Hello, I am a new RN working in a Long Term Care Facility full-time nights, but I am not new to allnurses. My husband and I are now trying to conceive as I am not getting any younger:wink2: Anyway my question is, is there anyone out there that got pregnant while working straight nights? And if you did how did you find a way to eat properly on nights? Right now I am finding it hard to eat three meals a day. When I first started nights I would have my lunch around 1:30-2am but now every time I eat while working I get such heartburn that it hurts. So right now I am just eating 2 meals a day. Also I am a little concerned that working nights is messing up with my cycles and when I am ovulating. I am tempted to buy a clear plan fertility monitor just to see. Has anyone used this monitor as well and did it work for you?.
I seem to have more questions than I do answers. Any response would be a great big help.
Thank you for all the replies. This gives me hope and food for thought. I was told by a nurse I work with (whom I do not hold highly in my books) that I would not get pregnant while working nights. I actually like working nights and would prefer to stay there if I can.
I guess my husband and will have to keep trying and have fun.
Some people are just negative by nature. I think the reason some women don't get pregnant on nights is that their bodies are so stressed. Plus, if your husband works the opposite shift, it might be harder to find time together. But if you're happy on nights, then that's actually less stress than if you switched to days. Basically, I'd think that if you're trying to concieve, making your life as stress-free as possible is the best medicine.
I know that if I had to switch to days, I think I'd be 100% more stressed! Between having to wake up at 5am and having to deal with all the noise, craziness, and administration on day shift...yuck! Nights is so stress-free for me, at least!
I guess my husband and will have to keep trying and have fun.
Giggles
That's the best plan!!!! Right now there is a running joke on our unit about not drinking the water, we've had a population explosion the last year, on all shifts.
That's the best plan!!!! Right now there is a running joke on our unit about not drinking the water, we've had a population explosion the last year, on all shifts.
It does seem to come in cycles, doesn't it? We'll go a year or so without any pregnancies, then a half dozen docs and nurses are suddenly pregnant at the same time!
It does seem to come in cycles, doesn't it? We'll go a year or so without any pregnancies, then a half dozen docs and nurses are suddenly pregnant at the same time!
Hoping to be part of that explosion next year...
Perhaps I could bottle some water from work:D
I believe we have had about 10 pregnancies with just the staff on our unit. We are wondering who will be next.:chair:
Im a nightshifter in med/surg. It took me 3 months to get pregnant. I had sex before going to work. :chuckle I had a terrible time sleeping during the day. It was awful working w/ no sleep on top of the fatigue of pregnancy. The nausea in the early am was terrible! The first 3 months was the worst. However, the first 3 months is rough anyway from what I hear. After the first 3 months, I had no difficulty eating at night, where as I used to be one who never ate at night. This was my first child and I delivered 2 weeks early (my water broke) and had a 23 hour labor. (and that was with pitocin)
I had my son 14 months ago and am ttc right now and I have been in nights for 12 yrs. I only work 1 night at a time as I work just parttime so do not have the problem of working 2 nights or more in a row anymore.
I now stay up all day before going to work so I get more tired and I did have PTL at 30 weeks with my son but it resolved. I went to 6hr shifts as I had other issues and no lifting(previous recurrent m/cs) so I switched from ICU to ER and worked until 37 1/2 wks.
So what I am trying to say is that I had a high risk pregnancy but managed to carry to term working nights.
I tend to eat a light meal before I go to work and then have an apple or banana around 10pm, then eat proper meal between 12mn and 3am(if we get a break) and then breakfast when I get home before I go to sleep.
Only one woman that I can think of that did well working nights while pregnant. I guess you will find out soon enough if your able to tolorate it. Most pregnant woman awake often and this may hinder your sleep requirements. If at all possible, change your shift or even job if you have to.
Specializes in Geriatrics, Completing the O.R. course.
I was really debating whether or not to buy the fertility monitor. The monitor is approx. 200 dollars here that is why I have been debating it. And I really was not sure if it would work. It is a lot of money to dish out with the uncertainty of it not working. How long after you used it did you get pregnant?
I was really debating whether or not to buy the fertility monitor. The monitor is approx. 200 dollars here that is why I have been debating it. And I really was not sure if it would work. It is a lot of money to dish out with the uncertainty of it not working. How long after you used it did you get pregnant?
no sorry I bought those ovulation predictor tests. they dont cost as much and you only buy the months that you use. it also really helps you find out when you ovulated. i ovulated right after my period. not in the middle of my cycle like i thought. i already had 2 children and had difficulty years later when we tried for a 3rd. it took a few months with the test. with my last i got pregnant right away.
I believe we have had about 10 pregnancies with just the staff on our unit. We are wondering who will be next.:chair:
You sound like you work in the same unit as me! It seems like everybody's getting pregnant. I was throwing up at work and the rumour mill even started saying that I might be pregnant! Uh no!!!
Specializes in Med/Surg;Geriatrics;Family Med;Mental Health.
I have been a nurse for sixteen years and of my four children, two of them were conceived while working the third shift ( one on the 7p-7a shift and the other 11p-7a shift). Now, working this shift came eeasily for me since at the time of the second "midnight" shift pregnancy I had been working 9 years on that schedule. It was easy for me because my eating schedule was adjusted to that of a person working days or afternoons. The body does nt know the time of day just that it needs to be well rested and fed accordingly, increase that if you are pregnant. If the shift is new to you, you might want to reconsider and change shifts if at all possible. But if this is a shift that you have been working for at least a year, you should do fine. An aside, one of my pregnancies was pre-term and the other one was almost an inducement (guess she wasn't a morning person).
Gompers, BSN, RN
2,691 Posts
Some people are just negative by nature. I think the reason some women don't get pregnant on nights is that their bodies are so stressed. Plus, if your husband works the opposite shift, it might be harder to find time together. But if you're happy on nights, then that's actually less stress than if you switched to days. Basically, I'd think that if you're trying to concieve, making your life as stress-free as possible is the best medicine.
I know that if I had to switch to days, I think I'd be 100% more stressed! Between having to wake up at 5am and having to deal with all the noise, craziness, and administration on day shift...yuck! Nights is so stress-free for me, at least!