When to take maternity leave

I am due december 17 with my first child. Needless to say, I have no idea how Iam going to be feeling around 40 weeks pregnant. I want to work right up until I have the baby, however I have a feeling that if I am overdue I am going to be feeling a little uncomfortable. I work in retail so I am on my feet, bending over to pick things up off the floor and so on so it's not like I am sitting at a desk all day. When would you recommend I take maternity leave? How close to your due date did you leave work?

I would recommend working until the day you pop out a kid

i was a cleaner i left at 34 wks only cos we move back to my home town to have bubs................... you leave when you feel you have tooo.
I proberly would not of stayed too much longer maybe another few wks or soo.

I stopped working around 36 weeks with my 1st and 32 weeks with my 2nd, but that was only b/c I got a year maternity leave with both.

With second baby I was planning to work straight through until I had her...I was due I believe July 19th and the morning of July 10th I thought my water broke...I went in and was a 3-4. They kept me in case I was progressing (said baby was big) and had me walk. I progressed to a 6. Well long story short, I had her that day. When I knew I was staying I was on the phone with the insurance letting them know, and then contacted them after I had her.

I was in labor at work, so I took my maternity leave at 42+5.

i worked up until the week ore i was so i had so sometimo relax before i had LO it depends on what you want id try to work until you go into labor i wish i would have i got bored after being off so long

How much maternity leave will you get?

If you only have six weeks, I would try to work right up until giving birth, so you have as much time as possible with the baby before going back to work.

If you get a year... eh, it'd be totally fine to stop a few weeks before your due date. I'll get 50 weeks maternity leave and I'll probably stop working around 37, 38w.

With lo I left work at 38weeks, little did I know I nearly had 5to weeks left.
With this one I plan on working until I no longer can work, or I go into labor, I am also on my feet all day, im an assistant front end manager at a grocery store....

Depending on how long you get, I would work as long as you can. If your bosses now your pregnant they might let you take it a little easier at work.
I worked at a car wash when I had DD, they let me sit if it wasnt too busy, and I was allowed to keep water on me which is usually not allowed. Than at 32 weeks they switched me to on call. Unfortunately about a week after I had DD the place was sold and the new owners laid off a lot of people including me, but in the end its what helped me decide to be a SAHM.

i stopped working at 34 weeks, because of my back, it had gotten to the point that it was getting very hard to stand (i was a cashier at zellers), so my doctor wrote me a note saying it was time for me to go on sick leave, my sick leave just ended, and my maternity leave just started the day he was born, so i have an entire year off, a little bit more actually cause i was on sick leave for about 7 weeks before my son was born.

I would work up until your due date. I've had a few friends drive themselves crazy sitting at home waiting for their babies to come instead of keeping busy to help time pass a little quicker.

I'm working until I have my baby so I have as much time with him as possible since I don't get much leave.

I worked until i popped! I had my son 9 hours after i left work the evening before. I'm glad i did it that way too.

Im due nov 14, and my last day at work is oct 26. Im a server at a very busy restaurant and it is time for me to get done. Haha.

I plan on working till the day that she comes but due to medical issues I may be put on maternity leave a few weeks before my due date. If I could I would work till my water broke or I went into labor.