Hi, My wife is 6 months pregnant and working 16 hours a day. Is this healthy?

Question

I am reluctant to tell her to stay home and rest, because frankly I realize that she loves working so much. Being busy at a job can help reduce her anxiety and possible depression. I know changes in hormones during pregnancy can create havoc with her emotional stability and working would get her mind off things. Also she cares because it’s our own business. But since she has to deal with students(it’s an education center)all the time, and more often than not gets into heated arguments with them, the danger to her safety must be seriously considered. She worries so much about the smallest details of the business, and gets herself involved and worries about financial aspects too. I mean any business has risks.And she shows no sign of backing down.I just don’t know what to do. Her health is much more important to me now than anything else. She has always been truly my partner in everything and I know I will need her much more in the future to accomplish our goals. Please help

Answer 1

tricky one for you.

answer this tho: do you feel she would be less anxious and stressed if she took maternity leave now? or would she worry more about the business if she wasn't active in it as much?
you have to calculate the risks/benefits of both.

obviously things would be less stressful for you if she took a break. maybe you could sit and explain to her how worried you are, how important she is to you and maybe you could reach a compromise...perhaps she could continue part time in a purely administrative capacity? this would remove the 'physical danger' you feel she's in and would give her a chance to work and to prepare for the new arrival, both physically and mentally.

you don't say if this is her first child or not, and this plays a large part. if she has already had a baby then her intuition will kick in and you just have to trust and accept this.

if this is her first then you're right about the hormones and the emotions...this is a huge deal for us! we don't want to let go of the things we've worked so hard to create...or even to hand over the reins to someone else. if she normally worked 16 hours a day before her pregnancy then the chances are high that she'll be wanting to continue this for so many reasons...worry of losing her identity / worry that she's not indispensible at work after all / worry of appearing 'weak' if she takes things easy / worry of having too much time on her hands to focus on the birth etc are just some of the legion of worries we mums go thru!

all mums out there will relate to this....when i was pregnant with my first child i went to my gp and told her i was worried that i was eating properly (i was vegetarian at the time). she laughed and laughed and then told me to get used to it, cos the worry was going to be with me forever! she said i'd worry that i was eating properly, then i'd worry about the birth, then i'd worry that i was feeding properly, then i'd worry that i was bringing them up properly, then i'd worry when they went to primary school...and secondary school...and college...and out with their friends...and when they learn to drive...and then when they have families of their own...!

sheesht...who knew that our parents went thru all these emotions...until the torch passed to us!

Answer 2

Probably not. When I found out I was pregnant, I was working a full time office job, plus 25 hrs a week at a job on my feet. My doctor told me the whole "growing a baby is a full time job in itself" thing, and told me to drop the part time job. I didn't, but I did cut back on my hours. Plus, if she works 16 hours a day, that leaves the rest for sleep and nothing else, so I doubt she's getting the amount of sleep that she should be. Maybe she would agree to keep working, but cutting back a bit. It seems logical.

Answer 3

As long as she feels well and the baby is developing, she should be just fine. If there is a possibility that someone might assault her in her current job, I would be concerned, however. Perhaps one of her coworkers can be called upon to step in when things get heated.

I'm assuming that your wife is an adult, and as an adult, she can take responsibility for her body and the life of your unborn child. The best thing you can do for her right now is to be supportive without being demanding.

You sound like a wonderful, caring husband. Trust your wife's instincts...she'll be fine.

Answer 4

You should probably go to the next doctor's appointment and pose that question to the doctor. This way if a professional says that it's posing too much stress she may listen.
All you can do is tell her how you feel and let her know that that's too long to be on her feet. Maybe you can suggest to her to get an aid if she doesn't have one already to prepare her for shorter days as she will be getting more uncomfortable as time goes on.

Answer 5

She should be fine, she will know when it is time to slow down at work. If she seems to be to into her work too much and you are worried about her and the baby, sit her down and tell her that too much work could be hazardous for your child. You could go to the doctors and have a conversation with your doctor about when to stop working and the pros and cons of working during pregnancy. Lots of women work long hours during their pregnancy I work up until 1 month before I had my daughter. I stopped working because I was standing for long hours and lifting heavy things. Make sure she isn't lifting anything that is to heavy. I wish you the best of luck with your new bundle of joy and I hope your wife slows down a bit.

Answer 6

She can do anything that she did before she was pregnant. I would suggest that she takes breaks in between.
She sounds very passionate about her work, not really stressed.
It may be good for her to get into arguements with the students instead of arguements with you.
As long as she is comfortable, and the doc says there's no problem, then don't worry.

Answer 7

if she wants to work and she isn't having any health problems, I don't see why she shouldn't.. she would probably be more worried about her business if she were to say at home, right? if she's feeling good, health wise, then leave her alone and let her work.. she isn't under any extreme physical stress is she? I worked right up to my due date when I was pregnant with my little boy.... and I was probably healthier for it.. if she begins having problems with the pregnancy I'm sure she would take it easy..make sure she knows how concerned you are.. maybe she will take it easy just to ease your mind.

Answer 8

working 16 hours a day for a pregnant woman is not healthy. At this rate she could jeopardize the baby she's carrying.

Answer 9

I think that what she is doing is risky for both her and the baby, but u really cannot stop a person from doin what they consider an important part of their life. try to slow her down, since it is late stage.

Answer 10

if she is 6 month then she should not be working for 16 hour need to be on bed rest or take it easy while you are have a baby.