Physical job during early pregnancy, what should you do?

[AC1981]

HI Ladies,

I am new to all this. I am 10 weeks pregnant, first time round and I'm 37 years old. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how you get round working in a physical job while pregnant?

I am a pub manager of a very busy tourist pub in central London. I have been managing pubs for nearly 18 years and have always had to work extremely hard and long hours- around 60 a week. Since I found out I am pregnant I have tried to cut down the physical work but it's literally impossible and I worry constantly about whether I am risking mine and my babies health. I know as time goes on I'll have to slow down but it's so hard. Midwife says don't worry too much but take a 10 minute break every hour (bit difficult to say the least) and some friends and family tell me not to lift anything heavier than 3 kilos. Does anyone know how much you can lift and what you really should avoid as there seems no clear answers on the web?

I do have terrible morning sickness, dizzy spells and headaches too. I have never taken a day off sick in 18 years and drag my sorry bum in to work no matter how bad I feel.

I'd love to hear other's stories so I can make a reasoned judgement on what I should be doing

Thanks in advance for any help

AC

When I was pregnant with my six month old I was working in a busy supermarket and spent the majority of the time putting stock out (I couldn’t stand for too long or sit at a till so this seemed like the best option). I managed to carry on as normal up until about 30 weeks albeit at a slower pace than what I was used to. I was careful about the type of weigh I was lifting making sure I wasn’t twisting my back and bending down or reaching to high up. Obviously heavy items such as alcohol and heavy boxes I didn’t touch but I just got my colleagues to lift them on to my work trolley.

I even worked in the ambient department of my store by myself most of the time including on the busiest shopping day of the year at Christmas I was fine. Just took it steady and took rest when I needed it. I will as able to do some admin tasks too. I ended up leaving for maternity leave at 34 weeks but I had holiday to use and had other family issues to contend with.

I would recommend you just do whatever you feel is comfortable but I imagine you won’t want to be lifting kegs of beer. Hopefully the sickness and tiredness will pass a little by the time you get in to your second trimester and you will start to feel better. I took a couple of sick days off work due to migraines ( or being able to take medication meant Work was a no no) but didn’t feel bad about it so I wouldn’t worry about that.

But I understand how you feel. Before being pregnant I was an ultra productive person at work, never took days off and was always irritated by my colleagues not pulling their weight so it was mentally a struggle working when pregnant sometimes. But I learned just to relax and take my time as me and baby were more important.

Good luck with your pregnancy x

Apologies for the typos but hopefully you get the gist!

Hi penguin

Thanks a lot that helps to know I’m not alone and now you have you’re lovely six month old so it didn’t do you any harm! Just difficult to know what’s too much physically, some days I’m standing up for 6 hours without even a toilet break, it’s so hard not to carry on working as I always have but I have to accept I need to make some changes!

Anyway thanks again and all the best
Amy

3kg is barely anything at all! Lots of mums with older DC will regularly be lifting considerably more - my 2 year old DS is almost 13kg and wants picking up multiple times a day. I also have to do patient transfers in my job and they can be >100kg, though I do tend to take the lighter part of the load.

I'm not sure if there is a specific limit recommended, the important thing is to listen to your body and don't push things too hard - your joints and ligaments are softer in pregnancy so it's easier to injure yourself. And rest when you can!

Hi. I'm going through the same at the moment. I do the same job but running a small pub. I'm currently 8 1/2 weeks with my first. I keep telling myself off when restocking fridges and walking with a full crate. I don't move any of the barrels any more (as in tipping and lifting) but I can roll them into a room ok for now. I'm lucky that my OH can take on the stuff that I can't. Just have to remember that where possible have a sit down and rest my back. Drink fluids and where I can, eat. Feeling rather nauseous for the past few weeks and not being able to eat like I usually would so lots of rest so I don't make myself dizzy. Not easy when staff rings in sick and your having to pull a double shift :)

Just listen to your body. If you feel like your doing too much then rest where possible and where you can outsource what needs to be done. Easier said than done I understand aha I keep trying to do everything I usually do and for the majority of it I'm still able to do.

