How long did you/will you work?

I'm finishing work at 35 weeks, I currently work a 30 hour week. The only reason I'm finishing that early is cause we are moving up to Akl. If we were staying put I'd be finishing at Labour weekend making me 38 weeks.
I do office work though, so not physically demanding and I'm managing those hours fine.

I worked until 37 weeks. It helped that the last few weeks were over Christmas so I think my last 3 weeks were shorts ones.

Is there anything you can do to make work easier? I was on my feet alot, and had to change that as I just couldnt manage anymore. I also found things like using a slow cooker great, then I could just relax when I got home.

first child I left 4 weeks before due date, 2nd time I left at 33 weeks.

I ended up leaving at 33 1/2 weeks, and I was doing four-day weeks for a while before that. Physically, I would be totally capable of working now, my job was an office job and a good mix of sitting down with a bit of activity to break things up.

I took off so long beforehand because a) I had lots of annual leave to use up, and was told that if I chose not to go back to work I lose that, and b) because I really wanted to have some time at home to get some things done. Perhaps most ladies who work are better at organisation than me, but because I'd been busy working for a while, things round the house just didn't get done. So the spare room had become a dumping-ground (and was a real sight), the garden was a mess, I hardly knew what was in the bottom of the freezer, etc. It's been great to have a chance to do some of that stuff, since I'm assuming I'll go back to having as little time to do it once Bubs is born.

Edited by Hopes

With DS1 I worked till 39weeks as I wanted a week to myself & he was 2 weeks late.

With DS2 I worked till I was put into hospital at 37 weeks. So I went to work in the morning & was admitted that day (I worked there tho)

With DS3 I finished my Sunday shift & was booked for an induction Tuesday (2 weeks early).

So I worked up till the end on all pretty much.

DD1 I worked until 40+5 contractions started at work LOL (she was born on 40+6)... DD2 I worked until 38 weeks but I was well ready to finish I few weeks before that and very nearly did... I was a graphic artist with DD1 so sat at the computer most the day... but with DD2 I had had a career change which involved lots of home visits, playing with kiddies and driving so more tiring...

Edited by freckle

I worked till about 30 weeks with Callum because most of my work is during school holidays. I thought I'd be able to fit in another school holiday programme for the Christmas hols but went into labour early and had C at 32 weeks.

This time I have made myself unavailable from now (25w) because I am busy enough looking after Callum! Plus I want to get everything "done" before 30 weeks this time just in case. I will probably be climbing up the walls by 33 weeks and this baby will probably go overdue

I worked till 35 weeks with DS - which was just as well because I ended up having him at 37 weeks. So much for first babies always being late

I never slowed down and I wished I had because I struggled to adjust to being a SAHM with a newborn (mainly feeding for hours on end on the couch).

I was planning on finishing work at 36weeks but ended up leaving at 32weeks because i was in so much pain & hated the 2hrs travel a day.

I had 3 weeks holiday pay owing however, so i used that then got maternity leave.

I worked till 37 weeks thinking that I would have 3 weeks off (I finished on 23 Dec) but bubs arrived 2 weeks early so I hardly had any time! I did manage to get alot done though and it was just bits & pieces to go once DS arrived. I think I had a feeling that he was going to arrive early as my 'nesting' was pretty insane that week I was off.

I wanted to work as long as possible as a) I would have got bored and ended up just spending lots of $$ and b) I wanted to use my AL payout for after the baby was born. I started the government parental leave (13 weeks) the week after I finished work so I had the AL payout (9 weeks) to use during the time that I have been off.

I had a very straightforward pregnancy though - so would have been different had I not been feeling well.



Edited by monkey33