Pregnant in the military! (repost)?

I am 11 weeks pregnant and my unit is basically screwing me!! They have me on a 24 hour on 24 hours off schedule in other words every other day im working from 9am - 9am its ridiculous but according to army regulations there's nothing i can do about it!! So i work about 72 hours a week. i already am dealing with bad fatigue an it makes staying up for 24hours straight that much more difficult! an yes it includes working on weekends. I don't get anytime to exercise or do anything for my self because if im not working for 24 hours straight im trying to catch up on sleep an still attempt to keep as healthy of a schedule as i possibly can. AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry ladies i just really needed to vent somewhere other than on my husband i feel so bad for him he feels so helpless but he knows theres nothing he can do about it either! and i have to deal with the other stresses like the fact that im going to have to leave my husband when i reach 6mos an wont get to see him again until the baby is born an then he'll have to leave again a few weeks after the babys born and wont be back for good for four more months(we are currently stationed in korea)...i have no idea how im gonna do it without him he's my only support and when i got back to america i will be 6mos prego an trying to furnish an entire apartment buy myself!! Why can't anything go right??!?!???

SFC_Ollie

I can't tell you how to handle any of your personal problems but if your pregnancy is interfering with your duties then you need to see your Doctor and tell him/her. If a 24 24 schedule is going to hurt you or your baby then the Doctor can put an end to that. And only the Doctor.

SFC
US Army
Retired

jr frm tx

You have to get a profile from the doctor. Generally, you can get put on reduced hours, or a no watch-standing order in the last 2 months. Other than that, the doctor would have to evaluate you and determine if there is any reason that, at this point in the pregnancy, it is unsafe to the fetus to work the hours you described. It may hard, but you have to trust the Doc.

Unforgiven

what SFC ollie says, go to a doc. at your clinic and get a prophile and that will put an end to that.

The Bad

Well, I can tell you that right now you feel about the worst you are going to feel for your entire pregnancy! The first 12 to 18 weeks of pregnancy you feel exhausted no matter what. Make sure you are taking prenatal vitamins with a TON of B-12 in them (Neevo is a great vitamin, see if you can ask your doc for a .scrip. for it!!) and go to sick call and tell them you are having a hard time staying awake on duty and see if there is anything you can do. Honestly, if it was me, if they don't do anything about it, you might think about leaving the Army with a pregnancy discharge. I had to quit my job with my first pregnancy because there was too much standing still and not enough bathroom breaks. My doc said,"Your job or your baby". It was an easy choice for me. The 24 on/24 off thing doesn't seem very safe for trying to grow a baby. Do what you need to do to keep you and baby SAFE!

You duty day does not get limited (per army regulation) until much later in the pregnancy. However, if you see your doc and explain to him how this duty schedule is affecting you, he can amend your pregnancy profile earlier. Go see the doc and see what he has to say. Word of advise, however....if you go to see him, calm down. THey will be much more receptive if you are calm and don't sit there accusing your command group. This issue needs to be about you and how tired you are, not about how you think your CoC is being unfair.

Angie

I was stateside on shore duty(Navy) when I was preg with my first. I worked shift work, still went on the barges and subs to work daily till I was 4 months. After that I was at a desk. Depending on the working conditions (you didn't say ie chemicals, heights...) 4 months may be the norm. You should also have had an appointment with an OSHA rep to access your job duties. Don't ask for the number,your unit may be reluctant to give it to you, look it up in the base phone book. Talk to your doctor before and after that appointment.
You CAN do this. You guys ARE doing things right. Dealing with the military is not easy especially when you announce that you are pregnant, trust me.
Try to find other enlisted mothers there and when you get back here. Talk to your doc about your fatigue, drink plenty of water and juice to keep from getting dehydrated.
It tears me up to hear things like this because I went through it.
Good luck!

Talk to the Doc and the chaplain... the Doctor can write an order to reduce your hours, 72 is a lot for most people who aren't preggers but it's a bigger pain if you are... the chaplain is the best person to go to if you want to vent, you don't have to be religious to see him (or her) but they will listen and in some cases have an influence on how your shop handles your pregnancy (I live on a Naval base and my friend who is 23 weeks was having a problem with her barracks treating her like she was just another sailor, they wanted her to lift racks and strip paint, one call from the chaplain ended the treatment and had her placed in another building) It'll be ok you and your husband wll get through

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