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?

Honestly I felt so rough the first 10 weeks. The absolute worst I felt would be around 9-10 weeks. Most of my symptoms have slowly eased off now that I’m 14+… I’m still very tired but it’s more manageable now! On my office days, I put my head down and have a Power Nap for 15-30 mins in my lunch break! When I’m at home, I tend to nap a little longer. It doesn’t actually matter how much I sleep, I’m still tired anyway!

I hope you start to feel a little better soon!

@SunshineDaisies24 I'd get checked with a GP for anaemia, but came here to say I was really struggling with fatigue in first trimester and found the cyclizine made it worse. I also wfh doing a desk job.

I'm quite lucky with my job and employer, but I arranged with my manager that I just don't do meetings in the afternoon unless they're urgent/completely unavoidable, so my afternoons are a slower pace and I can take my time with tasks. This is a godsend because the tiredness means I lose focus. I'm useless in meetings after 2pm.

I also told my colleagues meetings have to be 45 mins max. So I win 15 mins back from every meeting that would have been an hour to have a very small rest. (Something like poke my head out of the window for fresh air, rest my eyes, walk around and have a glass of water.)

I nap at lunchtime and eat at my desk over a few hours in the afternoon, which helps my nausea.

It made such a difference in the first trimester and is still helping me get through 9-5. If you have a lot of autonomy, I'd recommend asking your manager if you can do that.

Also, you could ask to split your lunch break into 2 x 30 min blocks, you could have two small naps and eat at your desk? Say 11am and 3pm so you're working in 3 shorter blocks rather than 2 longer ones?

You work 7 hours from home.
1 hour is work. 1 hour is break.

I would put in extra hour of rest needed myself. i would plan it with the manager and don't make a fuss.

Have you considered getting signed off and working half a day? When I was pregnant I suffered with terrible fibroids which were more painful if I didn't sleep and rest. I was able to work from 9-1 as these were the reasonable adjustments made for my pregnancy alongside a sick note. This way I managed to work until week 38 on full pay.

I had to have weeks 7-11 completely off work with nausea, I couldn't be upright without feeling like I would be sick and retching (although almost never sick). My GP was female and very supportive, happy to write whatever was needed on the fit note. I then had two more weeks of not starting work till 11am to let the nausea ease, and my work didn't blink an eyelid, said yes to everything.

I’m not in touch constantly, have a few meetings that are manageable but otherwise fairly flexible. I guess I was hoping I could be honest with them, I feel like there’s a lot of trust given when wfh and I wouldn’t want to lose that. Thank you, really hoping it’s going to start easing off soon!

Thank you! I guess even if it’s not your first time you don’t really know what to expect.

Thank you - lots of people are saying 9-10 weeks are the hardest, I was also on antibiotics at the same time so that really knocked me out for a week. Good to hear other similar stories, thank you.

Some really helpful suggestions, thank you :)

I’m almost 22 weeks and I do sympathise but I don’t think 2 hours a day is reasonable. I’m a vet, on my feet all day and still vomiting 5/6 times a day (was previously up to 30). I got given a 15 minute break during my 10 hour shift (10.5 hours as lunch break unpaid). At 9/10 weeks I was sleeping the whole weekend away sometimes 20+ hours at a time, had my bloods checked and all normal. Pregnancy is just tough. Have you had a risk assessment with your employer? you should have had one.

I think if you really can’t cope without 2 hours of breaks then you need to make time up in evening or go on the sick. Hopefully for you it will pass soon

Agree with PP, it will get better, the first trimester isn't easy for some, it certainly wasn't for me and I also have a similar sounding job to you, minus the WFH... But I do think a 2 hour break is a lot.
If they are aware you should also have done a risk assessment, and speak to midwife ab out how exhausted you are

Bless you, that sounds really challenging. I am very grateful to have a desk job. I have done a risk assessment that we’re reviewing weekly. Thank you :)

Thank you, hoping it does get better soon. I’ve done a risk assessment and we’re reviewing it weekly, that’s where the breaks have come up. I’ll speak to the midwife at my next appointment which is coming up soon, thank you.

Reviewing weekly is great! I think they only have to do it once a trimester is sounds like they are trying. Could you aim for two 15 minute breaks first and then see how you go? Or maybe cut your hours to drop e.g. Friday afternoon or Wednesday afternoon or whichever day is the most challenging for you

Could you aim for two 15 minute breaks first and then see how you go? Or maybe cut your hours to drop e.g. Friday afternoon or Wednesday afternoon or whichever day is the most challenging for you

It sounds like OP’s workplace is happy to let her cut hours, but OP’s issue is that they wouldn’t be paid for the hours cut (and OP wants to be paid for the hours not worked), and OP also doesn’t want to use sick leave for hours cut. It sounds as though the employer is being really accommodating but OP doesn’t want to take any of the options?

Ah maybe! I don’t get paid for lunch but my 15 minute break is paid but then again I don’t think I’ve ever left on time so they probably owe me the time. I also tend to do prescriptions in the break too so I am still working but not client facing.

I would consider extending your hours by 30mins-60mins and putting that in as a secondary break. You don’t have the commute, and with that extra nap you will be more rested to finish the work day?

Also ask for a blood test to check your iron levels.

Thank you, yeah regular reviews should be helpful. I’m feeling like dividing my lunch break up might be a good route, thank you for the suggestions.

Exactly, with a baby on the way I can’t afford to cut my paid hours especially if it’s going to affect maternity pay too. I would be happy to use sick leave though if that’s an option.

Agree with the iron level test. I’m feeling that I might need to extend my hours by half an hour, that feels like a fair compromise. Thank you for your help :)

Just updating this in case someone comes across it who might find it helpful.

I was advised that I could take 2 additional 15 minute breaks, but if I needed longer I could take this off as sick leave as needed. Note that this comes under pregnancy sick leave, not normal sick leave, so you shouldn’t get into trouble for this.

I also found I wasn’t anaemic (had tested at booking in appointment) but the sickness tablets (cyclizine) were making me extremely tired. Now in second trimester and no longer needing those, I don’t need to sleep as badly.

So sorry to hear you’re having to worry about this, it doesn’t sound like a very supportive approach. Could you possibly discuss this with the doctor and ask if they could request a reduction of hours without any salary impact?

Really hope you’re able to get this sorted as it’s a time you should be well looked after x

get your iron checked.
try and push through. You should have more energy in a few weeks