Parents blog: Pregnancy and work

When a friend of mine found out that she was pregnant, she wanted to tell everyone – friends, family, even strangers on the street. But despite all her excitement, she decided to wait a little while before sharing the news at work.

She knew that her co-workers would be happy for her, but she also worried about the effects of pregnancy on her stamina, taking maternity leave and talking to her boss about the situation.

In an article for DiversityInc., writer Lizz Carroll interviewed several women and came up with a list of tips for being pregnant at work:

•Wait until you are past your first trimester. When you break the news to your boss, be prepared by bringing a plan that includes a timeline, a list of upcoming projects and how co-workers will manage while you are on maternity leave.

•Plan to take more leave time than you think you’ll need. It’s easier to come back early than to stay away longer.

•After maternity leave, come back to work in the middle of the week. Also, prepare for the day by doing a dry run.

•Figure out whether or not your workplace has a lactation room. If not, make arrangements to have a private room to express milk several times aday.

This piece of advice wasn’t in the article but I think it’s very important: Find child care now, while you’re still pregnant. Visit as many places as you can and educate yourself about the kind of care you want and can afford.

I also found it helpful to slowly ease back into work. When my eldest was born six years ago, my employer at the time was very flexible. After a six-month leave, I returned to work only two days a week. I did that for about six weeks and then added two more days for the next few months. I waited until my son was about a year old before I started working full-time again. This arrangement was such a blessing to my family – it helped with the transition and our family’s new schedule as well as with breast-feeding.

What advice do you have for women who are pregnant at work or returning to work?

– Posted by Virginia de Leon

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