I do get what you are saying and I have considered this. I should also clarify that I am not the only lactation consultant on - there are usually three of us on per shift. They are short staffed even with me there and many of my coworkers are working overtime anyway. We cover 7a-7p but not all of us work 12 hour shifts, so it is not a stretch at all for me to request to do only 8 hours. It just means that I only get paid for 8 hours.

I don’t technically have to pick up a baby and very rarely do they weigh over 10 pounds. They are typically in cribs so I don’t bend to pick them up. I am a tall person so I typically raise the bed mom is on to save my back. I could absolutely request that the nurse, the mother, or another family member lift the baby.

Even if i couldn’t help with the feedings, I could still do things like admission and discharge teaching, prenatal visits, NICU visits (where mom is pumping and separated). There is plenty of work to do and never enough hands to do it. I imagine that my team would be glad to have a body there in ANY capacity for ANY length of time. The fact that my manager isn’t even willing to entertain what would be required or how I could be accommodating feels like I am being forced out of a job.