When should I stop working?

Hi, everyone. I'm so grateful to have recently found these boards. I'm hoping I might be able to get some opinions from others as to when I should stop working.

I will be 29 weeks tomorrow and haven't had any problems so far. I'm in pharmaceutical sales and therefore on my feet much of the day. For at least the last month, my heart races and I have a lot of shortness of breath when I'm standing for awhile. My job has certainly become increasingly difficult, but my boss has been very understanding and empathetic.

My OB is kind of leaving it up to me to tell her how I'm feeling with work. At my next appointment, I will be 30 weeks and I'm wondering if I should suggest that I would like to be be done with work around then? Part of me thinks, that since I haven't had any problems so far, maybe I should just keep working. The other part of me worries about overdoing it and then possibly having pregnancy complications.

Just some background, it won't really affect us financially if I go out early so that's not really a factor. Thanks so much for any opinions or experiences that you might be able to share!

 

Your body will tell you when you are done. With being on your feet and being short of breath I think you should stop soon. I went on 4 hours a day at 29 weeks then at 34 weeks I stopped working all together. I think working kept me going each day. Now I can think about is when are these babies going to come.

Good luck!

 

I stopped working at 29 weeks, it just got to be too much for me. Just getting ready for work in the morning was so exhausting, by the time I got there I needed to rest!

 

I, in the beginning around 26 weeks shortened my schedule and only workes 3 days a weeks instead of 5. I was feeling really good and wanted to keep working until 36 weeks but i stopped at 33 weeks because overnight my body I knew just could not take it any more I think your body will let you know when it it is time and your doctor will most likely support you in when you are ready. I would just take it day by day and have all your disabllity paperwork ready in advance just in case. Good Luck.

 

I kept working because it would have driven me nuts to stay home but I had a desk job. I worked up until the day before my sched. c-section.

 

I hope you work for one of the large pharmas with the generous leave policies

If financials aren't a factor, I would wait and see how you feel. It's wonderful that your docs are taking the cue from you. (Mine did the same.) I have an idea of the amount of walking and standing your job entails, and I would imagine you'll be ready to get home and sit/lie on your side very soon. As my doc tells me "No one says 'I wish I had worked more' at the end of their lives." I'm pretty sure no one says that at the end of their twin pregnancy either!

 

the only reason i worked as long as i did, was because i got 12 weeks total- regardless if it was before or after the babies came, and i wanted to spend as much time as possible with them OUT! looking back, i probably should have tried to cut some hours out of each day. i also have a job where i am on my feet pretyt much all day- walking, lifting, squatting, etc. (PT), and i sometimes wonder if i didn't push it too much and that is why i got the preeclampsia. who knows,though, and all is fine now!
is parttime a possiblity for you? i would think it would be in your line of work, and it sounds like your boss would be accomodating. i would maybe look into that. i was in the hospital only 1 week prior to having the babies and was BORED out of my MIND. (of course now, i would give anythign to sit quietly for a week and have people dote on me! )

 

i was fine up till I hit about 29-30 weeks..So I stopped working once I became to tired and swollen..I havent had any problems either really but jus tthe exhaustion got bad really fast...

my job didnt affect us financially eitehr as I was only working a few days a week and its minimum rage..lol

I think if your considering quitting then it might be a good time..at least you can enjoy getting some things done before you get too tired

 

Hey, if you can afford to do so then I say, stop working then. I stopped working at 30 weeks myself thinking I might go early (though I made it to 38 weeks) but I really enjoyed the time to just relax and watch t.v. and read and do whatever I wanted to do. If I wanted to be off my feet, I could. If I wanted to take a nap, I could. I'm glad I took that time because boy let me tell you. Those first few months...WHEW!!! I don't think I started to watch movies or read books at night until they were like a year old. I was just too tired. By 9pm I was in bed and passed out. So if you can afford to take some time for yourself I suggest you do it. Catch up on movies that you have wanted to see or books you have wanted to read and just have A LOT of you time.

 

I stopped working at just over 31 weeks. I was a preschool teacher and I was feeling totally fine. DH didn't want the babies coming early, and I thought it would be best before the new school year started to end then. Here I am at 33 weeks 3 days-still feeling fine-but now on bedrest due to some contractions(unknown to me) and I've started to dialate. My OB is really cautious when it comes to twins-so I'm very grateful for that! Oh-and the tiredness is amazing! I do NOTHING and I need a nap! If you feel it's time to stop-then do it, as long as you can financially. Honestly, we couldn't, but I think my DH was more scared of the twins health at birth. Good luck!

