I have most definitely popped this week. I finally look pregnant rather than questionably gaining weight! Out of my 3 lasting pregnancies, this is the longest it’s taken for me to look appreciably pregnant. Baby is kicking up a storm in my belly and aside from a very sick day last Thursday, I have been doing pretty darn well in the nausea department. I even forgot my diclectin dose last night and woke up without having to throw up. I feel nauseated, but it’s quite tolerable… It helps that my tolerance is quite high.
I had my first 12 hour day shift yesterday in quite some time. It was a really good shift; I had pleasant patients and was working alongside my manager for the first time in my career (snow days kept away a few nurses, so they had to work the floor!) And it was fun. Unfortunately, my body did not think so. My nausea was fine and manageable, although I had some gnarly heartburn from around 4 until bed time. My pelvis was the main concern. It feels as though my symphysis pubis dysfunction is arriving now; searing hot pain to the pubic bone, difficulty walking, and sharp achy pain to my sacroiliac joints. After my one hour drive home, I had great difficulty getting out of my car because of pain and a lack of ability to stand upright.
Here’s the main difference between pelvic pain in pregnancy and symphysis pubis dysfunction, the latter (SPD) affects your ability to mobilize, as demonstrated by the fact that I was stuck getting out of my car for a few minutes/a few tries. It physically impedes your ability to do daily tasks. Unfortunately, I am scheduled to work 5 8 hour shifts starting Wednesday, two days off, then three 12 hour shifts, one 4 hour re-orientation shift, and one 8 hour shift before 3 days off and two more 12 hour shifts, and lastly two days off and two 8 hour shifts.
I was hoping to be able to complete this set of shifts before looking into sick leave so that I could get a buffer in my bank account prior to leave, but I just don’t think my body can physically handle working to take care of others. I technically need to work anymore shifts as I have worked enough hours this year to qualify for both sick leave and maternity leave, but I am not within the time constraints for sick leave until January 6th…
I was quite silly in thinking that I would be able to make it until the end of February this time!