telling work im pregnant - emergency services

[lickencivers]

Feeling very wobbly about how best to approach work. Am currently 11+4 weeks pregnant, working full time front line for the emergency services. (Uniform is getting a little tight!!)

I thought I could keep it to myself, as soon as I tell management I will be on light duties, (which means EVERYONE will know im pregnant and also months of being bored AF!) I love my job, and I thought I was relatively safe until an incident at the weekend at work and I suddenly felt very very exposed physically & scared, which is the first time Ive ever felt like this in my role.

Also, management are all up each others arse holes very close, so it will be common knowledge within hours, and I don't want to tell my family etc until much later if I can.
12 week scan is next week - GP has offered to sign me off unfit as my BP is low and I've been experiencing dizzy spells (which in itself worries me) but frankly with morning sickness and the exhaustion I don't think I could do another block of 5 shifts (including nights) and driving on blue lights etc, there's just no let up. BUT I feel like a massive failure.

Any advice greatly received.

Why a failure? Our job is unpredictable and dangerous a lot of the time whether it be threats, heavy lifting, confined space or whatever. You’d just be looking after yourself and unborn by doing light duties.

I understand not wanting family to know until you’re ready but weigh the risks. You’re automatically put on light duties when you tell them because risks to pregnant frontline staff are identified already.

Congratulations. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Enjoy the break from night shifts and the weird and wonderful madness of EMS for a while

If there is any chance that your morning sickness symptoms/dizzy spells might cause a problem when you are on duty, or endanger the lives of others (you don't say exactly what you do so apologies if that is overly dramatic!) then you need to either take the sick option until your scan, or tell now. Unfortunately you don't really have the luxury of choice here - what is more important to you?
My cousin works in the prison service and was stuck in an office for most of her pregnancy, she hated it but the risk was too great.

crikey - you are putting yourself and baby at risk, think you maybe want to weigh up the risk & make the decision based on that

I'm taking the sick leave until the scan. Mainly because I'm exhausted and too fat for my uniform

I'm also worried about losing my 25% antisocial hours pay if on light duties!! Can't even find the policy on coming off the road, but I suspect as soon as I tell them I wont step foot on an ambulance and I love my job. Stupid pregnancy hormones are not helping.

Failure? You are growing another human being.

Reason for not wanting to tell them mainly is that the management team will not keep it to themselves and it will be common knowledge. Made more complicated by there being people that I certainly do not want knowing yet my ex husband for one

You are not a failure. People like you are incredible. It saddens me that you are feeling like a failure and not putting yourself first for once. You give up so much to help people everyday. Take the gp offer, rest and look after yourself.

What trust do you work for?
(You don't have to say)
Could you speak to your HR? Frankly if it "gets out" then your SMT are breaching privacy and dignity at work policies..... a gentle reminder about the grievance process might help?

I felt exactly as you described when I was less than 12 weeks - I was solo responding and found myself in a very vulnerable position, something which I had never felt before, and it was only because I was pregnant I used to be hard

When I went light duties 6 years ago our pay was protected - obviously no incidental OT or rest break subs.

Light duties is dull but it's there for a reason, I was lucky and had a colleague who was also pregnant so we did the boring stuff together 😁

@FrankiesKnuckle I don't even know what hours they'll make me do, clearly won't work relief Rota will I? I'm going to tell them after my scan next week. I would like to do one more shift on the road, as I may never go back on the road again

Put it in writing, hand over in writing when you tell them, and make a note that you do NOT want it circulated amongst the employees as in particular you do not want your exH to know.

What's happened with other pregnant women in your trust?

I worked normal hours (as in I did x3 12 hr weekdays 06-1800 and a short 4th)
And they didn't really keep tabs on our times - payback for all the shifts late off..... 😉

Why will you not go back on the road? I am, part time of course.

No idea 're other women - as they're just at station doing drug audits or giving flu jabs. Can't really ask them the Ins and outs as never any privacy & they've left to have their babies by the time I knew I was pregnant myself.

I just wish management weren't all so corrupt. Urgh.

I’m Front line Ambulance too and currently on light duties!!

Your managers sound very much like mine, pretty sure it’s the same all over. I planned on not telling them but then got blood spat in my face at 8 weeks, plus I found myself standing back. Not carrying as much and when patients were kicking off, I felt like I was putting my crew mate in danger.

I got a few shitty comments about going on light duties so early but that quickly stopped!

I’ve been doing flexi time mon - fri but only going in 4 days. I’ve definitely slowed down over the last few weeks but I don’t regret telling them and I’ve enjoyed having my weekends and Christmas off!!

If your place is like mine then people will guess immediately, unless you want to fake a back injury for a while? Good luck!

@wordie

Thank you - how many weeks were you when you told them? I'll be 12 +4 if I go in after my scan. I absolutely will not be telling everyone as I won't be telling my own family or children until 20 week scan. So they'll either have to agree to back me up with a cover story or I'll have some sort of tantrum the way I'm feeling with them right now

My sickness over last 2 month's has been terrible so no doubt will be called in for a warning which is ideal to tell them why I've been so ill I got cut out of a car last week and then Friday night ran up 4 flights of stairs with the grab bag on my back to a code 9 thinking wtf am I doing!!!!

I told them at 8 weeks, I finished weekend nights from hell on Monday morning and had to put an incident report in about our violent patient. I told them then, I had a MC a couple of months before, so was a little bit more cautious.

They can not tell people if you ask them not too. My manager said it wasn’t her news to tell and if I wanted to say it was a back injury then she would go along with that. If you really doubt they will keep quiet, I would take a union rep in with you!!

I’m 30 weeks now and it’s actually gone very fast!