"I worked until the day you were born..."

Dewey12 · January 2012

"... and the only reason I was off that day was because I took off for a doctor's appointment." -my mom.

I had put on FB earlier last week that I was exhausted and ready to go on maternity leave. I'm sort of only kidding. I really do plan to work up til I give birth, but I'm just wiped out. It's hard enough being pregnant, but combine that with a job where I'm constantly running around. Anywho, my mom saw my FB status and called to inform me that she worked up til the day I was born. I don't think she was trying to make me feel bad. I think it was her way of being motivating. The difference is that my mom worked in an office. I work with the public. Just for the heck of it, I've kept a running tally of how many times I have had to get on my hands and knees to help someone today (16 times in 3 hours). It's not so much the getting down that's hard... but the getting back up is torture. I have some super sucky pain under my belly right now and I still have 40 more minutes of work. 7 1/2 more weeks to go.

I guess this was my vent for the day. Anyone else want to share?

Texas77again · January 2012

i always said that i would work up until my water broke, but the closer i get the more ridic that becomes to me. i'm not going to return to work after the baby is born so for me it doesn't make any sense to work right up until the last second. if i was going to take maternity leave and return i might feel differently and would want all the mat leave to spend with the baby.

i decided that i'm going to leave at 37 weeks and the money loss for 3 weeks is not enough to justify feeling bad and tired and possibly working on my feet all day and then coming home and going into labor.

futuresebss · January 2012

Yeah, it is tough! I am in a similar situation as you. I work in an office but also with the public. I do a lot of running around and stairs are involved. Is there any way at this point that certain job duties can be deemed not for you? I enlist the help of my coworkers as much as possible. I feel okay and I'm in shape, but things just downright hurt now! I fully plan to work till the end, just hoping I will still be useful! Good luck to you in these last weeks.

MelbaCat · January 2012

I'm hoping I can work until I go into labor this time. Last time I worked until my due date and it was no walk in the park. I was exhausted and miserable. I couldn't wait to be on mat leave. But then I went 10 days past my due date and I was just sitting around at home waaaaaaiting, still in pain, still uncomfortable and bored. So at least work kept my mind off things.

Obviously I have 8 weeks to go, so I could change my tune very quickly come 39/40w lol!

SLAHSarah · January 2012

phancykat:
DO NOT GET ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES TO HELP! If it's on the bottom shelf, point, they can figure it out! I won't reshelf anything on the bottom shelf anymore. Getting up hurts too bad, they can get someone else to do it.

THIS! I teach K and have stopped bending down to pick up things off the floor or tying kids shoes. If it needs to be picked up, I chose a helper! If it needs to be tied, the kid puts their foot up on a table for me.

echo136 · January 2012

My original plan was to work till the Friday before our due date. So until March 9th. I work at a before and after school program so I work 7:30-9 and 3-5:30 - so really not that much. But in between I go home and deal with a 4 month old puppy so he tires me out like no other. Since going back after the Christmas break I have been thinking I might go off the week earlier but I haven't decided for sure.

I have no idea how pregnant woman work full time. Call me weak but honestly I have so much respect for you all who are working full time right now. DH works at a children's mental health facility and 3 of the women there are pregnant and working 12 hour shifts. I say God bless them! Apparently they are starting to go off on leave now (most are due after use and into May) but I cannot imagine working that long.

So kuddos to all you ladies who are working!

sunnyt154 · January 2012

I worked FT with my DS. I worked Monday, water broke Monday night and he was born Tuesday. It was misery. I would cry at some point almost everyday.

This time I am on bed rest. I look back and wonder how on earth I did that.

kcanuck · January 2012

I've been working a lot. I worked 13 of the past 15 days. My hours are long, I'm on my feet most of the day and I have to get down on the floor frequently.

