Has any one dropped work hours further on in pregnancy

[SweetPea86]

Hi I'm 16 weeks my sickness and nausea after months is starting to calm down. But I still feel pretty tired and know once I'm further on it will only get worse. I haven't had one sick day and just persevered and gone in to work.

Even my scan and appointments I've swapped shifts and haven't asked for any time off.

I'm slightly worried the heaver I get how I will cope with work.

I work full time over 6 days and it's pretty tiering I'm on my feet all day don't get much of a chance to sit down. On my long days 10 hours I come home and have shooting pains every were. This worries me in a few months time how will I cope.

Just wanted to know if any one had asked work if they could cut some hours or a day just to have bit more time off feet.

My day off is tomorrow and it literally doesn't feel like I'm off as I have stuff to do just as busy as would be at work :(

I can't cut my hours as it would affect my maternity pay. As a result I am starting mat leave at 32 weeks, with holiday first so actually leaving at 28 weeks. Can't wait!

Yes I was thinking of starting my maternity early as that's one of my worries it affecting my pay when I leave. I see lots of ladies on here working up to 37 38 weeks and that's scares me I don't know how they do it.

It's worth checking your employers maternity policy. At my work any time for antenatal appointments is taken in work time, no questions asked and you can reduce hours further along in pregnancy with no financial implications.
Maybe ask your GP or Midwife if they can provide a note to say you need to reduce?

Working til 37 or 38 weeks might be fine if you are sat at a desk most of the time, but I am also constantly on my feet/up and down and bending/lifting so the thought of struggling on to the end is not appealing. I finished at 32 weeks in my first pregnancy too but am finding this time harder tbh.

There is a qualifying period which is used to work out mat pay, after this you can work whatever with no affect

Google it "maternity pay qualifying weeks"

And if course you are entitled to drop hours if working is affecting your health

Thanks ladies I have an appointment with midwife soon so will speak to her about it, I know my antenatal appointments are paid time off.

I also think I need to speak to a manger about it. It's a very male environment were I work so I'm not sure how to go about it lol

That's just SMP though (qualifying period is 15-25 weeks). My occupational maternity pay is based on what you are earning when you start mat leave.

Thanks mumof3 I'll have a look

Hi OP. You're legally entitled to take reasonable time off work for maternity appointments, paid, without having to make the time back up. See the following links. (Sorry am on phone so I can't do them all fancy!)

www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/before-the-equality-act/guidance-for-employers-pre-october-10/guidance-on-managing-new-and-expectant-parents/managing-pregnant-women/time-off-for-ante-natal-care/

I also have a job where I am on my feet most of the time. When I was pregnant with ds1, my boss risk assessed me and told me take it easier, no lifting, sitting where possible etc etc. I also had a 50 mile commute and near the end she encouraged me to work much shorter hours. None of this was instigated by me. I worked till 39 weeks.
In my experience, your pregnancy had to be taken into consideration by the company you work for and most are really keen to make life easier.

With DS1 I used holiday entitlement to take one day a week as "holiday" for the last few months before ML. Pay unaffected, proper rest day every week. Best of both worlds.

I am working to 38+6 (mainly office based), I work 52.5hours a week. From the beginning of August (I can't remember how far along I was) I used a days holiday a week so I worked 42 hours instead as for staffing reasons I couldn't use my holiday to extend my ML.

OP, your employer will need to do a risk assessment as soon as youve notified them in writing of your pregnancy. they need to accomodate your requirements by law.
take your antenatal appts during work time - you are entitled to this.
personally i was still quite knackered at 16 weeks, by 18 i felt more energetic and remained that way until around 27 weeks where i started to feel more tired and need to sit down a great deal more.
don't adjust yourself to accomodate work, work need to adjust to you - we are lucky to have this legislation in place (many countries don't) and you have to use it to your advantage!

I worked until 38 weeks, but have a desk job where I sit down all day and a short drive to work. If you are on your feet all day this would be awful! I also used some holiday to do half days every day in my last couple of weeks. Could you start using some holiday to take days or half days off here and there to recharge your batteries?

I had a short cervix diagnosed at 21wks and later spd and other issues that meant even an office desk job (plus 90min commute each way) 3 days per week became too much later in my pregnancy w DS2, causing pain and exhaustion that meant I had to spend the other 4 days of the week recovering. I work across a big campus and had lots of dashing about for meetings which became really hard, in the end even trips to the loo were difficult.

My doctor gave me a fit note which cut my hours down to 2 days per week, and I had an interview with the Occupational Health Nurse at 28wks who signed off to the firm I wasn't swinging the lead recommended I worked out the rest of my time to ML from home. I actually didn't do that as with only 2 days each week found it very stressful and isolating but did in the end got signed off by the GP to finish early at 32 wks - 2 wks sick, 2 wks hol and ML starting at 36 wks.

I was lucky that I'd already worked the qualifying period where earning are calculated for mat pay (21ish weeks I think but check) and I had a good sickness record from my many years there which meant that they were willing to give me all the sick time paid at normal rate rather than SSP.