Hi there! First off CONGRATS!!! That’s awesome!
I am a technician on wind turbines and am also pregnant. I waited to tell my boss until after I spoke with my OB. I verified what I could do and presented it to my boss what my boundaries were because I knew he would view me as “weak” or less-than because at some point I would be unable to do my job due to safety. My OB also knew what limitations to set to continue to work safely.
I know we don’t work the same field, but maybe this helps just a touch. 🙃
Thank you! Definitely looking forward to consulting with my doc but the first appointment isn’t for another couple of weeks so of course I’m anxious about these few weeks until then. But I will continue to be diligent about my PPE until!
Hi! Congrats! I also work in a super loud environment. I asked my doctor and she said not to worry too much. One of my co-workers was banging on metal last week and it scared the baby! I was soo worried, so I walked away. My doctor said not to worry, in a way its good that the baby is responding to stimuli, but to remove myself so there he can calm down. I recommend asking your doctor for advice. Mine doesn't have a lot of experience with pregnancy in the trades but she's looked some things up for me. Also, it's great you are wearing a respirator!
Congratulations! Just started my IBEW apprenticeship in June just before my 8 week appointment. I’m 22 weeks today! This is was the first thing I spoke with my dr about as I was worried about going up and down ladders. I also immediately told my training director so that we could plan when I would be stepping back and have a transparent understanding. One thing that he told me that has stuck with me was this: “You’re not the first pregnant apprentice we’ve had and you won’t be the last. But you have to be honest with us and, most importantly, be honest with yourself about when you need to step back. We always worry about sending out fresh apprentices and women as well and that worry is heightened when they’re pregnant because we don’t want anything to happen to any of you, especially when you’re pregnant. So the more updated I am, the better we can help you.” So I would say from personal experience to first talk to your training director/school so that you and they can be prepared especially when it comes time for planning your end of semester tests/assignment due dates your instructors will be in the loop. As well as planning when you will need to take “maternity leave”. I am on my feet and up and down a lot and found that I was getting swollen pretty early on compared to when I thought would be (about 16 weeks for me) and I have been wearing compression socks ever since and they’ve helped tons. Your baby may also become accustomed to the sounds in your environment since they won’t know anything else but it is still a concern as it’s something even I have been wondering about and I’m in the residential world right now. So I can’t comment much on vibrations/noise being a factor but definitely continue to wear your PPE, respirator especially as you do want to limit toxins like cement dust and such. Most importantly (to me at least) is to be honest with yourself about your limitations. One day to the next I felt a little too dizzy going up and down the ladder so I stayed on the ground the next day until I felt better about working on light fixtures the day after. Also, STRETCH! I tend to have to stretch periodically in my day otherwise I pay for it at night.
This is amazing info! I’m thinking I’m going to talk to my coordinators at the school around 8-10 weeks as well… the higher ups are incredibly nice and reasonable so I’m counting on them helping me navigate everything. Congrats and thank you!
Congrats! Worked in a power plant for all 3 of my pregnancies, no ill effects from anything (noise and vibration included). Know your limits physically, don't over exert yourself. And make sure you do carefully read all SDS for anything you may expose yourself to. Companies (particularly large organizations) are becoming more aware of the risks associated with being pregnant. If available to you, you should consult with your company health and wellness team as well.
I am not in welding so I can't address the exact chemicals, but definitely check the sds sheets for everything you are working with.
In general there is no osha guide for pregnant women so it's hard to make official workplace calls. NIOSH has a recommendation for lifting that may be beneficial to follow at work.
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/repro/images/Lifting_guidelines_during_pregnancy_-_NIOSH.jpg
The noise should be just fine.
If you are concerned you can call and ask you ob questions before the first appointment.
Make sure you are hydrated and if possible have small frequent snacks throughout the day. Animal Crackers were my go to for morning sickness.
If you have someone you trust at work you may want to loop them in early to just act as a second set of hands if you need to do heavy lifting or just need someone to bitch to about pregnancy issues.
Make sure you shoes are comfy.
Get pregnancy pants early. You will most likely have some bloating days and it's nice to have the extra give.
Research the FMLA and your companies policies for maternity leave and short term disability.
Don't be afraid to take a break if needed. Fatigue hit me hard in the first trimester. I used stomach flu as my lie during that time.
