Work Stress and Pregnancy Blues
Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone else is struggling with work stress in their pregnancy? My job is generally quite high pressure, but since being pregnant I have been finding it really hard to manage the stress. I feel a lot more sensitive and tired etc. which is to be expected, however I have recently started making a number of mistake and I think this is because I am burning out.
I'm not normally one to complain, particularly at work, but this is my first pregnancy and I really want to enjoy it! I work in a very male dominated office and field, and whilst I have flagged that I am feeling stressed, I don't feel like much consideration has been given currently to trying to reduce this for me.
Has/is anyone dealing with anything similar, or does anyone have any advice about how I can maybe address this with my employer?
Thanks all 💛
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Yes! I'm off sick at the moment. I work for the local council, and they were appalling, I have EUPD anyway but work actually upped my work load and left me on my own when the rest of the team was off. I ended up doing 4 people's job, I was grade 4 doing grade 12 work. I noticed that I was so anxious not just stressed, I didn't want baby to pick up on the way I was feeling, I wasn't sleeping and my eating patterns were all over the place. I even put a grievance in at work. In the end my GP signed me off after I just broke down and said that I was struggling with work and lack of sleep etc.. and my feelings were amplified by 10 because of my hormones being everywhere. I found my ability to concentrate, communicate properly was just gone because I just wanted to protect my baby from any stress or anxiety.
Don't let work put any pressure or make you feel stressed, get advice from gp,midwives, people on here as you have done. Your doing amazing and you and your baby are what is important now 💕✨️
Feel for you, I have experienced similar. You and baby are most important 💓 take care of number 1 x
Work has been extremely stressful for me too. They have tried to reduce the load a bit but it just builds up elsewhere. I’m taking the earliest possible maternity leave because of this, although I would love to have the money I know it’s more important to go 🫶🏻
Thanks all so much for your replies! It's really comforting to know that I'm not in the boat alone! 💛
I think being I'm an office dominated by men I didn't want to come across as the 'overdramatic pregnant lady', but your advice has highlighted to me that regardless of what they think, my baby is my priority and I don't want her to suffer because I'm stressed!
I'm intending to talk to my line manager next week and if things don't change, I'll definitely be talking to my doctor and midwife!
💛
I wonder if you've had a pregnancy risk assessment done? This is a good way to form conversations about workload and how this impacts physical and emotional wellbeing. Also needs to be sent to your HR and reasonable adjustments considered and is a legal requirement.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/employer/risk-assessment.htm
I didn't even know this was a thing! I told my employers when I was around 13 weeks so that's over a month ago now. I haven't had a Mat1B form yet, my midwife said this would be at my next appointment which is in early June - is this something they should do then do you know or should it be before?
Yeah you really should do it in every trimester. As your pregnancy progresses, your risks change too. Do you have an HR department you could approach about this?
we don't have a specific HR department, in truth my company is highly disorganised at the best of times, but I'll definitely bring this up!
do you know if this is something your employer should discuss with you? Or could they have just done it without me knowing?
No, it really should be something you do together as it's to do with your pregnancy and what you're experiencing so they wouldn't be able to assume that. For mine, I met with my line manager, and I told them how my workload was impacting my physical health, especially sitting for too long. It was also noted about how my pregnancy symptoms were impacting my daily functioning, such as excessive tiredness and morning sickness and how they were supporting that. As my pregnancy progressed, I developed gestational diabetes so that was added, and when I returned, I completed it again if I needed a breastfeeding space.
It just seems like good practice for them to complete a risk assessment with you as part of the process. If you are in doubt of what you are entitled to and what your employer should be providing you under government employment law, contact ACAS.
@Heather really great advice here. Thank you! I had 1 pregnancy risk assessment the day I went off sick. In that assessment I advised about everything. As they couldn't guarantee the workload lightening and noone could support me because it's a project based contract I ended up then discussing with my gp... and he said alot of the same things as you regarding ACAS ETC.
As for MATB1 form I think you get it from 20 weeks onwards. I got one 2 weeks ago off my midwife :)
Xxxxxxx
thank you! That is incredibly helpful! I'm really glad I posted on here now!
You're welcome!! I hope it works out well for you 💕💕
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