Help me get through the last 3 weeks at work

[weebairn]

I am 33-and-a-half weeks and work is now ridiculously tiring. Boyfriend wants me to stop after tomorrow but I really wanted to try and work till 36/37 weeks. I have used a bit of annual leave and am part time anyway (i have a nearly 2 year old) so it is now only 8 shifts left.

I have been taken off night shifts and evening work but still on my feet all day and things can get quite stressful and busy. It can be very hard to get a break in the day but I am trying to make sure I sit down for 10 minutes and eat a sandwich at some point at least. I have had risk assessments blah blah blah which say I need more rest, but the reality of the acute medicine wards is completely different!!

anyone else out there in the last few weeks of work? How are you coping?

[Clairejessicamiller]

I'm not in the same boat still much earlier on but I would say listen to your body. Do you feel like you can physically cope with 3 more weeks? I only work 4 hour shifts on my feet and I'm shattered when I get home so I say a big well done for getting so far :)

[parallax80]

Is there a particular reason you want to go to 36/37 wks?

Do you think you are genuinely giving your patients a good standard of care without eating / drinking / resting / weeing properly? (In the spirit of Good Medical Practice!)

[weebairn]

It's mainly financial, I'm the main breadwinner but only part time now. This has great side effects such as DP taking the lead with all the housework and childcare and generally being brilliant support, but it's tough in pregnancy Last time I couldn't work past 32 weeks I was so exhausted and whilst I loved my mat leave going back to work when baby was 10 months old and still feeding in the night etc was incredibly hard.

I probably can't afford a year this time, it will probably be 9 months.

I also question whether I am doing the right thing though, and worry about my baby. Sometimes it feels like whatever you do as a mum it's the wrong thing

I do try and take breaks but the reality can be a bit different. I left loads of unfinished work today to go on time which I would never have done a month ago. I wouldn't leave a sick patient though.

Ah I dunno, I'm all defensive now, I just wanted a bit of encouragement to get through the last few shifts.

[parallax80]

(I mean a reason other than being a medic and therefore needing to follow through having planned it like that!)

[parallax80]

Sorry, I didn't mean to make it worse! I am in a similar position re money / LTFT and have it in my head I will get to 36 wks (31 now w twins). I think you genuinely have to look after yourself though. We don't work in an environment where you really get cut any slack, and it's unlikely anyone on your firm will really help you out. So I guess it's whether you feel like an extra 2.5 weeks in a few months is really worth flogging yourself now.

[Clairejessicamiller]

I would say from the sound of it to give it your best shot :) just think positively. Is there any way you can take small snacks to work to eat little and often if it's something like a cereal bar which is only a few mouthfuls?

[melissa83]

Im 33 weeks but still on feet a lot. Was doing 52 hours at work and have 2 of my own children until 2 weeks ago but now only doing 30. I am working until 35 weeks. Then having off 4 weeks then starting uni then having a baby the following week then 2 weeks off then straight back to it.

The main thing is eat and drink properly and you can get through anything. Dont stop til the casket drops is my motto

[parallax80]

Yes yes to cereal bars. Also, as a PRHO I swore by raw jelly - something like couple of hundred calories per block - terrible nutrition but compact and will get you over a hump.

Definitely wear TEDS.

Will your Infection Control allow water bottles with sports caps? If so, def take one around.

If you do decide to go off earlier, you haven't failed, and in the big scheme of things a couple of weeks won't make a huge difference (and you prob won't even remember in a couple of years).

[melissa83]

Make sure you drink water is the main thing is I was recently hospitalised over it for afternoon/evening so have learnt my lesson with that one. I did take a day off for that but only one so far this pregnancy and now Im drinking water like crazy.

[parallax80]

Oh, and the reason I mentioned GMP is because I've had some success managing to eat better by saying "no, you can't send for a some elective or not-really-that-urgent-CEPOD case because I'm not safe to do it until I've eaten something and had a wee. You can send in 15 mins." Whether this would work in a ward environment I don't know, but there must be non-urgent things that can wait.

[weebairn]

Thanks parallax :) I sometimes have an F1 or F2 I am ordering about a bit "listen to this woman's chest for me" "take these bloods" "I am going to sit down and do these things now, go to radiology" etc. The days they are not there are so hard though!!!

How are you doing with twins - they're not your first? Even though I feel enormous I think my bump is a bit small as they go so that probably helps a bit… You must be twice as exhausted! Also you are likely to have them early …? I was 5 days late last time so expecting to go to term, which does make a bit of a difference. The flip side of the part time work thing is that when I DO stop my toddler is already with my boyfriend/in nursery 3 days a week so I can have genuine rest those days, unlike my SAHM mum friends…

I know what you mean about doing something just because you planned to and it's daft. Assessing each day at a time, or trying to, but even though today was manic I coped ok (and put my foot down and left at 5) so I think I can do a few more shifts.

melissa you sound like superwoman!! I have no intention of going back to work for a long time after having my baby though :) (And hopefully might be a better mum to DD1 in the process?)

[parallax80]

No, not my first. I'm a lot bigger than I've ever been before, although fundal height is very dependant on their position. I've always said that if I feel I'm unsafe (eg if bump makes intubating difficult) I will stop immediately, but obv that's because a lot of what I do is time critical and on my own. Having said that, I'm actually finding it easier than previously (or maybe I'm just more skilled - let's say that, shall we?!)

I'm not sure about the early part - I've been told variously that 60% come before 37 weeks, but that having already had term pregnancy makes it less likely for them to be early. What I don't know is the proportion of that 60% that is iatrogenic instead of spontaneous.

I said I would keep going as long as possible at work partly for financial reasons, partly to help the department a bit through changeover and partly because I'm prone to antenatal anxiety and keeping things 'normal' as long as possible is healthier. But as you rightly say, one day at a time - we'll get there! Chin up.

[weebairn]

Definitely more skilled parallax :)

I am also more skilled than last pregnancy and as long as I can force myself not to get stuck in with the bending over and trying to lift patients to listen to their chests and so on, I am still frequently the most competent person around! I did that yesterday a few times with some sick patients as everyone else was flapping, just told everyone what to do (sometimes I think they are grateful anyway to be just given jobs rather than having to think). But it was a stupid day rushing round on my feet again, people look at you sympathetically but then frantically ask you to see 4 sick patients at once because there isn't anyone else or everyone else is being unhelpful, finished late again, minimal break again, and I tried to ask my consultant if I could do clinics or something for the last couple of weeks and he said he didn't have time to talk to me. For fuck's sake.

I think I will be less anxious when I stop work but I also am not looking forward to the waiting around for baby really, was hoping that whole bit would go quicker if I stopped later. Still. Day at a time.

What are you planning, are you hoping for a natural birth? I had a straightforward birth last time so I think I would have aimed for that with twins, but still rather relieved I didn't have to make decisions like that!

Hope your week is going ok. I have today off but have put toddler in nursery. Need some time horizontal!