Did you take time off before at the end of your pregnancy, and if so, what were the circumstances? Did your healthcare provider recommend it, or place you on sick leave/bed rest? Or did you choose to start maternity leave early on your own because work was getting too difficult to handle and/or you wanted time at home to relax and prepare for baby?
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With my first I started having early labor symptoms. My Ob felt labor was imminent so we decided I would start my leave a few days early. I think I was about 4 days from my due date? Baby came 2 days early.
With my second I was laid off about 4m pregnant.
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I had DS a week early, but I was scheduled to work up until my due date.
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I had my son a week early too, but I was at work when my stomach started hurting. I thought that was all at was until about midnight, at home, I started having contractions. I got on my work computer and tied things up with late emails - and to distract myself - until my contractions got closer together and I could go to the hospital
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I had a planned c section on a Wednesday, and Tuesday the prior week was my last day of work.
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I worked until two days before she was born, only because the day before was a holiday.
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I worked up till the end. I wanted all the time at home with her that I could. I had my lunch packed in the fridge for Monday when my water broke Sunday night.
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Other - I worked up until the day before my c-section, but only part time as I was on bed rest (allowed part time because worked a "sedentary" job).
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I was planning on taking 3 or so weeks off before my first but I was signed off on medical leave 10 weeks early instead. Being in Canada, we definitely have significantly more time to play with so it's not uncommon here to go off a bit early.
I also commute a long ways to work and didn't want to have my baby on the highway! Or even drive in when I was super huge and uncomfortable. In the end, I didn't work nearly as long as I had planned.
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I was planning on working up to my due date but was taken out of work due to complications (pre-e and PIH) both times.
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For LO1 I stopped one week before my EDD and he was born 4 days later.
For LO2 I took off three weeks before my EDD, but it was a good thing because she arrived 2 days later!With both I was really fortunate to be able to decide for myself when I wanted to stop working. I was in good health with no complications for both pregnancies.
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My water broke at 5:30am on a Monday and I still got dressed and went into work for an hour to get my affairs in order
My coworkers thought I was crazy but it was 2 weeks before my due date and I hadn't totally prepared for my mat leave replacement just yet! That being said, I worked with my OB so in case anything happened I was in a good place. I headed to L&D a few hours later. -
I had a planned csection, and took off a week before to get the house in order.
I'm having another planned csection this time and will probably work right up until my date this time, to save leave.
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With number one, my last day was my due date. With number two, my csection was on a Thursday and my last day was the previous Friday. I wanted a few days without work, and to just spend with number one before his sister arrived.
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Worked on Monday and went into labor on Tuesday which was my EDD
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I was due on a Friday and worked the following Mon, Tues, and Wedn from home. I was induced Fri night. I plan on working through my due date (May 9) this year, then starting leave that Monday.
There's no option for working past your due date, but that's what I did.
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I planned to work until at least 39w but my OB pulled me out of work at 37w due to swelling/BP issues. I went into labor at 38w.
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I was induced, but worked from the hospital that AM while getting induced. lol
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I'm a bit torn over whether I will take time off work before my EDD. I'll be taking 10 months of maternity leave (in Canada) and DH will take 2, so it wouldn't be a big deal to take some beforehand.
However, I am helping a co-worker out with personal/work matter that could have career implications for him, and it might be get resolved until close to the birth or after. I hate to leave him in the lurch, especially since he asked me for help. It's definitely not his fault that the situation has gone on for so long (since late Sept!), as it's a senior/independent body that has dragged it's feet. I also have several of my own projects that I am hoping to finish before baby comes, given that I'll be off for so long.
Still, I'm feeling a bit run down, and am having trouble imagining that I'll want to keep working 'til the end. I'm 32w5d now.
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@Blackbird: I added an option for you!
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I worked Friday. My due date was Saturday. Went into labor Sunday, had the baby Monday.
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I worked Friday, Due Date was Monday, went into labor Tuesday, had DS on Wednesday.
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With my first pregnancy my son was born 10 days after my due date. I worked up until I delivered.
With my second pregnancy I came to work and worked a half day and realized I was in labor, went home for a few hours and delivered him after 10pm that evening.
I was very fortunate to have easy pregnancies and I felt good so I wanted to keep working as long as possible so I had the most time afterwards to stay home.
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Technically I took 2 days off before being induced, but should probably have taken it easier earlier. It took my OB insisting that even telework was too much for my high blood pressure (after 2 hospital stays for monitoring for pre-e) before I gave in. I didn't realize how sick I really was until after delivering and I wanted every last minute of my maternity leave with baby!
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I finished up 4 weeks beforehand, but that is normal here in the UK. You can stop working even sooner if you wish here.
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I had a c-section scheduled for Wednesday due to baby being breech. I worked all day Tuesday
@thismustbetheplace: You are a total badass
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I worked the day I went into labor which was 2 days before my EDD. I had my first contraction that night around 10:30pm and had an emergency C-section the next afternoon.
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I stopped working at 39 weeks.
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I started working 1/2 from home at 35 weeks (PIH) and then worked the friday before in the office and was induced Tuesday (39 weeks)
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Worked on a Monday, delivered on Tuesday morning.
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I worked until I went into labor, but I was on bed rest for 2.5 months, so I had already been working from home for a while. This time, barring any bed rest I'll probably go into the office until about 35 weeks and then work from home. I have a 1+ hour commute involving two trains and NYC crowds, so I'm terrified of going into labor at work.
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I stopped working at around 36 weeks. Mine is a bit of an odd situation because I was working at my own company and then left to become a SAHM, so I could stop pretty much whenever. I delivered at 41 weeks and I used the time off to really deep clean and organize our whole home before DD arrived.
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I was due on a Saturday but my water broke the next night (Sunday). I work Monday-Friday so I worked through the last work day before I had her.
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I worked past my due date - I was due on a Tuesday, worked that week M-F. Then the following Monday was Labor Day, so I had off, the next day I worked from home, and then the following Wednesday I was induced.
I was pretty sure I'd go late so I never even considered stopping work before my due date. I guess it would have been nice to relax, but I felt fine (even past my due date) so it wasn't worth wasting my vacation days.
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I am a teacher, my edema was getting so bad, I needed to stop, I left at 39 weeks!
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I worked up until the day I delivered. I was induced 4 days after my EDD. However, I worked from the office until my EDD and from home the week after. I plan on doing the same with this one.
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I'm a teacher and had a July baby last time and our school let out for summer break the last week of June--I had just shy of 3 weeks before baby came.
But by NJ law, you can go out on disability 1 month early if you want.
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With my first I worked until my duedate and then stopped the week between her EDD and her birth day. With my second, my water broke early (I had a scheduled C-section) and I worked the day he was born!
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I chose "worked until day of/day before" because I didn't take any time off, but I think my last day was actually a few days before I went into labor because of my work schedule/holidays. I think Thurs was a holiday, I usually have Fri off, and I went into labor on Sunday, had the baby Tuesday. So Wed was my last day at work and baby was born Tuesday.
This time, I am hoping to work until the end again; however, I don't think I will schedule clients that last week so that I have more flexibility. I will plan to do research/admin tasks that week or maybe even work from home. I was having a lot of cramping (contractions?) at night the week before, so I wasn't getting the best sleep. If that happens again, it would be really nice to not have to go to work, but I want to save my leave.
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It ended up being 6 weeks. I had to get an exception to be allowed to stay longer at work, they had wanted me to leave at 11 weeks before my due date.
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