Maternity leave

Twinings89

Hi all, I am pregnant and due the 1st of March 2018.
I am having a difficoult pregnancy already and I would prefer take maternity leave as sono as possible. I read I am obliged to be in maternity leave at least for 4 weeks after the baby's birth. What is the earliest I can take maternity leave?
Thanks.

seamus

You can take up to 22 weeks off before your due date.

However, maternity benefit is only payable from 16 weeks before your due date. So you will have 6 weeks unpaid.

And if you take 22 weeks before your due date, that leaves you entitled to take at most 20 weeks after the birth (16 of which will be unpaid).

You're in the very early days at the moment, right when the horribleness is at its peak. If you're really suffering, then you should be able to stay home on sick leave or arrange working times that suit you better (e.g. if you perk up by the afternoon, can you start work later?).

Give it another 3-4 weeks to see how you're coping before you make any decisions on maternity leave. The second trimester is usually very different.

comongethappy

Yep, the time with your baby really flies, so I would recommend seeing your gp for sick leave if you are struggling at the moment. I found morning sickness passed by 16 weeks, and second trimester wasn't too bad. Try to leave taking your maternity leave as long as possible, and hopefully it will get better.

Twinings89

Hi, thanks for your reply! I may go for a part time contract, it is an option. Having a new part time contract, would impact the maternity leave in terms of number of weeks and figure to be received?

bee06

Would you not wait and get through the first trimester first? It gets easier for most people when you hit the second. I'd be very wary of making big life decisions when you are sick, tired and generally feel like crap.

catrionanic

I can fully sympathise with you on how horrible the first trimester can be. I was sick until 22 weeks and it had a huge impact on my mental health. Your body is going through huge changes, you feel downright awful, sick, exhausted and everything else on top. If anybody else felt this way, they would be off sick from work. But because you're pregnant you are expected to just put up with it. Ridiculous!

However now that I'm out the other side of it (my baby is 5 months old and my maternity pay ends on Monday), I have to echo what the others said - you will absolutely need as much of that time as possible once baby arrives. The best thing to do may be to see your GP and get sick leave for the next few weeks - by then you might be feeling fantastic again (most women are after about 13 weeks), and may then regret using up your mat leave when you're at home feeling fine and bored to death!

comongethappy

Twinings89 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply! I may go for a part time contract, it is an option. Having a new part time contract, would impact the maternity leave in terms of number of weeks and figure to be received?

I would be hesitant to change contract unless you and your partner can afford it. If your company tops up your social benefit to your salary, it will be lower, and you would want to check that changing your contract wouldn't affect your continuity of service. Try to find your company's maternity policy on your company's intranet, and if they don't have one, maybe meet with HR to get a copy before making any decisions.

michellie

Twinings89 wrote: »

Hi all, I am pregnant and due the 1st of March 2018.
I am having a difficoult pregnancy already and I would prefer take maternity leave as sono as possible. I read I am obliged to be in maternity leave at least for 4 weeks after the baby's birth. What is the earliest I can take maternity leave?
Thanks.

You're due the same day as me, we still have a long haul. Have you been ill?

Millem

Go on sick leave if needs be, every day of maternity leave is precious with your new baby. I am 31/32 weeks and still getting sick every single day and night and have all day nausea. This is my second pregnancy and last time it lasted till day after I gave birth.
I haven't taken that much sick leave this time around but was put on bed rest in early pregnancy. I have just been dragging myself into work....it is horrific but it has to be done sometimes work would try and send me home but I refuse as don't want it counted as sick leave day (my sick leave days are also precious!!)
The good news is it doesn't last forever and it will be over soon.
Mind yourself. I can't wait for it to be over

Big Bag of Chips

I have to agree with everyone, if you use up your maternity leave before the baby is born what are you going to do afterwards? Return to work immediately?

Sick leave is an option to you if you are really unwell. You are only very newly pregnant. You may perk up over the next while, or you might be one of those people who have a really miserable pregnancy. But whatever happens you will want to have as much leave as possible available to you after the event.

Go to your GP for a chat.

Edit, btw you're obliged to be on maternity leave at least 2 weeks before baby is born. It used to be 4, but with babies not always arriving on time 6 weeks of maternity leave (at a time when you were only entitled to 16 weeks) could have passed before the baby was born. So women traditionally lied about their due date to only have to take 2 weeks... It was then officially changed to 2 weeks.

GalwayGrrrrrl

Congratulations on your pregnancy.
Are you able to take some annual leave over the next few weeks rather than reducing your hours? Your employer may let you take one or two days off each week to ease the pressure on you. Or use annual leave to work half days?
I agree with everyone else, save that maternity leave for when the baby is born - you will need it physically and financially.

seamus

Twinings89 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply! I may go for a part time contract, it is an option. Having a new part time contract, would impact the maternity leave in terms of number of weeks and figure to be received?

Maternity benefit was recently changed to a flat rate, so going part time won't change that.

What it will do however is change your holiday entitlements (you still accrue annual leave while on maternity leave) and when you return to work you'll only be entitled to return on the same part-time basis.

Don't make any major changes yet. Go to the doctor and get certified off work if you're that bad, or take two weeks out of your holiday entitlements.

Neyite

Changing a contract might give employers the idea to offer you different conditions in your new contract now they know you are expecting - that could backfire on you long term massively.

Stick with the contract you have. Take whatever sick leave you can first and foremost, then annual leave if necessary, but far better to save that up too if you can.

Many childminders and creche's will only take a baby from 6 months on so if you returned to work early then you might find it difficult to get childcare.

Basically, what I'm saying is hang in there. In almost all cases, the second trimester is very different in terms of fatigue and sickness to the first.

appledrop

I agree with everything else that's being said here. Don't use up your Maternity Leave. I had severe sickness up to 17 weeks had to go on a drip + everything. I was exhausted all the time + it was so tough. But then when that passed I had a really easy pregnancy. Seriously I flew along + was working up to day before I gave birth! Take sick leave at the moment if you need it + hopefully it will pass. You will need all you leave after the birth. Trust me it flys by!