How are people managing at work?

[weebairn]

I am so tired I feel like I do nothing but lie down when I come home :(

29 weeks so still ages to go…

I feel wobbly and faint when I go too long without a break but it's hectic. I start early. I finish late. I take a break if I can. I fainted the other week (not at work) so I am a bit anxious about missing meals now.

I feel like no one appreciates how hard I am trying to just keep the pace and get the work done.

I have a toddler too and my days with her are also tiring. But in a different way. And I can pick what I do more. And she naps at lunchtime thank god, I sit down then.

Feeling a bit sorry for myself tonight. Just want to hear that there are other people who aren't just sailing through work and pregnancy sometimes I feel like the only tired tired girl with a bump...

I feel so sorry for the people using the tube!! London and pregnancy sounds as bad as working in hospitals and pregnancy!

The nurses were helpful today and did force-feed me at one point. They weren't asking for unreasonable things, there were just a lot of sick patients and a lot of patients going home. They will feel like shit if I faint. I did faint the other week (not at work) and am a bit anxious about it happening again.

My regs are shirkers in my opinion. one of them is ok. maybe I will collar him more. I was going to steal another team's junior today but they were short too. I hate that they have put me in this position begging for help but the workload is just stupid at times.

Thank you it is so helpful speaking to other people who understand.

I think I would actually prefer running about wards than trying to stand upright in theatre for hours while hot and sick - please look after yourself moreisnnogedag...

I'm 31+4 and due to go off at 36 weeks (2 weeks hol and maternity leave starting at 38) but my dr gave me a sicknote for two weeks (almost two weeks ago) to rest due to high blood pressure.

Over the last two weeks I haven't been left alone by work for even a day - constant phone calls which has stressed me out even more. I'm dreading going back next week even though I know there's only 4 weeks to go. When I'm at work I don't get breaks, there's no air con and I'm in a hot, smoggy city centre office which makes me feel ill when I'm there.

I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow so I'll see if my bp has come down after my so-called "rest" from work!

I found OH (NHS) worse than useless last time, and eventually went off at 34 wks after a dreadful set of nights when I was pretty much too big to intubate and to use the reclining chair in the on call room without getting wedged in
Haven't bothered with OH this time, but starting to find long days really tough (27/40 w twins).

OP I feel your pain!

I am only 24 weeks, but this has been an exhausting working week. I work 13hr days/ 12hr nights in this heat (even in the middle of the night it is above 25 degrees), and when it is busy, which is nearly all the time there isn't even time to drink outside of the one break time we get. Obviously, when patients are very ill and we are short-staffed it is not possible to take it easy, slow down, take more time to rest, eat, drink, sit down. I finished nightshifts on Monday morning, then did a 13hr day shift on Tuesday. I would really like to just sleep on my days off, but I have a 3yr old and all the housework that doesn't get done on the days I am at work. Not sure how I'm going to keep this up for another 12 weeks, which is my current plan.

Toddler up at 4.30 this morning. I am on my knees.

Happypotamus I got taken off night shifts after 20 weeks or so (well i insisted and they let me - last time they guilt tripped me for asking for a month or two then let me). But I think it's reasonable. Day shifts are busier but they don't fuck with your sleeping and eating and tiredness so much. And (not sure what your role is) but it's a skeleton crew of doctors in the night and I don't feel great being only one of three in the case of an arrest, etc.

I do very little housework. The other day I got home about 7pm from work and by the time me and boyfriend had done all the housework it was bedtime! god. Life cannot continue being this hard can it… I certainly found newborn SO much easier than pregnancy last time… and not being at work!!

parallax another one the NHS is not looking after, eh. take care of yourself.

my bump is not huge and people keep being surprised I'm 30 weeks. maybe that is not helping either. last time I was in scrubs and many people didn't even realise i was pregnant when I finished work at 33 weeks. they must have just thought I was eating a lot...

weebairn I had to put a catheter into a lady last week (nurse here) and she was v. confused and kept fighting us and I was bending over and struggling to see and afterwards I was just so worn out I felt almost tearful!

Am on a surgical ward and whilst you are surrounded by nurses who have been through pregnancies on the ward so are undoubtedly very empathetic - the short staffing means that you still have to do 90% of the actual work.

I see the doctors though and don't envy them. Running from one ward to another - up all those stairs! I have one corridor and it seems endless!

Am going off at 32 weeks - no way am I sticking around longer.

Sympathies weebairn. I'm an anaesthetic reg and at least you are a bit more protected in terms of breaks etc, (plus get comforts of air conditioned theatre in this weather) but still finding it hard! (26/40).

What % LTFT are you? Would it be an option to go from 80% to 60%, (if you could afford it) for the remainder of your time left?

Could your F1 or SHO on another firm hold your bleep and field calls while you have a half hour sit down?

Don't really have many suggestions, but it sounds like your reg's need to help more!

Ooh - and get a cleaner so that's at least one thing off your mind!

weebairn Last time I was pregnant we had a much more understanding manager, who, despite not having ever been pregnant herself, took people off nights after 20ish weeks. We no longer have that, and people are doing nights until the week they leave. I also do very little housework and have very low standards, but when I am on nights the washing-up doesn't get done, DH mostly only washes his own clothes, and the floors don't get vacuumed and we have 2 long-haired cats, so it does have to be done on my day off. Today DD and I have been to the park and only just got in. The dishwasher hasn't even been emptied yet, but I am having a sit-down first.

Have been trying to think of helpful suggestion but the only thing I've come up with are TEDS - I'm sure they're about the only thing that stops me coming over all dizzy on ICU mega ward rounds!

If there was an altar to TEDS I would sacrifice a goat to it weekly. I don't know how any pregnant woman can work without them.

I'd bloody collar that reg. Can you set up a little 'command centre'? Find a computer, hog it and tell the nurses you will complete anything if they bring it to and fan you with a palm leaf

I did that and it at least saved trawling up and down the wards looking for prescriptions/charts etc. I also admit that at 38/40 it would have literally taken a dying patient to get me out my wheeled chair. It's amazing how far you can get in one of those with a bit of momentum.