Not coping with the stress of work

[emmab96]

Just looking for some advice not sure what to do. I'm currently 15 + 4 weeks pregnant and I work in a nursery with children between the ages of 2/3 which as you can guess is pretty stressful in itself but then we are always understaffed or I'm put with staff who don't know the room or the children which makes my job so much harder and it's not as if I'm doing short hours I work from 7:30am-6:30am 4 days a week 11 hours with 16 2 year olds is hard work it's getting to the point where I come home for lunch and just cry I'm so confused as what to do as I need a job because I need the income ( especially with a baby on the way) but I'm so worried that the mass amount of stress my work is causing me is going to have a negative affect on my baby I have to physically drag myself out of bed in the morning as I'm dreading going into work that much it's not as if I can look for a new job as I'm pretty sure no one will be willing to hire somebody who's 4 months pregnant

Can you speak to your supervisor or manager and ask for some support? Or are you friendly with any other members of staff who could help you? I know you say you're short staffed but it's always worth asking the question.

I would say it's worth speaking to your midwife or GP too as they can support you, possibly even recommend you take some time off work?

Don't rush to leave without seeing if the situation can be improved first. That's the least stressful option for you all round and it secures your right to maternity leave pay.

I remember that period of pregnancy being particularly exhausting. Everyone told me I'd feel better in the second trimester and have more energy but I didn't until the very end of it, at around 24 weeks. How are you on your days off? Can you still not muster the physical energy to get out of bed then?

@WeAreAllAdults
I'm fine on my days off it's literally just when I'm at work that I'm really stressed I tried to speak to one of my managers but she just wasn't very helpful at all I tried to explain why I was stressed and if it was possible to maybe switch my room I work in but she sort of said it wouldn't solve my issue and that it should just get easier and when I was crying saying I didn't even want to go back to my room she shrugged her shoulders and just said she will speak to my higher manager about the situation but I just feel like nothing has changed I feel stuck.

That sounds very stressful. If you think moving rooms might be helpful to you then is there a formal request/ transfer process kind of thing you can do? Perhaps put it in writing to your higher manager?

I've been in your situation and I know how awful it is! I went to the gp and explained how stressed I was and they were great and gave me a 2 week sick note and said to go back if I felt I needed longer. Have a look online at what the earliest you can leave is and maybe save holidays so that you can leave for maternity as soon as you can