Rn's working until the very end .....

kemp6117 · September 2015

I am 36 weeks and I am an RN on labor and delivery. I plan on working myself right into labor but there are days when I really question my sanity. Just wondering what y'all are doing for your leave. I really want to have the full 12 weeks with my son once he is here.
Guess I'll just suck it up, go find a doctor's stethoscope and go deliver some babies! :O)

blsav23 · September 2015

Haha!!! That doctor's stethoscope thing cracks me up. I mean--how many times do they ask to use OUR scopes?!
Anyhow, I stopped at 33 weeks. I had reduced my shifts to 8 hours around 28 weeks though. But---I'm having twins so I'm already carrying the weight of a full term singleton & my fundal height is measuring 6 weeks ahead. I was trying to stick it out as long as I could but started contracting after a shift so I knew I was done.
I hate that I'll probably only have 8 weeks with my boys (unless my manager gives me 4 weeks of a personal leave of absence in order to take 12) but I'd rather keep these babes cooking for as long as I can.
I have a coworker, due the same day as me (but with one), who is still plugging along. She plans on stopping two weeks before DD. I think your body will tell you. It's nice that you work in L & D so have some great resources at your fingertips if you should need them while working.

blsav23 · September 2015

I wanted to add that I also started to get a little bitter toward my patients, so that was also an indication that it was time to stop. I work on med-surg & started to somewhat resent patients asking for stuff all the time. I felt as if I was killing myself & putting my own health at risk in order to (and I hate to say it) "cater" to the patients' every whim. An RN should not feel that way so that helped me make my decision that it was time to step back.

kimberlyp83 · September 2015

Nurse working on a cardiac/tele floor working until 39weeks. I'm currently 36weeks. I understand what you mean about 'catering' to patients, I sometimes want to ask them 'can't you see I'm pregnant, why couldn't you ask for that when I was in here 5mins ago'. But I actually get the best sleep after working, so I'll suck it up until baby comes.

alinic916 · September 2015

I'm a cardiac ICU nurse and planning on working until the end. I am due 10/4 and my last scheduled day as of right now is 9/30. It's getting hard. I feel like I'm not giving as great of care as I can (as far as turning patients, etc) because it's so physically exhausting. Luckily, the rest of my days are only scheduled to work one day at a time. I also want to be able to take the full 12 weeks after the baby arrives so just trying to suck it up until the end. I didn't start feeling too crappy until last week though. Also, I don't want to go out early because then I'll have to be back to work for Christmas!!!

mama-times3 · September 2015

I plan on sticking it out until the end, but it's getting rough. Just 12 more scheduled shifts!

Spanchez · September 2015

You ladies are amazing! I don't know how you do it! Good Luck!

kemp6117 · September 2015

I am also counting down ... 12 to go !

braly255 · September 2015

ER nurse.. Due 10/8, won't go back to work in Oct. It's getting very difficult! I am trying to stay in triage for now!

dominguezbaby · September 2015

I'm a MICU nurse and I'm due 10/5 and working until 10/4! I know I'm crazy but like a prev poster stated, I don't want to have to come back the week of Christmas. I'm hanging in there, just having a hard time with some coworkers, I feel singled out because I'm pregnant and I'm getting not so many nice looks from some coworkers... Like no I'm not pushing an ICU Bed to the other side is the hospital while being 37+ weeks pregnant! Along other miscellaneous things... I can't wait to go on leave... I need a break from this place and from some of the people that I work with...

tbasinski · September 2015

I'm an ER RN who had planned to work until 36 weeks (aka now) but ended up being put out on disability at 30 weeks due to preterm labor and tachycardia. Finally got on metoprolol last week!!! (Stupid cardiologist wouldn't write rx because I'm pregnant and wouldn't consult OB,who finally called him and told him what he needed to do). I don't know how I would have managed working at this point, but I really miss wearing my costume and doctor's stethascope...

EllioCor · September 2015

Not a nurse, a waitress here.

I had my shifts reduced to ~8 hour shifts (I used to work several 12-15 hour shifts/week) and I ask people to help me carry the really heavy things (i'll carry half instead of the full weight I would normally carry). For the most part, my co-workers are great and don't like when I pick up or push very heavy things, but some of the guests are irritating. I agree with the sentiment of "can't you see i'm super pregnant, couldn't you have asked for that when i was here 2 minutes ago?!?!?" or the one's that keep handing me dishes when the stack in my hands is well over 25lbs already. I find it especially irritating when they acknowledge my belly and touch it or ask personal questions and then proceed to be a pita anyway. I'm not as fast or efficient as i'm accustomed to, and I hate asking for help, but it'll be worth it to spend my 12 weeks with my little man.

