My father... tells me I'm hurting the baby by working too much

[MrS. MaBrEy]

There are women who run marathons while pregnant who are just fine! Ignore him and his rudeness. Your body will tell you when it is time to slow down. So sorry you were upset over something you should be doing-staying active!

 

[Anthrogirl]

Okay, ladies, ease up on the poor fellow! He definitely worded it wrong, and insensitively, but remember, we're all products of our history. Chances are when he learned about and more closely experienced pregnancy was a time when women were told not to work and to take things easy. My mother quit work when she was 6 weeks pregnant with my brother (older than me) and was told with both of us that no matter where she was she needed to rest reclined with her feet up for a MINIMUM of 20 minutes out of every hour! I'm lucky if I sit for 20 mins at the end of the day... It was also recommended for women at that time (early to mid 70s) that they get at least 12 hours sleep in a 24 hour period.
Times are a'changing! and sometimes people take a little longer to change with them...

I agree - times are a'changing but I am not entirely convinced they are changing for the better. Sometimes I would like to switch off the mobile phone, put my feet up, not feel pressurised to juggle work and parenthood & generally experience what my parents did in the 70's. Hell - I wouldn't even mind the shops being closed on Sundays like they used to be!!

I'm with you! Sometimes this is exactly what I do! But I hang out in the barn where nobody can find me!! I had a friend whose very Catholic grandmother sat us down and told us that the worst thing we ever did was liberate ourselves (being women)! Now besides all of the house/caring work we GO to work as well. She might be a little right!

 

[SpicyWolf]

I worked 40+ hours a week through my entire pregnancy. I went to work on my due date, went into labor around 6PM and had my baby the next day, perfectly healthy. Of course, if your doctor has advised you to stop working that is a whole matter entirely but otherwise I see nothing wrong with it. For me, since I only got 12 weeks of leave I didn't want to waste even one day of it before my LO arrived.

 

[monte3375]

I plan on working to my due date. I am 38 weeks and feel fine.

 

[1Atalanta]

My midwife has told me to quit work - I work beside her at the clinic and as she is aware of the challenges I am having this time with SPD, anaemia and urine infections she has now advised me to stop. I was stopping tomorrow anyway but started to doubt if I should just keep going. I feel quite relieved she has told me to stop - I feel more justified in leaving if that makes sense?

I think the older generation are, on the whole, concerned about our age group putting ourselves under so much pressure and over working etc. We are a generation of people who work hard, live fast and relax seldom so maybe your dad truly believes that your work may lead to premature labour etc. as it wasn't the way our own parents did it.

I think the important thing is knowing when its time to cut back. Sounds like it was time for you to take it a bit easier. I missed work last night because I was in the hospital for contractions, but I was only 1 cm so they sent me home. I'm annoyed because now I'm having contractions and don't feel well, but I guess its time to take it easier until the baby shows up.

 

[Annie77]

My midwife has told me to quit work - I work beside her at the clinic and as she is aware of the challenges I am having this time with SPD, anaemia and urine infections she has now advised me to stop. I was stopping tomorrow anyway but started to doubt if I should just keep going. I feel quite relieved she has told me to stop - I feel more justified in leaving if that makes sense?

I think the older generation are, on the whole, concerned about our age group putting ourselves under so much pressure and over working etc. We are a generation of people who work hard, live fast and relax seldom so maybe your dad truly believes that your work may lead to premature labour etc. as it wasn't the way our own parents did it.

I think the important thing is knowing when its time to cut back. Sounds like it was time for you to take it a bit easier. I missed work last night because I was in the hospital for contractions, but I was only 1 cm so they sent me home. I'm annoyed because now I'm having contractions and don't feel well, but I guess its time to take it easier until the baby shows up.

Deep down I knew it was time when my patients were telling me to go home and take it easy! Whilst my job isn't physically very demanding (or at least I can pick and choose less physical cases) there are a lot of people who can act very dependent on me - patients, families and colleagues included. I think a couple of weeks just focusing on me and my family before baby arrives is a good thing.
I don't need to be waking at 3am thinking about someone's terminal illness or stroke rehab program anymore - time for me time!