If you worked during your pregnacy, when did you stop?

[jimmysgirl424]

Thanks to not having a whole lot of leave time saved up, I'm hoping to be able to work all the way up to my due date. If you worked full time or part time while pregnant, at what point did you stop and why? (doctor's orders, too uncomfortable, other)

[jbenny75]

I worked full-time until I was about six and a half months. I quit because my boss was a bitch and was stressing me out. She was also completely running me ragged. I had been planning on working up until 8 months.

[Peever]

I wanted to save all my time for my maternity leave too so I worked up until I delivered. I actually worked until noon while in early labor. I figured I didn't have anything better to do. ;) My son was born the next morning.

[micd]

I actually stopped at 20 wks because I was put on modified bedrest. I was taken off of bedrest at 24 wks, but DH and I decided it would be better for me not to go back to work and just take it easy to keep me and baby healthy. I am an elementary school teacher so I'm on my feet a lot and teaching can be a bit stressful. I am almost 26 wks now and am really enjoying being at home, even though it was a hard decision to make. My only complaint is that being inactive has caused me to gain a bit more weight than I wanted to, but it's not too bad :)

[jessesgirl]

If I can, I will work right on up until my due date. Work for me is an hour away, so I'm hoping that I don't going into labor while at work so I have to deal with that and drive at the same time! ;)

[sunchaser26]

I worked right up till I gave birth. I gave birth on a Sunday and worked the previous week so my last day was a Friday. I was glad that I gave birth on the weekend because my labor wasn't very long and I don't know whether I would have made it to the hospital had I been at work when it happened since we were about an hour away without traffic from our hospital and if there was traffic could have been about 1 1/2 -2 hours.

[sem426]

I worked up until 3 days before my due date. I felt totally fine up until the end. This was with commuting over an hour each way to NYC each day.

I ended up not giving birth until 41 weeks and I actually wished I had worked that last week so i could have had the extra week on my maternity leave!

[annielynn]

I worked the first time up until noon the day before my induction. This time I plan on working until 5pm the day before my scheduled c/section. I would like to take some time off prior but I just don't have enough time saved to do that. Also I am lucky to work in an office environment where I sit at a desk and there is little to no stress involved.

[elladee]

I worked the day I had DD. Labor started about 12:30 or 1 pm. About 3:30 I decided this was actually it, and I should go home. At 11:30 pm, DD was born.

[kdotp]

I worked up until the day DS was born. My water broke at 2:30 am on a Tuesday, he was born at 5:30 that afternoon. I'd worked the previous day.

[whitlockan]

Fortunatly for me our company has no vacation/leave policy and at times I am able to work from home.

My plan was to work up until March 7th and then "work from home" until March 14th and then vacation until my delievery date and at that point my mat. leave would kick in for 6 weeks. Unfortunatly it didnt work out that way and on March 5th I was signed out of the office for the remainder of the pregnancy due to progressing extremely quickly and OB wanted me as close th the hospital as possible. So I have been working from home and will continue to do so until I deliver. As hard as its going to be I will remove myself for 6 weeks. Once my Mat leave is up I have it worked out to work from home until June 18th. I could take as much vacation as I want but I dont like to abuse the flex schedule/leave policy we have.

[solongtogo]

I worked until 2 days before DD was born.

[PinkMartini]

I worked part time (25-30 hrs/week) up until the end of Sept and I had my DS Oct 19th. I worked retail though, so I was on my feet all day long. I should've went out earlier, I was absolutely miserable, but my dr wouldn't order it :mad: If I had been at a comfy office job I probably would've worked up until I had him...

[RubberSoul]

My son was born on a Thursday and I worked the day before. The funny thing is I told my bosses that I thought it would be my last week at work. My son wasn't due for a couple more weeks, but I just had a feeling he was going to be born that week. They thought I was crazy at first, but I was right :).

