Hi all,

JUst been forward thinking and wondering at what stage it is adviseable to give up work. Still got ages to go in my pregnancy but like to plan ahead.

I have a really active job innvolving a lot of lifting and am on my feet constantly. I work with people with mental health issues in a sercure unit so also have the added worry of physical aggression directed at me. Any IDEAS or any of you in a similar situation??

Cheers

Tori. XXXXX

Hi hun, I think I am leaving at the earliest I can, 29 weeks. I work in a restaurant, so long hours on my feet, on busy nights it can get stressful and like you it involves lifting and carrying heavy plates ect.

Also customers are so crammed in on a friday saturday night that I struggle to fit between the tables and chairs now without a bump! My friend there is 23 weeks pg and she's finding it really hard so Im dreading it and will last no longer than 29 weeks I doubt!

Plus I HATE the place, the management have changed and gone really moody I cant stick it for much longer and cant wait to leave the place and wnt be returning!

It is a hard descision though hun, stick it out as long as you can as that means more time with baby...but on the other hand you dont want to do too much!

Well I'm not stopping going to school.I'm gonna finish my freshman year in june when I'll be late in the 2nd trimester.I'm going on my maternity leave at work when I start my 3rd trimester but I work in a bookshop so it's not as dangerous as your job...Psychal agression is a threat AND lifting heavy boxes...You should consult with your doctor or employee...

I think with the risks involved in your job they should find you something to do with less risk. I also think in jobs where your standing all the time you're probably going to want to leave fairly early, like around 30 weeks. I'm only 28 weeks and I get tired easily when I stand for too long & uncomfortable with back ache. Thing is it's so boring when your not working. You have nothing to do but wait for baby and time really drags.

I think it really depends on your job and how you feel. With my first I stopped as soon as I could because I was so big and so knackered (mainly due to eating chocolate oranges like they were actual fruit....). I regretted it because DD was almost 2 weeks late so I had 6 weeks at home bored - I actually went in to work a few times!

This time I intend to work as long as possible - we timed starting TTC with the school holidays!! My hubby and I are both in high schools so we wanted to be pregnant as close to the start of term as poss but not before!!! (I sound mental dont I) That means we have the whole of the summer hols off to get organised and when its (hopefully) warmer and I'm bigger. Then I'll come back to work for a couple of weeks then go on maternity!!

Hmmm, I am a bit of a workaholic, so I plan on working up until the LO pops out. Hehehe. I'll probably take my laptop to the hospital to work after the birth!! Ok, I exaggerate (but not by much), but really plan on working as long as I can to take advantage of as much of the maternity leave with the LO as possible. I work in an office, so I have it a bit easier then some.

I live in the US so I will only get 8 weeks of paid leave (10 for csection), and can take up to 12 weeks total, using vacation pay to supplement the extra 4 weeks.

Fortunately, based on the timing of the LO, I should be able to take off from the end of October (due the 25th) through the end of the year and start back after the New Year. But we shall see, this plan is of course barring any complications, etc.