Working during pregnancy can be tiring in more ways than one. From getting yourself to work, to finding an appropriate and comfortable outfit, managing aches and pain, scheduling in prenatal appointments … let alone doing your actual job! While your maternity leave is on the horizon, the office life until then may need a little tweaking.
Ensuring you have an open and honest line of communication at all times with your boss and other colleagues is a great place to start. Employers will want their staff to feel comfortable and adequately supported, however as this tends to look different for everyone, the only person who can steer this ship is you.
For example if you’d like to come into work an hour earlier and therefore leave an hour earlier to miss an uncomfortable ride home during peak hour traffic, speak up. If you’d rather sit on a fit ball or you require a chair with greater ergonomic support, ask and (hopefully) you shall receive. If you feel uneasy talking about your pregnancy at work due to pre-existing anxiety or other reasons, be sure to vocalise this and set necessary boundaries as soon as possible.
Other things to think about:
- Check your contract so you’re aware of your Leave entitlements.
- If you are unsure of terminology or the interpretation of the above, seek a second pair of eyes so that all parties are on the same page and there are no unwelcome surprises.
- Set your last day and work backwards from there to create a handover document (if required).
- Familiarise yourself with Government support initiatives (such as Paid Parental Leave paid via Centrelink) and work out if and what you’re eligible for. If you are eligible, reading into the requirements ahead of time will allow you to feel calm and organised as you approach your due date.
