pregnancy question

Hi guys,

I found out I'm 8 weeks pregnant, it's my first baby and I'm excited. Hubby and I have been trying for a long time and I'm afraid something will go wrong. I work 12 hour shifts and at times I don't get a chance to sit down, I'm on my feet all day, pushing heavy med carts and I'm not a very big person. I'm only 90 lbs. My question is could all this stress be harmful to my baby? I try to stop and get a drink of water, even if the Adm doesn't want you with any drinks except in the break room, but I don't get any time to take a break. I don't always have time to take a full lunch. I don't know I guess I just need reassurance that things will be okay. How did any of you nurses who worked through your pregnancy handle all of this?

~B
We cannot offer medical advice here. Talk to your OB/midwife.That said, fetuses are remarkably resilient, otherwise our species would have died out thousands of years ago, through famine, war and disease.

the op is also asking how other nurses handled a heavy work day while being pregnant... that's not asking for medical advice. congrats on being pregnant... very exciting!!

Quote from houlihan75the op is also asking how other nurses handled a heavy work day while being pregnant... that's not asking for medical advice.

Quote from klonewhich is where my second sentence comes in.but she specifically asked if her job could be harmful to her baby, and we cannot answer that here.

I see a lot of preganat nurses work hard on my unit... I know they see there doctor regularly and go on maternity leave as soon as the job gets too hard for them.... I think it depends on what your body is telling you. Everyone else here is right about asking you OB. BEST of LUCK to you..!! =)

I worked the whole time I was pregnant...even worked the day I had him, granted I didn't realize my hurting was labor pains all shift...he turned out perfect

I worked in the ICU float pool while I was pregnant with my first. I signed up for FMLA pretty much as soon as I found out. That was I could call in sick if I needed to and the facility couldn't hold it against me. That being said, I did not use it all that much. I did ok for the first 33 weeks or so and then I started getting a lot more tired so I cut back to 8 hr shifts for the rest of my time. A couple things that I did that helped were drinking vast quantities of water each day (3-5 liters), I brought along a small portable snack (cheese cubes, peanut butter, etc) to eat a couple hours after my shift started and a few hours after lunch. I found keeping my blood glucose stable made my night easier. And I took breaks. I don't know what state you are in but you should be allowed some breaks. I had a couple nights where the unit I was on used and abused me for the night (i.e. 700 lbwoman with a K of 7 and they gave her KayExalate at 1815. No help available per charge nurse). The nights I had like that I would usually call in the next night so I could keep my feet up. My second pregnancy I had breast cancer and went through six rounds of chemo before delivery so it was obviously a little different. I still worked some shifts in the units. Both my boys are healthy, mostly happy and the light of my life!

Congratulations!!

I'm now 30 weeks along, and have worked the 6p-6a shift at an LTC the entire time. I use my down time at night to put my feet up and rest a bit. Some nights have been harder than others... But most importantly....CONGRATS!!!

I worked waiting table while I was pregnant with twins until the doctor told me I had to stop (pre-eclampsia). They both turned out perfect. Your body will tell you when too much is too much. Do you have short term disability insurance? That would cover a doctor ordered medical leave before your baby is born