Pregnancy Planning For Working Mothers – Handling Work And Pregnancy
November 4th, 2009 | 
Author: 
Saurabh K Jain asked:
Pregnancy planning helps in planning for working mothers. Many households are running because both the husband and wife are working. In such households, pre pregnancy planning holds the greatest importance. Planning for working mothers means, getting ready to deal with issues like getting pregnant, maternity leave issue and the like. You have to plan every aspect of pregnancy very carefully.
Pregnancy is all about increase in expenditure, and having less of time for oneself. Most of the time after getting pregnant, you are caring about yourself and your baby. If it is your first pregnancy, you have to start from scratch and purchase everything – clothes, items of toiletry, decorating the room and creating space for the new entrant, adding furniture like small stools, tables, chairs, pram, crib, bathtubs and what not besides constantly stuffing yourself with expensive food rich in vitamins and minerals. All these things come at a cost. Moreover, working parents and mothers have to plan it all on their own.
Important Issues
There are so many other issues, which need attention as well. How long is the leave going to be, will it be paid, if yes, then how much? How will they attend to the needs of the baby like breast-feeding once they join work after maternity leave? It takes about 3 years before the child starts to eat on its own, working mothers cannot stay home for so long unless they compromise with living hand to mouth. Moreover, no employer will wait for so long for you to resume work. It is a very hard decision indeed. It has to be made by every working mother. Planning for working mothers becomes much easier if the partner is cooperative. If the husband decides to share the burden of household work and some of the work done outdoors then life becomes much more comfortable for the mother. She is in a much better position to tender care for the little one and at the same time takes care of her office work.
Then there is another very important issue, which needs attention when planning for working mothers. If the prospective mother is working in an environment or in a factory where some harmful substance is in use like radiation or teratogen, then it is very essential that the intending mother takes proper precautions, and undergoes proper tests to prove medical fitness before applying for maternity leave. Pregnant women must not be exposed to any agents causing disease, heavy metals, dry cleaning fluids anesthesia solvents and chemicals, all these substances cause complications in your pregnancy. According to the Family Medical Leave Act, all business houses that have more than 50 employees have to provide 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave to the employees. Many companies allow their women employees to club their casual leave, maternity leave and sick leave when they go into pregnancy. This helps the woman employees to get a longer period of leave.
It is always better to talk to other woman employees of your company and learn about the terms and conditions of the company on dealing with pregnant employees. In order to extend your stay in the company, do not tell your boss until after the first trimester. You can continue your business as usual until your pregnancy starts to show. Start with nutritious meals and a little bit of meditation as soon as you learn about your pregnancy. Stay clear from stress and avoid late night parties and meetings. Also, avoid smoking and intake of alcohol during this period. Do a little of pregnancy planning and plan how you break the news in office. After your disclosure you will have to decide whether to continue or stay back home.
Pregnancy planning helps in planning for working mothers. Many households are running because both the husband and wife are working. In such households, pre pregnancy planning holds the greatest importance. Planning for working mothers means, getting ready to deal with issues like getting pregnant, maternity leave issue and the like. You have to plan every aspect of pregnancy very carefully.
Pregnancy is all about increase in expenditure, and having less of time for oneself. Most of the time after getting pregnant, you are caring about yourself and your baby. If it is your first pregnancy, you have to start from scratch and purchase everything – clothes, items of toiletry, decorating the room and creating space for the new entrant, adding furniture like small stools, tables, chairs, pram, crib, bathtubs and what not besides constantly stuffing yourself with expensive food rich in vitamins and minerals. All these things come at a cost. Moreover, working parents and mothers have to plan it all on their own.
Important Issues
There are so many other issues, which need attention as well. How long is the leave going to be, will it be paid, if yes, then how much? How will they attend to the needs of the baby like breast-feeding once they join work after maternity leave? It takes about 3 years before the child starts to eat on its own, working mothers cannot stay home for so long unless they compromise with living hand to mouth. Moreover, no employer will wait for so long for you to resume work. It is a very hard decision indeed. It has to be made by every working mother. Planning for working mothers becomes much easier if the partner is cooperative. If the husband decides to share the burden of household work and some of the work done outdoors then life becomes much more comfortable for the mother. She is in a much better position to tender care for the little one and at the same time takes care of her office work.
Then there is another very important issue, which needs attention when planning for working mothers. If the prospective mother is working in an environment or in a factory where some harmful substance is in use like radiation or teratogen, then it is very essential that the intending mother takes proper precautions, and undergoes proper tests to prove medical fitness before applying for maternity leave. Pregnant women must not be exposed to any agents causing disease, heavy metals, dry cleaning fluids anesthesia solvents and chemicals, all these substances cause complications in your pregnancy. According to the Family Medical Leave Act, all business houses that have more than 50 employees have to provide 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave to the employees. Many companies allow their women employees to club their casual leave, maternity leave and sick leave when they go into pregnancy. This helps the woman employees to get a longer period of leave.
It is always better to talk to other woman employees of your company and learn about the terms and conditions of the company on dealing with pregnant employees. In order to extend your stay in the company, do not tell your boss until after the first trimester. You can continue your business as usual until your pregnancy starts to show. Start with nutritious meals and a little bit of meditation as soon as you learn about your pregnancy. Stay clear from stress and avoid late night parties and meetings. Also, avoid smoking and intake of alcohol during this period. Do a little of pregnancy planning and plan how you break the news in office. After your disclosure you will have to decide whether to continue or stay back home.
Posted in Pregnancy