Struggling with work at 19 weeks -help!

[KCBob]

Hi, I’m 19 weeks pregnant with twins. I feel huge, struggling with low Bp, anaemia and nausea and vomiting. I’m exhausted all the time. My job is as a community psychiatric nurse and I’m struggling to carry out my duties without feeling very unwell and needing frequent time off. Some days I just feel like crying and curling up into a ball. I’m worried I’m putting my health and the babies health at risk. I’d love to go off on longer term sick but the NHS makes you take your maternity leave at 20 weeks if this is the case. I feel mixed as I don’t want to miss out on time after they are born.
Has anyone been in this situation or have any advice?

Hey OP so I’m in the emergency services and in situations like this we can get a note from the GP to say we are fit to work but on restricted hours... ie 6hour shifts or 4 hour shifts. We still get full pay.....
is it something that might work for you?

OP this is from the royal college of nursing.. it’s only from the 36 week that pregnancy related illness would kick start mat pay
www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/rcn-advice/pregnancy-and-work

HR are already counting any time off that I’ve had related to the pregnancy as triggers, meaning they are counting these episodes of sickness. One more episode and I have to have a formal meeting with my manager and HR. This isn’t usual so I’m not sure they are doing things the usual way. My colleague was warned at 20 weeks she would need to consider mat leave at this time due to amount of time she was having off. I’ve contacted union regarding sickness being counted as triggers, otherwise it’s a case of talking to management about alternative duties just not sure what luck I will have.

They can’t make you start maternity leave because of pregnancy-related sickness until 36 weeks.

Not sure what you mean by triggers- triggers for what? Pregnancy-related sickness can’t be used to penalise you, so you can’t be disciplined or anything, but a meeting to discuss it isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it gives you a chance to ask for any support/adjustments you need.

I would suggest going to see your doctor and seeing what he/she says about what you should and shouldn’t be doing, or occupational health, if you can access them.

This is from the link I sent you from royal college of nursing;

Sickness during pregnancy
If you fall ill during your pregnancy it is important for you and your employer to determine whether this sickness is ‘pregnancy-related’. The distinction is important because detrimental treatment due to pregnancy-related sickness absence may be discriminatory.

Any pregnancy-related sickness absence must be recorded separately to normal sickness absence. It should not be used for disciplinary or redundancy purposes or considered under absence management procedures.

In my line of work, we are taken off front line duties if public facing as the role is dangerous. And essentially we are put into an admin type role for our pregnancy.
What does your risk assessment say?
Can you take a union rep with you to your meeting?
They can not force you to take your maternity leave now Op.

Thanks for the advice x