I hope all goes well with your pregnancy x

I'm in very much the same boat as you, I work in a very physical job, im expected to do a fair bit of heavy lifting, be on my feet for 8 hours at a time, and run up and down two flights of stairs every bloody five minutes! It's hard graft when you're not pregnant let alone when you are. Is so tough when you're in the early stages and none of your colleagues or bosses actually know you're pregnant. I used the excuse of having pulled something in my back to get my colleagues to help me lift certain things at first, but I couldn't keep that one going forever, so now I just try my best to avoid certain tasks that require heavy lifting, and when I can't avoid it, I just take my time and lift as safely as possible, (knees bent etc etc). I can't get around the whole being on my feet for long periods of time, its not really an issue for me at the moment being only 12 weeks, but I imagine it might be as I get bigger. If I asked my boss for a 10 min break every hour he'd probably laugh in my face, pregnant or not, I'd be lucky to get an extra 10 min break in my whole 8 hour shift! We only get half an hour as it is. Other than that I just take my time when going up and down the stairs, so not worth the risk of falling. I've been very lucky not to have been particularly sick, so no advice on how to handle sickness? Other than that id say just to make up for it on your days off and don't do anything to strenuous and get some relaxing in while you can.

I think the most you can lift safely is 10kg? I could be wrong? I think I might have read that on the NHS website, but I'm not 100%.

A PP made the point that lots of women carry around toddlers that weigh 13kg and up whilst pregnant with little issues, and this is true. Although, I have a nearly 3 year old DD who is around 16kg, I lift similar kind of weights in work and I have to say that I find it a hell of a lot easier carrying DD for some reason? I think it might have something to do with how the weight's distributed? I've never felt like I was going to pull something carrying DD about on my hip anyway, although I've definitely felt like that bringing in deliveries at work the odd time!

Hopefully things get a little easier for you soon. It won't be long before you can tell your colleagues your news and hopefully they'll be more than happy to lend you a hand with the more strenuous tasks. And it hopefully won't be long before the sickness starts to subside a bit, just hang on in there, take it as easy as possible, and try not to worry to much. Easier said than done I know.

The main risk with lifting is to your body. As the pregnancy progresses your hormones will loosen up your joints to prepare for birth, and the growing baby will put a lot of pressure on your stomach muscles and pelvic floor. Further down the line, if you're not careful with lifting you will put yourself at risk of hernia or prolapse. Go and see a physio and listen to your body. If you start having pain/discomfort/leaking, then you will have to reassess.

It's worth reminding everyone that you are entitled to a risk assessment in pregnancy, and to have reasonable adjustments made, in order to keep you and the baby safe. This is the law, so your employer has to do this.

Obviously they can only do it if they know you're pregnant though, and this is one od the circumstances where you may want to tell them early.

I'm a farmer and worried loads about this in early pregnancy. Then I spoke to a good friend who is an experienced midwife and a farmer.

Her advice was your body will say when it's too much. Just listen. She was absolutely right. I moved cattle, did 16 hour days grain carting, hefted farm equipment about with virtually no problems. Then about week 34 my body said no. Nope. No more. I literally couldn't have done a 16 hour day if I tried. I had to respect at that point. Interestingly it was about 6 weeks after the birth I was ok to work again. This happened with 2dc so there's something in my body that says 6 weeks to prepare 6 weeks to recover!

I think everyone is different but I have quite a physical job (probably about the same as what you do, on my feet 12 hours a day etc) and I have taken more care when heavy lifting but by no means have completely stopped as I personally feel it's good for you to maintain some sort of similar activity to what you did before being pregnant. I'm now 28 weeks and still feeling ok and not managing to badly at work but definitely do not lift excessive loads. Your body will tell you if it's too much, I have a thought that if you stopped what you are used to completely then you start a spiral of getting even more tired and achy etc just my personal opinion though and everyone is entitled to theirs. Ultimately I would say listen to your body, make the most of your days off and get a chance to relax and inform your boss pretty soon (I did at 6 weeks due to the nature of my job). Most of all enjoy your pregnancy and try not to worry

Sorry just seen you are already 10 weeks, presuming you will tell staff around the 12 week mark then hopefully you will be able to load a lot more of the physical work off onto them

Ladies I can’t thank you all enough for your advice! I agree it’s most sensible to just do what I can and lay off it when I feel I need to. Honestly it makes such a difference to know I’m not the only pregnant woman still having to slog away at work for 12 hours a day!! As most of you say, hopefully it will do me good. Thanks so much again 💕

The best advice is to listen to your body.
The fact that you are able to push through tiredness normally is different when you are pregnant.
I am not unrealistic about how working life is, taking a break is not easy, but there is only one you and you are doing an important job 💚