6TH FEBRUARY 2009
Just wanted to update quickly to say that my placenta is now 2mm further away from my cervix than it was last time! Yay! Blake’s measurements were also all perfect. I can’t wait for our detailed anatomy scan next week so I can show you all how awesome he’s looking. You know, all fetus-y.
19TH FEBRUARY 2009
We’ve had such a run of bad luck over the last half of 2008 and throughout January/Feb. I’m now on early parental leave (which is, essentially, extended leave without pay) due to the high-risk pregnancy. My obstetrician wrote on the medical certificate following the placental abruption that on my return to work I was to be on light duties, or programs that do not pose a physical risk. Playing semantics (and probably being overly cautious), work pointed out that simply picking up a box or being out in public poses a physical risk and they don’t have any work which involves sitting around like a stuffed dummy. So there is no choice but to put me on unpaid leave. One could point out that there are numerous office positions throughout the organization. One could also point out that the Youth literacy and numeracy programs with high functioning clients also pose a very low physical threat (and I’m sure this would be confirmed by looking at incident reports reporting injuries to staff over the past year on such programs – probably nil). But I really cannot be bothered taking the effort to argue with them anymore, especially when ultimately being away from there is the best thing for me anyway both mentally and physically. I couldn’t live with myself if I did continue work throughout the pregnancy and something happened to Blake…knowing that it happened because I kept working there of all places.
But on the same morning that I started parental leave, Daniel fractured his ribs and went out on worker’s compensation. Not more than a week after I’d been told to inform him he’d have to go in for a meeting regarding his absenses and early departures (to be with me at hospital, attend antenatal appointments and play an active role in the pregnancy). We heard on the grapevine (Daniel hasn’t even been told directly that this is going on) that other employees have been asked to give written statements about overhearing him joke about taking the next day off. Unfortunately for us, the night after he joked about it, I ended up in hospital.
This is Daniel’s 24th year and my 21st. We might be young, but we are independant adults. Our absenses from work are not the result of some kind of juvenile irresponsibility. Our absenses are due to us being a loving couple who are supporting each other as we go through a period of misfortune and ill health. No, work is not our first priority. Not when we’re experiencing the pregnancy and birth of our first child, not when our pregnancy has been riddled with issues right from the very start, not when half the time we aren’t even sure if our pregnancy is going to continue successfully at all. I think it’s absolutely sick that anyone would even think these last few months have been a good time for us.
Our time off work has been covered by medical certificates. Our time off work has not been fun. It’s been one of the most stressful times of our lives, spent in and out of hospital and doctor’s surgeries, and we’ve been completely broke and financially unstable the whole time. This is not some big fun joke for us – we don’t feel like we’re having a good holiday, a fun break from work…and for some reason I’m getting the impression that’s what management think.
Things are so hard right now. We’re both in physical pain and completely broke while work has been entirely unsympathetic and downright rude at times (the CEO said that he, too, had broken ribs at one point “except he went back to work”. Yes, of course you did, you bloody sit at a desk all day!)
Ugh.
