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cleaning houses at 13 weeks pregnant

jaymar9jaymar9 member
in 2nd Trimester
I just turned 13 weeks and I have been cleaning houses since I found out I was pregnant. Lately i have been having to clean them by myself because my boss goes to other houses to clean. Now these are big 2 or 3 story houses. I have to climb the stairs with a backpack vacuum or a regular vacuum several times a day up and down. It makes me dizzy and out of breath to where I have to sit down for awhile. I tried going to my doctor for a "light duty" note but they haven't called me bAck. I am on the verge of quitting if I can't do less work. Does anyone have any advice? Try and stick it out with the note? Or quit? I don't want to do anything to harm myself or the baby but I'm not sure if it is to early.
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    thegingeravengerthegingeravenger member
    I load trucks for an international shipping company as one of my jobs. The only big things I can think of besides taking those breaks is to stay hydrated, only use chemicals in well ventilated areas, and to maybe work smarter - take the vacuum to the highest floor first and work your way down if you can do that. Oh, and snacks. I get dizzy when I don't eat and get dehydrated personally. At least until you hear back from your doctor.

    In the words of my doctor "don't be stupid. You know your body. Quit when your body tells you 'hey, I can't do this much longer'. (Note: light duty isn't an option for me where I work.) I hope your doctor can give you some good advice!
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    dchiapelladchiapella member
    A lot of us ladies are in the same boat with jobs that don't allow us to cut back. But quitting over it? That's hard to imagine. If you're in that fantastic of a position financially to be able to just quit then props to you... But if you're working because you need to support yourself, never quit without another job lined up. The stress of doing so would probably be much worse that just sucking it up and continuing to work where you are. You mentioned nothing about just sitting down with your boss to discuss this subject so I highly recommend doing that (and don't mention anything about quitting to them or else they might just say "go ahead"). Just keep the communication open and like pp's have said, keep lots of water and healthy snacks around. Wear a mask and gloves to avoid the chemicals. I get that it's tiring, but heck! Soooo many woman are doing the exact same thing. Being winded after carrying a vacuum up the stairs while pregnant is pretty normal. Don't you still have to carry groceries into your home? I'm just saying that you shouldn't jump to a sudden end decision so easily. 
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    ChristyM87ChristyM87 member
    I think if you are able to take a break for a few minutes and then keep going, that would be ideal over quitting this early in pregnancy. Make sure you are staying hydrated and bring a high protein snack with you, like cheese, trail mix, granola bar, etc.
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    jaymar9jaymar9 member
    I'm not allowed to take breaks. If I take a break he complains til I get back up. He knows I'm pregnant and I have talked with him about taking it easy. It is only me and him in the business he won't help or hire anyone else. I stay hydrated and take plenty of snacks.
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    ChristyM87ChristyM87 member
    jaymar9 said:

    I'm not allowed to take breaks. If I take a break he complains til I get back up. He knows I'm pregnant and I have talked with him about taking it easy. It is only me and him in the business he won't help or hire anyone else. I stay hydrated and take plenty of snacks.

    You said it is only you by yourself lately. How is he going to know if you stop for 5 minutes?
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    jaymar9jaymar9 member
    Thanks for the advice ladies. I actually got fired because my husband had to work and I had to watch our kids. He wanted to know why he had to go to work and I didn't. I'm sorry but EMS is more important than cleaning houses. Plus he was trying to fire me anyways for sitting down all the time. I'm looking for a new job now.
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    thegingeravengerthegingeravenger member
    @jaymar9 I'm sorry to hear that he let you go, but it may very well be one of those situations that is a blessing in disguise. Plus, he sounds like a douchenugget to work for. Good luck with your job search!
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