Any other ‘on feet all day workers’ wondering how you’ll cope?!

[Prequelle]

I’m on my feet for 13 hours a day and struggle at the best of times, I’m now 5 weeks and I’m shitting it to be honest. I know my coworkers are fab and will be helpful but there’s not an awful lot they can do to help. I don’t want to end up having to go off on sick or end up having to take early maternity :(

What type of job do you do? Your employer has a duty to make reasonable amendments to help you in the workplace.

I worked 8 hour shifts in a nursery with #2, I had nausea and sickness throughout and SPD from 16 weeks which required me to wear a lovely big tubi-grip around my bump and a back support brace at work.

I ended up getting signed off at 35 weeks (3 weeks earlier than planned) because I was hospitalised with constipation and dehydration due to the sickness which obviously couldn't be helped but that has nothing to do with being on my feet.

Hiya, I am also on my feet most of the day for work and I have a long term health problem that makes me feel quite tired anyway. I was quite nervous about how pregnancy would make me feel. But as soon as the first trimester passed I can honestly say I've never felt so well in my life, so it hasn't been a problem at all. My employer was really good at sending me to occupational health earlier on but thankfully I haven't really needed many adjustments. I wish you a good pregnancy and I really hope the same happens to you!!

Nursing on a super busy ward, there’s not much they can do to reasonably adjust except let me work short shifts but that means being in more days which I’ll struggle with in other ways. I’ve known so many pregnant women working in the nhs have to go off on sick or take early maternity, it’s frustrating but I guess the nature of a job like this.

And ouch! You poor thing, that’s a long time to have to cope with that sort of pain

Thank you loupe that’s given me some hope! I’m so glad you’re feeling good now

I was nursing too. I wore a lot of pregnancy belts that my midwife gave me. Though I found tubigrip was far more comfortable - those pregnancy belts dig into you, though of course you can pull them tighter so grab both and try them out.

I also wore TEDS, which of course you'll have access to yourself. Probably they helped more than anything.

I found it OK actually. I kept going till 38 weeks. I had spd and sciatica and was limping badly by the last month but I managed to keep walking.

You'll be surprised how you can keep going. You just get on with it. Definitely get a physio referral though from your midwife. That can be very handy.

Brilliant thanks Elspeth! I’m going to try to see if they had TED tights or something or some black thigh highs because I wear a dress for work. Thanks for the advice about belts and things

I’ve luckily got some holiday to take so I’ll be able to finish at least 3 weeks early, I’m debating rearranging and adding more onto the end but I’m not sure yet

I worked in a care home and coped fine, worked until 37 weeks. I was in my early twenties though. I have a family member who is a similar age to what I was, and she is struggling working in hospitality. I don't think you'll know until you get there.

Try the white knee highs under black opaque tights, I bet you won't be able to see them if they're properly denier 60.

Ah I’ll have to try, I’ll struggle in summer because the ward isn’t properly air conditioned and last year it was hitting 30 degrees inside. So many complaints from staff and patients but ball all has been done. I might have to get some scrubs ha

I work in a shop. If I remember rightly, you weren't supposed to be on your feet or work for more than 8 hours. It might be worth checking thst out.

In my case, I sat on the till for a bit. Maybe they could assign more paperwork or something?

In our place you were exempt from nights if you were pregnant. Occ Health. Didn't stop you being asked of course but at least you could say oh sorry Occ Health say no....

Definitely check that out. Makes it all so much easier to not have nights.

As soon as you sit down to do paperwork a patient or family member wants you for something - as soon as you’re sat down it’s like they can’t bear it. it’s why most of our paperwork gets done well after we were supposed to have gone home ha. Maybe a bump will put them off

I’m super lucky, I don’t have to do nights because I have a mental health condition that is made much worse by them - oh god I couldn’t even imagine night shifts whilst pregnant. That would be horrendous

Also a nurse in a hospital. I got really bad rib pain around 18 weeks which slowly but surely got worse and worse, especially in work. I really tried to stay as long as I could but finished up around 24 weeks after leaving work in tears.

Doctor signed me off ever since, currently 32 weeks and going mad with boredom but I probably shouldn't have pushed it for as long as I did so see how you get on. Every pregnancy is different.