How easy should I be taking it?

[RachaelT]

Everyone who knows (hubby, MIL and GP) says I should be "looking after myself and taking it easy" now I'd like to think I always look after myself - drinking water, eating balanced diet, sleeping 7-8 hours...

The taking it easy bit is what's confusing me: I have a particularly active job (furniture retail) where my normal tasks include working at heights, lifting significant weights (tables and sofas etc), painting and lots of walking. I don't want to tell work for another 2 months approx until we're into the second trimester. How do I manage this? What can I still do? I feel like I could do everything!

From a health and safety point of view you need to tell work now so they can do a risk assessment. If you weren’t doing such physical work it would be fine to wait but you really need to tell them.

Apart from that life continues as normal really and you don’t need to change much. Just listen to your body!

I think with the exception of exposure to chemicals, the other activities won't be risky/difficult until the baby affects your centre of gravity/abdominal muscles. Presumably you're in good shape with such an active job which will help! I think the advice is you can maintain but not increase your level of physical activity in pregnancy.

But work can't really make allowances for you or do a risk assessment until you tell them.

There are guidelines/advice around raising your body temp or heart rate too high in early pregnancy that you might want to look up. You also should be aware of the effect pregnancy hormones can have on making your ligaments and tendons more ate, so it can be easier to hurt yourself.

Generally I'd say do what you feel able to, be healthy and active as much as possible but don't put yourself at risk. Working at height is a risk, so personally I'd tell work, but you can ask your manager/HR/occupational health to keep it confidential until you want to tell all of your colleagues.

Stretchy, not 'ate'!

@Waitingonasmiley42 is right, you do need to talk to work so they can do a risk assessment, but that shouldn't preclude you doing most of what you already do, and staying active.

I had to tell my manager very early on as I was quite unwell, but no one else on the team knew until I told them after the first scan.