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I think it's a good segway esp since you don't want them to ever know that you want to leave b/c you don't like the job! In my last job though there were def people that went on maternity leave and decided not to come back. I don't think people assume they planned it at all; we just chalk it up to them realizing exactly how demanding motherhood is and that could afford to make that kind of decision. There was never any ill will towards them (that I know of) but it is a bit of a scramble to find someone else.

I originally said I was going back to work and then decided to be a stay at home mom. When it was close to my return date I went to lunch with my boss and told her. I still have a really good relationship with the people I worked with and we often go to lunch together.

@Beyond2: I had a similar situation. I had planned on returning after my 4 months of leave, and even extended 4 more months. But after the first month of the extension, I decided to quit. My boss was very understanding, and they ended up just fully hiring the woman who covered my mat leave.

In your particular case, I would imagine they would be grateful that you give them so much notice. If you tell them now (or soon) that you are leaving and not coming back in August, I don't see how they could be anything but understanding.

I would not resign at the same time. You risk being let go immediately not having a paycheck for the next few months. I would just play it by ear - you might not even want 2 months at home before the baby comes. If it were me, I would tell my boss I was pregnant but not mention not coming back.

@ Lolo: that is a tricky situation. I would consider what my options are if they were to ask you to leave, do you need the income or will you be ok without it? Depending on how important the job is, I'd decide when to tell my boss. Another important factor is what your local colleagues are like, do they have a lot of contact with your boss and are they likely to tell HR/your boss if they suspect you're pregnant?

I'm in a similar situation, with the difference that I've been in this job a lot longer, I'm also pregnant (13 weeks) and my boss is in the US (I'm in London). I won't see him at all until due date other than through video but several of my colleagues have close contact with him. The long and the short of it is that I think I'll have to tell him soon as I'm already showing (2nd baby), and I'm sure one of my local colleagues will put me on the spot in the next few weeks.

@SweetiePie: I actually did that, go on maternity leave, and then not return to work. It wasn't an issue because I had already asked the question of HR and I gave them ample time during my leave. I had a 3 month notice period, so I called before the end of February to tell them I would not be returning in July.

Sometimes, you can't control things, like if your child is ill and needs extra care, for example. This was the scenario I was thinking about when I asked HR...what if my child is born and has some health issues and I can not return to work?

@SweetiePie: I hear you completely. The problem is though, that employers aren't always fair either. Had I returned, I would have likely been let go...there was a woman that was due 3 months after I was and when she returned to the office, the first thing they did was tell her that she had been let go. No notice, nothing. That's not fair either, especially since you have the whole daycare thing to organize and now all of a sudden, you're out of a job, you know what I mean?

I do think though, that if you do plan to return to work, you want all your ducks in a row and have left on good terms, because you never know when they'll need you back or you'll need them for a rec.

Did you decide, by the way?