We are short handed right now so I've been filling in shifts. My husband and family are strongly recommending that I don't pick up any further extra shifts. I'm trying to listen to them but I'm easily guilted into extra work. Sigh. I've told my boss no more though as I don't want to push myself too hard.

nrjones728 · January 2012

Aww Dewey, my mom said the same thing to me. And originally I had thought I would work up until labor, but with teaching 3rd grade, being on my feet the majority of the day is getting really difficult. My goal is to make it through Feb. at least. But we just have to listen to our bodies and do what is best for LO/ourselves.

Joie80 · January 2012

echo136:

My original plan was to work till the Friday before our due date. So until March 9th. I work at a before and after school program so I work 7:30-9 and 3-5:30 - so really not that much. But in between I go home and deal with a 4 month old puppy so he tires me out like no other. Since going back after the Christmas break I have been thinking I might go off the week earlier but I haven't decided for sure.

I have no idea how pregnant woman work full time. Call me weak but honestly I have so much respect for you all who are working full time right now. DH works at a children's mental health facility and 3 of the women there are pregnant and working 12 hour shifts. I say God bless them! Apparently they are starting to go off on leave now (most are due after use and into May) but I cannot imagine working that long.

So kuddos to all you ladies who are working!

This exactly. I work from home and I honestly think if I had to get up and go to work everyday I'd have quit by now, or at least taken an extended leave of absence. Honestly though, I guess you do what you have to do. Good luck holding it down for a few more weeks,and I think the advice about not getting on all fours anymore is pretty decent. There is no shame in modifying activities. We are pregnant.

danlexi04 · January 2012

This is the first time I've worked this far into my pregnancy and it is HELL.

I was in school while pregnant with DD and it wasn't hard to do. I was a retail manager while KU with the boys but put on bedrest by about 25 weeks. Before that I spent the slower days sitting down doing paper work and other things so I wasn't on my feet all day, I had to have a dr note to do that.

I'm now an esthetician that does only speed waxing so I'm on my feet most of the day. A lot of the waxing requires me to bend at the waist and that's the killer. I don't have a set date yet as to when I'll stop working, I'm hoping to make it through at least all of Feb. They don't offer FMLA so I'm only guaranteed my job back for 30 days, so I'm trying to work as long as possible. I'm still taking the usual NJ alotted time of 12 weeks and if they don't allow me to come back I may be making a phone call to the department of labor.

Irisheyes1247 · January 2012

Last time I actually did work right up until I went into labor. I worked a full day, my water broke Tuesday night around 11:45pm and DD was born the next day at 3:18pm. I was supposed to have a doctors appointment on Friday and since I had been having issues with BP, they had been offering to write me out of work and I had just decided earlier on Tuesday that I was going to take them up on it. And I do NOT have a physical job. This time I don't know what I will do. I guess we'll just see how it goes.

Fergie+1 · January 2012

I would love to take roughly a week off before my due date, but I have no idea if my boss will let me have the time due to manning. I really hate my job right now- I'm on my feet all day with few sit-down breaks, have to do a lot more bending than I'm supposed to, and sometimes end up lifting more than I'm supposed to- simply because there's no one else available. >:[ And they wonder why I don't want to do anything extra or come in early for events.

Last pregnancy I worked until 2 weeks prior to delivery. It was so nice to have time to sit at home and get that last of the baby things ready to go.

Sparks in training! · January 2012

with my 1st, I worked up until the day...so much so that i HAD NO IDEA my water broke. But this time around...i am dying! Like if i wasnt alone at work today I would have called in sick. So you are not alone.... Im like you...plan on working up until, but it is hard.

sleeping5beauty · January 2012

With Orion, I had him on Friday (due to a scheduled C/S). I worked until Wednesday.

With this one I will have another C/S. I plan on taking 2 weeks off before my C/S. I want to spend some quality time with Orion before his little brother gets here. Plus I want time to clean my house, freeze some meals and go grocery shopping.

I'm so tired between working full time, being pregnant and running after a 2 year old. I would probably go out on leave now if I could.