Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

RE: Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

Janine09 — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 16:57:04 GMT

Congrats!

Im 30 weeks pregnant now and still working normal hours and doing OOH's. Its tiring and I take time in lieu when I can after a busy day(s!). I am still managing to gym after work unless my feet are really sore! Exercise is actually helping with the leg swelling and making me feel more energised! amazingly!

I don't lift above 15kg, fill the Iso, gas down/ mask exotics and leave the room when doing x-rays rather than taking the exposure.

To be fair a risk assessment should probably be done legally but as long as you are looking after yourself and refusing to anything you are not happy with, you should be fine.

RE: Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

Katie Mack — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 22:08:55 GMT

Congratulations!! :-)

Firstly, I would insist on a risk assessment - I had one done swiftly when I fell pregnant. But it won't tell you much more than.... Avoid X-ray, chemo, wear correct Ppe when handling drugs/patients, limit lifting, avoid Iso etc etc.

Secondly, just listen to your body... There are no hard and fast rules about how much you should be doing, hours, responsibilities etc... You have to see how you feel and follow that. I was lucky and had a great pregnancy working up till 39 weeks and undertaking nights until I was 35wks.... I felt well enough to do so, so I did. If I hadnt have felt so well, I would have discussed with my employer and we would have sorted out a compromise.... It's a bit of a two-way street..... Especially if you want to go back!!

What works in one practice might not work in another so you have to be grounded and sensible in the choices you make and stipulations you ask for.

Hope you get it sorted.

RE: Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

suz85 — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 20:05:37 GMT

Congratulations! I am also a pregnant RVN, and had my health and safety assessment within a week of telling my boss, and was really early on (around 4 weeks pregnant) when I had mine, so I'd be insisting of having yours soon. Nothing has changed much for me (though I don't do OOH) my hours are the same as before, I'm careful with xrays, don't fill up the Iso and avoid exotic anaesthetics incase they need masked. I'm also not lifting anything above 10kg. Good luck!

RE: Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

Mark Hedberg — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 09:24:12 GMT

http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/

Lots of good information at the HSE website; that's a great place to start.

And of course, many congratulations and best wishes to you! :)

Cheers,
Mark

RE: Pregnant RVN! Advice required!

Celine — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 08:34:35 GMT

Hi Amanda,

I've never been in your situation so can't give too much in the way of advice but plenty of others have been! If you type a key word like "pregnant" in the search bar at the top right of the page you'll come up with loads of previous discussions on the topic just while you're waiting for others to respond to you

Congratulations!