What do you think?

[popeyesgirl06]

I am 39 and this is my fourth pregnancy.  Its been 18 years since my last and I am noticing great differences between this one and the previous t hree. Not only that I also work full time with this one. Here is my issue....

I am 24.1 weeks and my issue is work. I am on my feet constantly and I know that excercise is good and all but this is constant. I am under more stress and I am unable to complete tasks in other peoples time frames and we are taking on brand new business quickly.

Within four hours of being there I am in a full waddle. Its either the baby is pressing on my bladder causing discomfort, my whole pelvis region feeling as though it will collapse, my back hurts, my feet are killing me, and occasionally those Braxton Hicks are so bad that they slow me to a crawl. I can't say they hurt like a contraction but I can definately feel very tight pressure that can be on the side of discomfort.

Now, when I go to the doctor I should mention this but my appointments are in the late morning before everything catches up with me. I am usually so excited about seeing the baby (ultrasound every month and please don't ask why as I never have) and very comfortable that it doesn't come up. By the time I get to work and there a couple hours I am kicking myself for not having mentioned it.

The most I could be reduced to, hours wise is 8 and thats pretty much what I am doing now and its getting worse on me. Do you think it would be terrible for me to ask to be taken off of work and not be seen as a lazy person. I have worked this job for 9.5 years and I am miserable. I cannot rest or sit until my break time. Then I get one 15 minute break, 30 minute lunch, and a 10 minute break. We have short term disability for this but I guess I just feel guilty because I am constantly being compared to those that are in their 20's having babies and I remember is being alot easier when I was  younger but not so now.

Let me know what you think.

Sue
24.1 weeks
Expecting a girl!!

[betty12]

ya know honestly i dont think its a bad thing for you to get off work at 24wks. im a couple of days from being 24wks and im also going to ask my doc to take me off even if its disability for a while, until i get to about 7 in a half or 8 months and then go on my maternity leave.because for me my doc will not approve maternity leave until that time. But i also been going to the obgyn at my local hospital just for like more comfort and classes they offer and i asked her if i had to be high risk pregnancy to be on disability cuz i know being pregnant is not a disability and she said NO! if something hurts on yuor or even if its just that your dizzy and cant go to work then my doc can take me off work on disability  i asked her that because i had already asked my docs nurses about this and they said well you cant go on disability if your not high risk. But  im also very shy when it comes to asking my doc questions when i had really bad morning sickness i asked my doc if he could take me off for a couple of day cuz i couldnt be in the restroom all day at work and he said no so ever since then im scared and feel stupid to ask. and i have a hard time understanding him so i ask his nurses and they are mean and say no. but ive had enough of work my back hurts bad and all i do at my job i sit with a headset on my head and answer calls after calls after calls and my back hurts from sitting all day. and i cant take all the bathroom breaks or if im hungry i have to wait i cant snack and i get very shaky and feel horrible. so i would ask your doc!

[whitlack]

I can def. relate.  My last pregnancy I was working full time with some 12 hour shifts and I would hardly get lunch breaks let alone pee breaks and I was feeling aweful too.  I finally had to cut my hours back b/c I started swelling some and just couldnt do it.  So no you are not lazy by no means.  Carrying all of that extra wt plus pulling 40+ hours working is so hard on a pregnant womens body no matter what the age.  I am blessed to be able to work part time now which I have been doing since my 2 year old was born.  I would make a list of all of these problems you have at work and talk to them with your doc.  Maybe they can decrease your hours or do something to work something out.  What kind of work to you do if you dont mind me asking.  Well good luck and keep us updated.  I am having a girl too!!! -Mollie Grace due oct 24!!

[popeyesgirl06]

I called the doctor's office and I am set to go in on Wednesday morning to fill out the paperwork.
Ya know, I can handle the comparisons as it happens all the time what I cannot handle is four  hours into my shift and feeling like I have been there for 10. If I could rest a bit more and not have to literally run around the whole plant all day it wouldn't be so bad or even be moved temporarily to another area where less is expected physically. I was told that would be showing me favoritism. Whatever! Its been done before to others that were pregnant and much younger than myself. I call it compassion but whatever.
I called my fiance' who happens to still be in the hospital (6  wks now) for a work injury to tell him that I will be taking leave from work. I told him that I feel like such a baby and I do because I have been in control of this part of my life for a long time. I actually cried (those pregnancy hormones kill me) because I feel like a baby. He was fine with it but I needed to tell him.
I am sure it will all work itself out. I delivered my third baby 6 weeks early and didn't even work. Although that was 18 years ago I still worry that I am pushing it when my body is telling me to stop and I don't.
I only want for our daughter to stay where she is at until she has to come out because that is what is best for her. I know my fiance feels the same and he knows I will do what is best but that doesn't mean its always easy. I love him so much and he is going through alot on his own. I realize I have to do what is best for me and the baby right now.
If I could feel all week what I do on the weekends because I can rest at will I would work up til' delivery. Monday through friday I dread going to work because I am exhausted and literally feel beat up in no time. I can't do anymore.
Thanks for listening and just knowing that this wasn't me just being a baby helped me make the decision. Work won't be happy but its not like the plant will shut down without me.
Thanks again!
Sue
24.2 weeks with a ((((GIRL))))!

~Whitlack- it actually brought tears to my eyes reading your post as hardly do I hear anyone 'relate' to how I might feel. Work will not allow me to have anymore restrictions that what I have right now which limits my lifting/pulling/ pushing to seven pounds. The most I can be restricted to is an 8 hour day.
I work in a fascia (bumper) manufacturing environment and we produce top quality fascias for GM, Toyota, and bringing in a little Ford and some others. I am in charge of the parts that require areas to be taped off for a "two-tone" appearance. Check bumpers of your own car and see if it is one whole piece where a grainy area has not been painted. Thats what I do.  I also am in charge of keeping track of the WIP for my area of which we have taken on several new programs that is all over the plant. I have to check these areas off and on to make sure we have more than enough ready for the paint line to run on our shift and ready for first shift to prevent downtime for the line. Our plant is the size of approximately four football field (estimate) end goal to end goal two fields long and the same next to that.
Don't get me wrong, we have been working a very short modified shift with a 36 hour guarantee since 9/11. With this new business we have gotten this bumps us up to over 40 hours a week which we have been looking forward to for a long time. We all like job security and in the automotive business its like riding a bad rollarcoaster. There are more losers t han winners in the field that I work in.
I am  happy that we got the business but I just cannot do it with being pregnant, run down, tired, and in pain. They will just have to function without me after this week because I am out of there probably starting Monday.

Sue
24.2 wks and counting!