Pregnancy and lifting resrtictions

[remotefuse]

Is it normal for all pregnant women to have a blanket order for a 20 lb lifting restriction? How would nurses work though a pregnancy if they are placed on such restrictions? I know they probably shouldn't lift ridiculously heavy things, but no more than 20 lbs? Have any of you heard of this?

[brownbook]

Any pregnant woman needs to follow the advice of her obstrician. Are you asking for yourself or about a co-worker?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Yes, I've heard of this. 20-25 lbs. is the typical weight restriction we would give pregnant patients when I worked in clinic. Really, though, nobody should be lifting that on their own, without some type of lift aid or assistance.

[Sour Lemon]

Is it normal for all pregnant women to have a blanket order for a 20 lb lifting restriction? How would nurses work though a pregnancy if they are placed on such restrictions? I know they probably shouldn't lift ridiculously heavy things, but no more than 20 lbs? Have any of you heard of this?

I've never heard that as a common restriction ....it's usually activity as usual, and as tolerated, of course. There are even female body builders that continue lifting weights into their last trimester.

The way nurses "work" through pregnancy at a lot of hospitals is that they don't. If they can't do the job, they're taken off the schedule.

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

I was an STNA till the end of my first pregnancy. I had no weight restrictions, my OB at the time told me that my body was used to it and would be fine during pregnancy. Not sure if this is still true, it was in 2009, but I had no issues and did my regular duties until 37 weeks.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Is it normal for all pregnant women to have a blanket order for a 20 lb lifting restriction? How would nurses work though a pregnancy if they are placed on such restrictions? I know they probably shouldn't lift ridiculously heavy things, but no more than 20 lbs? Have any of you heard of this?

Any position I have ever held, required me to lift 50 pounds. Pregnancy was not an exclusion.

If a nurse is pregnant, any exclusions would have to be ordered by her OB.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Yes, I've heard of this. 20-25 lbs. is the typical weight restriction we would give pregnant patients when I worked in clinic. Really, though, nobody should be lifting that on their own, without some type of lift aid or assistance.

Maybe this is another thread. But are you saying that NO nurse should lift more than 25 pounds?

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I would ask your OB provider if the lifting restriction is truly necessary. I know with my last one, they said 25 lbs simply because that was their norm....well, my job couldn't accommodate less than 50 lbs. I called my OB clinic RN and said they need to change that -- I had been lifting my 50+ lb children without incident.

Very important point here: I was healthy with a low-risk pregnancy. I would never -- nor advise anyone to -- knowingly risk their baby's safety.