if you work, do you plan on (or did you) working up until delivery, or are you starting your maternity leave on a set date? related to that, do/did you have an scheduled c-section or induction?
i'd prefer to work up until delivery (as of this point i don't have a scheduled c-section or induction) because i don't have much annual and sick leave, but i'm not sure how people transition to maternity leave when they take that route.
thanks!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
My company policy is to go out 2 weeks before your due date-- I think it counts as 1 week vacation, then your short term disability kicks in, but you still get 6 or 8 weeks paid after (8 if it is a C section), plus some unpaid after that. It seems easier in terms of preparing to go out, though I guess it does cut into the paid time off after. Most people take a full 3 months.
pomegranate / 3275 posts
With my daughter I worked until my due date. However, I just couldn't work any more. It was so hard to get up and move and function at that point. I got a doc note and took the rest of the week off, until I was induced.
With my son I worked the day he was born, my water broke and he was out three hours later (don't be impressed it was a c-section hahaha).
On the one hand it was nice to be distracted while waiting for the baby to come, but that final week before DD, I was in no shape to be in public. I honestly don't know what I would do if I were to find myself pregnant again.....
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I planned to work until my due date. I figured if I made it to 40 weeks and was overdue I wouldn't want to be at work. But if I was healthy, I saw no reason to just sit at home.
In the end I was induced at 39.5 weeks. I ended on a Friday and was induced on Tuesday night. It gave me a few days at home free.
pineapple / 12053 posts
i'm starting out at 3.5 weeks from my due date because it's super slow around this time of year at my office and easy to transition. i don't have a planned c-section or induction, so i assume i'll have plenty of time!
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
I stopped work at 39 weeks. Had baby at 40 weeks, 5 days. Induced but it wasn't planned (high blood pressure)
Will end up taking 13 weeks off of I go back on my scheduled return date, but I think ill be ready earlier. A small portion of my leave is paid and the rest isn't
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
I'm using short term disability to take 4 weeks off before my due date.
pineapple / 12793 posts
I'm starting mat leave two weeks before my EDD because my office is closed for Christmas/New Years. It doesn't make sense to go back to work for two days before my due date.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
I plan on "working" up until my due date to save all my PTO time for post-baby. However, I do plan on asking my manager if he's okay with me working from home the last month or at least the last two weeks. He knows I can be productive at home so hopefully it won't be a problem.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I am working until 39 weeks. I was going to go until I went into labor but it's already getting too hard to sit at a desk all day so I've decided not to.
pomelo / 5331 posts
I'm planning on going until my due date, but who knows. It's very slow right now, but I also don't want to cut into my time with baby. So we'll see, they might let me go early, I might decide screw it, I can't work anymore... It's getting really physically hard to sit all day at work, and also difficult mentally. But as of right now, my due date is Feb. 3 and my last day is Feb. 1.
kiwi / 629 posts
I was all about working up until I started labor, however now I've decided that next Friday will be my last day (39 weeks.) With the way I'm feeling right now there is just no way I'm going to be able to sit there for those 5 last days. If I make it to my due date then I'll lose a week with LO since i only get 12 off, but at this point I have to just bite the bullet and stop because I am so incredibly uncomfortable.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I plan on working up to my due date but those last two weeks, I will work mostly from home. I will probably come into the office one or two days a week, depending on how I feel. We have to take a week of sick time before short term disability will kick in. So I get six weeks of paid time off and the 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA. I don't think I'll take all 4.5 months, but choose a set date to return to work.
pomegranate / 3604 posts
I went off at 37 weeks and the last week or so only had 4-5 hour shifts. Couldn't stand on my feet/move quickly for any more than that.
He didn't arrive until 41 weeks though, so I spent the month sleeping, cleaning the house, etc. In hindsight I wish I had gone off later so I would have more time to spend with him - as of right now I have to go back in July instead of August 
(I get a year).
nectarine / 2797 posts
I worked the day I went into labor. But I was able to work from home the last month of my pregnancy. I wanted to save my PTO for after LO arrived, since I already didn't have enough to cover my 12 weeks.
pea / 9 posts
I worked up until I had LO. I took off the day (Friday) before I had him because I was feeling "strange" and thought it might be time soon especially since I was past my due date at that point, started contractions at midnight, had LO about 8pm the next day (Saturday).
I wanted to have as much time as possible with the baby during my maternity leave, so I didn't want to start it early and miss out on a week or two with baby.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
I worked up until the day my water broke. I had my baby at 34 weeks though.
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
@Foodnerd81: Same here--had to stop 2 weeks before my due date. Made for a really boring 2 weeks!
pomelo / 5621 posts
My last day is planned for 1.5 weeks before my EDD. I still have time to change the date if I want, but I have to give 6 weeks notice of when my last day will be.
grapefruit / 4923 posts
thanks for all the input--it's good to hear about different decisions/experiences!
grapefruit / 4278 posts
I think it really depends on what kind of work you do too. I have a desk job and had no problems sitting in my chair until baby came. I worked until I was 40+1, which was a Friday, I planned on that being my last day since my parents were coming into town that weekend. I went into labor that night though and E was born on Saturday at 2:04pm. I wanted to save all my leave time for after he was born and I had a fairly easy pregnancy.
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