Bedside nurses and pregnancy

[beeker]

I am not asking for medical advice, just looking to hear your personal experience with floor nursing and pregnancy! How long did you work while pregnant? It is no secret that our job is a lot more physical than most, so I was just wondering how others coped with the long shifts and physical job. I am trying to work as long as I can so I have more time after the baby arrives! I am thinking the hard work is good for me, but I am getting sore and tired which is very normal. How many weeks did you last? My doctor did say floor nurses are more likely to have their baby a little early. All the walking and gravity at work!

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Most of us work/worked up til we delivered. I contracted all night, pushed a kid to OR right at shift change and made a stop in L/D when my water broke in the elevator on the way back upstairs lol

[monkeybug]

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.

Oh wow, I had totally the oppposite experience. I swear my belly made me a crap magnet. I had a rather large man go toe-to-toe with me and threaten to hurt me when I was 36 weeks. And then my manager forced me to kiss his bum, figuratively, so I was ready to murder someone by the time it was all over. Add to that all the "are you sure you're not having twins?" and "are you sure you're not due till then? You sure are big!" comments (and for the record, I gained 11 pounds during my pregnancy, but I'm barely 5 ft tall, so I had no where to grow but straight out) and my opinion of humanity in general took a big hit during pregnancy. And lets not forget all the pregnant patients who would express amazement that I was still working at 35, 36, and 37 weeks pregnant, insisting that they couldn't do it. Well, I didn't have a choice! I wasn't getting Medicaid and WIC vouchers, I had to work!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I did CPR in my ICU/CCU/stepdown charge job at 8 1/2 months. It was pretty dang crowded with my belly and me kneeling up on that bed, but hey. Early? I never had an early baby. I WISH.

I had a friend who was going to take two weeks off to hang out with family coming into town before her due date. Finished up her last shift at 11pm, went home, her amniotic sac burst and she was back in the hospital by 0500 and had the baby by noon. She was ripped that she had no time off, and no sleep that night...but she was thrilled at the baby, of course. :)

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I am 36 weeks and currently have excruitiating pelvic pain. I can barely get OOB let alone walk. Im scheduled to work up until 38 weeks but I dont know if I can do it anymore. Im scheduled tonight so I will see how I feel. Hopefully this pressure will go away by tonight so I can work.

[klone, MSN, RN]

PRN, have you tried an abdominal support belt?

[nurse4ever08]

It varies. My first was emergency delivery day after work. Second I went out a few weeks early but I am older and was having issues with pain and fatigue

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Klone I plan on buying one. The pressure is unbearable and I will try anything at this point.

[kmarie724]

Both my babies were born around 39 weeks. So before my EDD, but not technically early.

My first pregnancy I was working nocs as a CNA. She was born at 39 weeks. I worked until the end, I called in for my shift one night because I was the labor and she was born the next morning.

My second I was working as a nurse in LTC. Thanksgiving was my last day of work (I was around 38.5 weeks). I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and had the weekend off. I went to my 39 week check-up on Monday and she was born 2am Tuesday morning, approximately 10 minutes after I arrived to L&D!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

And then my manager forced me to kiss his bum, figuratively, so I was ready to murder someone by the time it was all over. Add to that all the "are you sure you're not having twins?" and "are you sure you're not due till then? You sure are big!" comments

That stinks that your NM insisted on bum-kissing. Ours is supportive of us getting security to remove visitors who are a disruption. I get the idea that this is not the norm though...stupid customer service mentality. And the size comment goes both ways. I looked like I was maybe 6 months along when I delivered, and I'd get the "What?? You're due in a month?? And does your dr. say the baby is normal??" There's no pleasing some pregnancy police.

Regarding the OP's question, too worked basically until I delivered. With my first four babies, I went into labor the morning of a scheduled shift. With my youngest one, I started timing ctx soon after clocking in (8 hour shift), stopped at L&D when my shift was over. (To which the CNM said, "Oh honey, if you were able to work though it, it's not the real thing." GRRRRR...to which I responded, "My uterus hasn't read your textbook and I'm stronger than I look." He was born five hours later. Told ya, "K." My only labor that followed a textbook pattern was the one for which I was induced. Stopping the hijack now.)

This is an older thread so the OP would have had her baby by now, but just throwing it out there for any newer AN members reading this thread

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Oh, and my gestational lengths are as follows:

#1: 39 wks exactly

#2: 38 wks, 4 days

#3: 38 wks even

#4: 39 wks, 4 days

#5: 39 wks, 4 days

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

First baby: 40w5d

Second: just over 38 weeks

I pulled my back out with the first and went out of work around 36 weeks. Made it even more excruciating when he was "late ." The 2nd I had worked my last scheduled weekend shift and went into labor that night. It figures!

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Six more shifts left. I think I can make it. My coworkers have been so generous giving me my shifts in the nursery instead of running the floors.

By the way, I high jacked this thread. Didnt want to start another on the same topic. So please continue to add your experience with bedside nursing and working while pregnant.