 

I am a teacher and school ended when I was 23 weeks. When school started I was 32 weeks and have had 4 trips to L&D this summer so there was no way my drs were letting me go back, especially since I work with small children and there is no way to sit down and rest! I give you a ton of credit for hanging in there! From here in on you are only going to get bigger and more uncomfortable-Do you have to give much notice and can you wait and see how things are going? I would give yourself some down time before the babies arrive! Good luck!

 

I stopped at 28 weeks because I could! :laughing:

 

I've been wondering this myself. I'm going to be 35 weeks this weekend and I haven't been at my job a year. They've been so kind and generous with me that I wanted to give back by working as long as possible. (I found out I was pregnant 2 weeks after accepting the position.) But the truth is ... I feel miserable ... so swollen and in pain. They've allowed me to work at home 2 days a week and even that isn't helping. I had planned to tell my boss today that next week would be my last, but she's out with her sick daughter. Carrying two good sized babies is so much harder than one!

 

I had no complications but by 35 weeks, I went ahead and asked the OB to put me off. I was just done! No sleep because I couldn't get comfortable or peeing all the time. I went on to deliver at 37w4d. I had a desk job..if I were on my feet more often than not, I wouldn't have worked as long as I did!

If it's not going to affect you financially and your company is working with you, maybe go ahead and either cut back hours or take leave.

 

You all are the best! Thanks so much for all of your input/experiences. I can't even tell you how much it helps to hear from others. I really appreciate each and every one of your responses!

 

hi, i had to stop working from my 1st tri. as i was bleeding and my doc didn't want to take any chance with a twin pg. but i feel that remaining at home for this much long time is not easy....
for u i'll say that listen to ur body, it will tell u when u have done enough...
take care

 

I work a desk job and I plan to work to 36 weeks (around 12/7) providing I am feeling okay and that the babies are doing well. If I were on my feet all day, I don't even think I would have made it as far as you! If finances are no problem, I say go for it and take the time to relax and rest!

 

I worked until 34 weeks. I really felt pretty, but it seemed like the day after I stopped it was like I couldn't go anymore. I think it was a psychological thing, as long as I kept going, I was fine, but when I stopped it was like I couldn't go any longer. I delivered at 38 weeks, so it was nice to have 4 weeks to take it easy and get a bunch of last minute things done before they got here.

 

I had a great twin pregnancy, no real problems. I stopped working the end of April and they arrived June 28th. I had already been working short days and just could not do it any more. I would get up in the morning take a shower and be ready for BED. My Dr would have let me out earlier than that but I felt I "needed" to work and get loose ends tied up. In the end my being there longer did not matter. I went a little nuts at the end (I tried to talk my DR into taking them early-before he vacation-no go though-good thing ) but in between it was kind of nice to JUST take care of "me".

Good luck do not push yourself. Happy, healthy babies to you!

 

I'm also in pharmaceutical sales and I stopped working from 23 weeks. My OB didn't want me walking around carrying samples all day and doing dinners at night. I did have bleeding in my first trimester and was on a few weeks of bed rest but have had no complications since then. I tried to argue with her but she and my DH convinced me that it's better to be safe than to risk having complications - Working an extra month or two won't make much difference to me professionally several years from now but may affect the babies for the rest of their lives. I won't be getting any pay towards the end of my maternity leave but I'm glad that she took me out when she did. By my last week of work, I was getting sharp shooting pains in my lower back by the end of the day from walking so much.

You definitely know your body the best. Don't overdo it and take it easy!

 

Thanks again, everyone, for your helpful responses. I plan on talking to my OB this week about when I will stop. I can't tell you how helpful you have each been!

 

I had a great pregnancy with 0 problems my doc did the same.... kind of waited for me to let her know. She started by lessening my work day from an 8:30-5:30 shift to an 8:30-3pm shift around 21/22 weeks....I worked for a law firm and did all the phone answering/secreterial, file getting and running around. Since I was having such a great pregnancy she said she probably would not be able to get me out of work completely until about 34/35 weeks but I was sooo tired and could not last all day without a nap, I hated traveling to work and I was getting huge. So I left on my own at exactly 28 weeks and I was so glad I did. I had time to rest get things together... I left a few days before my baby shower and I can't tell you how great it was to enjoy my shower and be able to actually have the time to start getting things ready. We were just barely able to make it but I applied for budget plans for my bills and filed for government assistance my point being if you don't have a problem finanacially I would seriously consider leaving and enjoying the rest of your pregnancy because once they are here you will be living off little sleep and busy days. GL!

P.S. I delivered at 39wks 2days and still had to be induced and I think taking it easy really, really helped!

 

I worked untill 32 weeks exactly i had planned on going to 34 weeks but my body had different ideas!! Up untill thi spoint i had a perfect pregnancy and felt great, but I got signed off work on the friday and went onto have them on the Monday. My advice would be take it day by day if your body says no more give up there is no point in pushing yourself x