Pregnancy and Work

Balancing your career and motherhood can be a tricky process. The challenge begins when you are pregnant. Here are a few tips for handling pregnancy and work.

Health and safety while pregnant

After receiving the good news, the first stop for a pregnant woman is a chat with the doctor. Talk about the kind of work you do, what kind of physical changes you can expect over the course of your pregnancy and, finally, determine whether your current role could be carried out stress free and safely. If you feel your position may be too physically strenuous or mentally taxing, you may want to consider discussing other options with your employer. Women generally report feeling more tired and lethargic during their first and third trimesters, so keep this in mind.

Know your rights at work

Before you go off to inform your employer of your pregnancy, it would be wise to know your rights and what maternity leave policies there are in your company. Most likely all this information will be contained within your contract, so it would be a good place to start. If there is a trusted colleague who has been through this process, you could ask them about their experiences.

Informing your employer about your pregnancy

Most women like to keep their pregnancy quiet until after the first trimester. This decision is completely up to you. However, you should try to inform your employer and colleagues before they start guessing it themselves.

When you go to meet your boss, you should have a pretty good idea about what you want to do. Do you want to work until the end of your pregnancy? Do you want to take maternity leave? Or perhaps, work part-time? Your boss will want to know when you’re going, when you’re coming back and how your work is going to get done. Make sure you have answers. Use your ingenuity here to negotiate favourable circumstances for both you and your employer.

Colleagues and pregnancy

When informing your colleagues, it’s likely there will be a lot of interest in your pregnancy. Some women enjoy the attention, whilst others prefer to keep their pregnancy private. Either way, just make sure other colleagues respect your boundaries. If you are in the corporate world, there are many corporate maternity clothing options to ensure you look professional up until the end of your pregnancy.
Balancing work and pregnancy

It’s important that you look out for yourself and your baby during this time and that means staying stress free and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. Make sure your priorities are with yourself, not just your work. Adapt your work schedule around your new circumstances, not the other way around. A new life is growing inside you and needs your care and attention!