3rd Trimester
sunflwr2
member
nervous about working up to delivery..anyone with experience?
sunflwr2
member
I can take time off before delivery, but it will cut into the time I have with the baby after it is born.
How far along into your pregnancy are you working? I'm nervous about literally working up until the time I go into labor. What if I go into labor at work? Or my water breaks at work? Is this common? It's kind of stressing me now that i'm getting close to that time. I'm 33 weeks now.
If you are a second time mom what were your experiences?
And if this is your first...what are your plans?
How far along into your pregnancy are you working? I'm nervous about literally working up until the time I go into labor. What if I go into labor at work? Or my water breaks at work? Is this common? It's kind of stressing me now that i'm getting close to that time. I'm 33 weeks now.
If you are a second time mom what were your experiences?
And if this is your first...what are your plans?
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Re: nervous about working up to delivery..anyone with experience?
I worked up until my water broke (at work...totally rare and won't happen to most of you, ha!). Each day when I left I had everything ready for me not to come back and did the same when I'd go for lunch. I tried to work on one thing at a time as much as possible as to not leave anything hanging and had tons of notes on everything for my co-workers if they had to deal with something in process while I was gone.
You can totally do it and it won't be a big deal at all. Try not to stress about it (easier said then done, right?)
I think it is pretty normal to worry about that stuff. It is pretty rare for your water to break like that in the first place. I still started bringing pads and a change of pants to work with me just in case and to help ease my mind. I also have a plan in place with my husband for if I go into labor at work. Really if you start havign contractions at work you will be just fine... you will have plenty of time to call DH and leave work. and the chances of your water breaking at work is sooooo slim. I would not stop working early because of these concerns...
This is my third and I am working right up to it again... time off with baby is just so much more worth it!
I worked to my due date. My first was due on a Wednesday, and he was born four days later on Sunday. My second was born on his due date, which was on a Sunday as well. So, weekend babies worked out perfectly!
This one is due on a Saturday, so I'm hoping he follows in his brothers footsteps. It would be easier for DH too! Not that it matters anymore, cause I'm a SAHM. But for convenience of finding someone to watch our two boys.
I am lurking here but i was in labor at work. I went to work that morning not feeling so hot, went to my weekly check up and told by co-workers I would bring them back lunch. An hour later I called them to tell them I wasn't coming back because I was in labor and progressing quicky. I gave birth at 5;55 pm that afternoon. So yeah I worked until the very end.
I plan to work until I go into labor. I really don't want to use and of my time off until the baby is here. It's a bit scary but I am sure I have enough time to get to the hospital. (I hope) I work about 20 minutes away.
I'm a FTM and was planning on working as late as piossible, but my stupid short term disability that I get for 6 weeks has a 2 week waiting period before it kicks in. If I wait until baby is born I somehow only get paid for 4 weeks instead of 6, I don't really understand it, but all the other new mom's in my company have stressed that they all got screwed by not leaving early. My last day is going to be next Wednesday which is 2 weeks from my due date. At this point just getting to work feels like a full time job. I am in a lot of pain and I have at least a 45 minute drive to and from work. It's all getting to be too much. I'm glad my Dr. and I both agree that I need to stop working next week.
With that said, I have told many people in my company (half jokingly) that should my water break I'm not cleaning it and I'm leaving and going to the hospital asap.:)
It's so weird I saw this, because I was just talking to my coworker about this yesterday. She asked me when I was going to take off, and I told her my last day would be the day before I deliver. Her eyes got really huge and she was like...what if you go into labor here. I really hadn't thought about it until that point lol.
The way I feel about it is labor usually takes a long time, so someone can drive me to the hospital worst case scenario (although my hospital is about 45 minutes away from where I work). But I don't really know how that is any different from me being home and going into labor while DH is at work, because it will take at least that long for him to get off and come get me. I'd much rather keep my mind busy than sit at home and worry about being in the hospital.
Also a FTM and 33 wks. I plan to work up to delivery. I have some extra sick time I can take if needed but I'd rather carry it into next year.
I'm not too worried about going into labor at work (more like going into labor during my commute on the bus/subway) especially since the hospital is closer to work than home.
At our parenting class the nurse suggested that if you get to the point of really due (40wks) or even overdue and worried about water breaking could wear depends or pads - but she also suggested the "all out gush" is not so likely.
