Looking to hear your personal experience

With my first, I was at the end of nursing school and worked per diem as a CNA (not much). I was off for 9 weeks and returned as an RN.

With my second, I was working 12-hr days as an RN. I kinda stopped working at 35 weeks due to an "irritable uterus" (lots of contractions but no cervical changes). Some days I gave away to co-workers, some days I got low census. It worked out. With that one I got 16 weeks AFTER she was born (plus 3.5-4 before)....it was wonderful.

Oh, and I worked on the medical floor of a regional pediatric hospital. 4-6 patients, lots of turnover (discharge-admit, repeat).

I was ICU/CC/stepdown day charge for my first pregnancy, 40 hour week, 8 hour shifts, on my feet all day, actively involved in patient care, worked until a week before my due date except for a 2-week vacation I took at about 7 1/2 months (camping, river rafting, and hiking)(Was I really that fit then? Wow.). Did CPR at 8 months, spent most of first trimester peeing every hour, but it was not a problem otherwise. I was young and healthy, so no biggie. Women in undeveloped countries do more physical work with less nutrition.

I started grad school part-time when she was 6 weeks old, took her with me to class for three months, then got a babysitter. Didn't go back to floor work until child 2, born three years later, 5 months after I finished school, was 7 months old.

I worked nights in the ER for the first two trimesters of my pregnancy. I then switched to days. It was too hard to sleep during the day without the use of sleep aids. I kept working right up until the week I gave birth because you can only take 12 weeks of FMLA so there was no way I was going to take time before baby came and then go back to work that soon after. I also took the entire 12 weeks off. Some of my coworkers take less time citing a lack of PTO/paychecks but my opinion is WHATEVER. If I am here and nursing a baby all night then I will be darned if I am going back to work before my milk supply is well established and end up paying for formula instead.

I worked nights in a busy neuro ICU. I went off at 37 weeks and was home until my son was 8 weeks old. I continued to work nights after he was born.

Congrats!

I worked until 2 days before 36 weeks when I delivered. It was unexpected so I was still planning to work. I stayed out for 10 weeks. I was and am a night shifter.