I'm planning on WFH my last week. I don't want to take any time off before, I need that for AFTER baby gets here.
It actually kind of annoys me that the few people I've told this too seem so nonchalant about taking unpaid leave like its NBD. I'm probably just jealous that they seem to have that option.
I planned to work until labor. When it was the Thursday before my due date and no baby in sight I told my boss I would see her Monday and go from there (took off Friday).
I went into labor early Saturday morning and she was born Sunday afternoon.
I LOOOOVED freaking people out by saying it was my due date, or my due date is Thursday! They like take a step back like amniotic fluid will immediately gush out of you like the elevator of blood in The Shining. It was my greatest joy when I was that pregnant.
I loved doing this. DH and I went out to dinner the Sunday before I was due and an older lady asked me when I was due. I can still remember the look on her face when I said Tuesday.
DS1 - I worked until my water broke...at work... I was 37 weeks. I had planned to work until 38 weeks because my company gave 2 weeks vacation before your due date (the catch was if you didn't have the baby on the due date then you had to start using your maternity leave time when the 2 weeks was up).
DS2 - I had changed careers and DS2 was born over summer break, so not relevant.
I went into labor at work on my due date. I don't get paid leave so I wanted to save it until after baby. I'll do the same this time around. No wfh for me, sadly.
I worked until I was induced. Actually, I went in for my 41w appt and they sent me to the hospital to have my fluid checked, and they decided to induce me. At that point, I was WFH only.
DH brought me the laptop and I logged on remotely to tie up the last few things I had planned for that day from my hospital bed.
This time I'll work up until the end again, with the same WFH plan.
Post by cricketwife on May 12, 2016 19:07:35 GMT -5
#1- 40+5. Water broke that night .
#2- I finish the school year 5-6 weeks before my due date. I'm really sad about that "lost time " with the baby. I should just be glad not to work until the end.
I worked all the way to the end. My last day at work was a Friday at 38+6. I delivered early Monday morning at 39+2. I had meetings scheduled that day that I obviously did not make.
Post by Velar Fricative on May 12, 2016 19:19:31 GMT -5
My job kicked me out after my due date. I had to get induced 10 days later and I was bored to tears at home, especially since I felt great up until the very end and could have worked. I'm really glad I worked until I couldn't work any longer because I would have been even more miserable stopping before my due date.
Post by shellbear09 on May 12, 2016 19:26:47 GMT -5
Worked till the end. I was past my due date too so that was a fun time to be at work. I do not regret though because I was glad to get the full 12 weeks after birth.
No wfh option. Those last couple weeks I didn't do much but show up.
I worked through 41 weeks and 1 day. I finished up at 5pm, went into labor at 6:30pm, and had a baby by 12:16am.
I felt great and would have been happy to be in the office, but I hit 40 +2 on a Friday and my boss suggested I begin working from home the following week if I didn't have her over the weekend. So I was home for the final four days.
DD1- I stopped working at 37 weeks because my work happened to shut down for renovations. I probably would have worked until my due date, although it was a physical job so I may have been pretty miserable.
DD2- TBD. I'd like to stop on my due date, but all I get is unpaid FMLA so I'm not sure if I'd rather have a week on my ass, or an extra week with the baby. This is assuming she comes 41 weeks+ like her big sister did.
1 - worked a 10 hour day, went home and went to bed, then woke up in labor at 5am the next morning. Sent multiple work emails from the hospital to wrap stuff up.
2 - worked a normal week, then had him on a Sunday.
3 - worked a full, stressful day (negotiating a massive transaction in a board room full of old men, while timing contractions all day), went to the hospital at ~11pm that night, and had baby in my arms shortly after midnight. Emailed the group at like 1am to tell them I wouldn't make meetings the next day because I had the baby and blew their f-ing minds
Eta -- they were all born in the 39th week. Not sure whether I would have stopped at some point if I went overdue.
Post by patbutcher on May 12, 2016 19:57:53 GMT -5
Both times I stopped at 38 weeks and used my vacation time until my maternity leave started on my due date. I'm in Canada and get 1 year paid leave from the government so didn't feel the need to hoard the vacation.
#1 - until 38 weeks. My job was closed the whole 39th week bc of thanksgiving, so it made sense to just be done.
#2 - I'm currently 36+2 and have a huuuuuge project that I need another week and a half to finish. I truly believe I'll work until labor with this one bc shit will hit the fan when I leave.
38 weeks. But only because I had a high blood pressure reading and my dr gave me a note of disability. Otherwise it would have been unpaid time off which I couldn't have afforded.
I planned to work right up til the end and that's what I did. My last day of work was Friday. My water broke Sunday morning.She was born on Tuesday.
I felt good, had a desk job, and was able to work from home like 60-100% in the last few weeks. My boss was 100% supportive of WFH. I was one of three pregnants in my office. All of us due in the same month. I don't think he wanted anybody going into labor at work...
ETA: I didn't close up shop on Friday expecting it to be my last day (but by that point I had been giving a CW a daily debrief in case I went into labor for like 3 weeks). I was fully planning on working Monday either from home or in the office if baby wasn't here.
I worked until 40+3, which was a Friday. I woke up Monday morning at 3 am to go to the bathroom and started crying when I realized I was going to have to go to work that day and my water broke. I was going to work until the bitter end though and I made everyone around me nervous!
Post by aprilsails on May 12, 2016 20:44:28 GMT -5
Worked until my due date and then started early labour the next day. My last 2 days were half days though due to appointments and my scheduling. I want to leave earlier but two coworkers gave their notice that month and the office was a shambles.
I worked until the day I was induced with DD1 (41w4d) and until I went into labor with DD2 (40w3d). Didn't see any reason to take time off with no baby.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Post by luv2rn4fun on May 12, 2016 21:03:41 GMT -5
38 weeks. CA pays STD at 36 weeks that does not affect ML. I would have worked longer but my commute sucked (out the door at 3:50 to get to work by 5/5:30, leave by 2/2:30 and home anywhere 3:15-5).
I am planning to work as long as possible. I am currently 35 weeks and today I was asked repeatedly if it was my last day, even though I just told these same people earlier in the week I still have a month left.
Post by wildfloweragain on May 12, 2016 21:28:16 GMT -5
#1 I worked until my due date and she was 10 days late. Those days, and my mat leave days all come out of my sick days (we get 13 sick days a year and have to store them up over years.)
After that I learned. I worked up until labor for the next 2 kids, 10 days late and 11 days late.