Lifting on Postpartum?

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Hi guys,

So I hurt my back about a year ago and while it's gotten a lot better it's still not 100%. Our facility just posted 2 jobs on our postpartum floor and both only require 1-2 years nursing experience. I am very excited. I have been working telemetry/cardiac for the past 3 years, but originally got into nursing with the hopes of being a labor and delivery nurse and admit it's still a dream of mine.

I can't *imagine* that post-partum would have as much lifting required as some of the stroke patients/paraplegics/90-year-old frail or weak/morbidly obese patients on my current floor do, but there must be *some* heavy lifting involved, right?

I spoke with a co-worker who used to float to postpartum and said that the most lifting/transferring she ever really had to do was moving the new moms from the delivery room stretcher to their beds when their epidurals hasn't worn off yet.

What's been your experience with the actual manual labor component of L+D/postpartum?

Thanks.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Sometimes there's lifting when helping clean up a fresh section or when getting someone up to BR for the first time. What bothers my back more is all the funky positions I get in to help mom breastfeed. Definitely less than when I worked med-surg though.

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The only thing I can think of is bathroom assistance after someone has had an epidural. I know when I had an epidural the first time it didn't wear off for hours. When I finally got up to go to the bathroom my legs felt like spaghetti noodles. That nurse definitely kept me from falling flat on my face. :lol2:

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

Ditto on what the previous two posters said...post partum should definitely LESS than where you are now, but it won't be NONE (lifting) either. The epidural moms (a good percentage of our patients here) and the C-Sections are the two worst offenders as previously stated. I've had the pleasure of working with a couple of nurses that have had bad back injuries/surgeries and they both work PP at my hospital and have been there for years with no issues that I'm aware of. L&D though, is a completely different story.... Good Luck!

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Newborn, Antepartum.

L&D - there is a lot of manual manipulation and strength with holding legs during pushing, etc.

In postpartum, I agree with the others. I have the hardest time with assisting with breastfeeding. I need to learn to move the bed up to my height for sure! But you will do some with changing pads and helping people to the BR.

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Huh after my c section i was able to scooch myselg from the stretcher to my bed. How unusual is that? They seemed impressed.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, Newborn, Antepartum.

WOW, Mediatix8! Most of our c-sections get spinal duramorph and can't move much of anything (at least from the waist down).

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Thanks for all your input, everyone. I'm just waiting to hear back from HR now. I don't think I'll get the position since they're kind of in hot demand, but I'm hoping. :)

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