Anyone working at a physically strenuous job?

[BklynMomma]

I'm a chef, which requires that I be on my feet for long periods of time. Usually not a problem, but I have some work coming up in April, when I'll be around 18 weeks, that will require up to 10 hours of work, on my feet in a hot kitchen, for several days in a row.

I think I need a reality check from folks who also work at jobs that are physically strenuous.

I did the exact same work before when I was pregnant with my first and remember being exhausted but otherwise okay. I know that I have a tendency to over-do-it though.

I can't really give up the work (because the money will pay for this birth - now that's a catch 22).

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Strategies?

thanks for letting me ramble:-)

[OTMomma]

I had a physical job when preg with my first and did end up having some trouble.... but baby was full term and fine in the end. My advice:

Be sure to keep a bottle of water or such handy and drink plenty of fluids while you work.
Do NOT forget to eat- have high protien snacks every few hours so you don't get weak.
Take pee breaks often- it matters.
Plan to have someone else there to lift and fetch heavy objects- drag in your dh if you need to for your big thing in April, but having someone else to lift the 15lb jar of pickels from the back of the shelf is best.

Hope this helps!

[2boyzmama]

Yes, sort of. I was active duty military when pregnant with my first two, so although my "regular" job was basically an office job (I was a negotiator), I still had to all the physical training daily (with some modifications of course, but very very limited modifications) So I did several hours of physical activity a day.

This pregnancy I'm no longer military, and still work basically an office job (still a negotiator), but I do a lot of walking up and down stairs, a lot of moving things, a lot of rushing to get places, etc. Plus I'm a gym rat, so I still workout regularly.

I do often get the chance to sit if needed, but only for a few minutes before something gets me up off my feet to chase after.

Every pregnancy differs...my bigger worry wouldn't be the standing on your feet (at least not unti the third trimester when swelling might be an issue) but instead the smells of the food! How are you feeling?

[phytoangel]

it's tough. we can't afford to not work, but we need to remember who is most important at this point.

i waitress 4 nights a week and usually go in around 4ish and head home around 11ish. the money is good, but it is beating me up right now.

i have been stashing apples, almond butter and smoothies at work. it definitely helps me get through the night.

just don't forget to take care of yourself. naps before/after work, lots of snacks and a good nights sleep.

good luck mama!

[TwinsTwicePlusTwo]

I worked as a volunteer helping to rebuild tornado damage up until I was 28 weeks with TWINS (at that point doing construction just became too uncomfortable). I was on my feet for up to ten, sometimes twelve, hours and it was summer, so very hot. I made sure to keep myself hydrated, eat, and take 10 or 15 minutes to sit down and rest my feet from time to time, but I really enjoyed it. Of course, I was an athletic 20-year-old at the time.

The day the tornado struck (May 3rd '99, you might have heard of it), I was 9 weeks pregnant, almost the same as I am now, and I was out helping clear the roads for the emergency vehicles. I'm sure I lifted over 80lbs dozens of times, I was so sore the next day. I had to do everything I could that day, though, whatever my pregnancy status. Haven't worried about lifting heavy things while pregnant since.

Oh, and despite all the hard manual labor, I went on to deliver a pair of perfectly healthy babies at 38 weeks. No complications ever came up during the pregnancy.

Keeping hydrated is important, though. When I was pregnant and working so hard on the rebuilding I would feel very sick if I forgot to drink.

[edwardsmom]

I'm just chiming in, to hopefully reduce your worries. When I was pregnant with #1, I was still working full time in construction. We were remodeling a small house till the day I went into labor. I had to stop going up ladders in my 8th month, because my balance was off, but other than that I did almost everything I had done before. I remember going home for lunch, and after dinner, I would have to lay on the couch with my feet up, to keep any swelling down in my feet; but I was spending 8 to 10 hours a day working, outside in the summer, so it was understandable. I credit that with helping me to go into labor 2 days before my due date, and giving birth to an 8 lb 13 oz healthy boy (after 44 hours of labor). In fact, I was helping unload the tools from the truck an hour or two before I went into labor.
With #2, all I was doing was chasing after #1 and the office work for the business, so I went into labor 2 weeks after my due date.

[wearbaby]

I'm a nurse and work 12 hour shifts. I've worked up until my Due date with both kids. DS1 I worked 7p-7a. I'm on day shift now, but it's still hard to get through the shifts. It's always the worst for me the last 6-7 weeks or so. And I HAVE to work. I really need to work until I have the baby this time- past my EDD, because both times I've wasted 2 weeks of my leave still pregnant. AND I had to go back to work at 5 weeks with DS2