[hmbay]

Both boys I worked until birth. DS1 was an emergency c/s after a drs appt on a Friday afternoon. DS2 was born Saturday morning after working all day Friday. I plan to do the same this time unless I'm put on bedrest or something and even then I most likely could work from bed as I'm a computer programmer. I'd love to take off time before but the reality is I can't afford it.

[psusna]

The Friday before he was born. I had a midwife appt. on Monday morning, was sent directly to the hospital where my induction began that afternoon, and he was born on Tuesday. He was born 7 days past his due date.

[Kiley]

I worked until my water broke (while sitting at my desk, at work). :)

ETA: It was 3 days before my due date

[mmm0708]

I worked FT when I was pregnant with DS. I stopped working 2 weeks before my due date. But, I wasn't returning to work, so I didn't have to worry about using my leave time. I had a nice desk job, awesome co-workers, and I was salary (more freedoms)... so I could have stayed longer, but I wanted the time at home to relax and get ready. I was a week late... so I ended up having 3 weeks "off" before the birth.

I went back to work PT, mostly weekends while DH is home, shortly after my son turned 1. During training for that job, I found out I was pregnant again. LOL I stopped working this time 3 weeks before my due date, again... I'm not returning, so I didn't have to worry about using leave time. 10 more days to go... :)

[cartersmommy]

thanks to late onset pre-e, i stopped working at 36 1/2 weeks to go on partial bed rest. I was induced at 37 weeks.

[Freckles]

I worked full-time through Week 36. It is now Week 38 and I am quite impatient, so working was a nice distraction in the end.

[miaclear]

I'm working up till. My due date is tomorrow and I just got home from work. This Friday is my last day regardless though because if I don't have the baby before this coming Tuesday I'm being induced.

I have however started working a little bit shorter days the last couple weeks. Which is REALLY nice. Not bored waiting all day for the baby to come, but home in time for a nap :D

[jrdhbunny]

I had a very high stress job and my blood pressure rose to borderline high. That coupled with excrutiating back pain led to my doctor signing off on an early maternity leave, 3 weeks before my due date. I would have liked to work from home, but that was not an option. I wound up being induced a week early so I had 2 weeks off before DS's birth.

[Lizard]

I had planned on working up until I delivered because I had a problem-free pregnancy, but at about 38-39 weeks I was completely worn out and told my boss that I needed to stop working. My last day was going to be on June 30th (I was due July 4th). I ended up having DD on June 29th. In hindsight, my body had given me so many signs that labor was imminent.

[boilermaker]

I worked up to the day before my due date, but she was nine days late. So I had plenty of time at home to get my house sparkly clean and my freezer stocked. I could have worked up until she was born but I had plenty of leave time and was quite honestly sick of everyone at work asking me when I would go into labor.

[dionysia]

I worked past my due date. My due date was Tuesday, my last day was Thursday, induction started Monday, and DS was born on Tuesday.

Di

[lauren f s]

I'm being induced on 03/28 and will work up until then. I only get 6 weeks maternity leave and don't want to use up any of that time and also don't want to waste vacation days just to sit at home. I'm miserable at work right now but would much rather be working and doing something productive each day than stay at home, bored.

[Rancid13]

I worked full time until I was within just over a week till my scheduled induction day. My last day at work was actually the day before Thanksgiving, and my induction was scheduled the following Friday on Dec 1. It got a bit uncomfortable at the end, but thankfully I have an office job so I got to rest a lot and didn't have to be on my feet much. I wouldn't have been much more comfortable had I been at home on the couch, worrying about stuff at the office not getting done or whatnot. I figured, why not give myself a week off before the baby gets here. That was the last time the house got cleaned...

[Brady]

With my son, I worked pretty much up till the end. I worked on a Thursday, called in sick on Friday, and he was born on Saturday. ;) I'm glad it worked out that way, I would have went nuts in my house just "waiting", and thankfully my boss was pretty liberal with my not giving a set last day.

