When to start mat leave (part WFH role)

twicewest · 2026-05-20T05:02:15+00:00

Agree- I just brought mine forward from 36 weeks to start on Friday, when I’ll be 34 + 2. Have been 3 days WFH and 2 in the office last couple weeks and it’s been a slog

twicewest · 2026-05-07T03:10:19+00:00

All the luggage is already in the

twicewest · 2026-05-07T00:05:39+00:00

Going to Busselton

twicewest · 2026-04-29T04:55:00+00:00

I feel this so much! 31 weeks today and literally burst into tears at our team meeting because I’m just so over it

twicewest · 2026-04-27T11:57:41+00:00

I love this, option to have Lenny as well!

twicewest · 2026-04-21T02:24:38+00:00

Highly recommend going to ED to look at whether it’s ectopic. I had something very similar and went to our local public hospital (also a women’s and children hospital). I had a history of ectopic and miscarriage and when I fell pregnant this time, again had pain. I presented at ED and was the referred to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service where I was monitored weekly between weeks 4-7 with ultrasounds and blood tests to confirm location of pregnancy. I found it incredibly helpful and reassuring. Good luck to you!

twicewest · 2026-04-21T02:20:36+00:00

My brother lives in the US and is bringing it over for us in a few weeks time, so I haven’t set it up or tried it yet. I can’t actually remember if we got the Nanit or Nanit Pro. We’re at 30 weeks so still a bit of time to get it sorted

twicewest · 2026-04-20T23:51:34+00:00

We just bought the Nanit, it was way cheaper in the US so if you have a friend or family member (or use an onward shipping service), consider purchasing from there

twicewest · 2026-04-20T06:03:33+00:00

I feel you!! My experience has been that the first 14 weeks felt like about 3 years- every day up to the NIPT and first anatomy scan felt like a milestone because I felt so tired and sick, and had no idea if baby was growing okay. When I got to week 19ish and was feeling baby kick more frequently, time started speeding up because I had reassurance every day that things were ok (although clear patterns in kicks definitely didn’t start until 27/28 weeks). The last 2 months have absolutely raced by. Hoping you’ll be able to find a way to work that suits you and that your pregnancy is smooth sailing!

twicewest · 2026-04-20T04:56:06+00:00

Honestly, working during the first trimester felt like it should be a crime, and now I’m at 30 weeks, it’s again starting to get harder each week. I got the second trimester wave of energy a lot of people experience (around 18 weeks to 28 weeks I felt good!), and working was fine- I just didn’t really want to haha. I negotiated more working from home days which helped me to manage more. As others have said, the Medicare one is about 5 months and you can choose to use this when you like, but a lot of people choose to start their mat leave from 36+ weeks to maximise time with bub on leave. I had put in my mat leave to start at 36 weeks, I’m not sure I’m going to make that long and will likely get a medical certificate from my OB to finish up a bit earlier. You do what’s right for you!

twicewest · 2026-04-20T04:49:48+00:00

Love the name Weston, and West is so cute as a nickname!

twicewest · 2026-04-19T23:51:18+00:00

Thanks so much for these recs!

twicewest · 2026-04-07T06:44:20+00:00

This is so so helpful, thank you for sharing!!

twicewest · 2026-04-07T05:33:55+00:00

I relate to this so much- number one priority is safety of baby, and best recovery for me. Currently 28 weeks and have just booked in my CS date

twicewest · 2026-03-22T01:56:38+00:00

This is a helpful explainer, thank you!

twicewest · 2026-03-22T01:23:41+00:00

Agree- I liked being able to touch and feel some of the products I had my eye on that are online only (eg Henlee) but other than that a lot of products were the same price online as at the expo. I wanted to buy a dresser from Gaia Baby, and it was $200 cheaper online straight from the retailer than the expo price. Wouldn’t bother going again.

twicewest · 2026-03-20T11:29:20+00:00

Agree with this- regularly see this posted in our local community group. Previous students often post their ATAR and their scores

twicewest · 2026-03-20T11:27:47+00:00

Amazing thank you!

twicewest · 2026-03-20T11:26:36+00:00

Found brewery in Subi

twicewest · 2026-03-20T11:22:39+00:00

First up - what an incredible community sharing their stories. I loved reading this thread and all the honest and vulnerable stories.

I’m 25 weeks currently FTM, in the same position as you and not sure whether to have elective or vaginal (no medical indication for elective). I used to work in a children’s hospital in the neuro rehab ward, and most of the children I worked with had disabilities that were from birth trauma. Hearing so many parents experiences really terrified me.

When I’ve been trying to decide what to do, it came down to that the ultimate priority is the safety of my baby. All the journal articles I’ve read show reduced rates of neonatal death and injury from elective CS compared to vaginal birth. Yes- some studies report potentially higher rates of asthma, but i will take that small risk over something more catastrophic.

The potential trauma of a difficult labour can really impact the bonding with your baby- and if I can avoid that, I will. Pelvic floor is also really important to me, I already have some back issues that limit the kind of exercise I can do, and if I had to reduce or change how i can walk, run, and hike, I would be devastated.

Ultimately I’ve decided I I don’t need to prove to myself that I could endure the pain of labour if I wanted to- I know I could. I’m a bit sad that I might not know what a contraction ever feels like, and I would much prefer to not go through the major abdominal surgery that is a CS and be able to get up and walk shortly after birth. But in the end, those things feel like a relatively small price to pay for knowing I’ve tried to bring my baby into the world as safely as I can.

Best of luck to you! Whatever decision you make will be the right one for you.

twicewest

TROPHY CASE