, I would have loved to have taken a week or two off beforehand to prep. Freezer meals would have been helpful.
apricot / 309 posts
I did! I am a health and PE teacher. My ob did tell me she didn't want me to work over my due date due to swelling, but my dd was 2 days early.
grapefruit / 4355 posts
Yes - I worked in academic research so I was on my feet at the lab benches a lot. No problems with it at all! I can't see why a complication-free pregnancy would prevent someone from working full-time. Depending on your job, responsibilities might need to shift (if you were doing something/working with something that would be dangerous during pregnancy). But I would think you should still be able to work.
coconut / 8430 posts
Yup during my first pregnancy I even worked the morning I gave birth (I didn't know it was going to happen that day!).
For this pregnancy I am working until I have to go on bedrest.
pear / 1547 posts
Yep. I'm a physican and at the time worked somewhere that didn't have chairs for the doctors in the exam rooms so I was always on my feet. Worked my last shift when I was in early labor and LO was born the next day!
coconut / 8079 posts
I'm a teacher. I worked full time until 39 weeks. I planned to work until my due date but left a week early because I was just so exhausted. As it turned out LO was a week late so I had two weeks at home to rest waiting for him to come!
nectarine / 2148 posts
I worked up until 2 weeks before my DD. I wanted time to get things finished up. Turns out I was induced the Monday after my last day. So I didn't use up any time.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 3 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
86 comments