I am trying to sort give in my intentions for maternity leave to my employer sooner rather than later (as I intend to go ASAP due to not being to happy in work at the mo but thats a different story lol)

The gove website says that I can start my maternity leave 11 weeks before the start of the first week my baby is due....

Am i being thick and getting this wrong...? I am due on the 17th July

11 weeks before the start of that week is w/c 26th April so I could start on that date couldnt I?

I feel as though I am confusing myself!! I know its not blummin hard!! But i think my prego brain is making me a bit of a 'Malteaser' at the mo

If anyone out there can still count..pls help!!

Hey hun,

That sounds about right to me!

I to planned to leave as soon as possible due to problems in work.

Good Luck!

hehe, i was like that too, i'm due the 3rd july, so ive worked out 11 weeks before baby is due is the 17th april, so by that info i can leave for my maternity leave the week begining 12th april, which is fantastic as my birthday is the 17th, and i hate my job!

not that i was much help to you there.. as i dont know for sure, haha sorry! but i was under the impression we are right lol x

I've just been reading about how you still accrue annual leave whilst on maternity leave, but you cannot take it whilst actually on leave, so they advise you to take it before or after your go on maternity leave...

So, if you get 24 days a year, and hadn't taken any holiday already in the year, you could take the first 24 days off as paid holiday!

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg...mId=1080902982

dont forget all your holiday entitlement too xx

You can take your first day of maternity on Sunday 2nd May. Any earlier would be your 12th week before your EDD. You work it out by counting back from your EDD. Your EDD is when you're due, so the saturday before is 1 week until your EDD, the next back is 2 weeks and so on. Your 11th week before falls on Saturday1st May. Before that day, you are still classed as being in your 12th week before your EDD, so you wouldn't be able to start your M/L until the following Sunday or Monday (depending when you work normally)

I'm taking my M/L 11 weeks before the date too, because we're moving abroad, and the midwife doesn't want me travelling past 31 weeks because of the risk of pre-eclampsia. I can only take it from Monday 15th Feb onwards, and I'm due on Sunday 2nd May. If you still have holiday to take, you can take this on the beginning of your M/L, so e.g. if you have a week's holiday to take, you can leave the previous week.

At my job, whilst we accrue leave while we're on M/L, we can't take it at the beginning of our M/L, but only at the end. Which means that if you haven't earned the holiday yet, you can't tack it onto the beginning of your M/L. My leave year begins on 8th Feb, and I'm only working 5 days of that leave year before I go on M/L, so I can't tack any days on the front.

I know i am taking my holiday entilement before which means I will leave work end of March haha

Brilliant!! lol I was like that last year with my son...I came back of maternity leave 1st Aug and had 24 days holiday to take before the end of Dec cracking!! And now its the same again up until materity

I just cant stand working here anymore, I have felt like this for a while, and CANNOT wait to leave!!

Dont forget also that you are entitled to full years annual leave, so you can take that before you start your maternity leave! I am taking my maternity leave from my due date, but finishing a month before I am due because of my holiday x

ooops - was a bit late with this reply and everyone else got in there first! haha

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/maternity_calculator.php