Did you work until the end, or did you leave the last month or so because of all the extra trips to the Dr.s office.

I really want to work as long as I can prior to giving birth and I hope to find a way to be able to go back to work as soon as I am able to afterwards.

I've known people that took anywhere from a month to 6 weeks off prior to delivery and then I've known some that worked up until the last minute.

For those of you that were working while expecting your children, how long did you stay at your job prior to your due date. I know with the type of job it is and all of us rotating closing and weekend shifts that they will need a definate date when it gets to be closer.

I wanted to work til the very end because it would give me something to think about instead of just focussing on my little baby and when she would come. Unfortunately I was bedridden the last eight weeks and ended up having her five weeks early. Does this mean your boss knows now or have you told yet?? Protect yourself - make no claims until you kno whow your health is going!! For example - the first baby can cause pre-eclampsia, very common and you may get put to bed before your ready - or you may go long term and wish you could be working so you had something else to think about!! At any rate we will be thinking about you all the way!!

I worked right up until the very end. I finally told my boss 8 days before my due date that I just couldn't do it any more. I was uncomfortable sitting AND standing. Well come to find out, the reason I was so uncomfortable was because I was ready to go into labor! My water broke the very next afternoon--phew! Good thing I was at home and not at work :)

I worked up til the end with all my kids-- even after I had surgery with my first. My boss was very supportive and let me work with restrictions (nursing shortage can be a good thing at times)

They know about us. After my little trip to the ER last weekend I went on and told the manager at the store I'm at and I told the owner when he dropped off the paychecks Friday. The manager has been cool. When he leaves me by myself he tells me not to try to pack up or move anything real heavy or bulky to the back, they he will pack it when he gets back or the UPS driver can walk to the counter and get the heavy ones for me. I really like working and being out of the house (and being able to FINALLY get bills caught up)

I would like to try and work (Try being the key word here) until the week before if I am able. If I can do that then I will have a paycheck waiting on me the next Friday after my EDD for at least one week.

My water broke at work - that answer your question??? I had ds 12 days early, but had no plans to quit working early - I only work 20 hours/wk., so I was easily able to schedule work/dr. appts. around each other, and I wasn't working so much I was uncomfortable.

Number one I got laid off around 7 mo. so not an issue no one would hire a preg. lady (but of course that was not the reason ;) ) Number 2 I worked up untill the very end. She was born on a Sat. and I worked all day that Fri. #3 was the same way I had her on a Sun. and worked the Fri. before full-time for both. I was feeling fine (more tired than usual but that just does with being preg.) I fit Dr. appts. usually after work, my doc was close to home so I just stopped in on the way home.

So you can plan on working up untill the end but remember things come up. Be flexible.

With Katie - I was high-risk (duh - I was 16!!) so I only went to school & worked until I was 7½ months along....

Will, however, I worked on a Thursday, cranking out payroll, went home, cooked dinner, ate, showered, got dressed, got in the car, drove to the hospital & had a kid! I finally realized I had been in labor all day!

Belle, my water broke sitting at my desk!

I guess I believe in working right up till the very end! :D

(personally, Katie was the hardest labor, delivery, & recovery - not sure if it's because I myself was a baby or if it was staying active the whole time!!)

I think a lot depends on how you feel during the pregnancy. Some people feel comfortable working up until the end while others need to take the last few months off. You will probablly know!

Originally posted by Debbie


(personally, Katie was the hardest labor, delivery, & recovery - not sure if it's because I myself was a baby or if it was staying active the whole time!!)

It also was probably because she was your first. After that the bones have been moved and your body "remembers" what to do. ;)

It really depends on the kind of work you do and how you are feeling. With my last 2 I worked on Thursday and had new babies on Friday. My job allowed me to work at my own pace, though, and there was no physical labor involved. With Blake I had to do a lot of lifting and bending. I was a Pizza baker! I just couldn't reach the floor anymore that last month and very few of the blanks I worked with would help.

With my first pregancy I worked up to almost the day he was born. I was on a schedule where I had Tuesdays off and worked Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This was a job that was a 40 minute drive from my home about 30 miles away in this little podunk town. I took this job because when I moved from Nashville, Tennesee to Ruston, Louisiana this was the only Federal job available and I could transfer all my sick leave. Because I was able to transfer all my sick leave I was able to take off six weeks after he was born. I was already about 3 months pregnant when I took the job. I didn't tell them I was pregnant when I interviewed for the job because I was afraid they would discriminate against me and not give me the job. They're not supposed to but we all know it happens. They were irritated with me when they found out. Anyway on the day I was off I went into labor. The baby's head was too big for the birth canal so my doctor had to do a Caesearon Section on me. I went back to work after my leave and worked a couple of more years before I finally quit after giving birth to my daughter. I was able to have her vaginally as I did my second daughter. Someone told me yesterday that the hospital where I gave birth to all my children has stopped doing VBACs because they had one patient to die after her uterus ruptered and another almost died but had brain injuries after complications from the VBAC.