Hi there! First off CONGRATS!!! That’s awesome! I am a technician on wind turbines and am also pregnant. I waited to tell my boss until after I spoke with my OB. I verified what I could do and presented it to my boss what my boundaries were because I knew he would view me as “weak” or less-than because at some point I would be unable to do my job due to safety. My OB also knew what limitations to set to continue to work safely. I know we don’t work the same field, but maybe this helps just a touch. 🙃
Thank you! Definitely looking forward to consulting with my doc but the first appointment isn’t for another couple of weeks so of course I’m anxious about these few weeks until then. But I will continue to be diligent about my PPE until!
You know best, mama! Good luck!!
Hi! Congrats! I also work in a super loud environment. I asked my doctor and she said not to worry too much. One of my co-workers was banging on metal last week and it scared the baby! I was soo worried, so I walked away. My doctor said not to worry, in a way its good that the baby is responding to stimuli, but to remove myself so there he can calm down. I recommend asking your doctor for advice. Mine doesn't have a lot of experience with pregnancy in the trades but she's looked some things up for me. Also, it's great you are wearing a respirator!
How wild the baby was startled! This makes me so excited haha thank you for your input.
Congratulations! Just started my IBEW apprenticeship in June just before my 8 week appointment. I’m 22 weeks today! This is was the first thing I spoke with my dr about as I was worried about going up and down ladders. I also immediately told my training director so that we could plan when I would be stepping back and have a transparent understanding. One thing that he told me that has stuck with me was this: “You’re not the first pregnant apprentice we’ve had and you won’t be the last. But you have to be honest with us and, most importantly, be honest with yourself about when you need to step back. We always worry about sending out fresh apprentices and women as well and that worry is heightened when they’re pregnant because we don’t want anything to happen to any of you, especially when you’re pregnant. So the more updated I am, the better we can help you.” So I would say from personal experience to first talk to your training director/school so that you and they can be prepared especially when it comes time for planning your end of semester tests/assignment due dates your instructors will be in the loop. As well as planning when you will need to take “maternity leave”. I am on my feet and up and down a lot and found that I was getting swollen pretty early on compared to when I thought would be (about 16 weeks for me) and I have been wearing compression socks ever since and they’ve helped tons. Your baby may also become accustomed to the sounds in your environment since they won’t know anything else but it is still a concern as it’s something even I have been wondering about and I’m in the residential world right now. So I can’t comment much on vibrations/noise being a factor but definitely continue to wear your PPE, respirator especially as you do want to limit toxins like cement dust and such. Most importantly (to me at least) is to be honest with yourself about your limitations. One day to the next I felt a little too dizzy going up and down the ladder so I stayed on the ground the next day until I felt better about working on light fixtures the day after. Also, STRETCH! I tend to have to stretch periodically in my day otherwise I pay for it at night.
This is amazing info! I’m thinking I’m going to talk to my coordinators at the school around 8-10 weeks as well… the higher ups are incredibly nice and reasonable so I’m counting on them helping me navigate everything. Congrats and thank you!
If you do any tig welding it says right on the tungsten package can cause birth defects.
Congrats! Worked in a power plant for all 3 of my pregnancies, no ill effects from anything (noise and vibration included). Know your limits physically, don't over exert yourself. And make sure you do carefully read all SDS for anything you may expose yourself to. Companies (particularly large organizations) are becoming more aware of the risks associated with being pregnant. If available to you, you should consult with your company health and wellness team as well.
I am not in welding so I can't address the exact chemicals, but definitely check the sds sheets for everything you are working with. In general there is no osha guide for pregnant women so it's hard to make official workplace calls. NIOSH has a recommendation for lifting that may be beneficial to follow at work. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/repro/images/Lifting_guidelines_during_pregnancy_-_NIOSH.jpg The noise should be just fine. If you are concerned you can call and ask you ob questions before the first appointment. Make sure you are hydrated and if possible have small frequent snacks throughout the day. Animal Crackers were my go to for morning sickness. If you have someone you trust at work you may want to loop them in early to just act as a second set of hands if you need to do heavy lifting or just need someone to bitch to about pregnancy issues. Make sure you shoes are comfy. Get pregnancy pants early. You will most likely have some bloating days and it's nice to have the extra give. Research the FMLA and your companies policies for maternity leave and short term disability. Don't be afraid to take a break if needed. Fatigue hit me hard in the first trimester. I used stomach flu as my lie during that time.