Does anyone else have a physically demanding job?

[venusflytrap]

Hi. I work at Michelin Tire so I have a physically demanding job. I drive a forklift and load, as well as drive, tractor trailers. So I am constantly bumping around on concrete floors and on and off trailers. I also do a lot of pushing and pulling to open and close the trailer doors. Plus on top of all that I work shift work days and nights 12 hour shifts. I am just wondering if anyone else seems to work as hard as I do and am wondering how long you were able to work for? My job doesn't want me to drive the forklift once my belly gets too large for fear of my hitting my belly on the steering wheel with all the bumping around I do. Are you finding the work hard? I am exhausted by the end of my shift! Just being curious.

 

[sweetpeas]

Hi x
I am a chef so have to move big pans of soup/ veg etc around ( about 30litres at a time) I am on my feet all day around 9 hours, get every other weekend off so one 6 day one 4 day week, I also work part time on my weekends off. Cant help you on how long I will be able to work for as this is my 1st but hoping for as late as possible as I cant afford to take a lot of time off so would prefer it afte the birth!
I do get very tired, but have basically been having early nights! find i feel worse on my day off!!

P x

 

[venusflytrap]

I have also noticed that after working my shifts, 2 days at a time, I take my first full day off work to sleep and relax because I am so tired from working. This weekend is backshift weekend for me, three 12 hour nights in a row, so Monday on my day off I will be too tired and feeling like crap to do much of anything. I am just glad I haven't had any MS because I haven't told the guys at work yet that I am pregnant. I am the only female in my shop, and the 1st ever pregnant person to work there. But I have to work twice as hard as the men because I always have to prove to them I can do the job without any help. But I do love it!

 

[vickytoria88]

I work in a hospital caring for the elderly, mainly caring for people with dementia. Physically, mentally and emotionally draining.

 

[Viking15]

I'm a flight attendant. Lots of lifting and moving luggage. Pushing and pulling heavy liquid laiden carts. Standing on my feet all day. Weird hours and very long days. I don't live in my base city so I commute as well. I am worried about miscarrying, MS, radiation, and just about everything. I wish I could go out early but $ constraints dictate I stay and work. I wish I could get into a doctor earlier than 6 weeks to discuss all of these issues, but no one wants to see me until 8 weeks...

 

[kimberley3]

me too, i work in a home for adults with learning and physcial disabilities most of violent, and heavy to move, and im on my feet all day none stop, alot of moving and handling and mentally draining. but im just waiting for my risk assessments to be done. i can drainned quick, and the ms strikes when im hungry and in cars! i start work at 6:40am some days and as you know you feel worse in the mornings. but at night i get acidy sick as in just feeling sick so thats demanding too! but all in the love of our baby haha x

 

[Angelbabymama]

Hey I'm a waitress in a hotel (mayy not sound too demanding) but more often than not I'm lifting tables, coffee servers (the big metal ones) and pushing around carts laiden with dishes/ plates ect... For 9 hours a day! Never been so tired in my life. the 6am starts are a beast too lol x

 

[poppytal pope]

hi wow firstly im impressed! what a job! secondly you must be knackered ! im in my 3rd tri and have gone on to mat early because i wasnt being looked after as well as i should have, so , you need to know exactly and i mean exactly what are your employers are going to do for you to make life more comfortable for you and your bump seems a bit odd that they are worried about your bump catching the wheel of a fork lift when that seems to be the less physical of all your job roles! bit like putting a plaster on abroken leg! they have to by law address your hours of work i know that sounds rich coming from someone who has admitted to coming off early but mine got really complicated and i took matters in to my own hands to stop my stress levels getting high, look up what the law states and your companies reg on pregnancy, would i be right in assuming the majority of colleagues are men and would probably be quite protective of you, maybe job share. if they can offer you nothing at all suitable they have to suspend you on full pay get all the info so you dont end up having to come off sooner than you want/need like i did . i think you need to tel them asap as you are in physical job and perhaps go on mat sooner rather than later for the sake of your body you dont need to prove yourself, nights would be a killer aswell.

 

[Stevielyn]

I work at a nuclear plant in NJ, as a 12hr shift employee. I had to tell my employer because i don't want to go into the radiation areas, especially right now, as we are in an outage. I am working 6 days/nights in a row. I build scaffold, drive forklifts, work on equipment.. etc. I also volunteer as a firefighter with Deepwater FD. Both jobs have agreed to allow me to do what my body is telling me to. My doctor has given me permission to fully run with our FD, with the exception of lifting over 15-25lbs. Doesn't give me much room to do anything but i'm ok with that. I know my limits. If i feel ill or not up to something, they can't/wont make me do it. It has been very tough for the past 2 weeks. I am getting severe acid reflux and not keeping food down. This is my life. I wont intentionally do anything to harm my baby. I do know the risks of working at both jobs. A lot of people don't agree with me running with the fire dept, they say it's unsafe. My husband is an officer, he wont let me get in harms way. But, he also knows what i can and can't do and expects me to still do my job in a safe way. When i feel it will become to unsafe, i will reconsider my options.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I would, personally, let a superintendent know your situation. He/she, by law, can't give out any information that you give him, unless you let him. I am still new to all of this also, but if you need anything, please ask. I research a lot of this due to my work situations.

 

[TigerGalLE]

I'm an ICU nurse. Pull, turn, and lift patients all day long. Work 12 hr shifts. Physically and emotionally demanding... Also full of many different, yucky smells. High stress job. I have my first doctor's appointment Tuesday. Going to ask how much pulling/lifting I can do.

I want to do my job to it's fullest. It doesn't seem possible to rely on everyone else to pull and lift my patients all day every day. I will be avoiding xray, CT scans, and chemotherapy for sure.

Soo tired after work. And hungry throughout the day. I don't always get a break to eat in a timely manner..... Ate lunch at 2pm on Friday. Got to work at 6:45 am with only a banana for breakfast.... NOT GOOD....

 

[bubbywings]

I'm in law enforcement and my gun belt is getting tight. I'm roughly five weeks and am going to try and make it to the end of December. This is my third baby.

 

[Stevielyn]

Try putting a few crackers in your pocket! I have found that it's easier to eat a cracker than have a meal on the go. I am so warn down by lunch time. I try to take a nap at lunch but it is so hard to do, when you want to eat!

Good luck at your appt! I understand how much it means to fully want to do your job! I couldn't turn the fire department down. I love it so much. I just have to modify my activities some, to protect my baby.

 

[Stevielyn]

I'm in law enforcement and my gun belt is getting tight. I'm roughly five weeks and am going to try and make it to the end of December. This is my third baby.

If you are uncomfortable doing your job, you may be able to get relocated to an office position, until after the pregnancy. I think its a law but i believe you have to request it. They can't just move you, since that's discrimination. Good luck with everything! I wanted to be a cop but stupid me... left college.