6weeks+1day pregnant and deputy manager of a shop

[KatieBurningham]

Hi all
Just a general wondering about what kind of things you do at work whilst pregnant. I'm 6 weeks and 1 day and am deputy manager of a busy shop. I have been pulling cages, booking in deliveries ( so carrying heavy boxes ) climbing up ladders etc. haven't been doing anything I would usually do, so although the boxes are heavy, I would have lifted them before.
Should I stop doing these things? Manager has told me to not do anything I feel I shouldn't do but I don't know what I shouldn't do!
Any advice? Would be nice to hear about the things you're still doing whilst pregnant.
Ps new to posting on this site!
Thanks!
Katie

Your work should do a risk assessment for you to highlight any activities that you should and should not be undertaking. Avoid heavy lifting where possible and take regular short breaks so you're not on your feet all day if you're feeling a bit tired or achey. Make sure you keep hydrated throughout the day, especially if you are stood up and moving about a lot. Wear sensible shoes.
Mostly you can probably keep going as normal, you just have to listen to your body and stop doing things, or slow down a bit if you need to.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck

Thanks for the advice.
Need to just slow it down a bit I think. Learn when it's too much.
I told my manager 8 days ago and still waiting for him to find the time to do a risk assessment with me. Will keep nagging.
Thanks a lot x

It's a tricky one because during the first trimester you feel like heavy lifting won't be a problem. However, you should be careful not to lift too much. During the first trimester your ligaments soften to prepare for the stretching required later, because of this softening you can actually do yourself some harm if you push yourself too hard.

What sort of harm?
I was thinking early miscarriage however read this earlier on the nhs website:

"Misconceptions about miscarriage

An increased risk of miscarriage is not linked to:
a mother’s emotional state during pregnancy, such as being stressed or depressed
having a shock or fright during pregnancy
exercise during pregnancy (but discuss with your GP or midwife what type of exercise is suitable for you during pregnancy)
lifting or straining during pregnancy
working during pregnancy
having sex during pregnancy"

I'm wondering why heavy lifting etc is such a massive no no when the nhs website says this . Also read similar on miscarriage association website.

One very confused pregnant woman! Lol

Hi Katie - congratulations!

The big risk, as I understand it, is to you. As the relaxin hormone kicks in you are much more injury prone so heavy lifting etc. could be problematic if not done very carefully. You may also find that as your centre of gravity shifts (relatively early on) you are able to balance less easily so standing on ladders or stools is riskier.

Hi Katie.

I agree with the above, the heavy lifting thing is more about back injury than anything else. You don't want to weaken or injure your back at this early stage because it might cause you problems later. I hurt my back quite badly just before conceiving so I'm avoiding all lifting and crossing fingers that it doesn't recurr.

Tell your boss to pull his/her finger out or you'll get HR on them!

Good luck

I teach fitness classes, so was still lifting 20 kilo weights over my head when pregnant without any problems. generally and unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it is fine to continue with most activities you were doing before you got pregnant and are used to.

Your boss needs to "find time for" the risk assessment, ffs. Tell him it's not an optional extra that you do if and when you can get around to it, it's a legal requirement and he is laying the company open to potentially very expensive compensation claims...

Oh, and congrats on your pregnancy!