Breaks at work while pregnant

[SunshineDaisies24]

Hi, I'm 11 weeks pregnant with my first and struggling with nausea (am on sickness tablets) and fatigue. Most of the time I just need to sleep it off or have a lie down.

I work from home and have a desk-based job, they're aware I'm pregnant. I work 7 hours a day plus an hour break, 5 days a week.

I've been told it's up to me to say what breaks I need, which currently is about 1-2 hours a day. I appreciate that's a lot of time, but I only take it when I can't keep my eyes open any more and am struggling to work. I've been told that unless I make it up by starting earlier / finishing later, this is too much time to take for breaks. But this isn't an option for me because I need the evening to rest too. I can't afford to reduce my hours, which was another option offered.

I'm finding it quite stressful because I want to do what's best for me & baby, and I can only give so much at work at the moment regardless of the hours I put in. If I don't take the breaks I need I feel like I'm just going to get worn down but I understand from my employers point of view that they don't want to be paying me for work I'm not doing.

My question is, what breaks - if any - am I actually entitled to? And should my employer be asking me to make the time up at the end of the day?

You poor thing. I am in the same situation as you. In the end, my sickness got completely unmanageable with work so I went to see my GP and got signed off from work for a couple of weeks. It’s been such a relief and really helped relieve some stress and allowed me to get the rest I needed whilst feeling so sick. Is this something you could look into as well?

Hoping you feel better soon x

Thank you and sorry to hear you're going through something similar. I'm hoping to avoid time off sick, as I can manage to do some work each day even if it's not much. But I might have to if I can't take the breaks.

You’re not specifically legally entitled to any extra breaks while pregnant, but it is something that if you need, you can discuss and agree with your employer- usually done as part of your risk assessment.

They do not have to be paid breaks though, and they are being very reasonable and well within their rights to make the offers that they have which is to either make up the time in the evening or reduce your hours.

Agree with previous poster I think you’d be best speaking with your GP, my baby is 9 months old now but I’d say it’s really not normal to be so exhausted that you need 2 hours of breaks to get through a working day with your eyes open and then also need the entire evening to rest on top of that so I’d recommend getting that checked out. It may be that you need to be signed off for a couple of weeks to rest before going back to work.

I believe you are entitled to more breaks but it needs to be properly agreed with your employer , as it's a desk job rather than a physical one I would I don't think it's reasonable to be asking for 2 hours off extra a day really .
You would be better off getting signed off til you feel better if it really is unmanageable, I do understand how awful you can end up feeling but hopefully your on the final few weeks of nausea and tiredness !

I think you would be better off going off sick for a few weeks until you are feeling like it’s more manageable, not long now as it’s usually not long after the first trimester.

Does your company have occupational health dept?

Side note my extreme tiredness turned out to be pregnancy anemia. Maybe worth checking

Thank you, that’s really helpful x

Thank you - have been trying to keep going as best I can but seems to be the consensus that I should take time off. Very much crossing my fingers that I’m coming to the end of it as you say! First time going through this so just don’t know what to expect really.

Thank you, and fingers crossed I start picking up soon!

I would check your medication. I switched to Xonvea and was life changing. It is tiring when you first go on it but you should be able to do a day sitting at a desk. As awful as it is. Hopefully your morning sickness will pass. If not I promise it does get better as you get used to the medication. Pregnancy is so fucking hard!

If not then you can get signed off sick.

Not sure but I’m speaking to hr to get more information about breaks so I can ask then. Thank you for the note about anemia - quite possible as I’ve been borderline in the past - I’ll ask at my appointment which is coming up soon.

Thank you - might be worth an ask about meds. Either way sounds like the tiredness is something I need to bring up at my next appointment.

@SunshineDaisies24 so sorry to hear you're feeling like this. The fatigue in the first trimester hit me much harder than I expected it to and like you by the afternoon I could hardly function.

I'm 12 weeks now and found I was at my worst around 9-10 weeks but managed by having a nap during my lunch break, and also I worked from
home rather than going into the office and travelling.

You've done the right thing by telling work and I would request it through HR/Occupational health if possible. If not, the GP can provide fit to work notes with adjustments i.e you can work providing you're working from home, entitled to longer breaks etc.

Fingers crossed things pick up soon x

Just wanted to add I am currently 9 weeks pregnant with my second and the extreme fatigue as nausea is real. Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't be able to do as pregnancy treats everyone differently. With my first I felt so stuck but could with but with this one I just can't keep my eyes open at work. (Also mostly a wfh job).

I'm in the process of getting meds to help but for you I would talk to work about longer breaks but i reckon they could make you make up the time.

This will pass and I found the second trimester much easier. And naturally more people know so are willing to help

Thank you, it’s really good to hear I’m not the only one who’s struggled with tiredness. I really didn’t expect it so early on, before being visibly pregnant.

Appreciate the advice re speaking to hr/gp too, thank you.

Thank you - I think it would be easier if I knew how long it would last for, but we don’t get that luxury! Helpful to know about breaks and making up the time too, thank you.

hi OP, you mentioned you work from home, is it a role where you have to keep in touch constantly? if not, is it possible sneak in one or two 10-20 minute breaks outside of your lunch throughout the day?

definitely mention the exhaustion to your midwife so you can get your iron checked! if you need time off you should definitely take it but the nausea and exhaustion isn't uncommon & you never know how long it’ll last. for me I felt so bad I thought something was wrong with me & it lasted until around 18 weeks so wouldn’t have been possible to be off that long!

hope you feel much better soon!

And this is why wfh is being withdrawn.

I didn’t have fatigue in my first pregnancy so always thought it was exaggerated when women complained of it.

Second pregnancy, oh my gosh the first trimester was tough. I was so unbelievably exhausted and fell asleep on the sofa every evening! So I do understand how difficult it can be.

It was strange because first pregnancy I threw up like crazy but didn’t in my second, but had the fatigue instead.

Wishing you luck!

not sure if you’ve actually read what OP posted but she’s suffering with nausea and fatigue. it’s either she’s signed off sick and does no work or she has one or two extra mini breaks throughout the day and gets her work done.

Yes I have read it, but the answer isn’t to try and sneak in extra breaks due to wfh!!!

I’m pretty sure they would be fine with a couple of additional 10-20 minute breaks to get some fresh air and try to refresh.

Am assuming the OP is on an antihistamine and they are very strong. You’re not supposed to drive or operate machinery. So work would understand.

Its the 2 hour full break I can see why they are like no.

OP could ask to extend her lunch to an hour and a half and have nap then. Then she’s only catching up half hour morning and eve and can eat at her desk.

so what’s the answer?

taking two 10 minute breaks throughout the day isn’t going to do any harm + if it gives OP some relief & means she’s able to get her work done, then??

personally I see people in the office step away to take multiple coffee/cigarette breaks throughout the day so 😂

If you are ‘pretty sure they’d be fine with a couple of extra breaks’, then why would she need to sneak them in?

I don’t know what her job is there are different wfh roles…could be more admin based or it could be customer service based, hence why I asked whether she has to keep in touch constantly.. if she doesn’t she can just have them as needed and it wouldn’t affect anyone (i.e. sneak them in), if it’s more customer service based obviously it would affect her work