Week 26: Planning Your Leave and the Conversations Around It
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At 26 weeks, the end of pregnancy can feel both far away and suddenly close. You may be noticing that the mental load of work sits differently now — harder to concentrate in the afternoons, more aware of how much you are carrying physically and emotionally. This is often the week when thinking about leave shifts from a vague future task to something that needs real attention.
What you might be feeling at work right now
Fatigue, backache, and difficulty sitting or standing for long periods can make a full working day feel much heavier than it did a few months ago. If you are finding that, you are not imagining it. Your body is doing a great deal, and the pace of work does not always account for that. It can help to notice which parts of your day feel most draining and whether any small adjustments — a different chair, a shorter commute day, a later start — are possible to ask for.
The practical side of planning leave
Most workplaces need reasonable notice before your leave begins, and many people find it useful to have a rough date in mind by now, even if it is not fixed. Think about what feels manageable: some people want to work as close to their due date as possible, others find they need more time to rest beforehand. Neither is the right or wrong choice. What matters is that the plan feels honest about how you are actually doing, not how you think you should be doing.
Having the conversation with your employer
Telling your employer about your leave plans can feel straightforward or it can feel loaded, depending on your workplace. A few things that can make it easier:
- Write down the key points you want to cover before the meeting
- Ask for the conversation in writing afterwards so there is a clear record
- Find out who covers your responsibilities while you are away
- Ask about any forms or deadlines your employer needs you to meet
- Give yourself time after the conversation to sit with how it went
If the conversation leaves you feeling unsupported or unclear about your rights, it is worth looking into what you are entitled to through your country’s employment or labour guidance.
The emotional weight that often goes unspoken
Planning leave is not just a logistical task. For many people, it brings up complicated feelings about identity, money, relationships with colleagues, and what comes next. You might feel relieved, or anxious, or both at once. Some people feel a quiet grief about stepping away from a role that has been part of who they are. Those feelings are real and worth acknowledging, even if there is no tidy resolution to them right now.
If you are not sure how you feel, that is also fine. You do not need to have it all worked out at 26 weeks.
Bringing your questions to your care team
Your doctor or midwife can be a useful part of this planning too. If you are finding work physically difficult, they can advise on whether any adjustments to your working arrangements might be appropriate, and they may be able to provide documentation your employer needs. If anything about how you are feeling — physically or emotionally — is making the idea of continuing to work feel unmanageable, that is exactly the kind of thing worth raising at your next appointment rather than waiting to see how it goes.
Further reading: NHS
This article is general information, not medical advice. For anything about your own health or your baby, please talk to your doctor or midwife.