[jki]

My due date was a Wednesday and I worked up until the Friday before. I'm so glad I did - DS was late so I had over a week to hang out, clean, get ready, go to the movies, etc.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Well my due date is 2 weeks from today and I am still working. I plan on working until I go into labor, so as to keep my full 6 weeks for when little man arrives.

[Sabriel]

I worked up until my water broke. My due date was on a Tuesday, and my water broke at 1 am on Wednesday morning. I didn't deliver DD until Friday though. :rolleyes:

I'm glad I worked as long as possible. I would have gone crazy sitting at home.

[Geranium]

I worked until the day before I was due. I was teaching middle school at the time and due on the last day of school in June. We had a field trip to a theme park scheduled and my doctor didn't think it was the best place for someone 40 weeks pregnant to be hanging out. My DD arrived a week late but I still might be traumatized if I would have had to attend that field trip.

[bluebunny]

With #1, I worked FT until 40 weeks, 2 days (a Friday). DS was born at 40 weeks, 4 days (a Sunday).

With #2, I was working PT (2-3 days per week). I worked until 39 weeks, 4 days and went into labor that night.

[spps]

With DS I was put on bedrest at 34 weeks so that was it for me.

[CarolinaGirl]

I worked until I was 35 weeks and 2 days. My water broke the next morning, but I remember being at work and my feet were so swollen that they were puffing out of my mary janes between the strap and the front of the shoe. I had to keep my feet up when I sat down. I don't think I could've worked much longer than that, but my water broke the next morning so that was that.

[kimthebride]

I was going to stop about 2 weeks before my due date. The way things worked out, I ended up stopping 1 month before my due date....and I LOVED it!! I got to have time to myself, prepare, enjoy time with friends, see matinees, rest, really have a good block of "me" time before baby came and Changed My Life. I would not have changed a thing.

[ladybug777]

Stopped at 37 weeks. DD was 1 week late, so I wound up being off for 1 month before she was born.

[maybebaby]

Stopped at 38 weeks, had my daughter at 39 weeks :D

[jenjen0713]

With DS #1, I stopped working on a Friday and had him 6 days later.

With DS #2, I stopped working on a Friday and had DS#2 the next morning.

[sue-bert]

I worked until the day before I gave birth, although I worked part of the time from home because my office chair was causing me back problems and they would not let me replace it.

[IrishEyes]

I stopped working about 3 weeks before my due date, but that was because my job was a one year fellowship that ended at that time. I had another job lined up to start about 10 weeks after DS' birth. I was pretty happy to not be working for those last 3 weeks, though, because I was pretty uncomfortable and my job required some standing.

[mkvh]

I planned to work until 2 weeks before my due date but was taken out of work 5 1/2 weeks before DD was born due to PIH/pre-e.

[ShannonGH]

I work for a school district and had my dd during our week spring break. I had worked up until spring break. To me, working was great because it helped pass the time. I felt great right up until the end though so I'm sure that made a difference.

[bunnybeth]

I worked through most of the day on Monday, left early for OB appt, scheduled the induction for Wednesday and called in to say I was taking Tuesday off to rest up. It was over a week past the EDD and for at least the last 2 weeks of work anytime someone saw me in the morning they were like "You're still here!" and I was always like, "Yes, I know!" Other than being sick of that every day, it wasn't bad to work up until the end. I HATED the hour long commute each way though.

[blondegirl]

With DD1, I worked up until the day before DD was born, and that was already 2 weeks past my due date!

With DD2, I stopped working at about 37 wks (I was induced at 41 wks)

With DS, I stopped working about 4 weeks before my planned c-section.

[cr8zyforaf]

I worked on Friday, went into labor on Monday (Labor Day) and had DD early Tuesday morning.

I actually got up to go to work on Monday (contractions weren't that bad) because I had hopes of wrapping stuff up but DH said no. I was in total denial that DD was ever coming out so even though I was due on the 5th, I left work on the 3rd fully planning to come in on Monday.

