Being a pregnant nurse

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2016

Congratulations! I've done it 5x. :) (well, I was a CNA during my first pregnancy.)

For lifting, your provider should be able to teach you some safe core strengthening exercises. It seems like all of mine had a "protecting your back" pamphlet among allllll those pamphlets they have in the office. Be sure to ask what if any restrictions you have; you don't want to ask for snowflake treatment, but at the same time you need to be safe if you are one with complications. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and require use of available lifting equipment.

When to go on leave is an individual thing. I personally worked until I delivered -- actually I went into labor while at work with my last one and finished my shift. (I'm not a martyr but my early labors aren't bad. I've had menstrual cramps worse. Plus I'd had a few false alarms where I'd have regular contractions for several hours and then peeter out, so I didn't want to leave for nothing.) But anyway, I didn't go out on leave early because I wanted my full 12 weeks with my baby. 12 weeks seems like a lot, but it goes fast! But then again I have relatively easy pregnancies. I know others with bad symphysis pubis dysfunction for whom working that long was just too painful. Or who really want the opportunity to pamper themselves before the baby comes, because there isn't time after. That's okay too! It's your leave.

For me, the toughest parts of 3rd trimesters were the edema and the "mommy brain." I'd get 4+ pitting sometimes, but I couldn't stand support hose. I work in a high-level ICU so really had to make an effort to focus my thinking, and I jotted more info on my brain sheets than i typically do.

NurseLiliRN · Jun 17, 2016

Thanks for commenting, and for the good advice. I've had SPD in my two previous pregnancies, so I'll probably have to take time off beforehand, as much as I hate to. I will talk to my employer though, and see what I can work out with them, and luckily I work with a good team that will help out as much as they can. :)

floridaRN38 · Jun 20, 2016

I was prego working in the ER with both my pregnancies. From the beginning my co workers would say "no let me get that for u" or "no don't push the stretcher". Even though I was totally capable of doing it. I finally took off about 4 weeks before my schedule C section. It just all depends on your body and also talk with ur OB/GYN. For example towards the end of my pregnancy he wrote a note saying I could only work 3 eight hour shifts a week. My nurse manager was like OK cool. Every place is different. My ER is very cool to work at pregnant [emoji120][emoji12]. By the way congrats on becoming a mom! Best job u will ever have [emoji177]

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2016

The year I was pregnant, I was working in Peds, so lifting wasn't a huge issue.

Some of my coworkers, however, loved to play the preggo card. "I can't do _______ because I'M PREGNANT!!" Some was justified, but the ones who tried to get out of every sniffle, cough and diaper change were truly annoying.

To make it more interesting, there were 5 of us pregnant at the same time, and we were due July, August, September, October and November. [emoji33][emoji33][emoji33]. Our head nurse developed Forest Whitaker eye, and the assistant head nurse developed raging jealousy.

floridaRN38 · Jun 20, 2016

The year I was pregnant, I was working in Peds, so lifting wasn't a huge issue.
Some of my coworkers, however, loved to play the preggo card. "I can't do _______ because I'M PREGNANT!!" Some was justified, but the ones who tried to get out of every sniffle, cough and diaper change were truly annoying.
To make it more interesting, there were 5 of us pregnant at the same time, and we were due July, August, September, October and November. [emoji33][emoji33][emoji33]. Our head nurse developed Forest Whitaker eye, and the assistant head nurse developed raging jealousy.

I hear u with the "prego card". ðŸ™„. Same at my place. About 5 of us were pregnant at once. It was annoying seeing some of them refusing to go in patients rooms for "cough" etc...some took way too much advantage. To the point where management will not allow a pregnant nurse to go on "light duty". A few prego princesses ruined it for the rest of us

MountainBikeChick · Jun 21, 2016

Congrats! I was pregnant in nursing school and worked at the hospital as well (and had a Zofran pump for 5 months of it because of hyperemesis gravidarum!). I worked/was in school until the end, and had my daughter the day after a 12 hour clinical. I didn't have troubles at the end, and didn't want to drop out of the program. I have a long torso so was never huge, and didn't have swelling either so the third trimester wasn't bad for me. With my next kid, I plan on working as long as possible as well - I'd rather tough it out and then stay home as long as possible after! For your back - use help as needed, always put draw/lift sheets under patients (even if you don't think they'll need help!) and use a lift if you can. Having others help is a justified action.

benegesserit · Jun 21, 2016

I worked in LTC through my last pregnancy. My last scheduled shift (at 38w4d) was actually the day I gave birth - my water broke at about 1:30am, so I called in. I really didn't want to go to work that day, so my husband and I went to a Chinese buffet the day before, semi-jokingly hoping that would do the trick, because I'd had Chinese the day before my 3rd baby was born. It worked.

It was my 4th pregnancy, and all three of my previous babies were a bit early, so scheduling maternity leave to start at that point seemed a fairly safe bet as far as balancing my needs and having adequate time with the baby after the birth.

Play it by ear, and do what feels right for you. Everyone has different needs. Don't use it as an excuse (some people say they can't lift from the first trimester - if your pregnancy is that fragile, you should really be on bedrest, not at work), but do put your health and the baby's health first. Listen to your body - if something feels wrong, change what you're doing or ask for accommodations.

As far as lifting goes, the two things you have to worry about are changes in core strength as your abdominal muscles get stretched, and the effects of relaxin on your ligaments, which can make it easy to hyperextend your joints. This is most pronounced during the third trimester. I'm not sure that there's a whole lot to do about it beyond general good body mechanics.

A general rule of thumb for physical activity during pregnancy is that you can keep doing whatever you were doing prior to pregnancy as long as you do it consistently and feel comfortable with it - if you're doing it consistently, you'll naturally adjust to your body's gradual changes, but suddenly doing something different increases your risk of injury.

Around 7.5 months I stopped lifting. It just didn't feel right anymore. But, like another poster, I have a long torso. Someone with more of a belly could legitimately need to stop earlier. Around 8 months, I was just too tired, and asked to be switched to a less demanding hall (I'd been on the busiest hall up until that point), had my schedule split so I wasn't working 3 days in a row, and told my per diem job that I couldn't work until after maternity leave.

Kristenlaurenw · Jun 22, 2016

I was pregnant as a full time ER nurse. My coworkers made sure I didn't do any heavy lifting even when I protested and said I could. They also made sure I didnt get isolation patients or shingles patients or coxsackie patients. I was fine full time until the last few weeks. I ended up doing half shifts on week 38 and going on leave on week 39.

NotYourMamasRN · Jun 26, 2016

I was working ER and ICU while pregnant. My coworkers were great about helping with lifting and what not. I only had to advocate for myself once, when a charge in the ER was arguing with me to take a possible TB or meningitis patient (I don't remember which it was). My coworkers heard us going back and forth and one of them took the patient and gave me one of theirs. Problem solved. My coworkers were also great for giving me at least 20 minutes a night to pump, when I came back after 6 weeks. I worked float pool so I got pretty much no time off. During my pregnancy I had complications after the 36th week and my midwife put me on light duty. My boss was gracious and let me be the unit secretary in the ICU, which was a huge help because we did not have one at all, on any shift. My coworkers said I made their lives easier. I went into labor 1 hour after coming home from the ICU after a crazy busy night. By the time I had my daughter, I had been awake for 40+ hours.