Working in a care home pregnant

[threeprincesses]

Hey guys,

I work in nursing and end of life in a care home. I'm currently 25 weeks pregnant and really struggling. I've been put on "light duties" although if your job is similar to mine you'll know there's not really such a thing as light duties in a care home. I'm meant to do 3 residents a day max which I've been coping with recently quite well but today someone called in sick so it was me and one other lady to do 15 residents. It's really heavy work.. and I've been in so much pain in my lower stomach going into the top of my thighs and lower back, I've taken two doses of paracetamol but still feeling it. My manager has said she will be doing my risk assessment for weeks, but still hasn't. I'm just wondering if anyone else has worked in the same job role or similar whilst pregnant and what helped you?

[Babyroobs]

I think you do need to be careful. I was doing heavy Nursing work and went into labour 6 weeks early with my ds2. I hadn't even started mat leave. I wish in retrospect that I had slowed down a bit more.

[savingshoes]

I agree you need to be careful. Short staffing is not your responsibility so don't allow it to be. I know it's hard when you don't want the residents to suffer but you just have to keep going back to management and demanding that they well, manage.

I would suggest you changing your shifts so that you are not spending long hours on your feet or do split shifts where you get the chance to spend a few hours eating and elevating your legs in between.

Listen to your body and offer to do more administration than manual labour towards the end. Can you help at reception or in the office/supplies towards the end of the pregnancy? Cus that would really help with exhaustion.

I would definitely chase that risk assessment, good luck!