Pregnant Pharmacist

[cangelilli]

I have been practicing pharmacy for almost a year now and work mostly 10 hour days in a retail setting. I am in my first trimester and wanted to reach out to those pharmacists who have worked through a pregnancy and ask for any advice! Thanks in advance

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I have never been pregnant (it's kind of physically impossible) but I've worked with pharmacists who were. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

waits for Mike's response....

I've only worked with a pregnant lead tech, but she worked up until the very very end. She was fine and was back to work in a short amount of time, but I'm guessing everyone is different.

Don't have much experience with that stuff.

 

[Venicat]

what do you think about the usage PPIs in pregnancy? It's supposedly ok to recommend, but I wouldn't want my wife taking them.

 

[Pharmavixen]

Giving PPIs for heartburn of pregnancy is ridiculous overkill; Gaviscon works fine, as does counselling the women to have many small meals throughout the day rather than fewer big meals.

I went through 2 pregnancies working full-time as a pharmacist. I recommend wearing support stockings; I didn't for the 2nd pregnancy and developed some wonky veins. Make sure you always have healthy meals and snacks. Due to poor organization and the availability of Haagan-Datz in the store, I over-ate during my 1st pregnancy and gained 80 pounds from a baseline of 125. Took a year of walking 3-4 hours a day with baby to lose that weight.

As you get visibly pregnant, customers will be nicer to you, but be prepared for all sorts of unsolicited advice. I just would nod and smile, and let it go in one ear and out the other.

Take as much time off in the 1st year as you can afford. Little ones start getting sick a lot when they go to daycare. And pumping breast milk is a pain in the *****.

 

[Dilaftin]

This got me thinking of drugs that females of child-bearing age and pregnant are advised not even to touch with bare hands. Only thing that comes to mind is finasteride and dutasteride.

Any others anyone could think of with this warning?

 

[owlegrad]

Giving PPIs for heartburn of pregnancy is ridiculous overkill; Gaviscon works fine, as does counselling the women to have many small meals throughout the day rather than fewer big meals.

Pssh, lifestyle modifications are for suckers.

 

[pharaday]

Giving PPIs for heartburn of pregnancy is ridiculous overkill; Gaviscon works fine, as does counselling the women to have many small meals throughout the day rather than fewer big meals.

After my first pregnancy, I would've agreed with you. In fact, I was convinced that "morning sickness" wasn't real. I had absolutely no nausea of any kind, and I had no other problems whatsoever for the whole pregnancy. Then there was my second pregnancy. I have been a true believer ever since. I was sick every minute of the day, and nothing helped. I did eventually try Prilosec out of desperation, and it helped a little. I would have to disagree about it being "ridiculous overkill". What I went through was absolutely horrible, and Gaviscon and small meals wouldn't put a dent in it. The suffering that some woman go through is very real.

 

[Pharmavixen]

After my first pregnancy, I would've agreed with you. In fact, I was convinced that "morning sickness" wasn't real. I had absolutely no nausea of any kind, and I had no other problems whatsoever for the whole pregnancy. Then there was my second pregnancy. I have been a true believer ever since. I was sick every minute of the day, and nothing helped. I did eventually try Prilosec out of desperation, and it helped a little. I would have to disagree about it being "ridiculous overkill". What I went through was absolutely horrible, and Gaviscon and small meals wouldn't put a dent in it. The suffering that some woman go through is very real.

I doubt Prilosec is being used exclusively by women who have failed more conservative measures.

American women also suffer unnecessarily because you don't have access to Bendectin. One of my professors wrote a meta-analysis that was the nail in the coffin to the hypothesis that Bendectin caused birth defects, but Merril Dow won't market it in the US because of all the lawsuits. When it was withdrawn in the US, hospitalizations d/t hyperemesis gravidum went up.

Has the safety of PPIs in pregnancy been as conclusively proven as the safety of Bendectin? I may look this up (unless somebody else wants to bother).

 

[joetrisman]

I doubt Prilosec is being used exclusively by women who have failed more conservative measures.

American women also suffer unnecessarily because you don't have access to Bendectin. One of my professors wrote a meta-analysis that was the nail in the coffin to the hypothesis that Bendectin caused birth defects, but Merril Dow won't market it in the US because of all the lawsuits. When it was withdrawn in the US, hospitalizations d/t hyperemesis gravidum went up.

Has the safety of PPIs in pregnancy been as conclusively proven as the safety of Bendectin? I may look this up (unless somebody else wants to bother).

I see mds write for doxylamine and b6 all the time

 

[rph3664]

My mother said that Bendectin was the most worthless medicine ever invented, and other women have told me the same thing. Others have said it was a near miracle drug. Considering what's in it, I could see why it would have such inconsistent effects.

 

[cangelilli]

Thanks for the suggestions I have had crazy morning sickness, so working has been a challenge. And I definitley am going to invest in some support stockings...I might fall over if people start being nicer though!!