Irritating

This weekend at work was like most - either really busy or really slow. Saturday it was like we had a revolving door with outpatients - all of them were due in December. I would no more than get one admitted, assessed and discharged and another would be on her way up. Three times I heard the phone ring at the desk as I was giving discharge instructions and it would be ER with another patient. I did a total of 6 outpatient discharges. Out of the 6, only 1 really had anything going on and it was only a UTI. One patient came in because she had a few contractions here and there all day, hadn't felt any for awhile, but wanted to make sure everything was okay. She asked me how far along I was and we actually had the same due date. She asks me "And you're still working?". Um, yeah. One patient thought she was having contractions at 30 weeks, but after about 45 minutes, she realized it was only gas. I didn't ask how she figured it out :) The others thought they were having contractions, but were not. I think I probably was having more contractions and back pain than they were, and I was taking care of them. I guess it's better that people come in to make sure everything is okay rather than waiting until it's too late, but man, I can't believe what brings some people in. Sometimes I think people want to use their pregnancy to get out of work, etc. A nurse I work with is due 4 weeks after me and she's one of those. She is not high risk and has had no problems so far with this pregnancy. She asked 2 girls to turn her patient for her since she's pregnant and can't. I had just finished boosting my epiduralized patient up in bed, but she couldn't turn hers?. I realize lifting should be limited, but seriously. What's she going to do if she has an emergency and needs to turn a patient or push a bed down the hall for an emergency? Is she going to wait until she can get help? "Sorry, your baby is crashing, but I can't do anything to help because I'm pregnant, so let me go get help". I'm really not unsympathetic and there are times pregnant women can't do these things. It's the one's who milk it for all its worth that get a bit annoying. Sigh. Maybe I do too much. Maybe I'm just not doing this pregnancy thing right and could be using it to get out of working too much. Hmm.....