You may be tempted to do just that out of a sense of obligation or because you like your job (lucky you!). I’d consider starting mat leave two weeks before the baby’s ETA instead of working right till the last minute because you don’t know when the last minute will be. Your baby could arrive on the due date, or two weeks after, or seven weeks before. Your baby may be like those over-enthusiastic dinner guests who show up 30 minutes ahead of schedule while you’re burning the sauce and wearing only your undies and come four weeks ahead of time. If this happens and you’re not exactly the que sera type, you will feel like the hottest mess because you haven’t yet finished those 17 to-do lists you have for work and home. If you give yourself two weeks between your last day of work and the due date, you will be slightly more organised if you have an early-bird baby. You can't plan when labour will begin or what new challenges come up at work, but this might give you some peace of mind as you, or the person who's carrying the baby, moves into the latter stage of pregnancy.