Anyone been signed off work?

[freneticfox]

Wondering if anyone else had been forced to take some signed-off sick leave in the first trimester of their pregnancy?

I'm 8+1 and struggling a lot. I have a minor disability that limits my mobility on a good day - since falling pregnant I've not been able to take my usual combo of painkillers so I am finding things hard at the moment, I'm in a lot of pain, which is having a direct effect on my sleep and nausea.

When I've raised the issue with a close colleague I was met with a bit of hostility and the attitude that 'women have been having babies for centuries, they just get on with what they have to'.

I just need to know there are others out there who've felt they NEED a week or so to recuperate without feeling like a complete failure as a woman.

Yep - I had awful spd but before it was diagnosed and had physio I had 2 weeks signed off because I couldn't walk let alone work! A lot of people have easy pregnancies and find it easy to judge others. If you are struggling take the time off-- your baby and your health are the most important things!

Hi Freneticfox,
Yes, I'm currently 9 weeks and have had to take a week and a half off due to heavy bleeding. I'm now back at work but am working from home and have a note from the docs saying this is necessary for the next 2 weeks at least.
You shouldn't feel at all like a failure. I haven't actually told my boss the reason, just left it as a vague medical issue, but have told HR who were very sympathetic. Lots of women have problems in pregnancy - your colleague sounds very insensitive; perhaps she's had a perfect problem-free pregnancy (if she has kids) but I know a lot of people that haven't and several friends have had to take time off in the first tri.
I was quite stressed about having to take the time off until my husband said that work doesn't matter - your health and the baby is the important thing - and he was right. I'd say go to the docs and get them to sign you off, and don't feel guilty.

Thank you for your responses; I think I know what I need to do. It's just nice to know that not everyone is so judgemental!

I was signed off at 29 weeks with SPD for the rest of the pregnancy (well 36 weeks when they started my maternity leave). Ignore the witches at work. Get signed off if you need to. Ask your GP to refer you to someone who knows about pain medication and pregnancy.

Ps. Pregnancy sick leave has to be treated differently to normal sick leave, so your work can't use it to discriminate.

I was signed off for 7-8 weeks (until about week 16) and then went back part time for another couple of weeks with 'morning' sickness. I think given the option of a colleague puking 24/7 or coping with a worker down, they decided that it was the better option

I was signed off at 8 weeks for nausea and vomiting, and now again at 31 weeks for fainting and palpitations. I don't like it and feel guilty, and know some people will moan about it, but at the end of the day mine and babies health are more important.

The week off early on made the world of difference. Just rest and only do what you need to do.

The doctor offered to sign me off twice during my 1st trimester last time and I turned down the offer saying I would manage and mainly because I didn't want to tell work at that point (I was fairly new, and things weren't exactly going well at work already so felt extra un comfortabel about it). That was for nausea. I really regretted that decision. I SOOOO should have just got signed off and rested. Some times it just is necesery.

I ended up finishing work at the earliest point I could to begin mat leave, menaing I ended up taking lots of mat leave before DD was even born, because I was still so sick. I probably should have gone to the GP and asked to be signed off then - I'd have been financially much better of but I wasn't brazen enough to do it as I felt guilty because of the finacial benefits to me. Yet if I hadn't been so sick and nauseaus, I would have worked much later as I did in my first pregnancy.

Basically, get signed off if the doctor will do it and you think it will help you, certainly sounds like the doc will agree you need it. And sod everyone else.

I was signed off for six weeks at 6 weeks and seven at 27 weeks. I'm 31+2 now so currently signed off. I beat myself up so much about taking the time off to begin with, fretted about money, being made to start maternity etc, but now I'm much happier about it and resigned to taking each day as it comes. If I could do anything about how sick I feel I would, in fact, I have been to the GP every week since I've been off, switched meds, changed diet etc. Sometimes pregnancy is just shitty and there's nothing you can do about it!

I've been signed off twice since falling pregnant. Once at 8 weeks and again at 19 weeks.

First time was for general morning sickness/sinusitis/dizziness.

Second was for SPD.

I never felt guilty about taking the time off as I probably would have been as much use as a balloon with a whole in it.

Believe me taking a week or two off will make you feel a million times better.

I'm waiting for my GP to call me back, I'm hoping she's still willing to sign me off for a week (I am off on holiday the week after that anyway). Hoping a couple of weeks should get me over the absolute worst of the first trimester. Wishful thinking sometimes works, right?

I've been signed off work since week 8 now week 22 and my doctor told me that he dosnt want me at work i had a large hematomia and bad sickness and now I've developed pelvic and back problems which makes doing my job impossible.
i was/am cafe manager and went i was signed off sick and told it would be long term the owner had my job replaced and i was basically told to resign. i didnt its tough they can sack me because i have a pregnancy related illness and can't physically work. i used to feel really upset about it all. but i got over it about week 15 my baby is more important

I was off loads in my first trimester! Wasn't signed off by doc, just kept calling in sick and my supervisors were brilliant! I'm 19 weeks now and have had the last 5 days off, due to sickness and a trapped nerve but they have said it's pregnancy related so it's protected (and not counted on my sickness record).
To be honest I first felt I was a bit of a failure for not 'coping' like women have for millennia, however I now think stuff it!! There's no point me being in if I can't do my job, I might as well be off and try to get better as soon as I can.
Good luck and feel better soon.

I am now in my second bout of sickness in the pregnancy, total of 7 weeks now. All unrelated to the actual pregnancy (multiple eye operations). It sucks massively and I just want to be in work. But I do believe if a doctor believes you shouldn't be at work, then there's no shame in that.

From a bosses angle, they wouldn't want you there anyway fox. I was useless last week & admit if I'm like that again I'm off home. If i was really bad i recon theyd keep me on different duties because as soon as i tell them & risk assessments done, half my jobs going to be moved to someone else.

I have the guilts too but I'm sure it will be forgotten about n let's face it we hate working with I'll ppl!

Think about yourself :-) xx

I had a week off at 25 weeks which I felt like complete shit about, I was overworked working stupid hours and getting really run down.

Managing much better since then so it was obviously worth it.

I had a very lovely and sensible GP who told me I had to go and rest, when I turned up in a tearful exhausted self loathing mess, saying "I don't even know why I've come to see you, I don't know what you could do" and he said, "I can give you permission to rest as you clearly can't give it to yourself. Now go and rest." And wrote me a sick note for a week.

My GP is lovely. But any doctor should sign you off.

I had 3 weeks off at about 10 weeks due to sickness, another 3 weeks off at 20 weeks due to bereavement. I have another 3 weeks left at work, have SPD and generally feel crap, trying to see it through but unsure if I will.

I was signed off for a month with nausea. Women have been having babies since the dawn of time but some of them have been very ill. The working week we have now is a relatively new invention anyway - women weren't allowed to work past marriage a few decades ago so this wouldn't have been an issue. And Charlotte Bronte died of hyperemesis. Pregnancy can be very tough! Have a rest!

I was signed off from 15 weeks and I'm now 32 weeks it helped a lot work were horrid and tried enforcing my maternity early as I was ill but I had law on my side and they couldn't basically they are short staffed due to huge company losses and needed me back before xmas but I told them where o stick it

I'm signed off for a week, them I'm off for a week after that anyway. By the time I go back I'll be nearly 11w. Hopefully I'll start feeling better by then! (there goes that wishful thinking again)

I had 2 weeks off when I was 10-12 weeks, I was coming off antidepressants and was having a lot of dizzy spells and low blood pressure. If you have to you have to.