1st Trimester

How do you work while pregnant?

Ladies who go to a job everyday while pregnant, my hat is off to you. How do you do it and not let anyone know you're pregnant? I'm curious how you get the energy to get to your job, and stay there all day and perform your job through the fatigue and sickness. On top of all that, H1N1 is going around. How do you protect you and your baby from getting that virus without letting people know you're pregnant? Or have some of you just told your coworkers the news, that way they give you extra space and slack for you during this difficult time?
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Re: How do you work while pregnant?

  • I think for me, I guess I just don't have a choice. I need to go, so I take care of myself the best I can and try to work through it. Mine definitely isn't bad yet, but I've been lucky to be in the field these last few weeks where I don't have to deal with anyone's nosiness and I can get plenty of cool air, etc to help with the dizziness. Ask me again in three weeks though! :)

    (I may be totally off, but isn't H1N1 covered under this year's flu shot? I could be crazy)

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  • ADHO906: Getting the shot is not a guarantee one won't contract the virus. 
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  • You just do. I was lucky and never really had morning sickness (I have thrown up all of 4 times during this pregnancy). I threw up once at work, but there was a stomach thing going around so they sent me home because they thought I had that. lol. So, instead of telling anyone why I actually threw-up, I just took the free sick day, because it was literally only that one time :)

    My fatigue during the first trimester didn't really hit until the evenings, like after I worked the whole day I would be pretty beat. But I mean, a lot of people get kind of tired by the end of the day, so it's pretty easy to just write it off as a general long, hard day if you don't want to tell everyone.

    The woman at my work that keeps track of people's time off had a pretty good idea I was pregnant before I announced, because she knew all my requests for afternoon's off for appointments, etc. during the first trimester. But she is also professional and knows it is no one else's business when I go to the doctor, or what for, so she didn't say anything until after I announced; she just commented "I was started to suspect with all those afternoon's off" kind of thing.

    I mean, even if people are starting to get suspicious, in most work environments I've been in people know not to say something until it's official, just out of common courtesy. And even if people did suspect early, unless you have a dick boss it shouldn't really impact your work environment. 
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  • Hahaha. I work in healthcare too and am constantly around desperately sick people and resistant bacteria. I wash my hands and don't lick doorknobs. I think I have a pretty hardy immune system and it's seen a lot of disgusting stuff... So even if it's a little crippled with Squishface now, I have confidence we'll both be okay.
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  • I haven't had any trouble working at all. I am tired, but I have a desk job, so I get to sit all day. Also, I got a flu shot and I wash my hands a lot. I have my own office, so my time in close proximity to other people is limited.
  • It's not anything different than what I did before I was pregnant. My co-workers know but they didn't stop interacting with me or slacked off. I did get the flu shot and I always washed my hands anyways or sanitized so nothing changed with that. As far as morning sickness mine never hits me until the evening so i guess i'm lucky to not have to be running back and forth to the bathroom constantly. 
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  • With my first, I'm not 100% sure I could have made it at my previous job which was always on my feet running to meetings and herding cats and feeling like my day was one long game of whack-a-mole. I was fortunate to be working at home by the time I got pregnant with my first (self employed) and i felt the same way as pp. hats off to you women. However, this pregnancy, I think I'd be ok and in better shape. Everyone is different, has different pregnancy experiences and different jobs. Most important thing is we all do the best we can for our families and our babies!
  • Thank you for your answers. I was just curious how you ladies handled this situation and you are all doing it so well! I've had a few friends/associates who have worked while pregnant (in the health and education fields) and have had...sad results. To hear you all are doing well is very inspiring to me! :) 
  • I gave up doing my eye makeup. My outfits are no longer the most well accessorized. I keep saltines at my desk. And I go to bed extra early. It hasn't been fun, but you just do it.


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  • Thank you for your answers. I was just curious how you ladies handled this situation and you are all doing it so well! I've had a few friends/associates who have worked while pregnant (in the health and education fields) and have had...sad results. To hear you all are doing well is very inspiring to me! :) 
    I'm confused. Are you attributing "sad results" to working?
  • Go to work. 
    Do my job. 
    Wash my hands. 
    Don't make out with sick coworkers. 

    I should have added to my reply, GET THE FLU SHOT. It might not be 100% sure at preventing the flu, but it helps prevent constant, distracting worrying about getting the flu.
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  • tealowltealowl member
    edited February 2014

    I just went to work.

    I have a desk job and my employer requires us to have flu shots yearly. If I had to puke, I puked in the bathroom or in my garbage can. Worse case, I puke on the floor, but that never happened. I take Unisom and that helped my m/s a ton.