[BethIrish]

My son was born on Thursday - I worked Tuesday, didn't feel well on Wednesday and stayed home....my water broke that night. So, pretty much right until the end.

eta: I guess I should also add that DS was about 2 weeks early. He was due the Tuesday before Thanksgiving - my last planned day of work was the previous Friday :)

[twinnyme]

My DD was due 1/7. I worked until holiday break (I worked at a university then that had the week between Christmas and New Year's off) and didn't go back until after leave. I figured why bother going back from the 2nd to the 7th? Of course, DD was a week late. :rolleyes: Like a PP, I wish I'd gone back so that I didn't use up that time BEFORE my leave. Oh, well, hindsight is 20/20.

[lauren f s]

I'm coming back to change my answer!

My induction date is a Wednesday and I'm going to start my leave that Monday. I want a couple of days to get the house in order, laundry caught up, groceries bought before I go into the hospital.

[junkinmytrunk]

I worked until the day I gave birth. DS arrived a little early (2 weeks 3 days early to be exact) and I hadn't planned to work up until his birth. I intended to take a week off, but then his due date was pushed up (scheduled c-section) and if he had not have come early, I'd have had about 3 days off. FWIW I felt terrific through the whole pregnancy and on the day I gave birth I told a coworker I could easily go another month ;) .

Good luck to you!

[nic]

delete

[acceptablerisk]

i had wanted to work right up to the last minute, but i was bedrested at 34 weeks.

however, my doctor had said they like to take women off work at around 37 weeks.

[EJM]

I worked up until a week before DD was born. I felt GREAT my whole pregnancy, then around 38-39 weeks I couldn't walk without horrible sciatic pain. I would cry walking to the restroom from the couch. My boss could tell, so I finished out what I needed to do over a few days and then got a few more days off than I anticipated.

[Neen]

with DD I was put on bed rest at 32 weeks. She was born at 34 weeks (because I HAD to do laundry that day, so it was really my fault).

DS1 I worked right up until he was born, but he was born at 36 weeks. I got the flu (or so I thought) and called into work that day, he was born that afternoon. (The 'flu' was my body getting rid of everything in preperation for labor/delivery)

DS2, I worked right up until he was born (39 weeks). It was my day off, I went to the doctor that morning, he stripped my membranes and he was born that afternoon.

[Cali_Katy]

I worked up until two weeks before my due date. I had an hour commute each way via public transportation, which was getting uncomfortable for me to do and which was also making me nervous. I didn't want to go into labor at work and be forced to take the train home. I also wanted the time to finish getting my house ready for the baby. I think it was the perfect time to stop -- baby was born right on his due date.

[cshaysharp]

With DD1 I worked the day I delivered. My water broke at work right at noon, and I delivered her at 10:30 pm that same day. I was 38 weeks.

With DD2 I worked up until the day before I was induced at 38 weeks. (The ultrasound showed a big baby, so he induced me in hopes of avoiding a c-section. I pushed out a 10 lb 4 oz baby, no problem!) ;)

[Mrs.Chappy]

with my first i worked until a week before...i'm only 7 weeks and i'm ready to quit now!! but i'll probably aimm to work until the end.

[mel_hams]

I worked FT until about three hours before I went into labor.

[nuhmah]

I was a school teacher, so I finished out the school year. I gave birth to DS about a week and a half later.

[dpangel33]

I worked FT all the way through 40 weeks. During the 41st week I went in 2 hours later each day at the request of my boss (I didn't argue as I enjoyed the extra sleep). I finished out the week and went into labor that Friday night and had her the next morning.

[DallasLady]

I went to work on Friday 9/15, and DD was born on Monday 9/18. I was 39weeks, 2 days when she was born. I teach 8th grade.

[Ohana]

With DD#1, I worked until I was 38w5d, I think. I just wanted a little time for myself before she was born. DD arrived at 39w6d, so I had a week off. Looking back, it was a looooonng week.

