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Q. When Should You Plan to Go on Maternity Leave?

Marcie Jones Leave a Comment

In your mom’s day, professional women were expected to quit their jobs (or were fired) as soon as they began to show.

Today, most jobs in the U.S. allow for 12 weeks of (unpaid) family leave, and most moms-to-be work for as long as they can to have maximum time to spend with the baby.  How long you’ll be able to tolerate doing your job will depend a lot on your health and exactly what it is you do all day. Most women with desk jobs start to get seriously uncomfortable by about week 36, though if your job is physically demanding or involves exposure to dangerous chemicals you may need to leave sooner.

If you’re in robust health you might be able to push it to week 38, or even beyond, though after the start of the 38th week you’ll be “in the zone” for spontaneous labor, with about 40 percent of babies born between weeks 38 and 40.

If you do decide to stay at work beyond the 38th week, write down your hospital’s name and address and your partner and health care provider’s phone numbers, so if you do go into labor or your water breaks at work a trusted co-worker can more easily help you.

More from my site

  • Can I Go Back to Work Before 6 Weeks?Can I Go Back to Work Before 6 Weeks?
  • How Can I Ask My Boss For a Flexible Schedule After Maternity Leave?How Can I Ask My Boss For a Flexible Schedule After Maternity Leave?
  • I’ll Have to Go Back to Work, Should I Even Try to Breastfeed?I’ll Have to Go Back to Work, Should I Even Try to Breastfeed?
  • Six Ways to Maximize Your Maternity LeaveSix Ways to Maximize Your Maternity Leave
  • How and When Should You Announce Pregnancy To Your Boss?How and When Should You Announce Pregnancy To Your Boss?
  • Eight Ways Dads Can Help During LaborEight Ways Dads Can Help During Labor

Filed Under: Parenting (general and dads) Tagged With: maternity leave

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This site is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Visitors to this site should regularly consult a physician for all health-related problems and routine care during pregnancy, after birth, and for their children.