Is your work suffering?

[Laura27]

I work in an office and my job is very fast-paced and challenging. I enjoy it, but I'm struggling at the moment! I'm not having a difficult pregnancy but the exhaustion combined with preoccupation about the baby is making it really difficult to get anything done! I think it might also be because I know I wont be here for more than another 6 months so it's making it hard to plan ahead!

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[nicem815]

Yes. I was only about 6 weeks pregnant when my last contract ended, but it was very fast-paced in the medical field. I worked with kiddos and was always on the go. I started getting "pregnancy brain" and still get it at home...just this morning I thought my husband's lunch box had another piece to it. I woke my poor mother up at 5 am to help me search for it....it turned out that "other piece" didn't even exist! Doh!

So yeah, don't be too hard on yourself. I found that writing myself daily to-do lists helped a lot.

 

[vs011]

I work in a fast paced office as well. Can you go in on,weekends or another way to attend to some work? Like go in on a Sunday to finish up Mondays work? you can work at your own pace at least. the only way I've been surviving my job is because as long as I get the work done and meeting the deadline , it doesn't matter when I'm actually doing it. So I've been preparing reports at home for the days ahead,getting in an hour early before the boss then hard stop at 4pm (i used to work right up to 5 p.m.) and boss doesn't watch me anymore, or doing some work on the weekends at my own pace. Its been helping and my work place doesn't even know I'm pregnant yet! I read alot that you have to take frequent short breaks during pregnancy. Somehow fit them in. I myself have to slow down where I can only do one project a day right now. before I was handling 2.5 projects a day, trying to beat the deadlines. Now I don't bother, I just meet the deadline, go home and sleep (unless I'm writing a report that is)

 

[Laura27]

Thanks I'm also studying so I have to do that in the evenings as well as housework and all I want to do is crash and sleep the minute I get in!!

I'm finding to do lists are quite useful (as long as I stick to them) and going to bed early as well! Although I still feel exhausted the minute I wake up!! Can't wait to have a bit more energy.

 

[Laura27]

I could work at different times over the weekend etc but I don't really want to, plus with the studying it's almost impossible! I can apply for flexible working but it means still doing the same hours each day!

My work don't know yet either!

When are you planning to start maternity leave?

 

[nicem815]

Hey girl--I understand! I recently finished a second degree and will be starting up another one soon. It is hard to do that while pregnant and working full-time and I commend you! Just don't forget to put yourself and your baby first and don't be too hard on yourself. We are only human and like the other poster said, just do what you can. Don't try to do everything you could before because your body is currently working overtime to grow your little one! Being tired is normal and you have a lot going on. Just do what you can and then , when your school work and chores are done, leave some extra time for you...perhaps even an extra hour at night to sleep or watch something that makes you happy or read?

 

[vs011]

Oh ok..school, work, and pregnancy, oh my. I would try to get away with minimum amount of housechores that i can. even now, I don't vacuum or clean the house as much. I tell dh to vacuum or clean, but he forgets so I don't bother. but he helps in other ways, with cooking. cleaning is just not his forte sometimes. Just try to get away with doing the minimum when needed and focus on making a living and take care of yourself and the baby is main priority. also see that someone can help you with errands etc. you can't and shouldn't try to do everything yourself.

 

[spicyorange]

I'm totally the same, I've been so distracted and also so tired. Maybe once I've told everyone I might be able to concentrate...but I doubt it. My boss's knows and I work flexi hours but I dint want to draw attention but changing much

 

[Tristansmom]

Big time. My office is undergoing a major staffing issue right now, and will be starting interviews etc. to re-staff in the next couple of weeks. Part of me REALLY wants to tell my boss so that she can conduct interviews with my mat leave in mind - but the two things that are stopping me are a) I'm only 5 weeks, anything could happen and b) I'll be competing for one of those jobs, since I'm only here on contract. I want to secure one of the permanent positions so that I can come back to this job after mat leave (I LOVE my job)!!

 

[Laura27]

It's so hard isn't it! I'm struggling so bad, and the thought of 3 hours of study later isn't helping!! Can't wait for first tri to be over!! Hoping the exhaustion just disappears!

 

[spicyorange]

I feel like I can barely string a sentence together...

 

[Buffyx]

I'm a dental assistant, so my job a lot of the time makes me want to gag. I find it hard to put a smile on my face & be compassionate towards a patient when I am feeling utterly miserable - which no one knows about! The exhausting part for me is pretending I feel fine.

Coupled with that, I am also studying and we have 3 animals and a house to look after. Luckily my husband has a really good job & he gets to be home a lot so he does a lot of the cooking. This is really helpful because I find it easier to eat things that I don't prepare myself.

Long story short: work is kicking my butt, and it makes me want to cry thinking that I still have AT LEAST five more weeks of it (possibly more.) I'd at least be less miserable if someone at work knew.

 

[jaspie]

Same here, exhausted as soon as I wake up then I have a half a mile walk to station, 2 trains and then a miles walk. My eyes are always closing so I play a game most days and see how far I can walk on a straight bit of pavement with my eyes shut. It's not busy and no cars! At work nothing seems important and everything seems like an inconvenience, I've stopped caring completely whoops! I'm knackered in work too so am easily irritated and can barely concentrate. Lovely! Roll on 2nd tri!

 

[Palladium]

Count me in too, I've just been so tired since about 6 weeks. My workload hasn't been so bad lately as we've gotten some new staff, but I still feel like I'm not getting much done. We moved house recently and I've still barely unpacked anything because I just have no energy after work or on the weekends, and my poor husband has been waiting on me (he's really good about it though).

I just hope its true that the fatigue gets better in the second trimester!

 

[Fit_Mama2Be]

Yeah I'm exhausted and work is trying. And my department is understaffed to boot.

I struggle to keep my eyes open and string a coherent sentence together. The only thing that helps is green tea, but I can only drink so much of it.

Counting down the days until I tell work...2 weeks from tomorrow.

 

[Laura27]

I get to tell work a week on Friday if all is well at the scan. They've half guessed anyway but hopefully once it's confirmed the pressure will be off a bit!

If I leave a month before bubs is due I've only got 5 and a half months left...that's so weird!!