With DD#2, I worked until I was 39w4d. I stopped working because I was huge and uncomfortable. I actually would have liked to have stopped working sooner, but because I wanted to save my leave for after the baby came, I did not. DD did not arrive until 40w2d.

For anyone planning to stop working before they go into labor, I would recommend reading up on your company's disability policies. With DD#1, the week before she was born was covered under STD and I got paid without any hassle. With DD#2, they had changed their policies and I spent way too much time trying to get the OB's office to send the STD idiots enough documentation that I needed to stop working (my BP was up a bit, nothing alarming, but my OB had to send a letter saying she put the kibbosh on my working due to the BP) before they would cover the time before DD was born. Had I known of their ridiculous new policy, I would have gotten all the paperwork lined up beforehand, before I had to contend with a newborn and all.

[Natrat80]

I worked almost until the very end. I was a teacher and I believe my last day of school was around May 27th. DD was born June 14. I had a very easy pregnancy and enjoyed working up till the end. The last few weeks at home were so boring! :p Luckily my mom was a teacher in the same town so she hung out with me lots and kept me occupied those last few weeks!

[PinkMartini]

For anyone planning to stop working before they go into labor, I would recommend reading up on your company's disability policies.

I couldn't agree more!

Last year when I was pregnant with my DS, I had to fill out paperwork stating which dates I'd need off for maternity leave. I put 12 weeks, which is FMLA amount... Everything went through and then 6 weeks after having my DS I get a phone call from our HR dept asking when I'd be back at work. I told them on the date I had put down on the paperwork. I was then informed I wasn't elegible for FMLA and I'd need to be back at work the next week :eek: I ended up quitting but I can't believe they accepted my paperwork and I was told by my boss I was elegible, and then at the last min, I was forced to quit... Horrible company all around, but do make sure you know your co's policy or you might be screwed like I was...

[daisysue62]

My last day working was 2 weeks before DD was born exactly, but if I was planning on returning to work afterwards I probably would have kept working until I had the baby to save up maternity leave for after the baby was born.

I am glad I had those two weeks to kind of nest/prepare and spend some time doing things for myself (I got a pedicure!) since after the baby was born getting "me" time was nearly impossible.

[mindy75]

I worked until about 2.5 weeks before she was born, but it was almost a month before she was due. I had pregnancy related carpal tunnel and I was just tired of working. My former job offered no official maternity leave package. It was all short-term disability, but because I had been there for more than 5 years I could take as much as 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after. All at full pay. So, yeah, I took advantage of that one. I went the way of begging my OB to put me on short-term!

[SiValleySteph]

I stopped working at 36 weeks exactly, 4 weeks before my due date. That's how the STD works here (I think in all of CA). It didn't have any impact on how long I could take after birth. DS was 1 week late, so I was off 5 weeks before he was born. The house has never been so clean!

Once DS was born, I had 18 weeks off, so I was off for a total of 23 weeks - almost half a year!

[Kate&Joey]

I worked until 37 weeks. At my previous company, maternity leave was eight weeks, but it started two weeks BEFORE your due date. If you didn't take it two weeks before, you lost whatever days you decided to work (it didn't roll forward). As it turned out, the two-week period for me began the week between Christmas and New Year's. My company was closed that week anyway. So, I got three weeks off before DS was born.

Honestly, I was super-busy those three weeks and wished I could have had more time to get stuff done before he was born. I was really hoping he would be late, but was born two days early. :)

[stevesbabygirl]

I worked up until 20 weeks.

I was a surgical tech for a plastic surgeon, and when there was no surgery, there was no work, so I guess you could say that I worked part time. However, with the chemicals and the constant bending I worked with, I figured I wasn't going to stay too long. That was confirmed when they asked when I wanted to stop working, and I told them they should ask when my replacement wants to start. That ended up being one of my last days there :rolleyes:. They called me last night to see if I wanted to work one day next month, but I think it would be too uncomfortable for me at that point.

