Should I go on the sick?

LilacPixie

I had it with both pregnancies but with DD2 by about 28 weeks I was done. My movement was actually that slow that I was deemed a H&S risk if there was an incident in the building and told to go home. I am actually dreading it this time around as I already feel the tell tale twinges and pain.

Loopy_Girl

Tramadol is not a particularly strong drug and as you will be on a low dose because of your pregnancy, it wouldn't 'space' you out.

Personally I think you have already made your mind up what you want to do, it's pretty obvious that you want to stop work as you are in such pain so just do it and then you can reasonably try to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy.

Loopy_Girl

Welshlassie wrote: »

I wasn't really looking for permission (or was I?)

I actually think you were. I think you were just checking with other people that it was 'ok' to be thinking the way you do!

Just do it....you're only pregnant for 9 months and you have all your life to work

inkie

In my first pregnancy I was off sick from week 29 with sciatica (I was a Midwife and couldn't really function). Because I was off sick with a pregnancy related illness, when I got to week 34, I was put on Mat Leave automatically. You may not be able to be off sick until delivery.

mountainofdebt

OP

I thought of the point that Inkie has raised but as it was a number of years since I needed to worry about maternity leave I didn't post.

Have you thought of this?

Paulie'sGirl

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

Tramadol is not a particularly strong drug

I'd have to interject here, it effects people differently. I've taken it in the past and been knocked out within 20 minutes.

OP I feel for you, chronic pain is very debilitating. Could you go part time?

If you go off sick now, and it does get better later on, you can always go back?

Welshlassie

I've had Tramadol previously and it does knock me out, same as the top dose of co-odomol that I'm taking at the moment. Even if it only leaves me a bit spacey I'll be unlikely to be able to drive or concentrate properly.
I'm off to the GP this morning to see if there are any other options, but after another poor night, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to function on so little quality sleep.
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I know you have to be careful with reflexology in pregnancy, it brought my SIL into labour at 36 and half weeks. I'll look into the other things.

ailuro2

Tramadol is morphine based, so you're right to conclude that you'd not trust yourself to work properly while on it.

Have you tried asking for alternative duties at work - tell them you're in a bad way but don't want to go off sick, and could you sort post, fill in admin related graphs etc (there's lots of statistical filling in needs done in my work, they sometimes use temps for it, that's why I wondered...)

If nothing less responsible or involved is available then you'll have to go off sick.

brians_daughter

it seems sensible to take some time off as you were saying (if i remember correctly) you cannot concentrate etc.

Have you tried acupuncture? i ended up in a wheel chair at 29 weeks due to this condition... 2 treatments a week for 3 weeks and it started to ease..dunno if it was the acupuncture or just the timing but anything is worth a go when you are so bad

katgirlie

Was it an obstetric physio you saw? If not, try asking your midwife if there is one you can be referred to. Have they discussed things like support belts with you? SPD can be absolutely horrendous, but hopefully it can be managed in such a way that you don't need to completely give up work for the rest of your pregnancy.