With DD I worked until the end--I worked a normal day and then my water broke about 2 hours later at 6:30 pm. Had her the next day. (19 HOURS later) I was still feeling physically fine and frankly, I would have just been stressed and bored hanging out at home, plus be using annual/sick leave that I'd rather spend with the baby. I plan to also work as long as possible as possible this time...
With DS1 I worked until the day before my scheduled c-section at 39w 2d. I worked at a desk all day so I just had to put my legs up as my feet were starting to get swollen. I didn't have contractions, water didn't break, nothing dramatic happened.
With DS2 and DS3 I work at home (part-time on a computer) so I don't have to worry about it
My last day at work is August 20, but I go back to school full-time on August 29th. I'm only at school about 15 hours a week, but I plan on going to class up to delivery. She's due right about midterms, so hopefully I can get them over with before she decides to come out. I'll have to arrange to take exams early and get as much work done ahead of time as possible.
As long as the delivery is as uncomplicated as I can reasonably expect, I'm going right back to class as soon as I am physically able. I'm sure my professors will accomodate me (and you can bet I'll be pushing back with the Title IX advisor behind me if they don't), but I'd rather do as much work as I can when it's assigned and not let it pile up or have to take incompletes and do the work over winter break. Luckily I'm a design major so a lot of my work can be completed at home and turned in at school or online.
I plan on working until I go into labor. If I'm past due and/or it gets too hard for me to drive in every day, my boss is cool with me working from home (hooray for Skype!), which I'm doing for three months after my 6 weeks leave is up.
It's difficult some days because I feel like poo, but I'd feel like poo if I were home, so I may as well be productive and finish up these projects. If everything goes as scheduled all my loose ends will be tied up in the middle of September and as long as I check in weekly via email, I won't be terribly behind and no one will have to pick up my slack. The way I look at it, if I go into labor at work, I'm 5 minutes from the hospital and have an office full of nervous men to drive me over
I worked up until both my LO's where born. With DD I went into labor very early Saturday morning, and had her at 733pm. With DS I worked all day on Monday, and had an induction Tuesday morning.
The chances of your water actually breaking on it's own are pretty slim according to my dr.
Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter
"><a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/825/1820/8251820.png" /></a><p style="text-align:center;width:420px;"><small>Created by MyFitnessPal - Free <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Calorie Counter</a></small></p>I'm due on Monday and I've worked full time (40+ hrs/week) throughout my pregnancy. These past two weeks were super busy at work and I was traveling by car as much as 2-3 hours away to do site inspections at various companies. Like yourself, I don't want to cut into my pitiful 6 weeks of leave any earlier than necessary. If Monday rolls around and I haven't gone into labor, I'll be showing up to work. In fact, even if on Monday morning I was having mild contractions, I'd probably go into work anyway until they get stronger.
The only thing I've changed about my work routine is that I've been driving my personal vehicle for the past week. (I usually take public transportation.) They have to make everybody get off the bus or light rail if there's any kind of "spillage" of bodily fluids be it blood, vomit, etc -- so just as a courtesy to other passengers should my water break, I figured I'll play it safe and not take the bus during this last week or so.
For first-time moms, the stage of early labor can last hours or even days. I think only about 10% or so of moms' water breaks prior to labor/contractions starting -- so it's probably not likely that you'll have that happen at work.
Unless you are experiencing pre-term labor or your doctor has put you on bedrest, there's no reason you can't continue to work, exercise, and do any other normal life activities.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease!!!
Where I work SEVERAL ladies water has broke. Luckily we are 2 minutes from the hospital so it isn't a real big deal. I think it is more uncommon that people take leave before the baby is here. With FMLA you get at most 12 weeks so if you leave a few weeks before your due date you could still not go into labor until a few weeks after that so I'd feel like I wasted a precious 4 weeks I could have spent with my baby! I possibly have the only doctor that would let me go to the 42 week mark... CAN'T WAIT!!!
I'm in the same boat (high school teacher). I'm due on a Monday but know that many first-time moms are late delivering. I don't want to waste my leave if the baby's not here. I'm considering starting my leave on the following Monday (a week after I'm due) and just leaving daily sub plans on the desk for the entire week before. I may not need them, but that way, if I don't come back, there will be something for the interim substitute(s) to use before my long-term sub steps in.
This is just an idea...I'm still planning on asking around!