Tips for Working While Pregnant

With more than 80 percent of pregnant workers staying on the job at least through the eighth month, employers are becoming more aware (and more accommodating) of the needs of moms-to-be. Here are our top tips for making your workday easier and more productive while pregnant.

Let your boss know

As soon as you’re comfortable letting anyone at work know about your pregnancy, make sure you tell your supervisor first. By law, they can’t discriminate against you, so don’t worry about that. You just need to be sure that the boss finds out from you, rather than from someone else. Also, the two of you can talk about things like time off for medical appointments, how to handle rest breaks, and any accommodations you might need for safety reasons.

Speaking of rest...

You may have moments when you simply can’t stay awake. Determine where you can go to get 20 minutes or so of uninterrupted rest time—whether that means closing your office door, heading to the car or taking an early lunch break and going home for a bit.

Dealing with morning sickness

If you’re prone to nausea, make sure you carry plenty of healthy snacks to keep your blood sugar steady and curb the queasiness. You might also want to keep a toothbrush and toothpaste, gum or mouthwash in your purse to freshen up as needed.

Schedule, schedule, schedule

As “mommy brain” sets in, you may find yourself more forgetful and less able to concentrate. Make sure you schedule important meetings for your most productive (alert) times of day, and keep detailed to-do lists so you don’t forget anything. Also try to schedule your medical appointments for either the very beginning or the very end of the day so they’re less disruptive.

Ask for help

There will be times when you just can’t get something done, so you’ll have to be willing to ask for help—whether that means extra time or a few extra hands. Your supervisor and coworkers would almost certainly rather you let them know when you need help, instead of allowing important things to fall by the wayside.