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How many weeks pregnant did you start maternity leave? Looking back, did you make the right choice?

  1. yellowbird

    honeydew / 7303 posts

    I worked until I was put on bed rest at 38w5days. She was born at 39 and 2!

  2. buffalove

    kiwi / 640 posts

    I worked until 2 days before scheduled c-sec. It was perfect - I had a little bit of time to do some last minute errands, but still the lion's share of time after baby was here. If I hadn't been having a c-sec, I would have worked right up til labor.

  3. pmerr

    apricot / 491 posts

    I work in a school as a 10 month secretary, and my baby was born in the beginning of September, so I was out at around 32 weeks, but I didn't really have a choice. I did work a week in the summer, but that was it. I didn't have a choice in being done then, but it was so nice to relax and finish up some things around the house.

  4. LuLu Mom

    GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts

    I worked Friday, and went in and got induced the next Monday. Next time, I plan on starting my maternity leave a few days efore my scheduled C-section so I can get my house in order, ect.

  5. Alivoo01

    wonderful olive / 19353 posts

    I worked up until I gave birth (literally). I was on bed rest starting Week 35 so I worked from home, but I'm glad I didn't use my maternity leave until after birth so I could spend more time with DS since I only had 12 weeks.

  6. ShootingStar

    coconut / 8472 posts

    I worked up until 37 weeks, when I had to go on bed rest until my induction at 39w.

  7. MrsKoala

    cantaloupe / 6869 posts

    I worked a full day the day I gave birth. It was worth it to me to keep going so that I could spend every day of my maternity leave with my baby.

  8. avivoca

    watermelon / 14467 posts

    I worked until 39 weeks. I wanted to start my leave at the beginning of a pay period and I used accrued comp time that week so I got paid. I also had two weeks of vacation and one week of sick time, so I spaced it out over my maternity leave so that there was only one month where I didn't receive any pay.

  9. NovBaby1112

    grapefruit / 4066 posts

    My due date was on Monday, and my last day was the previous Friday. I only had 12 weeks so I wanted all of my time to be when the baby was here. I ended up going into labor on Saturday and had her on Monday, so it worked out perfectly!

  10. katsupgirl

    nectarine / 2280 posts

    I worked until about 35 weeks. No regrets. I was able to get focused and relax. Plus I was getting uncomfortable. It was nice having that downtime before the newborn stage. I'm a homebody so I wasn't bored.

  11. dagret

    grapefruit / 4235 posts

    I worked up until the Friday before I gave birth. My work is closer than home to the hospital anyway.

    I think i would have gone stir-crazy at home - my plan had always been to work up until I had the baby.

  12. BlueWolverine

    pear / 1510 posts

    I started working from home on a Tuesday and was induced a week later. Being able to work from home was really great.

  13. mdf106

    clementine / 828 posts

    I worked until I went into labor. I worked on Friday 39 weeks, and did a half day from home Saturday 39+1. I went into labor the middle of the night 39+2. I work at a stressful desk job with a short commute by car. No regrets. Some rest would have been nice, but the extra money was nice in light of my unpaid maternity leave. I don't think I would take time before unless I had to medically.

  14. Radish

    nectarine / 2079 posts

    I stopped working on the Friday of my 38th week and had my LO on that following Monday. Worked out perfectly. I would have been so antsy without something to distract me.

  15. MrsTiz

    cantaloupe / 6800 posts

    I left work on my lunch break to go to the hospital. My maternity leave was unpaid, so I wasn't going to take any time off just because!

  16. RsMom

    cherry / 233 posts

    I worked until 37 weeks and was induced at 38 +3 weeks.

  17. birdofafeather

    pineapple / 12053 posts

    I worked until 36+3 as CA disability kicks in at 36w. This was right before Christmas when our office closed for a week and then the new year was always very slow. So I made more being on disability than going into work. It was perfect for me because of the holidays!

  18. KT326

    pomegranate / 3438 posts

    I had planned on working until 38 weeks but my doctor pulled me out at 36+1 because of my blood pressure. I was too stressed out at work. I'm really glad he did because I ended up having DS at 37+5 so I had a little over a week to relax and get a few things ready. The next time I'm pregnant I plan on taking 3-4 weeks off before my due date. I didn't know this at the time of my last pregnancy but since I am in California I can get up to 4 weeks paid before my baby is born. Will take advantage of that!

  19. fussygal

    pomegranate / 3580 posts

    Originally I'd planned to work until I delivered but I handed off all my projects early wand was getting bored so I stopped at 39 weeks. It was great to have a week to prep and be lazy. I think anymore and I would have been bored!

  20. matador84

    papaya / 10560 posts

    I worked until the day (went into labor on my own) with both kids. I didn't see a reason to take off beforehand.