    I took my break and lunches and relaxed. I took some PTO and went home early a couple of time when I felt extra shitty.

    "Your truth is different from my truth, and we're both right."

    TTC since March 2013. BFP 4/13/13, blighted ovum discovered 6/6/13, m/c 6/8/13.

    BFP 11/10/13, EDD 7/25/13 - stick little owlet!

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  • I just do what I have to do! My coworkers knew early, so that was nice, but the judges still don't know, so it's kind of awkward to take multiple pee breaks/ try not to barf during court. It also sucks that my suits don't really fit right but I'm still too small for mat clothes, so I look like I put on a few recently ;)

     

    Also, like ^^^^ said, I keep snacks at my desk and try to get a lot of sleep

    It's not sad at all... why would it be sad?

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  • edited February 2014
    You just go to work.  For me, I have a responsibility to my family and my students to do my job and do it well.  I don't let other personal things affect my job, so I didn't let this affect it either.  I thought for sure people would realize I was pregnant because of my horrible morning sickness, but no one had a clue.  I held it together at work and would come home and relax the rest of the night.

    ETA- I work in education and haven't had any "sad results."  I have a lot of responsibility at work outside of teaching my classes and it has stayed that way through my pregnancy.
  • I have let everyone know that I'm pregnant, and I got the flu shot. No one in my company has had the flu this year as far as I know - probably partly because we offered free flu shots - but if someone does seem to be really ill I''ll spray alcohol on surfaces to disinfect.  Honestly even though I've had some nausea and vomiting I haven't found it difficult to work. Which is good as I don't have a choice!
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  • Please don't take offense to my question. I just can't believe how sick I am and I was wondering how you ladies do it.  I'm just asking. No, one is not an invalid when pregnant but should get some slack in my opinion in some professions. The majority of you work desk jobs which has its own challenges, but is a lot easier than being on your feet all day as a doctor or a teacher (especially one that works at an alternative school). The "sad" part of these women I know who work(ed) in those fields were due to these women being put in dangerous situations at their jobs that caused a loss of their child, they were all hard workers. One of them that I know successfully sued her employer and won. She was almost beat to death by a problem high school student dumped in her class for the day. Another teacher I know was put in a situation where very sick kids with the swine flu were added to her class for the day as too many teachers were out sick, and there was nowhere to put these kids until their parents came and picked them up. She got the flu vaccine. I remember one of those kids vomited on her, and she said she kept calling for assistance bc she was overwhelmed and over ratio. She got the swine flu and subsequently lost her baby. It was on the news later that the vaccine given out was the wrong one, the changes were now made, and people should go get the updated vaccine. She should not have been put in that position in the first place imo. WhoCantItBeNow, she was not a shitty person, and shame on you for jumping to that conclusion. I think pregnant women should be given an extra amount of safety at work. I have a friend who is finishing her residency as a doctor who is pregnant. She does get some consideration at work as she should. WhoCantItBeNow, I find your response to be rude and shows your lack of knowledge about what I do in my career. If you don't like my question, you could simply not respond to it. 
  • I don't know. I go to work and don't tell everyone I'm pregnant. It's not that difficult. Also, I protect myself from h1n1 by getting this fantastic thing called a flu shot. You should check it out.
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  • @WhoCanItBeNow  I know people like you act out this way because really, your life is not a good one. So it makes you feel better to be mean to another person. I feel sorry for you. I hope things get better since you are having a child and your child will learn from you how to treat others. Have a good day.
  • I have been extremely sick.  I got H1N1 at 4 weeks, which wouldn't go away for 2 weeks, and they think I have HG.  I was in the hospital at one point and I just knew I would lose this baby.  But, luckily everything appeared healthy last Friday when we went to the doctor.  I did miss a lot of work because of the flu, and subsequently some time in the mornings due to vomiting.  I am lucky to have a very flexible job where I have a lot of say in my schedule on a lot of days.  But, I still have to work, and am constantly feeling behind.  And, there are days I have to be in court and on my feet for several hours at a time.  I have learned to get up extra early in the morning, take extra time to do the things in my routine that minimize my risk of vomiting.  I keep crackers at my desk.  I've thrown up several times in my trash can at work, and I am trying to learn to do the things that help me get on with my day (like clean it up, and try to get some crackers in my stomach as soon as possible), instead of letting that ruin my work day.  All in all, I am just doing the best I can each day, and some days I feel really bad at my job.
    So, despite the fact that I have worked since I was 14, I am finding it more difficult than ever to do the things I am so use to.  And I have also asked other women who have been through this on tips on how they got through their day.  I'm not looking for special treatment.  I'm looking for solutions to be able to perform equally as I was before I got pregnant.  If this makes me stupid, I must be a real idiot.
  • I don't think I understand the purpose of this thread - which may be understandable because it seems to be changing.

