At what point did you start to find it hard to work full days?

Just after everyone else's experiences as this is my first pg :)

For those of you who don't know I work in advertising in the city and sit down for the majority of my day taking phone calls etc.

In the last week or so I have been finding that about half way through the day the way bubs is lying is making in seriously impossible to find a way to sit upright without it hurting.
I've tried walking around, turning my chair around and sitting forward on it etc and nothing seems to work....and it hurts until I can get home and lie down.:dunno:

Also, feeling very tired and cranky by about 3pm now to the point where whatever small amount of tact I possess goes straight out the window :doh: and can barely keep my eyes open.

Has anyone else experienced this and if so - do you have any tips or suggestions to get through it as I only have 6 weeks left until mat leave.

Thanks heaps All

I found from about 30 weeks I was over it. I found the commute really difficult, rude people not giving the pregnant lady a seat on the train did my head in. What I did was at lunch, rest for about 20 mins. If that meant going to the sick room I would or just rest my head on the desk. If you are in a mostly seated position at work, try to get up at least every hour for a short walk around the office and a stretch. Make sure you eat well and get plenty of water.

Other than that I hope the next 6 weeks fly by.

I find now by about 1pm/2pm i'm so ready to go home and lie down!! I get so tired easily. 2nd trimester i seemed to have enough energy to pull me through the days but now i'm in 3rd trimester it's getting harder....

I've cut back to just 4 days a week now. Makes a HUGE difference :hug:

I was doing sensationally well untill the last 3 weeks - has been a struggle! But this week is my last week! YAY so Im pretty proud of myself that I willhave made it to 38 weeks working full time!!

Hope you get the burst of energy that they talk about! I got it 1/2 way through 3rd tri but it is dwindling now!
Kate

*****

I found it difficult from about 25wks or so. I was absolutely buggered by the end of the day. But I am an early childhood teacher and on my feet all day chasing and dealing with 25 2-5yr olds, and lifting and bending... not much fun!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses....

Deanne - yep countdown is on only 6 weeks to go - i think I'll shoot down to big w at break and see if I can get a pillow to lie back on if that'll help :)
Just had a chat with my manager as to what my options are if I want to shorten my days (not everyday but just when I need a rest) and she's getting back to me. Unfortunately in my job I can't start any earlier as there isn't a lot I can do until everyone else in Oz is at work :)

Spring ... been doing the walks and lots of water ... it would be great if my office had a "sick bay" as I think a 20 min lie down would do me wonders but nothing like that here unfortunately :(

KG - I am seriously hoping I get another energy spurt as the one from my 2nd tri seems to have disappeared zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :rofl:

i was supposed to finish at 32 weeks but ended up going at 30 weeks cos i just couldn't hack it anymore. my back was aching and i was soooo uncomfortable.

i ended up working til 38 wks, i wont do that this time!
that said i did manage to work from home a couple of days a week for most of the later stages,. this was great, i got heaps done but could stay in tracksuit, no commute, chg positions etc. if you can do this i would really recommend it!

*****

I am experiencing the same problems and have been since about 26 weeks.

I'm so irritable and uncomfortable by around 1/2pm i just want to go home! So i have a few times. I only work 4 full days but even this is a struggle. Hoping to drop to about 2 short days from 36wks until about 38wks as this is when the office shuts down for christmas and then i won't have to come back (for a while anyway!).

I think it's just something we have to endure. I have kept myself going until now by telling myself i need to keep earning money to put towards the 'baby stuff' layby but we just picked that all up on the weekend so now i'll have to find something else to keep me motivated otherwise i'll end up walking out of here!

What we go through for our little ones, hey!

Hi Guys,

So I just shot down to the shops and bought myself a oblong pillow and we'll see if that makes it any easier ... I'll keep you updated :)

I think partly the biggest prob I have to which is contributing to my crankiness and tiredness is mentally I've already left I'm just here going through the motions until the 19/12 :)

I am sure we are all feeling the same way though - especially with Christmas almost upon us!

I have an office job too but have never been a morning person and that was 10 times worse when I was pregnant. I was basically comatose till about 11am and then came good. Ended up working till I was 37 weeks pregnant but I didn't have to endure the train commute as work paid for taxis to and from because I had pelvic instability too so couldn't really walk without being in agony. So all I had to do was shuffle to the loo and people brought me lunch/tea/coffee to my desk. Easier than being at home!

hey fionas -
your lucky that work paid for taxi's :)
I drive everyday and as I live in Boronia being on the eastern twice a day in peak hour is a pretty scary experience :)
I don't want to be at home because I would be bored ****less but I would love to be able to do shorter days so that I don't feel quite so shattered :)
Fingers crossed....

I think it also depends on what kind of work you do..... I am on my feet alot of the day, serving customers etc getting up and down and it takes it out of you....

I was on my feet alot in my job too. I found that by 34 weeks I just couldnt go on. I was soooo tired and over the work. I finished up at 34 weeks and being home is wonderful. Im sleeping heaps and relaxing and just having a rest before bubs comes.

I finshed at 36.5 weeks & I was ready. That said, I was SOOOO bored waiting for DS to arrive (I had been so organised with the nursery etc that there really was nothing left to do!).

I am a teacher, so stand up a lot, and am able to walk around. I was really uncomfortable sitting from 20-something weeks. Are you able to kneel & lean up onto the chair/a fitball (I know it would look funny - but having a fitball at work might be more comfortable, because you could roll around, lean forward, crouch up onto it etc)

Hi Ezz .... no unfortunely due to OH & S I can't have anything other than the standard issue chairs!!! GRRRR!!!

