Exhaustion & work

I'm nearly 28 weeks on my 4th and absolutely exhausted. I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping for various reasons--heartburn, blocked nose, leg cramps, but worst off all is pain. I find sleeping on my side very uncomfortable due to bad hips and after a few hours in bed there's no way to lie that isn't painful. The result is I'm absolutely knackered during the day. I work a full time desk job so it's not physically demanding but still I'm thinking of taking a week off just to catch up on rest. Ideally I'd like to save my paid holidays to extend my leave. Can you get sick leave for exhaustion when you're pregnant? Does anyone here have similar experience? I've never taken sick leave for pregnancy reasons before and I feel like I'm being lazy or something but I just can't keep going at this pace for another 11 weeks.

shesty

Yeah I have had three and I remember on my second that the midwife took one look at me around 34 weeks and told me I had had enough and they were signing me off.Commute was killing me.You can absolutely ask, nothing wrong with it.Any chance of working from home?Or reducing your hours or anything?It's your fourth baby, doctor will sign most things for you!!Also suggest asking what your iron levels are, there should be a blood test round now -they were a bit on the low side on my second as was BP, and the combined effect was very bad.Had that hip thing on all three too, and in the last five weeks, I would be up at night with contractions.....it was beyond exhausting.

To be honest, I found doctor's attitudes were that it's not your first, you're that bit older and you're working....of course it will be harder and ask if you need a break.You aren't superwoman OP, no harm in asking for time out for a bit.I stopped around 36 weeks on my second and third, the exhaustion was very hard.

Skybirdjb

You can definitely get signed off for exhaustion , please talk to your gp it’s so hard when your feeling like that . I also had bad hip trouble and that just adds to the exhaustion, especially as you have other smallies !
Meant to add is there any way you can get your hours reduced at work for the rest of the pregnancy? I got mine reduced from 50 to 41 and it made such a difference

Princess Calla

Skybirdjb wrote: »

You can definitely get signed off for exhaustion , please talk to your gp it’s so hard when your feeling like that . I also had bad hip trouble and that just adds to the exhaustion, especially as you have other smallies !
Meant to add is there any way you can get your hours reduced at work for the rest of the pregnancy? I got mine reduced from 50 to 41 and it made such a difference

You worked 50 hrs a week while pregnant? Fair play! My 35 hrs seem positively Part-Time

closifer

Skybirdjb wrote:

You can definitely get signed off for exhaustion , please talk to your gp it’s so hard when your feeling like that . I also had bad hip trouble and that just adds to the exhaustion, especially as you have other smallies ! Meant to add is there any way you can get your hours reduced at work for the rest of the pregnancy? I got mine reduced from 50 to 41 and it made such a difference

Agree about the drop in hours. I was also routinely working 45+ hours and dropped to 30 for the last couple of weeks. (I'm 32 weeks now) The difference it made to exhaustion levels is massive!!

Skybirdjb

Princess Calla wrote: »

You worked 50 hrs a week while pregnant? Fair play! My 35 hrs seem positively Part-Time

And the hour commute each way ! Ha ha you actually get used to working long days and within 4 weeks of getting the reduced hours my hips and pelvis went and I was on crutches for the last 10 weeks so was signed off then anyway , and all the fighting to get the reduced hours

Thanks for the replies! I have my 28 week appointment this week so I'll definitely ask the midwife about it.

Skybirdjb, 50 hours a week + all that commuting is a lot at the best of times, never mind when you're pregnant! I couldn't manage that at all! I'm actually very lucky in that I get to work from home 3 days a week and there's very little oversight of my hours so long as the work's getting done, though there's always plenty to get through.

OutOfMyMind18

You can indeed.
So, if you are off for say three weeks, you only get illness benefit for two weeks. You don’t get the first week from social welfare.
You also have to apply within 6 weeks of being signed off. And they are very strict on this.
I was signed off 5 weeks early for the same reason as you. But my GP was on holiday and no other stand in doctor could sign in so I missed out on a week.
So make sure GP signs and send off ASAP.