Would they induce me for this?

[mylittlenugget]

Hi I'm 29 weeks and 5 days pregnant with my first and I've honestly just had an awful pregnancy. I've had really bad spd since about 15 weeks meaning I've struggled to walk but no one will sign me off work so it's just being made worse. I've had horrendous pains constantly, multiple fears of early labour and possible preeclampsia. And I'm just so done now.
I cry most days because of how much pain I'm in, and there are 70 year olds overtaking me now - a 15 minute walk home took me over 40 minutes yesterday because of how slow I am.
Is there any chance i could be induced early does anyone think? I'm not asking to be induced now because baby still needs to grow but I'm thinking around week 36 maybe to be induced? Don't want to ask the midwife and look stupid because it isn't possible but if there is hope I'll ask her at my next appointment.

Mine got really severe because i didn't know what it was and "carried on as normal" like you would with back pain.

I couldn't turn over in bed, hardly slept, couldn't walk just shuffled pushing the pushchair, my 12 month old used to have crawl up and down the stairs because I couldn't lift (99% centile lump), I literally couldn't do the stairs at all, physio was useless osteopath amazing as I managed without crutches afterwards.

It did massively improve after delivery I do still get twinges occasionally many years on. Very obvious really but don't ever kick a football/ball even post partum - really f*ckin hurts!!!

That sounds awful, I'm glad it's better now but horrible you're still suffering a bit.
Thankfully I've got two left feet and haven't played football in at least 10 years
I've been trying to get a hold of someone at the physio therapy department since 9am and nobody's answering the phones so that's great. If I don't get hold of them by 10:30 I'm just going to have to book a doctors appointment but the receptionists hate giving me appointments lately as I've had to go in five times just this week (picking up prescriptions after blood tests and having appointments then getting prescriptions for infections etc)

Seriously it's nothing but the occasional twinge these days. Newborn, hefty non-walking 14 month old and 6 year old with a broken arm was a breeze compared to being pregnant with SPD

I feel like labour should be a breeze compared to this in a way!
Waiting for my appointment now so 🤞

Was told they can't do anything. Told me not to work tomorrow but said I may just have to go on maternity leave earlier because if they sign me off that's all that will happen anyway.
Feel awful and don't know what to do now really

They can only force you to take early maternity leave 4 weeks before your due date. As it stands you are unfit for work. Use for 5 self certified days to phone in sick and then go back and ask for a sick note.

They can't tell you you need early mat leave as you could have physio and feel better etc. I can't believe they are making you jump through hoops.

I could tell the doctor felt awful for not being able to do more, and she said she'd had it herself but I couldn't help just sitting there in floods of tears when she said she can't do anything but prescribe paracetamol and email the physio therapy department but that they won't get the email any quicker than they would if I phone them on Tuesday.
I'm just going to have to take maternity early as it's fairly obvious I'm not going to get signed off and I'll just have to take the financial hit that comes with it. Thankfully we should still have enough to pay the bills so we won't be made homeless

Please read following Off work sick because of your pregnancy
If you're ill because of your pregnancy, you can claim:
• statutory sick pay until 4 weeks before your baby is due
• maternity pay in the 4 weeks before your baby is due - this happens automatically and is not up to your employer to decide

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/sick-pay/getting-sick-pay-when-youre-pregnant/

Did you think of changing GP?

Bullshit. My asshole gp (who's told me to 'have more miscarriages' while I was miscarrying (in order to access any sort of fertility testing)) signed me off for a month until my mat leave started at 35 weeks and prescribed co-codamol, but warned me not to take it too much as both I and baby could become dependent. The script was for 100 tablets!!! And I'd already gone to physio (who said they couldn't do much until baby was born).

She can do more.

I saw a different gp today than my regular one, and whilst she was more sympathetic didn't actually do anything else.
I'm also not entitled to maternity pay, hence why a sick note was so important as I can't claim UC otherwise I think? Cos I'm technically still deemed able to work?
I can't believe your GP told you that 😱 I'm genuinely horrified.
I did think of saying I'd thought I could have other painkillers but she seemed so unwilling to prescribe anything (I didn't even actually get a prescription for paracetamol, even though I probably would have refused it as a pack is like 50p if that) or do anything other than email the department that I thought it wouldn't make a difference. Maybe I should have piped up.
I feel so useless and stupid for not being able to do more, but I think the baby knows I'm feeling rubbish because she keeps kicking to let me know she's still there and she's okay 💖

Keep going back. Have you been to the pelvic partnership website?? Find any official sort of guidance on pgp that you can and show them where REST is crucial. Explain how you can't rest at work. I've never heard of gps so resistant to sign someone off... perhaps it's because you haven't self-certified?? This is buzzards...

