I work for the ambulance service. My job requires regular, short lived heavy lifting of patients, often down flights of stairs. Prior to having a baby I was a regular gym goer, I was very fit and strong for my stature (I'm only 5'1). I'm now a year post partum and over the last year have been unable to keep, let alone put weight on. I'm hovering above 7st right now which has slowly been decreasing, whereas I was 8 1/2 before I got pregnant. I'm skinny, even relatives comment on how tiny I've become. I eat like a horse:
Breakfast: 3 eggs wrap with vegan Philly, a bacon bagel and a bowl of porridge, an orange and blueberries and vegan yoghurt
Lunch: Some kind of meat based, slow cooker meal with either potatoes or pasta/rice
Dinner: Same as lunch
In between I'll eat best part of a 100g bar of vegan chocolate, maybe a bowl of cereal and more fruit.
I do still breastfeed but only 3-4 times per day (before naps and once in the night). I've been to the GP and bloods were normal, I was referred to a dietician but haven't received an appointment yet.
I now struggle carrying a semi-heavy bag of shopping back to the car. There is no way I am safe (in respect of avoiding injury to myself, a patient or a colleague) to be lifting patients until I can stop losing weight and regain some strength. I have a buldging disc in my lower back and obviously I'm cautious that one attempt to lift a patient I'm not capable of and I could blow it.
I don't know how to explicitly say to my employer that I'm not prepared to go back into my previous role with my current state. I was open in my meeting that I was waiting for an appointment and whatnot but they are presumably expecting it to have all been resolved by the time I'm due back (beginning of July) because they have booked me back onto shifts and training.