Working when pregnant can be a tough juggle.
The bodily discomforts can get overwhelming and cause one to wonder how to walk that tight rope at work without disruptions.
Mamacouture is a maternity brand by me, a mom, who herself walked the balance in her pregnancy with a full-time career as a corporate lawyer. So I thought to put together what worked in my own personal pregnancy experience and share it with all our beautiful pregnancy & new mamas (breastfeeding or not) out there probably experiencing the same angst.
Here are a few things that worked for me in pregnancy or I felt I could have done to prepare myself better:
Talk to the boss: Let them be the first to know about your pregnancy before others! Always helps they hear it first-hand rather than through the corporate grape vine! And when doing so, also hash out the support you would like from them and the team, to help meet your deadlines and manage projects till you start your maternity leave and while on leave.
Stock up on Help: Garner all the help possible from all around you! Don’t be shy to ask for help ever!! Peers for support at work and spouse/ friends/ family for running personal errands. Trust me there is absolutely no upside to being Ms-do-it-all Super woman! It will only tire you and stress you, a condition you don’t want to be experiencing when enjoying the pregnancy journey.
Schedule meetings and deadlines wisely: Key in these pregnant times is to Plan-Plan-and More Plans!! Plan, schedule and calendar in all appointments that can be anticipated, both personal and professional. This makes it easier to space out commitments which come up at the last second and priortise what you need to be there for. Plan all prenatal visits/ checkups for weekends. No point rushing from office and meetings to make it in time for a doctor visit in crazy rush hour traffic. Don’t pile up meetings and deliverables back to back (so far as it is in your control ofcourse!!), reduce travel and try to do remote meetings over calls/video meeting as much as possible. Remember, Covid has taught everyone to be tech friendly and made work from home very acceptable. So use it to your advantage. :)
Good and Bad Days: Prepare for it, as it sure is the “real-deal” in pregnancy. Pull in all your support from team members both at work and home on those “bad days” in pregnancy & work extra hard to compensate for it on the “good” and smooth days when all is healthy & upbeat for preggy mama.
Good Diet: Snacking often, eating well (protein and iron rich foods) and staying well hydrated in pregnancy will help keep queasiness, nausea and fatigue at bay.
Breaks: Take short frequent breaks (avoid working/sitting long hours at a stretch) and squeeze in 15 minutes of brisk walks during lunch hour. This will go a long way in helping to alleviate the pregnancy fatigue and drowsiness and most importantly improves blood circulation. As a side bonus these 15 minutes add up to your daily pregnancy exercise time which is important for a healthy & fit pregnancy.
Watch your back: Get the correct chair and cushion to support your back in pregnancy, if you have a desk job. As the pregnancy bump grows, strain from the weight of the baby comes directly on the back. So it’s important to maintain a proper posture at all times and taking good care of the back. While doing so, do remember to put your feet up from time to time to avoid swollen tired feet (a common occurrence in pregnancy thanks to water retention).
Know what’s yours: Now is when you should take some time out and know all about the maternity leave policies & medical policies of your company and find out what you are entitled to. All planning regarding leaves in pregnancy, period for paid and unpaid maternity leave and date for resuming work post baby’s arrival will be a lot easier once all facts are in your pocket. Also planning well gives everyone to plan their calendars in your absence from work. Also this helps give peers and seniors at work a sense of commitment by you to your job as well as a comfort regarding your perspective to work!
Style up comfortably: Love the job or not, it is imperative to invest in comfortable & functionally apt maternity work clothes and footwear for pregnancy. Going to office daily 5-6 days a week for 9 months in pregnancy is a definite call for a wardrobe overhaul. Shop smart yet comfortable maternity office wear to last through the trimesters, for daily office wear, meetings and which also double up for semi-formal occasions. The last thing you need in pregnancy is to be wishing you’re in your breezy pregnancy pyjamas when struggling with work deadlines.
Gain experience: Speak to women (both at your work place & outside) who have recently resumed work after their maternity leaves, to get tips on how they balanced work during pregnancy. Also it may not hurt to get a little insight early on, on how they are managing work and deadlines with a little baby waiting at home for them. Will help prepare you for your post-delivery new motherhood days too.
Found this helpful? Have any tips to add on to the above, please do share and help our preggy & new mom community. :)
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