She didn't even make a suggestion of self certifying, just said if I go off sick I can be made to take maternity leave earlier. I find it strange too but maybe they've got lots trying to get signed off right now. It's not like I'm putting on a brave face and trying to walk normally in there either, I was bent over in pain at one point, and the walk to the door felt like an eternity so I'm really not sure what's going on.
I'm just going to go into work next week and ask for a meeting with the manager and go on maternity earlier, at least then I'm doing what's best for my health. Can't really self certify because of my job role, I just say I'm not available to work and they don't ask for a reason so I can't prove I'm actually calling in "sick" in that sense. It's just mad. Felt let down in my last pregnancy (ended in miscarriage) and feel let down in this one too.

Please do not feel forced into taking early maternity pay. They cannot make you. They can only make you take early maternity pay if your off sick 4 weeks before your due date.

Think of the time you will be missing at the other end if you take your early maternity.

I would go to the doctor and specifically ask for a sick line. And if they refuse ask them why. Tell them they cannot just expect you to take early maternity until 4 weeks before your due date.

I can't get over this. Your doctor is a dickhead.

Also like PP I got prescribed cocodamol too 100 tablets with instructions to take 1-2 tablets up to 4 times a day.... Haven't taken any yet.

@mylittlenugget please at least go to the citizens advice as they will be able to advise you on the subject and afterwards return to GP.

A family member suggested citizens advice after today's appointment, going to have to go in next week to get some advice. Will also stop in the job centre to see what help they can offer me

Well after a days rest (I have done absolutely nothing but walk to the toilet from my sofa which is about five seconds away) I feel so much better!
Everything hurts still but I can walk with a lot more ease and I'm nowhere near crying from the pain! I shall mention this to the physiotherapist when I get an appointment but things are looking up a bit now 😊 thank you everyone

Glad to read your update, please insist on time to rest.

So I've been working as normal in the run up to the appointment tomorrow, just taking things easier so no lifting if it can be helped and sitting/moving as much as needed. It's helped a lot and I've felt pretty much fine (compared to how I was).
But today I had a bit more pain than I have experienced lately, and when a child asked to be picked up (non essential, child was fine just wanted to look at something I'd just shown them and it's something they can see from the floor anyway) my boss said they don't think I'll be able to work my remaining three months because it appears I can't carry out my job duties and that although it's nobodies fault and they're happy to accommodate my needs to keep me and baby safe they also rely on me to do certain things such as lifting children up occasionally. I couldn't really argue with her so just said I don't know what the future holds and I'll know more tomorrow.
My question is though, does it sound like they're trying to politely tell me they're better off with me not working and in a roundabout way asking me to go on maternity even earlier? She's made a few comments like this in the past when I was planning on working even longer so I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid they don't like me but it feels like they don't want me there? Can they ask me to take maternity earlier or would they have to hint like is happening?

As far as I am aware they can ask you to start maternity earlier if it's effecting your job

Strange they won't just come right out and ask then.
I honestly had no idea she felt that I wasn't fulfilling my job duties, I've been doing as much as I possibly can and offered to do more which is often shut down. I'm not even allowed to change the three month old babies nappies anymore yet they can ask me to pick up a tantrumming almost three year old with a tendency to hit my stomach.
I'm going to beg to be signed off tomorrow and if they absolutely refuse I'm just going to talk to the manager and say that some concerns have been voiced about my ability to work and so i think it's best if I leave sooner. Seems ridiculous when there's only three weeks left and I've genuinely been feeling much better (I overdid it at the weekend and it caught up with me today is all, and I knew it would happen and tried not to let it affect me, I doubt they'd even have known if I hadn't refused to pick that child up!).

Have you not got any holidays you can use?

Not that I can book off now unfortunately. It's either go on maternity leave early or carry on knowing they think I'm useless really

Go on maternity, enjoy the few extra weeks before the baby arrives

If full pay is better than maternity, take their advice and stay at home. If you are unable to perform your duties, or it is unsafe, you are entitled to REASONABLE adjustments to your role or different responsibilities. If they cannot provide these, then you are entitled to be put on leave with full pay. Do NOT take maternity leave until you are ready to do so...

You're in a bit of a stronger position if they are suggesting you can't fulfill your duties but they are unable (or unwilling) to adjust your duties. I don't know a huge amount about this, so I'd suggest you post in the work section to ask the advice of HR professionals. CAB may also have more info...

Don't get maternity pay so full pay is definitely better!
Reasonable adjustments have been made and I thought I was working to my highest capability within these adjustments. I'd actually be comfortable doing more than what they're allowing but I understand it's a health and safety thing.
It isn't the first time a comment about my capability to work has been made and it's because of the first few comments I changed my leave date the first time.
I was ready to go on maternity a few weeks ago if I'm honest but I can't really afford it and with the adjustments I'm coping much better so feel able to carry on.
I'll post in employment as well just thought it'd be easier to keep all info in one place (baby brain didn't make me think that different people frequent employment to childbirth and that the thread title is very different now to the content 🤦‍♀️)