Furthermore, Hispanic workers, lower-wage earners, and workers with less than a college education have less access to paid leave 9. Lifting is restricted to no more than 20 pounds.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2013;209:80–8 . It is not intended to substitute for the independent professional judgment of the treating clinician. These include…. A meta-analysis of predominantly retrospective cohort and case–control studies showed an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth with night work compared with day shifts (relative risk, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.27–1.78) 22. Steer clear of anything that triggers nausea. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2013. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Washington, DC: Office of the President of the United States; 2014. Women typically are expected to return to work or risk losing their jobs after medical leave has been used. Accessed Feb. 12, 2017. Waters TR, Dick RB. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 409 12th Street, SW, PO Box 96920, Washington, DC 20090-6920. Avoid general statements, such as “no physical activity” or “decreased stress.” Do not request “light duty,” as this has a specific legal definition, and not all employers have a light duty option. MacDonald LA, Waters TR, Napolitano PG, Goddard DE, Ryan MA, Nielsen P, et al. Keep your back as straight as possible. For example, an administrative assistant may have a few duties that involve lifting, but lifting is not an essential component of her work and could reasonably be accommodated by the employer. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/repro/noise.html. It affords 12 weeks of total leave, which may be used for prenatal appointments, pregnancy-related medical conditions (including those related to miscarriage or pregnancy loss), physical recovery, and infant bonding. Any updates to this document can be found on www.acog.org or by calling the ACOG Resource Center.While ACOG makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information, this publication is provided “as is” without any warranty of accuracy, reliability, or otherwise, either express or implied. In conclusion, there may be a slight increased risk of preterm delivery for certain types of occupational characteristics; however, given the observational nature of these studies, this increased risk may be due entirely to bias and confounding. Physicians should work with their patients to determine their essential job duties. For those in high-risk occupations or with medically complicated pregnancies, work accommodations often can allow for continued safe employment. However, accommodations may need to be made for women who work in occupations in which they are exposed to teratogenic toxins (eg, pesticides and heavy metals), in very physically demanding professions, and in jobs that have an increased risk of falls or injuries (especially as the pregnancy progresses and the woman’s center of gravity shifts). Examples related to pregnancy include taking additional rest breaks; having a stool or chair available for sitting; avoiding potentially dangerous activities, such as climbing a ladder; or working flexible hours to attend prenatal appointments. Federal Laws That Protect Pregnant Workers and Their Partners*, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Discuss possible accommodations to request and the risks of requesting (eg, if an accommodation to an essential function is requested that cannot be provided, the employer may place employee on medical leave. Evidence of health risks associated with prolonged standing at work and intervention effectiveness. Night shifts were associated with early spontaneous pregnancy loss (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.22–1.63), defined by spontaneous loss of pregnancy before 25 weeks of gestation. I feel so lucky to have had the doctors at the Women’s Clinic for all three of my deliveries and GYN care. http://www.uptodate.com/home.
Figure 1. After 26 weeks: There should be no extended work hours, with a 40-hour week being the maximum for the employee/patient. Accessed Feb. 12, 2017. 575. However, individual company policies may provide leave for pregnancy, even for newly hired employees. However, in cases for which potential job discrimination has occurred, accommodations are denied, extended medical leave is necessary, or when other complex employment questions arise, legal assistance should be obtained. § 12101-12213 (2016). American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Working during pregnancy. Employment considerations during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Healthcare (Basel) 2016;4(2):30. Furthermore, of those who did request accommodation, at least 9% were denied 4. Access to and use of leave—2011 data from the American time use survey summary. Available at: International Labour Organization. State the expected duration of the modification (which can be extended). Any updates to this document can be found on www.acog.org or by calling the ACOG Resource Center. These include: First trimester (from conception through 13 weeks): Allowance to adequately hydrate on a regular basis and provide the employee/patient time off to drink and use the restroom as needed Will my work affect my pregnancy? To ease nausea at work: You might feel tired as your body works overtime to support your pregnancy — and resting during the workday can be tough. Accommodations that allow a woman to keep working are the most reliable way to guarantee pay, benefits, and job protection.
Washington, DC: BLS; 2017. Be as specific as possible (eg, “I recommend the following reasonable accommodation: Providing a stool or a 15-minute break every 2 hours”). This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
If a woman is terminated because of issues related to pregnancy, childbirth, or lactation, she may be eligible for unemployment benefits, depending on state laws. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reviews its publications regularly; however, its publications may not reflect the most recent evidence.
Three recent meta-analyses that examined preterm birth concluded that there is a slight to modest increased risk of preterm birth associated with some work conditions 15 16 26. (For federal and state laws related to these issues see Table 1 or the For More Information section.). Shift work, long working hours and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 2015;126:250–4.
Thus, consideration of accommodations for some pregnant women whose work may be associated with an increased risk of falls may be warranted with advancing gestational age. Palmer KT, Bonzini M, Harris EC, Linaker C, Bonde JP. If work accommodations are medically indicated because of pregnancy complications or specific symptoms, physicians should explore the patient’s duties at work to determine whether accommodation might be possible and offer knowledge and additional resources regarding the potential implications of taking medical leave (eg, it is time limited and often partially paid or unpaid and may affect the availability or length of postpartum leave). Working more than 40 hours per week was associated with a modest increased risk overall (relative risk, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.25–1.49), but the association was not significant when limited to higher quality studies.