  21. Mrs. Blue

    blogger / pomelo / 5361 posts

    I stopped at 35 weeks, which was one week before I was going to be induced or sectioned. For me, it was really wonderful because I was in sooo much pain by then and I could just go to the gym and float in the pool all morning which felt so great. I think in a regular pregnancy I would have kept working until the end just to save on maternity leave.

  22. MrsB2012

    nectarine / 2466 posts

    I only worked until I was 30 weeks. It's different here though. I went on a medical leave at 30 weeks as it was getting difficult with my job ( long days, often no breaks, and on my feet all day. ) I was on medical leave from week 30 until I gave birth ( 37.6 ) and then I started my maternity leave for the full year after that. We're really lucky how it works here. I loved it as I went off in the summer, had lots of time to settle in, relax, get ready. I fully contribute that to having a good pregnancy after the leave and a good delivery. I will probably work until about 34 weeks this time. I need to work a little longer to get maternity leave as I'll be pushing it to get the minimum hours needed.

  23. Woolly Mammoth

    kiwi / 524 posts

    I was really struggling by 34 weeks, so I went to a three-day week at that point. I started my maternity leave at 38 weeks and LO was born at 41, so I was home for three weeks before the birth.

    I am so glad I stopped when I did. I was able to get our apartment ready for the baby, do some frozen meals, and just relax before the craziness of having a newborn. I ended up not going back to work, so I didn't lose that time with the baby.

  24. sera_87

    pomegranate / 3604 posts

    First time I worked until 36 weeks and "wasted" 4 weeks of my mat leave, unfortunately.

    This time I went off at 33 weeks on (paid) stress leave and then will start my mat leave (a full year) once baby is here.

    Both times I had a pretty physically demanding job and was doing my last trimester in the summer.

  25. MrsA

    apricot / 444 posts

    I worked up to about 37.5 weeks. I'd planned to take 2 weeks of vacation to get me to my due date/maternity leave (my situation was a little different than most and I needed to burn my vac time before my leave started). Turns out I delivered at 38 weeks and change, so I had a week off before. Knowing that I wish I'd gone out earlier, but it's not a big deal.

  26. MamaCate

    pomegranate / 3595 posts

    I worked until 39+4 and was induced at 40+2. My last day was the day before thanksgiving so it made sense to stop then. In retrospect, though, my leave started that monday so i should have just been induced then, or stuck it out. I thought that if I took PTO my leave would not begin until I delivered but that was not the way it worked out. If you only have 12 weeks of leave, I would try to save them for post-baby. It is so hard to leave them when they are that little!

  27. Applesandbananas

    pomegranate / 3845 posts

    I worked the Friday before he was born (on a Sunday).

    He was supposed to be a scheduled c-section and I was planning to take a few days off before then (like Monday & Tuesday, scheduled c section on Wednesday) but alas, he had other plans!

  28. californiadreams

    pomegranate / 3411 posts

    I worked until 40 + 2 and it was awful. I was sick in my last week though and it hurt to cough and blow my nose. Next time I plan to start at least 2-3 weeks before my due date

  29. maybebaby

    nectarine / 2177 posts

    37 weeks and LO was born at 41w2d, so I had a full month off--I had finished school and a temporary job I'd been working, so I couldn't have worked longer even if I'd wanted to.

    I was SOOOOO bored by the time baby came! In hindsight I would have worked until 39 weeks.

  30. kml636

    pomegranate / 3225 posts

    I worked until 40 weeks. After that I worked from home just because I didn't like everyone's constant questions about where the baby was, how did I feel, etc. Honestly to me I would rather work until the last minute because it's something to keep you occupied and make the time go by faster... Which I needed as my LO was 9 days late!

  31. Corduroy

    pomelo / 5258 posts

    I worked until 39 weeks. I could have gone until my due date but my objective at work was a smooth transition. I really wanted everything wrapped up before I left.

  32. pui

    bananas / 9899 posts

    I'm stopping work at around 34-35 weeks pregnant. I'm not really going on leave (I'm becoming a SAHM) and I own my company so I have a lot of flexibility for when I leave. I think this is the best call for me, as I have some time to relax and finish "nesting" before baby gets here. Working is already starting to get harder to do at 32 weeks.

  33. LBee

    pomegranate / 3895 posts

    I am working until the day I go into labor in order to maximize my 8 week leave time with baby. I do echo @pui: that at 33 weeks, work is pretty miserable... and I work a desk job.

  34. ChitownRo

    clementine / 948 posts

    I worked until 40+1, a Friday. I went into labor the following Monday. I needed to save all 12 weeks off for post partum/baby time

  35. Mae

    papaya / 10343 posts

    I worked through my 40th week. Planned (and did) work up until I went into labor. It was the right decision for me because I had limited maternity leave and I didn't want to waste any before I had the baby. And my job was not at all physically demanding.

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