13 weeks feel ill and can’t face work

[Itsnoteasyfeelingqueasy]

I’m 13 weeks pregnant and really struggling with work. I’ve been off almost every other week with nausea/ exhaustion. This week I have a cold and now a urine infection. I’m generally feeling really low and anxious about facing work. I’m a nurse and so far despite me saying I feel I need to be office based work have expected me to carry on as normal. I just don’t feel I can cope with the stress at the moment. I’m normally very resilient. I’m toying with the idea of being signed off for a couple of weeks or alternatively facing my boss and again saying I need to be office based.

Just interested to hear how others have felt and how they coped wit work

Hi OP, go to your doctor and explain. They will be able to write you a sick note with a tick in the box that says requires amended duties. So it will be up to your work / manager if they either have you off work or they change your duties. You will probably have to be off work until they can get you an occupational health appointment, where it will recommend your new duties (probably desk based). Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

I've had some time off, and also asked for a risk assessment from Occupational Health. The formal risk assessment hasn't happened yet but managers are aware that I won't put myself in any potential conflict situations or work overtime (had a miscarriage before which happened after a week of really long hours... Probably unrelated but I'm not taking the risk again). Do you have HR or occupational health at your work? If not, can you get a GP to write you a "fit note" saying that you can work but only office based? And don't be afraid to take more time off if you need it.

Thank you both. Yes I work for the NHS and there is occ health and HR, unfortunately my boss isn’t very good and so far hasn’t involved either of them. I think I will speak to my GP tomorrow and see if I can get some time off and then speak to HR and occ health about getting amended duties