Bedside nurses and pregnancy

klone, MSN, RN · May 21, 2013

I worked, literally, until I had my baby. I worked a 7p-7a shift, and was contracting through much of that shift. I clocked out, went into a room (I work in OB), my friend checked me and I was 6cm, and I had my baby 4 hours later.

He was early - 36 1/2 weeks. It's been my experience that floor nurses do tend to go a little earlier than the average.

MJB2010 · May 21, 2013

Nurses on my floor do not normally work for the whole time. We have a heavy lifting floor and I work nights. I think the night shift thing and pregnancy exhaustion are a tough combination. Most go out on leave towards the end of the second trimester. I have seen 2 nurses that worked until the end go into labor at work. Both did have their baby a little early, but not preemie early. One was 38 ish weeks and one was 36ish. Both were first time moms, both were in their early 20's. I only mention this because the older moms tend to go out of work earlier than that on my floor (which I totally support 100% our floor is a heavy floor)

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · May 21, 2013

I was still on the clock when my second was born...

monkeybug · May 21, 2013

I worked L&D when I was pregnant, and it was a badge of honor among the L&D nurses to work up until the absolute last possible moment. In fact, several of the nurses I worked with came to work, finished a shift, clocked out and took a shower, and then got in a bed and were admitted in spontaneous labor. I was tired, I was miserable, and I was advanced maternal age. I finished my pattern on a Tuesday and then my water broke on Thursday. I was 38 0/7 when my water broke. The heavy lifting was tough. I dreaded the days I was assigned to do c-sections. So many of our patients were obese, and most of our patients had epidurals, so we had to move dead weight a lot.

MomRN0913 · May 21, 2013

I worked in a heavy MICU. I was high risk and and IVF pregnancy so my staff took extra special care of me:). I made it to 35 weeks....I somehow was scheduled in my last 5 shifts 2 on 1 off 3 on nights. Finally with 2 shifts to make it to 36 weeks ( standard maternity leave) I threw in the towel at 35 weeks. I was in pain and swollen and just couldn't do it. Kind of glad because I went I to labor at 36 weeks! My doctor was going to write me out when I said the word starting at 28 weeks.

I was no hero. I wanted my time off before the baby was born I was p!ssed!

Believe it or not, I made it longer than most of the nurses on my unit. We honestly did have a high incidence of pregnancy on my unit ( the joke was if you were trying to get get pregnant, you needed to go into MICU and drink the water). But we also had a high incidence of early deliveries.

Do what you can, but don't be a hero. Your body tells you when enough is enough.

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · May 22, 2013

I would think EMT's, Firefighters, Nurses, & CNA's are the most high risk groups due to heavy lifting. We had a patient who early into her pregnancy had to choose between keeping her job as an EMT (and the paycheck it brought in) or her baby. She kept having bleeding after each shift. Each person is different. You usually know when your body says enough is enough.

sarahsmile44 · May 22, 2013

I'm almost 7 months along and still working full-time midnights 1900-0730. I plan on working right up until my induction date of August 11th, or spontaneous labor (hopefully that happens first!) I work on a very busy Ortho/MedSurg floor with lots of obese patients. Thankfully we have AWESOME CNA's who don't mind that I can no longer pull patients up with them or lift people. Everyone is very understanding. There always seems to be at least 2 of us that are pregnant on my floor...lol. I'm not going to lie...I am COMPLETELY exhausted. I tend to do 3 in a row to get it over with and have 3-4 days off, but it's getting a lot harder these days. By then end of day 2 (sometimes day 1) everything aches. I don't want to waste my maternity leave sitting at home waiting for labor, either. So...I will be sticking it out as long as possible!!

smartin13 · May 22, 2013

All of the nurses on our floor work up until they go into labor. Some have gone into labor while working. I work on a Neuro floor with a lot of lifting and some confused/combative patients. We try to make sure that assignments for those expecting do not have patients who are being physically combative, have any weird infections, and we have great team work so if there is any lifting we all pitch in. On day shift when they have an independent charge usually they will let the pregnant nurses do that especially towards the end.

linzjane88 · May 22, 2013

I worked right up until. Was actually on my six days off and was going to start my rotation Monday but I went into labor. I work OB.

One of our nurses who's been there for longer than I've been alive ended up rupturing while circulating a c section. She finished out her shift then crawled into a bed. Lol!

linzjane88 · May 22, 2013

As a side point I kind of want to get one of those strap on bellies. I swear it made patients nicer to me. Especially the little grumpy old people.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 22, 2013

I worked up until 37 weeks. I wasn't going to work until I was in labor and ready to drop the child: I wanted some time to rest and prepare...I ended up getting two weeks to do that.