Beating the summer heat.

An

Anna

I work in Homecare, so I basically drive around the metro (avg 70-90 miles a day) to provide therapy in people’s homes who aren’t strong enough to leave the home for therapy. The heat is really getting to me. Not so much in the car (I have tinted windows, a sun shade, multiple water bottles and ice packs to keep me cool in the car), but when I get to my patients homes I start to suffer. Treatment sessions are 30-60 minutes long and I have to average 5-6 visits a day to keep full-time. Few people in Colorado have Air Conditioning though some of my patients do use evaporative cooling systems (keeps it cooler but not cold). Many have nothing other than fans but the heat is melting my brain. I’ve tried to schedule people earlier and later in the day but it doesn’t work out often, nor is spreading the day that far apart conducive to my failing energy levels with the distances I would have to drive doing a split shift. I’ve reached out to my director for ideas but the only idea I got was “try not wearing socks.” (Spoiler, at 90-100 degrees it is not making a difference). None of my coworkers worked full time while pregnant so they didn’t have ideas and dropping hours isn’t financially an option at the moment.

I try to schedule a break in the hottest part of the day somewhere like a coffee shop with A.C. and a fresh beverage, but that doesn’t always work out either.

Has anyone else had to work the last trimester somewhere with limited ability to cool off (and even limited ability to use the bathroom)?

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COMMENT (3)

JL

Posted at
I work on a horse farm in Kentucky.. ‘Thankfully’ quitting the paying farm job, but still have my own horses to ride and care for that are off my own property. They make cooling towels that look like scarves, I wear a lot of Dri-fit things (not sure what your attire has to be), I wear canvas sperrys which seem to allow for better air flow than some other types of shoes, and lastly I’ve noticed going in and out of ac makes it much harder on me, mainly breathing wise, but I always drive to work with widows open instead of ac and save the ac til I’m on my way home and officially done with the heat. I currently work 9 hr days so resisting a cool down in ac is super hard, but def seems to have helped! Hopefully you can make it through safely for both you and baby!!

Mo

Posted at
I am also a therapist working at a SNF with 15 people daily. It’s so hot and sweaty. I’ve found staying hydrated is the key. I drink ice water all day every day.

Va

Posted at
I work in an aluminum manufacturing plant as the HSE person, so I go around in a non climate controlled facility ensuring everything is in compliance according to the state, City, osha and epa Regs. The hardest thing is a pregnant woman working in a mans world because they just don’t get it. Today the heat index is at 106 degrees so inside the facility it’s a lot of still air and it’s usually 10-20 degrees hotter inside because of the furnaces that are always kept on around 1400 degrees. Long story short, we also have uniforms we have to wear that are so god awful and must be long sleeve and hard hats and glasses and steal toed with internal metatarsal boots and they want to know why I’m crabby.I’m walking around high risk as it is with my entire body covered with multiple layers in hot ass temps doing atleast 6 major projects that are due in a week and a half and more keep popping up. I’m so done I texted my husband I quit my job, just to see what he says because I am so tempted to give the damn middle finger to this place and these guys that think I need to also keep my buttoned shirt which hardly fits tucked in also when I have maternity pants on. Oh and the pants have to be black, so I’m soaking in all the rays too. It’s great.