    Were you just curious about how pregnant women were handling going to work? Okay... but you could have asked that directly since you've already told us all that you intend to continue working during your own pregnancy. Most of our stories and anecdotes wouldn't apply to you anyway though, since you have an exotic job.

    Were you trying to warn us about the dangers of viral and bacterial illness in the workplace? If so... calling out people specifically in the healthcare and education fields was probably not the best way to go about it, since most of us are much more aware of these things than the average lady since it's our job.

    Or were you trying to tell horror stories about super weird and unlikely things happening to women working? If so... okay, but kind of mean to use scare tactics on this group, don't you think?
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  • @WhoCanItBeNow  I know people like you act out this way because really, your life is not a good one. So it makes you feel better to be mean to another person. I feel sorry for you. I hope things get better since you are having a child and your child will learn from you how to treat others. Have a good day.
    Hahahahaha. 
  • @WhoCanItBeNow  I know people like you act out this way because really, your life is not a good one. So it makes you feel better to be mean to another person. I feel sorry for you. I hope things get better since you are having a child and your child will learn from you how to treat others. Have a good day.
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  • I worked in a mental hospital with children (ages 3-17) my entire pregnancy. I had really bad m/s for 20 weeks (and I worked 1st shift). I counseled children who were abused, mentally ill, emotionally unstable, aggressive, and occasionally very physically ill. I told my supervisor and the nursing manager and any other people I worked with on a regular basis that I felt needed to know for my own safety. If a child became aggressive, then my coworkers and nurses knew to step in so that I did not have to get involved in any restraints or physical altercations with a patient. I had patients threaten me and attempt aggression, but there was always someone to step in and help in that situation.

    Just use common sense and keep yourself safe. The two examples you gave are very uncommon and extreme (very sorry for their losses). Get the shot if you're worried about the flu, but otherwise you don't need a hazmat suit around every person with a cough or a sniffle.

    Basically, you do what you have to do to get through each day, ask for help when/if you need it, and inform whoever should be informed in order to keep you out of any unsafe situations at work. You should still be expected to perform at work and there are very few jobs and situations where you would need any special treatment.
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  • ADH0906 said:
    Why would you assume we all have desk jobs? I don't. During my busy months, I might hike 10 miles a day in rough terrain, all summer long. Know how I plan to deal with being pregnant? By being an adult and taking care of myself and listening to my body, just like when I'm not pregnant. Hell, I'm on a pipeline construction project today. Life doesn't stop because you're pregnant. I was willing to give your OP the benefit of the doubt, but you really do come across as incredibly condescending here.

    Agreed. No desk job here. I was on my feet for 12+ hours a day, 3 days a week, my entire pregnancy. It sucked quite often, but you just muddle through and get it done.
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  • Got up, got in my car, drove to work, worked, went home.

    This, plus washed my hands a lot and got the flu shot (as any intelligent person would during flu season). 

    Oh and I had hyperemesis gravidarum from 6-40 weeks.  Thanks!

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  • i don't have a desk job. But there should be no field where you can expect to get NEARLY BEAT TO DEATH - your employer should be protecting you. Whether you are pregnant or not, it's not okay to be nearly killed..... Can't believe I even need to type this.

    Yeah, you can expect to get thrown up on if you are a nurse or doctor, but again, there should be precautions taken to deal with bodily fluids, whether you are pregnant or not. And I would not expect a teacher to get regularly thrown up on (the example used in the OP), that should not be just a normal expectation of the job. 
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  • I get up, go to work, stand for 8 hours a day, deal with people all day, sick & healthy, run around like a chicken with my head cut off, & then come home. and do it another 4x that week. 
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  • Between this thread and the OP's fear-mongering mahi mahi thread, the OP clearly lives in a world of constant fear and anxiety. It's gotta be exhausting worrying so much about everything.

    BFP: 7/5/10   EDD: 3/13/11  Miscarriage 8/1/10 at 8 weeks

    BFP: 10/30/10   EDD: 7/7/11   Born 7/11//11 7lb12oz, 20 in.

    BFP: 7/30/13  EDD: 4/9/14 Born right on time on his due date! 8lb10oz, 21.5 in.


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