Anyone jealous of your mat leave?

Hi, Just as a matter of interest, did you get any comments on your maternity leave? I am expecting first baby at 36 yrs old, and got a few comments at work about mat leave. A few people (who are younger than me & have no kids) said that I will have a lot of maternity leave off. The 26 wks is loads etc etc. I felt like saying that I was continually hearing about younger people being pregnant over the last few years, getting loads of mat leave, when I was dying for a break, and I would never say anything about them having loads of mat leave. I know the mat leave will be hard work looking after a baby but I think it is a change of scenery from work, esp if you have been working for years & years. Even my mother was counting up how many weeks I was off. This is my 3rd week off work. She asked my sister on my first day off if I was bored She works full time herself and prob thinks that anyone would be bored being at home. I had dreadful heartburn from wk 34 on, couldn't sleep, was exhausted at work, couldn't get sick cert, so I am very grateful to be at home these past few weeks, not rushing for time etc. Also we moved into our house only 6 mos ago, so it is nice going round the shops getting bits for house & baby etc. Also finishing out books I've been meaning to read.

"In my day maternity leave was only 6 weeks. You don't know you are born!" People feel the need to comment regardless.

all the childless girls in work keep asking when i'll be back from my "holiday" or say "not long now til your holidays".................haven't slept in about 3 weeks - from now on if anyone calls it a holiday they will simply be told to fcuk off. the girls with kids are all sayin enjoy it while its in.........its much easier to mind. they're great tho for tellin the others its not a holiday i'm going on.

Calling maternity leave a holiday is a crappy spiteful thing to say. I would be a bit jealous of your (or anyone's) maternity leave only cos I'm self employed and get none. That said, only jealous in comparison to my position if I were pregnant. It's ridiculous to be jealous of maternity leave if you're not having a child yourself. Crazy, it aint no holiday.. Best of luck for the Big Push!

i have always been jealous of others mat leave, maybe cos i secretly wanted it for myself even though this has been a surprise. I think some people just take to teasing cos they can but i agree it is spiteful. There is something nice about it though hard work and all as it is... like yest we went for a lovely dinner with friends of ours and their 6 month son, it was a very pleasurable evening and i didnt want it to end but i had to come home and get ready for work today, would have been nice to be putting the baby to bed and getting up this morning to face this lovely sunny day with your baby as company-im making it sound idyllic i know but im sure some of it is like that ??? Basically, dont mind them, you can say back to them when they are in your position..