Surviving Pregnancy at Work

November 25th, 3:03pm October 2nd, 1:37pm

Seana

Pregnancy

You’re not quite ready to share your amazing news with everyone, but coming up with excuses for your tiredness and frequent bathroom trips is getting more and more difficult. Surviving pregnancy at work is a challenge but hopefully the below tips will help make it a little easier.

Breaking the news

One of the first challenges that comes up at work is deciding who to tell you’re pregnant and when. Notifying your boss first is best; she shouldn’t find out through the grapevine.
When you’ve decided the time is right, meet with your supervisor. Have a general idea of how long you’d like to take off for maternity leave, but don’t bring it up unless you want to—there’ll be time later to discuss specifics.

Coping with symptoms on the sly

Some tips to help deal with common pregnancy discomforts on the job:

Nausea:

• Sit next to a door during meetings so your escape to the bathroom is easier
• Always have a change of clothes and mouthwash with you.
• Don’t spend too much time in the canteen as the smell of brewing coffee or other people’s lunch could make you feel even more nauseous.

Tiredness:

• Use part of your lunch hour to take a nap in your car or office.
• Take a walk, even if it’s just around the office.
• Stand up and stretch every couple of hours to relieve aches, pains and stiffness. Or sit down and relax if you work on your feet.

Pregnancy Brain (Lack of focus)

•  Take lots of notes and have some cheat sheets on hand
• Do your most challenging tasks first thing when you get to work or when you’re feeling your best.
• Say no to requests to take on extra duties until you see how you are handling the basics.

Staying safe while

Your employer is required by law to provide a safe workplace, this means that in some cases, accommodations will have to be made due to your pregnancy. Don’t do anything that you feel you shouldn’t do and if in doubt, always air on the side of caution. Someone will help you!

Parental Perks

Lots of companies have parental perks, such as flexible start and end times, working from home and shorter work weeks for employees who are parents to young children. But sometimes parental perks can kick in during your pregnancy too. Make sure you ask your employer what parental perks the business offers and make sure you take full advantage of them. They are there for a reason!

Survival Quick Tips:

• Accept help. If your colleagues want to pamper you a little and you don’t mind, then let them.
• Reduce stress. If you can’t eliminate all the stresses of your job, try to find ways to manage them. Deep-breathing exercises, yoga, stretching, or simply taking a short walk can all help.
• Eat healthily. Take healthy snacks to work and try to resist too many cups of coffee and biscuits.
• Drink plenty of water. Keep a tall glass or bottle of water on your desk and refill it as soon as it’s empty.
• Put your feet up. Keep a box or stool under your desk. Or sit every chance you can get if you are on your feet.
• Dress comfortably. Aim for roomy clothes in natural, breathable fabrics.
• Stock up on the antacids- heartburn can be a nightmare in the later stages of pregnancy.