Anyone else finish work as early as 15wks???

[Nichola2310]

I am 15 +1 with my first child and only lasted 3 hrs in work today and don’t see me being able to go back. I’ve posted previously about being demented with sciatica since 4.5 wks and it just continues to get worse. I’ve spent the last 2 weeks trying to convince my work to let me work from home (I’m an accountant so very doable) but they’ve said no.

I only have 10 days paid sick leave and I have 20 days holidays, but but that will leave about 19wks of pregnancy where I can’t earn. Also it will mean I will lose about half of my maternity pay.

Therefore it’s a big financial worry as well as the fact I’m going to lose my mind at home for this length of time. I’m fully expecting to be house bound as driving is a nightmare.

Anyone else in a similar position? How did you cope? I’m already completely fed up as every weekend I’ve just been lying on the sofa resting in the hope the pain would lessen, but instead it’s getting more severe.

No advice but I just want to say completely ignore any comments you may get which are along the lines of ..
'Well I worked until 38 weeks in all 4 of my pregnancies'
rolls eyes
Unless someone is experiencing the levels of pain you are then they do not understand!
This isn't the sort of pain that you can just deal with, push through or 'fight'
If you do that it can actually cause permanent damage... it's not normal pregnancy aches and pains.

There are some online Facebook support groups for pelvic pain/spd during pregnancy and a lot of women on there had to give up work early! Many have sciatica
Might be worth joining as they are very supportive groups full of thousands of women who actually understand

Could you ask to be referred to occ health to see what adjustments they can suggest. I would have thought that a large corporate could accommodate a reasonably large number of adjustments - even if its not working from home all week. This isn't going to be for ever. Can I suggest you contact the maternity action helpline. I think there is a risk here of them treating your unfavourably (possibly) and not making reasonable adjustments.

Ok first of all this sounds like a disability, rather than just a pregnancy related illness. "You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities." www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010 I have actually wondered about this for myself before as I've had variants of PGP and sciatica for over 6 years now, although not as bad as you by the sound of it.

I would investigate the above and then talk to Maternity Action too and see what they suggest. Then I would go back to your work and be asked to be referred to Occupational Health. They really should be involved.

I have had PGP since my first pregnancy and although it's mostly gone away in between, it's definitely still been there when exacerbated. From my second pregnancy it got much worse and I also developed sciatica. Afterwards it just didn't go away, although it did dull down. I had physio up until 12 months post birth when they physio declared that it was the bed she could do. Now in my third pregnancy and I've had severe PGP again since 3 weeks (before I'd even had a positive test). In my last pregnancy I didn't work past 28 weeks and that's my plan for this time around too. Last time I had so much physio and also hydrotherapy but nothing really worked and I was on crutches from 12/13 weeks. I was in so much pain and painkillers did nothing. This time however I am in a job where I am mostly working from home, so I am hopeful that they will agree to me working completely from home. I wouldn't physically be able to get to work anyway as part of my commute involves me climbing into a minibus and I just wouldn't be able to do it.

I completely sympathise with you. Some managers don't know where to begin with something like this that falls outside the box. You need to gently direct them.

Have you come across the pelvic partnership website? I'm sure you have but I found it very good and am excellent resource.

I work for an NHS Trust and pregnancy-related sickness doesn't count like normal sickness. It may be worth checking your firm's Maternity Policy to see if you they have anything similar if the sciatica is being caused by pregnancy. I'm unsure if it's an NHS or even Trust-specific thing or if it's a legal universal rule.

I'm probably telling you stuff you already know, but have you had all the advice about keeping your knees together getting in and out of bed/cars etc? Full-length pillows to support your leg at night? Have you got a pelvic support velcro thing/tubigrip?