[Traciann]

i went on bedrest at 36w5d. dd was born at 38w. i was pretty miserable the last weeks I worked...but I had pre eclampsia.

[Wrighty26]

I worked up until the day before I was delivered (induced) at 39w5d. I'm glad I had something to keep me occupied, especially those last few weeks! I drove myself crazy the long weekend before he was born as it was :)

ETA -- I had an awesome pregnancy and felt great until July 4th (2 days before he was born) -- I think that also contributed to why I was able to keep working for so long!

[bamboo]

I worked until 38 weeks when DD arrived. My boss was going to be out of the office Thursday and Friday, so on Wednesday she sent me an email with some info and said "don't have the baby this weekend!". We were scheduled to meet Monday to talk about wrapping things up (I planned to work till my due date), but DD was born that Sunday morning. I called her later that day and said "you won't believe this but..." :D She was a doula for years and said she had a feeling I would go early.

[pixiecat]

I worked until 10 days before the baby was born. Part of me felt weird stopping when I was still "able" to work, but then again, it was a nice mental separation between "working Julie" and "mommy Julie." Personally, I recommend a little time (if possible) to do last minute things, read a few more novels, and spend a little stress-free time before baby arrives.

[Winter Biscuit]

With both pregnancies, I worked up to the very end.

DD#1 was 11 days late, and she was born on a Wednesday. I worked that Monday, took Tuesday off for a doctor's appoitnment, and she was born via scheduled c/s on Wednesday.

With DD#2, we had a c-section scheduled for Tuesday 1/23/07. My last day at work was Friday the 19th. I took Monday off and got one last prenatal massage and pedicure, then Tuesday was the big day!

FWIW, I have CPD so neither of my daughters were ever "fully engaged." Up to the very end, both of them were still floating very high up and I was actually quite comfortable, all things considered. I also never dilated at ALL with either pregnancy. I didn't have a lot of uncomfortable pressure or pain "down there" like many pregnant women do in late pregnancy, and I never had any contractions at all either (other than painless BH).

[shaqangel]

i worked right up until the end. my last day was technically the 9th (a friday) and ds due date was the 11th (a sunday), but it ended up being the 2nd (a friday) and he was born the 5th (a monday). i was so mentally checked out that last couple weeks so it was a good thing i finished all my projects ahead of time and basically cruised that last month!

[steviem]

I worked up until 3 weeks before DS's due date. I was commuting nearly 3 hrs each day and by the end of my pregnancy, I just needed some "me" time.

I was so thankful to have those 3 weeks. I didn't rest as much as I would have liked, as, I was busy finishing the nursery, running errands, etc. It was just so nice to not focus on work anymore, and really focus on this amazing experience that was about to happen to us.

[Ilovemygeek]

I worked up until the week before DD was born, but only because that's when I started swelling to a disgusting degree. I stand all day at work, and after coming home with ankles the size of softballs, I got a note from my OB saying I could no longer work. I had planned to work until the end though.

[DianeCourt]

I was signed out of work by my doctor at 38 weeks, which is their standard for non-complicated pregnancies. I ended up going 4 days overdue, so I had a nice chunk of "me" time before baby came. I will do it the same way next time, as well. I used those days to sleep in (do it while you can!) and freeze meals to have after baby's arrival.

I'm lucky because those days did not count against my 6 weeks of maternity leave and they were paid in full.

[CMW02]

I caught a cold at 38w and I was just done. OB signed me out. Baby was 1 week late so I had about 2.5 weeks off before her arrival.

This time, I again plan to work to the end. C-sec scheduled for a Monday. I hope to work up until the Friday prior. We'll see though.

[allyray231]

Delivered at 38 weeks 5 days and worked till 38 weeks.

[thechick79]

I worked until my water broke when I got home. DD was born on her due date at 1 am. DD was very low by then but I wasn't so uncomfortable that I couldn't work. It was harder to concentrate when it got closer to her due date though.