Being pregnant and doing your 9-to-5 can be a little tricky at times with the morning sickness, tiredness and other pregnancy-related discomforts. Find these tips here that can help make working while pregnancy a little easier.
Working during pregnancy is absolutely safe. Unless you hear from your doctor otherwise, a pregnant woman has no issue to continue doing her work the usual way. Although with the pregnancy condition, there are a few minor adjustments that needs to be taken care of. Find here all your rights that a pregnant woman would need to handle her pregnancy and work. Personally, I had worked till 38 weeks straight, and after that, I had continued working for 3 weeks from home as I had become too huge to carry myself :). I had found going to work daily as a great distraction from all the morning sickness and other pregnancy-related discomforts. Going to work daily, meeting colleagues and sharing the excitement of my growing pregnancy with everyone used to keep me pumped throughout the day and I would look forward to it.
In this post here, I am sharing a few very critical rights that a pregnant woman should be aware of how to handle her pregnancy and work effectively.
Related: Shop my pregnancy must-haves from Amazon that were very helpful during my pregnancy
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1. First know your rights
This is the most important thing to do as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. Knowing your rights will help you make the right decision during pregnancy. Under the State laws, a pregnant woman is not denied of her regal rights like her pay, sick leaves etc. She is considered as any other employee at work. Related: 25 Pregnancy hacks every mom should know
2. Take safety precautions
Although a pregnant woman is not denied of anything during her pregnancy, it is important to gauge for yourself whether your working lifestyle does not affect your pregnancy. Avoid lifting heavy objects or working in a high noise environment. When I was working, I worked as a Mechanical engineer and my work involved a lot of mechanical testing in the lab. So, I had to have a discussion with my boss on changing my work duties for a safer pregnancy and delegating a few of my work duties to my colleagues. Related: Tips to stay motivated during pregnancy
3. Apply for prenatal leaves
Applying for your leaves is something that you need to speak with your employer and get that filed before the baby arrives. Ideally, the best time to file for your leaves is towards the end of your second trimester. Filing for leaves usually require a little bit of paperwork and it can take up to two weeks for the leaves to be approved. So, it is best to get that out of the picture when you are still at work and feeling energetic. Related: Tips for back to work after maternity leave
4. You can take part of your prenatal leave before the baby
As a pregnant woman, you are eligible to take a part of your prenatal leave before the baby arrives. Usually, towards the end of the third trimester, it can become very tiring and difficult to get to work, so if it’s possible taking a few weeks to rest at home before the baby arrives is a great idea. It is best to talk this out with your boss.
5. Handling wok while pregnant
Keeping stress free during work is the most important thing you should focus on to enjoy a healthy pregnancy. There are a few things that you can do to make sure that you are enjoying your work during pregnancy
- Speak with your boss about delegating your workload if you have a lot on your plate to do
- Discuss a flexible schedule with your boss where you can work from home a couple of days every week
- Plan your meals ahead of time
- Book your doctor’s appointment ahead of time and block time off in your calendar
- Get your worktable and chair ergonomically fitted for your pregnancy
- Elevate your feet while sitting on your chair to allow the blood to circulate
Related: 12 Best pregnancy must-have to buy when you are pregnant
6. You are entitled to the same rights even if you are a single mom to be
Yes, the rights remain the same whether you are a married person or a single mom to be. You are entitled to the same number of sick leaves or maternity leaves as pregnant women. If anyone at work, tells you otherwise it is best to speak to your HR about matters like these. They will guide you the best.
7. Share your pregnancy news to your boss first
The pregnancy news to your boss should be shared first by you and no one else. It’s important to maintain an open discussion and good communication with your boss during your pregnancy so that you can speak to him freely about any concern that you might face at work. Related: 14 Helpful tips to survive the first trimester
8. Plan your meals ahead of time
It’s really important to stay as organized as possible during pregnancy. Meal planning can go a long way in helping you stay sane and you can always keep a check on what you are feeding yourself. During my pregnancy, I found being on empty stomach as a big trigger to my morning sickness. I would always keep a snack handy on my work table for times when I needed them.
9. Consider returning with a flexible schedule
Lastly, being a new mom can be emotionally as well as physically very straining. If it’s possible in your work style, then maybe discussing with your boss on a flexible schedule when you get back to work can be a great idea. It can go a long way in helping you maintain a good work-life balance. Related: 10 Tips to balance work and family
Being pregnant is a special feeling, so make sure to enjoy this journey and be as stress-free as possible for a healthy pregnancy.
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