At least I don't have to listen to cracks about my "doctor's stethoscope"

cjb626 · September 2015

I'm a pediatric oncology nurse. Currently 37 weeks. Hope to work as long as I can, but the nights and 12 hour shifts are starting to make it very difficult. I have 9 more shifts and counting!!! Luckily I have amazing co workers. It definitely makes a difference!

stineamaphone · September 2015

I'm cardiac icu and stopped at around 33 weeks. Initially did 8 hour shifts but even then it's hard to do much I felt pretty useless. Can't turn, boost, or do much else without a lot of BH. My last pregnancy I pushed myself too hard and once I did stop working I got shingles all down my left arm, so I had to learn from that.
I have mad respect for you ladies in the states, your maternity leave is too short and you are pushing yourselves too hard to get the most time with your babies. It's not fair. I wish you all some much needed rest before your babes come.

AmandaRN03 · September 2015

Pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care here. Planning on working up to the minute I start real contractions or water breaks. I want the full 8 weeks with LO. 34w2d now and feeling pretty good

BabyLackey · September 2015

OR scrub nurse here. I'm due 10/29 and plan to work right till little man comes out. That's my goal, at least. I want to have my full 12 weeks when he gets here, but I can honest say it's getting harder and harder standing there during those long cases each week. It's really putting a toll on my body. I find that I have more BH contractions while at work than I do at home. Plus I'm not hydrating enough because it's almost impossible to do so. So, we'll see. I hope I can make it till the end!

cderitz · September 2015

Hey ladies. I'm a radiation oncology nurse, and work in an OR situation doing brachytherapy. Due date is 10/09. I had planned on working to my due date and am scheduled through September. I am second guessing my choice to work up to my due date as it is getting harder and harder. I've been getting so many Braxton hicks this week, some of which are painful today. My thoughts and hope is that this baby comes before my due date (second baby). I'm over being pregnant! I'd like to get the full 12 weeks off without having to take any time off beforehand. That would be ideal. But if I have to take the week before off I will. Thank god for awesome coworkers who are helping me when I'm on the job. I only work 2 days a week, 10 hour shifts. I used to work on an oncology inpatient unit 4 months ago and am so thankful I got the promotion/transfer that I did to this department. If I had to do the 13 hours on my feet with multiple patients, family dynamics and some silly doctors then I would not have been able to keep it up this long.

etobias2005 · September 2015

36 weeks along now and working until being induced at around 38 weeks r/t HTN. It's getting tough!!!

RNmommy13 · September 2015

@aprosch I hear ya about Christmas. I am not do till 10/31 but I said my first cut off for baby is the 3td so I don't have to go back for Christmas then it's the 18th cause my class ends that day then after that it's fine. I will work up till the end. With DS I did a 12 on Tuesday and my water broke 11pm on Wednesday born at 445am Thursday.

Bingj · September 2015

I'm an OR RN working till 5 days before my DD (10/5) I'm definitely slowing doooooown!!!

(

leah665 · September 2015

I'm not a nurse yet (taking the NCLEX on Wednesday, eek!). However, I do still work in the lab. The 12 hour shifts I do are getting pretty rough and it's definitely not as labor intensive as my nursing clinicals. I don't know how you ladies can do it!

s&jeggerton · September 2015

I hear you I am an ER RN and plan on working until I go into labor. I found out I was pregnant right after I had started a new job so I just barely miss qualifying for FMLA. I only get 6 weeks off if I don't have a c-section, so I plan on soaking up every bit of those 6 weeks w/ my baby instead of home alone on the couch. I'm 35 weeks and I seriously don't know how I am going to make it another 5 weeks. My cankles and swollen feet are killing me by the time I leave and after 12 hours on my feet I feel like someone has drop kicked me in the vag (maybe TMI) but what are you going to do. lol.

alinic916 · September 2015

dominguezbaby said:

I'm a MICU nurse and I'm due 10/5 and working until 10/4! I know I'm crazy but like a prev poster stated, I don't want to have to come back the week of Christmas. I'm hanging in there, just having a hard time with some coworkers, I feel singled out because I'm pregnant and I'm getting not so many nice looks from some coworkers... Like no I'm not pushing an ICU Bed to the other side is the hospital while being 37+ weeks pregnant! Along other miscellaneous things... I can't wait to go on leave... I need a break from this place and from some of the people that I work with...

It sucks that you feel like you're being singled out for being pregnant! I have been so lucky with my coworkers and management. I've had the easiest assignments most days, although there have been a few that weren't so nice. And I get as much help as I can with turns, etc, depending on how busy everyone else is. Just this past week is when I've started really feeling it and being miserable. Only 6 shifts left though!! We're almost there! I can't wait to not see that place for 12 weeks!

Want a personalized experience?

Rn's working until the very end .....

Re: Rn's working until the very end .....

Choose Another Board

Search Boards