It is increasingly common to work during your pregnancy. While you may be experiencing physical and mental changes and pregnancy-related symptoms, working night shifts during pregnancy may exacerbate your condition. Because relaxation and sufficient sleep are important when pregnant, working night shifts might put your pregnancy at risk. Read on to learn more about how night shifts may influence your pregnancy, some problems faced in night shifts during pregnancy, some professions that affect your health during pregnancy, and some tips that may help you manage working through your night shift.
Pregnancy And Night Shift Work
Can you work a night shift when pregnant? Working the night shift while pregnant is a problem that is commonly faced in today’s work scenario. According to the CDC, working at night can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which may regulate hormones in pregnancy (1). Also, sickness during pregnancy also adds to the inconvenience. In the worst case, you can only catch up on your sleep during weekends. The Sleep Foundation suggests that sleep deprivation in pregnancy could negatively impact your immunity and health (2). Therefore, if you are compelled to work night shifts during pregnancy, you have to take very good care of your health.
Problems Faced In Night Shifts During Pregnancy
Though you take extra care of yourself during night shifts, you cannot escape from the problems below:
Lack of co-workers to help you during emergencies.
Lack of sound sleep that is essential during pregnancy. More work, especially at night, will lead to stress. Loud noise of people or machines at night is disturbing.
As per reports from the Johns Hopkins Medicine, inadequate sleep could put you at risk of pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, prolonged labor, and increased risk of a cesarean section (3).
Certain Professions That Affect Your Health During Pregnancy:
Certain professions may demand you stay alert through the night shifts:
If you are a doctor on night duty, you have to be alert physically and mentally throughout the night. If you are working in an international call center, you have to attend calls for the entire night.
Software engineers working in front of computers, for a long stretch at night, may suffer mental stress, a high risk of preterm delivery or fetal loss. Flight attendants are at a high risk of pregnancy termination if they have to attend night flights regularly.
12 Essential Tips For Working In Night Shifts During Pregnancy
Sometimes you cannot avoid night shifts during pregnancy, but you can be cautious by following the below points: Learn about your company’s maternity policies. According to experts, you can work up to six months of your pregnancy but it is decided on an individual basis. Consult your doctor for the same.
Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy:
Resting during the day is important for you, as you work in night shifts.
Exposure to sunlight is also very important. So it is advisable for you to go out in fresh air for at least an hour. Consume lots of milk, cereals and pulses during the day and eat healthy.
