Midwife wants me to stop work early

[arolf]

I was planning to work right up until I drop, but at my 32 week appointment yesterday, the midwife suggested I stop work in the next fortnight or so, if not sooner, as I look so tired.

My boss has said I can cut back my hours, work from home, and use holiday days to make life easier, plus I'm getting free 1st class travel upgrades on the train (when it's running, and the operators aren't on strike...), so I don't feel like it's such a big deal to keep working. Once I'm working from home I can have a nap at lunchtime, plus won't have the commute to exhaust me. Also, I had a day off yesterday (for midwife appt!) and nearly went out of my mind with boredom by lunchtime. I actually did some work even though I was on holiday!

I'm not sure what to do though. Did anyone else have this advice from their midwife? if so, what did you do?

[rubyslippers]

your MW can advise - she cannot amke you do it though

your Boss sounds like he/she is being very accomodating so if this is helping you carry on then do so

i am 30 weeks PG and will be working until 37 weeks (hopefully)

just be sensible and it sounds as though you are

[cthea]

Do you feel tired? It doesn't sound like you do.

[arolf]

I'm bloody knackered! and I did have a 2 hour nap yesterday afternoon. But I'm so used to being tired, it doesn't seem like such a big problem, as I have had maybe 2 weeks in this pregnancy when I had decent sleep all the way through. My job is very sedentary (sat at the computer all day), and I do start to flag around lunchtime, plus by thursday I'm normally prety wiped out (at least for the past 3 or 4 weeks). but I'm just not sure whether to have a bit of a break before baby gets here, or save my time off for when he arrives. It's a dilemma!

[cthea]

Oh. I'd assumed you weren't tired and that's why you worked even on your day off. If you're going to take the full 9 (or is it 12 now?) months ML then I suppose going a couple of weeks early on ML would be fine for childcare arrangements afterwards, it wouldn't cut too much into your ML. OTOH if you take time off now you'll just be nervous/excited/unsettled etc rather than properly resting before the baby comes, so maybe not best use of time.

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

I think, if you had a stressful job, or could not reduce hours etc I would seriously consider the advice, but as you are able to make some significant adjustments, I think give it a couple of weeks and see how you feel, but as already said, be sensible. If it gets too much, stop, if you are managing fine, continue for a bit longer.

It is good to hear about an employer who is being supportive in a pregnancy, proactively.

[rubyslippers]

you aren't aneamic are you?

this can make you feel really knackered

[arolf]

apparently not anaemic according to blood tests 3 weeks ago, think the exhaustion is most likely due to a baby who kicks all night long! and is particularly keen on bladder kicking... However, I was also advised to follow an iron rich diet for the next few weeks (I already am, so not sure what else to do!)

cthea - I'm planning 6 months leave, but can extend it if I want to - however, have only been working here for 2 and a half months, so I want to come back as soon as I can!

and Pavlov - my boss has 3 young kids of her own, and has been INCREDIBLY supportive since I started working here - I'm going to bake her a nice big chocolate cake to say thanks before I go off on leave!

[rubyslippers]

hmm - well then it is knackering "just" being PG

sounds like your boss is really supporting you
so why don't you take things week by week and if things change you have a good enough relationship with your boss to have some time off or start ML earlier

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

I am sure she will appreciate the cake!

My boss is so lacking in support or understanding she really could not get why I need weeks and weeks and weeks off work for 'a bit of morning sickness' until the gp medicated me, and the OH nurse explained in full detail what hyperemesis was!!! She became a lot more understanding after she was put straight on that one! But still, is clearly in the 'i had easy simple births 25 years ago, so you should too'

[June2009]

Can you take an extra day off a week, or work only mornings a couple of days?
I worked right until the day before I gave birth and it was pretty full on (but from home and my work is also from a computer).

The thing is with working right until the end is that if you have a long labour (like mine 24 hours) and you've been up the day before as normal then you've pretty much been up 48 hours by the time the baby is here.
That really messed me up, too tired for labour and too tird to cope with a newborn/breastfeeding/aftermath of cesarean.
I really think that especially for breastfeeding if I had managed to relax a bit before birth and got a bit more sleep my body would have produced enough colostrum and milk for baby, and I would have been more able to deal with it. (In the end I am not breastfeeding and it's been very hard emotionally to take the decision to formula feed.).

The midwife had also told me to slow down.

[mrswee]

If you do decide to take your mat leave early BECAUSE the Midwife has advised you too, you can get signed off by your doctor up until 4 weeks before you are due then it automatically turns into mat leave.

but it sounds like you are fine and could bare it in mind and see how you go

[RachieW]

I worked until 37 weeks as I wanted to have all my time with the baby. I'm a teacher so I could leave straight at the end of school and get home for a snooze. Like June I had a 24hr labour which was exhausting and left me shattered for the next.... 4 months (was very lucky ds slept through quite early). However I don't think finishing work any earlier would have helped me as I was so bored on mat leave waiting for the baby to come that I kept going shopping etc.

There's no right or wrong really, I think you just need to go with your instinct. If you feel ok and just preg tired not absolutely can't do anymore tired then I'd keep going. It sounds like your fab boss wouldn't mind if by next week you've decided you can do no more so it seems like you can take each week as it comes. Good luck

[pinkspottywellies]

I know this is a bit off the subject (and FWIW, I would keep working if you can!) but someone mentioned your iron levels. Mine weren't considered low by the midwife but taking Spatone made me feel soooooo much better in the last few weeks of my 2nd pg, when my toddler didn't give me the choice to slow down a bit!! Might be worth a try.

[arolf]

thanks for all the input! It's good to hear other folk's experiences, however bad - gives me an idea of what could happen.

I think what I'll do is a) try and up my iron levels, and b) try 1 day off a week for the next 2 or 3 weeks, and see how that goes. I've got working from home more or less set up, so can do that 1 day a week too if necessary.

I think I'll also try and start my leave at 38 weeks, which would mean only 5 weeks left - eek! I'm sure I can manage to slob around the house for a couple of weeks without totally losing my mind...

[mrswee]

sorry.... I didn't catch your later posts.. sounds like you are pretty tired!

I am nearly 32 weeks and was intending to work till two weeks before I am due.
However I have just had two weeks off (annual leave) and am feeling a lot better, I hadn't noticed exactly how knackard I was till I took a rest, it has totally made me rethink.
On the other hand as you said, I have been a bit bored because I can't do that much, but I think it is good to start your birth at least a bit rested because you'll need to energy and then there's the lack of sleep we are going to experience for the next few months/years!!

good luck!!

[KatyS36]

HI,

I'm now 28 weeks and doing ok but feeling tired.

I'm now using annual leave to switch to a 4 day week. I'm having Wednesdays off so I only ever work two days in a row. I'm finding this makes a big difference.