I'm *palnning* to work right up to the end. Not sure how that will play out, though. I think I'd go nuts sitting at home waiting.

With Erick, my water broke at work, durning my last break. my super walked in the breakroom and saw me shaking, and sent me home (four doors away) he called my dh who was at home, and you'd think the super was going to be a daddy or something, he was a panicing mess. i was walking out the door, and he was tripping over his words trying to figure out if he should let me walk to my car or to have some guys help me or what. by the time he'd figured it out, dh was in the car, had it heating and was helping me into the passenger seat. :D

I worked with the first two. With ds, it was a job driving, so I basically sat on my butt all day. LOL. I worked up to the Saturday before he was due and they induced me the day after he was due. Said I had that pre-eclampsia, but if I didnt it wasnt bad.

With dd, I was in housekeeping at the hospital. Ugh. I was ready to have her three months before she was due. I was the only one working and dh took from June to November to find a job. I got to stop working the Sunday before Thanksgiving, she was due Dec 27th and I had her Jan 3rd. I took all 12 of my unpaid leave with her. LOL Quit the job in May after she was born.

i was 19 when i had ds, and not knowing exactly how i would be doing when the end came, i told them i wanted to start maternity leave the week before his due date. i was living with my folks at the time so money wasn't the biggest concern and my mom agreed that a week before my due date was a good stopping point. with dd i worked until she was born almost literally. i started having contractions at work. when i was positive i was having regular contractions, i called my boss, my folks, dh's mom, but forgot to call dh. my dad picked me up from work because dh was asleep trying to get rest before an exam and when we walked in teh house is when dh found out i was in labor.

Well, I knew a girl that worked on Sat, had the baby on Sunday and was back at work on Monday. You won't be doing that because Angie , your mother and I will be visiting you. On second thought you could go on in and we will watch the baby! Just kidding don't you do anything you should not be doing to hurt my favorite DIL or my " twins". Well, I can still dream can't I .:toothy:

With Andrew (DS #1) I worked until two and a half weeks before he was due. I worked at Mailboxes Etc at the time and I couldn't get comfortable doing anything! Also, I was about forty minutes from home and the hospital! I had already started my new at home job for my fil (doing his books). I only took a couple of days off from that.

With Robby (DS#2) I was a SAHM with a thirteen month old!:eek: He came right on schedule. I was still working for fil and took a couple of days off with Robby.

With ds I wanted to work up until the day and save all my unpaid leave. I ended up deciding I just couldn't do it anymore ( I worked at a daycare in the baby room) and took time before he was due. I worked on Monday, then was off starting my maternity leave the next day. I had him on Thursday that week. My dh had gotten home on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning we went to the hospital.

With dd, I left at 5 1/2 mo. My dh was deployed to Kosovo and I was moving to IL to stay with his parents. I planned on staying until I left (at 7mo) but the people I worked with wouldn't let me leave early ( I worked front desk at another daycare) and pick up ds. I had to "find someone to pick him up for me". I asked for volunteers (sarcastically) and nobody stuck their hand up. I knew then that I wasn't killing myself for these people. ;)

I know it will be more stressful once we start getting people coming in and shipping out Christmas gifts, but then again we will also have extra PT help then as well. However, if I can make it thru Christmas with out feeling miserable then I am going to try to stick it out until at least a week before the due date. Who knows since my EDD is a Friday, I may try to work some that week as well.

Oh well, I guess we will have to wait and see how long I make it won't we...lol

With Julia, I taught up until 2 weeks before I was due. She came the day before she was due. I went CRAZY being home those 2 weeks. So, with Patrick, I taught until Wednesday (I had a c-section scheduled for that Monday) and he came Sunday instead. It was funny, though, because my students kept saying "Mrs. Bozza...are you sure you should still be here? You're REALLY big!" They were so nervous I was gonna pop during class! I told them "Nah...I'm okay...I just have big babies!" :)

I had planned to take off about a week before my due date. My job is very flexible as far as hours and letting me sit when I needed to-- which was most of my pregnancy! However, since DD arrived seven weeks early, I worked the full day before she was born and had an emergency c-section at 9:45am the next day.

I was working as an RN on a busy and very heavy medical unit at the time. It was our first of 2, our son that I was pregnant with.

All of the staff with one or two exceptions suddenly got pregnant, and we ALL needed help lifting patients.

One after the other lost their babies. One gal lost hers in the washroom after lifting a heavy patient.

Finally I was stuck nursing a typhoid patient (we had tropical diseases too) and I gave my notice that day, worked out my notice period, I think it was 2 weeks, and stayed home from 3 and a half months till delivary.

I found being at home disconcerting, I was used to defining who I was by what I did.

After dd was born, and she turned 6 I went back to work. I worked till deciding to homeschool them thru high school at which point I quit again.

By then, call it age or experience but that redefinition of me didn't bother me. I was in touch with who I was, and I no longer defined myself on teh basis of what I did.

Looking back, I think staying home saved my baby's life. None of the others delivered a full term healthy baby.