Good Morning Mamas!
So after 11 months of trying, I just found out this AM that I am pregnant! What a great Christmas present! Anyways...on a Wednesday morning, I go and stock shelves at my local craft store to give me some "me" time. I love my "job", but after finding out that I am pregnant, I am a little concerned. I can be lifting boxes 50 lbs. plus, and I obviously don't want to overdo it. I went to my job last Wednesday, and everything was fine, but it still concerns me.
My question is...do you think I am okay to continue doing my present job, just maybe not lift the heavy stuff, or do you think I should ask to be transferred to a different department? I only work there 11 hours a week, so it isn't much, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I will definitely transfer departments when I am farther along, but am not sure if I should try to do so now. I will call my doctor and ask the same question, but figured I would find out how many of you mamas had done some heavy lifting while pregnant! Thanks for all of your help!
Thank you all for the advice so far! My son will have just turned 5 when this baby is born, so my mind has forgotten a lot of the stuff I may have known the first time around. You ladies are great (and have made me feel much better)!!!
Generally, I've heard that you can continue the exercises you have been doing before getting pregnant. I'd say you are fine for now but may want to switch jobs later. Ask the OB - no need to take a chance!
I waited tables for 38 weeks while pregnant. I was carrying heavy trays of food/drinks, moving tables, chairs, vacuming, etc. It got a lot harder past the first trimester, so I had to have the men carry my trays for me. The baby was fine, but I'd probably say that it's best to move to another station where you wouldn't have so much to do physically.
all that is recomended is that you dont lift over 50 pds
You should be just fine, you are pregnant not handicaped, which some people make us pregnant women out to be...women have toddlers that they lug around that weight that much. Just know when you body is done and not overdo it. I carried my 33 lb son all around when I was pregnant with my third and moved our entire houes at 7 months pregnant. We are capable of a lot. I would say stocking shelves a few hour out of the week will be no big deal.
Ask your doctor about the weight limit and don't forget that towards the end you will be shakey on stairs and ladders so you may want to request a temporary change in departments!
I worked at a vet's office until the day I went into labor. As a receptionist I was responsible for selling large bags of dog food. My doctor said just not to strain myself. Since I am pretty strong lifting 50 pounds was nothing for me. I just squatted down and lifted with my legs. I stopped about one week before I delivered only b/c my son had dropped and I was nervous that he would drop right out LOL. Seriously though I felt at a certain point that I couldn't do it anymore but it was very very late in my pregnancy. AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT HIGH RISK. Talk to your doctor and you should be okay at least until your 3rd trimester.
When I was preggo, I worked in the medical records department at a hospital and often times had to carry bundles of heavy medical charts from one room to another. Listen to your body, if you feel its too much, it probably is. When in my third trimester, if the load felt too heavy, I just asked a fellow male co worker to help me, and since I was pregnant, they always said yes. :)
It sounds like you got some good advice. Listen to your body! As a Human Resource professional, I can tell you it is against the law for your company to move you to a less strenuous job or take responsibilities away from you, but you are more than able to ask. Once you are ready to tell your employer, if there are specific things you feel you can't do, tell them. For example, you may say, "I think I can do everything I did before, but if someone can help me with the bulky boxes, I'd appreciate it!". Most employers are more than happy to do things like this!
Best of luck to you!!
Talk to your Dr. I have an extremely physical job (lifting, pushing, climbing)and kept at it until 8.5 mos, usually for 30-40 hrs per week. Although, I will say, my baby came 5 wks early and I wonder if it was due to my work. (It is possible that the placenta started to separate, I never got all the details!)
One thing I did do was not start any new type of physical activity at my job. I just continued to do whatever I had done in the past.
