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Are irregular shifts bad for pregnant women? Should women cut off from work or take work lightly when they're pregnant? Can stress cause miscarriages?
A new study suggests that working shift patterns and irregular pattern is linked to an increased risk of menstrual disruption and subfertility. Led by Dr Linden Stocker from the University of Southampton, is a meta-analysis of all studies on the subject published between 1969 and Jan 2013. It compared the impact of non-standard working schedules with that of women not working shifts. The end-points were early reproductive outcome parameters, including menstrual dysregulation, female fertility and miscarriage rates. The study, which included data on 119,345 women, found that those working alternative shifts had a 33% of menstrual disruption than those working regular hours and 80% increased rate of subfertility.
Women who only worked late nights didn't have a statistically increased risk of menstrual disruption or difficult conceiving, but they did have an increased rate of miscarriage, although this wasn't observed in women who worked nights as part of a shift pattern. The investigators describe their findings as 'novel', but in keeping with other studies (which found adverse effects in later pregnancy). 'If replicated,' they said, 'our findings have implications for women attempting to become pregnant, as well as for their employers.'
The last time there was a big debate about working during pregnancy was when Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was pregnant which raised the question should pregnant women work? Most experts believe that if you're a mummy-to-be there's no need to put an end to your professional life. In fact, if you work in a safe environment and a normal pregnancy, you can work until just a few days before your delivery date.
Docs would advise rest if:
Women who've physically strenuous jobs or those who work irregular shifts or excessive hours are also at a higher risk of delivering low-birth weight babies.
Here are some tips to cope with pregnancy better:
Pregnancy and work can go hand in hand. Always remember that during your pregnancy it is important to be extra cautious, if you experience any pain or discomfort away from what you are used to, make sure to visit your gynaecologist at the earliest.