Work hazard

If you work with chemicals, lead or X-rays, or in a job with a lot of lifting, you may be risking your health and the health of your baby. If you have any worries about this, you should talk to your doctor, midwife, occupational health nurse, your union representative or your personnel department.

If it is a known and recognised risk, it may be illegal for you to continue and your employer must offer you an alternative job, if one is available. If no job is available, your employer can dismiss you. However, this would not affect your rights to maternity pay and leave.

If you’re at work during pregnancy you need to know your rights to antenatal care, leave and benefits.

You may get extremely tired, particularly in the first and last weeks of your pregnancy. Try to use your lunch break to eat and rest, not to do the shopping. If travelling in rush hour is exhausting, ask your employer if you can work slightly different hours for a while.

Don’t rush home and start another job cleaning and cooking. If possible, ask your partner to take over. If you’re on your own, keep housework to a minimum, and go to bed early if you can.

VDUs

Some women are concerned about reports of the effects of VDUs (visual display units on computer terminals and word processors) in pregnancy. The most recent research shows

Safety on the move

Road accidents are among the most common causes of injury in pregnant women. To protect both you and your unborn baby, always wear a seatbelt with the diagonal strap across your body between your breasts and the lap belt over your upper thighs. The straps should lie above and below your ‘bump’, not over it.

Information provided by Health Promotion England.