Did you have a Preemie or Pre Term Labor while working?

[JennieBSN]

Speaking as an L&D nurse, it's a well-known and documented fact that nurses and doctors have the highest rates of preterm labor than any other profession. Several of our nurses delivered early, as well as several of our doctors. Pre-eclampsia runs rampant amongst healthcare workers, too. Be good to yourselves if you can, guys. Some of our staff have gone so far as to apply for (and get) short term disability so that they could stay out of work when they were in their last trimester. You might want to consider this if money is an issue, and ESPECIALLY if you have a history of PTL. The high level of physical exertion, standing, constant walking, as well as dehydration (y'all KNOW nobody drinks nearly enough at work...especially you folks in critical care) all contribute. I suggest looking into the short term disability stuff if you can. It can be a life saver for your wallet AND your baby.

[Michelle in Texas]

Hello. In 1991 I went into pre-term labor with my first child at 32 weeks while on the floor of a Cardiac Telemetry unit. Fortunately they were able to stop my contractions and I carried him till 39 weeks and delivered a 7 lbs 15 oz boy. He had PDA and Tachycardia and Bradycardia and came home with me. He was able to resolve problems within 4 months. Hope this helps.

Michelle

[tattiarna]

Im an australian nurse who planned to work to 34 weeks while pregnant with twins. I went into labour at 29 weeks while at work. the labour was stopped with medications, but at 31 weeks the twins were born by emergency c-section. i worked on a heavy orthopeadic ward, I do feel it contributed to my early labour.

[xmasbabe]

I had planned on working until 39 weeks with my first, but PROMed at 36 weeks after a day of working ICU.

I had planned on working till 40 weeks but went into labor at just 20 weeks. I was working in a very fast paced clinic as the only nurse.

In, "Every Pregnant Woman's Guide to Preventing Premature Birth", the author, an RN, writes of how many NICU nurses she knows that had preemies.

When did you deliver?

I delivered at 36 weeks gestation after 16 straight wks of bedrest in and out of hospital. I also developed other pregnancy associated complications.

Were you given a reason for your PTL?

I was never given any type of reason or explanation. My child is healthy.

[Mumzy9697]

I need to read that acticle, i went PTL while working Dialysis, startedat 2 weeks, but the doctor poo-poo'd it, ended up changing MD. The next one stated to me"my daughter worked right up to delivery" she worked OB. I went into PTL while at work, the Charge nurse said"can't let you go, because of the Census" So finally the doctor told me NO more work(HELLO)she delivered 2 weeks early, was a Code white,weighed 5,14 but is just perfect today. with my second I stopped working, No PTL, 7lbs, perfect labor.I think depending on the physical stress/emotional stress and the person, not everyone can work this while pregant, Good luck and take care.

[Nacoya]

I recall reading in the article by "Moore,M & Comerford-Freda,M. (1998). Reducing preterm and low birth weight births: Still a nursing challenge..." that nurses are at greater risk for having premature infants. Maybe this is from a combination of stressors , ie., long hours on their feet, shift work and the emotional and physical stress.

I hope this is helpful,

All the best to you and take care.

[Q.]

I personally was not pregnant while working but 3 of my co-workers were: 2 out of the 3 had problems.

One had PTL at 30 weeks, hyperemesis, had to be on terbutaline, bedrest. Returned to work at 35 weeks, delivered at 37.

One had 2 miscarriages at 18-20 weeks.

All while working at a busy Labor and Delivery unit of all places.

Incidently, one staff member has had a seizure disorder all her life, has not had a seizure for 7 years, until last month. Seized right on the unit.

[Q.]

Dawngloves-

I'm in a way disappointed that I'm not making a differential that your area offers, yet relieved that at least SOME L&D nurses are. That's actually quite comforting.

Sorry if it seemed like I bit your head off, but at work the other day we were just discussing this very thing. I'm sure you can imagine it gets old after having a horrible, horrible day in OB and then someone tells you how fun your job must be because you deliver babies. Yikes! Anyway, thanks for the info - I'll be watching your post to see who else suffered from PTL.

[JennieBSN]

Quote

Originally posted by Susy K:

Dawngloves-

I'm in a way disappointed that I'm not making a differential that your area offers, yet relieved that at least SOME L&D nurses are. That's actually quite comforting.

Sorry if it seemed like I bit your head off, but at work the other day we were just discussing this very thing. I'm sure you can imagine it gets old after having a horrible, horrible day in OB and then someone tells you how fun your job must be because you deliver babies. Yikes! Anyway, thanks for the info - I'll be watching your post to see who else suffered from PTL.

Susy K--LMAO! I'm a fellow L&D 'sister,' and after a shift where an out of control patient tried to BITE me, you READ MY MIND!! Whenever somebody says to me (on a bad day), 'oh, your job must be so FUN!' I always want to snap back, 'YEAH!! Delivering dead babies and jumping on EMS stretchers that are flying down a hallway to start a stat c-section on a dead woman are really one of life's rare treats!!'

[Q.]

Kday-

Here I thought it was just me!! I was curious, do you get a critical care differential? I really wish we would. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. I just had a Mag patient today who was highly unstable - still contracting on 4 grams!! and I thought about this post and how I want that differential!

Oh well - I'm glad that patient didn't bite you. And yeah, the dead babies are a drag..

[JennieBSN]

Quote

Originally posted by Susy K:

Here I thought it was just me!! I was curious, do you get a critical care differential? I really wish we would. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense. I just had a Mag patient today who was highly unstable - still contracting on 4 grams!! and I thought about this post and how I want that differential!

Oh well - I'm glad that patient didn't bite you. And yeah, the dead babies are a drag..

Nope. No critical care differential. After all, our job is so 'easy' and all about just standing at the bedside saying, 'push!' I've ALWAYS thought we should get crit. care pay, treatment, AND unit rules. People don't realize how ugly it gets in OB when something goes wrong. Yeesh! I've found that the only hospitals this happens in (crit. care pay and R-E-S-P-E-C-T) are the ones where an administrative bigwig or one of their family members has a baby and they get to see FIRST HAND just how awesome we are! 

[Q.]

I hear ya, Kday, I hear ya. I'm sure we could swap horror stories for hours! Maybe we should start a thread - OB nightmares!!

Our hospital actually started having us report acuity levels about 2 years ago - they said it was to determine if we should get a critical care differential or not - well that was 2 years ago and there hasn't been a change, except in our acuity!! We've been seeing more high risk than ever before. I wish some of these people would use BIRTH CONTROL!!