The pillow seems to be help today :fingerscrossed:
I know I won't want to be home all day as I too would go brain dead but it would be nice to have a little more flexability in going home if I am really struggling to get through the day :)

is there a couch somewhere, you could always just put your legs up at lunchtime, and meditate/rest with your eyes closed?

I'm only 26 weeks and am well and truly over work - but then I was over work when I was about 12 weeks!!

Working up to Christmas, then leave, but also finding it really difficult to sit for long periods - I take the longest walk to the water cooler, toilets and anywhere else I can walk to.

Definitely talk with your boss about taking work home, or working longer days (when you can).

I'm struggling with work right now too, although I'm haivng a good day today as bub seems to have shifted off my back onto my bladder. Strangely, that's an improvement :lol:

I spent an hour and 45 mins getting to work and the same again going home, dropping my son off on the way. We leave home at 6am and get home at 5:30pm. The longest days of my life!!! I have oodles of sick leave though and have found that working every second day is really helping, with a rest day in between. I only have 2.5 weeks left. I can't wait!!!

Oh, and a heat pack is the only relief I get from my back pain. I've got a gel one rather than a wheat one and find that it moulds into the shape of my back a whole lot better :)

Oh I'm not the right person to say this, but from about 6 weeks I needed a nana nap in the afternoon, so working a full day was not going to fit in! I work for myself and had that luxury... Didn't make much $$ during the pg - but hey, got plenty of rest!! :ROFL:

Hi Tarkine....
Nope no couch or anything ... I might bring that up next meeting ...LOL
I work in sales so there isn't anything that I can take home as I need access to systems at all times and they are still umming and aaahhhing about giving us all laptops instead of pc's so that we can have a little felxibility :) Great thought though!

Disgirl - I need to get a head pack so I will definately look into a gel one!!
I hope the next couple of weeks go quick for you then you and DS get to chill for a little while :)

Jennifer - :rofl: can i come work for you?

I am self employed but feel sooooo guilty if I take the arvo off...... I need to get over those guilt feelings and just do it :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
I'm not sleeping enough and I have 11 weeks left to go..... should be resting more!

:

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Jennifer - :rofl: can i come work for you?

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Only if you'll take the same (non) pay while sleeping!

I've picked up since... Just as well, or my poor DD would have nothing to eat!

lol i can deal with that :)

trying to think of things I can do from home but nothing is jumping out at me yet. after closing DF's business not sure I am ready to head back into the fray .... :)

Some time before I got pregnant! LOL
No but it was very early in the piece - maybe 8 weeks? 2nd trimester was kind of ok but 3rd was just like groundhog day - every afternoon I would try to find somewhere quiet to sit or lie down - and there still wasn't anywhere! :wall: My legs and feet were so swollen it was a nightmare to walk anywhere and I never wore shoes in the office. Fortunately I didn't have to think much so that was a blessing! LOL
it really seemed to drag. I really feel for you girls!

Dee, I do exactly what I used to do in-house, only on a consultancy basis (I work in corporate affairs/communications). I branch out by doing a lot of writing and some marketing for smaller businesses as well. The hard thing is keeping the clients coming, although it is getting easier as time goes on (as long as I don't get caught napping in someone's office ;)).

Now!!! LOL So over work...and I'm only 7 weeks...long way to go yet! Good news (or bad news) is, that my traineeship finishes in December, but I will have a temporary position where I am now until February, so after Feb who knows, maybe I could just stay at home ;) After all, who's going to want to employ a 4 month old pregnant woman :dunno:

I think it was around 34 weeks for me with DS. I worked up until 38 weeks and definately DO NOT recommend working for that long. It was absolute agony. I dont know how i made it through.
Just make sure you have some time for you and some time to rest and take it easy.. its a very long road ahead .. but a very rewarding one :)

Work is killing me now. I'm a nurse so on my feet alot, last time finished at 34 weeks this time gonna be 35 weeks but as I have plenty of sick leave if I am finding I'm struggling more and more will just have to have time off. I find being on my feet all day it starts to feel like all my insides are gonna drop out and the exhaustion well that starts as soon as I wake up!

Ack, don't know how you girls can do it, on your feet all day!

I have a desk job and I am STILL exhausted by the time I get home each night!!!

I'm thinking the couch in the tea room is looking mighty good for some "feet up" time. I'm also thinking about negotiating one full day a week at home... maybe Wednesdays, to break up the week a bit and have some rest.

At home I can work remotely from the comfort of my couch... sleep in more, rest up more.

Dee, I hope you can find some sort of compromises with your work...

Thanks OP - I am sure I will be able to work something out :)
Only 5 weeks and 2 days to go ...LOL

ummmm now!!! lol

It's a little different this time bcos I am working from home but with Jake it was by about 25 weeks I had reached my capacity. I had a job tho where I was (supposed) to be on my feet most of the day but was able to modify it pretty easily.

You guys just make me realise how lucky I am. I am a graphic designer and although I have to endure the M5 freeway for on average and hour or more each way a day I have a job that also allows me to be just as productive if not more from home. My boss is very flexible and I will only go into the office on the random days between now and the end of the month and I will work right up till we knock off for Christmas on the 19th but work from home with no more commuting (THANK GOD).
But even today I worked from home and my feet a swollen and my tummy is so tight I can barely stand up straight. So I am just glad I am home and not having to contend with the traffic while feeling so tired.

I worked full time up til 37 weeks but probably would have liked to have finished up at 35. By then I just couldn't keep my mind on the job & my feet were so swollen I could hardly walk half the time. My OB wouldn't sign me off for sick leave and I wanted to spend all my mat leave at home with bubs so I perservered for the last two weeks. I'm glad I did perservere as I only ended up having 7 days off work before giving birth & it was boring as & I just got so obsessed worrying about everything. At least at work I had things to distract me.