What if you need to change jobs?

Convinced her stressful work environment was not conducive to conceiving, public relations executive Kena Hudson quit, took a month off, then learned that she was pregnant the same day she started a new job. “Even though I wasn’t feeling well, I knew I had to suck it up on my first project,” she says. “I proved to them why they hired me, and then I told them I was pregnant.”

Chances are, if you’re miserable at work now, you’re really going to hate it when you have to part from your precious baby to clock in. When job hunting, don’t advertise your impending motherhood, advises New York women’s rights attorney Jack Tuckner. “They can’t ask about it and they can’t refuse to hire you because of it,” he says. “So put your best foot forward and tell them when you’re ready.”
 
Just be aware that while maternity care cannot be treated as a “pre-existing condition” by your new company’s health insurance, your position won’t be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act. And, of course, you risk upsetting your new boss, who may feel deceived. But who knows? It may go over better than you think. Such was the case for Hudson, who received a promotion three weeks before her due date. “It was a little awkward when I first told people,” she says. “But I have no regrets.”

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The Working Woman's Guide to Pregnancy

Our detailed guide covers breaking the news at work, navigating maternity leave, and more.



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You’re not quite ready to divulge your happy news, but explaining away your exhaustion and frequent bathroom trips is getting tricky. Or you’re uncertain what sort of maternity leave you’re entitled to and, more importantly, how much of it is paid. These are just a few of the common scenarios you’ll need to tackle as you navigate the next nine months on the job. Our detailed guide will see you through. 

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. But sometimes co-workers catch on first. On top of coping with fatigue, nausea and headaches, Stacie Haaga, R.D., a dietitian with the U.S. Apple Association, had to feign concern for a co-worker who thought he’d caught her “illness.” “Finally, I looked him in the eyes and said, ‘You don’t have what I have, trust me,’ ” Haaga recalls. 
 
While the majority of women wait until the end of the first trimester to break the news at work, others choose to delay the announcement as long as possible. Dallas bank executive Catherine Lynch divulged her first pregnancy at nine weeks but waited twice as long the second time around. “People treat you differently as soon as they know,” she says. “I was passed over for additional responsibilities the first time because of my pregnancy and didn’t want that to happen again.”
 
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. And don’t be offended if your boss doesn’t offer congratulations immediately. “He’ll take the news in the context of his own needs and issues,” says OB-GYN Marjorie Greenfield, M.D., associate professor at Case School of Medicine in Ohio and author of 2008’s The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book. That doesn’t mean you have to apologize—having children is your right, whether or not you’re working.
 
Coping with symptoms on the sly
“Many women are surprised by how crappy they feel,” says Greenfield. Follow these tips gathered from pregnant workers to help deal with common discomforts on the job.
 
For nausea:
·         Sit next to a door during meetings so you can escape to the bathroom more easily. Always have a change of clothing, paper towels and mouthwash with you.
·         Limit the amount of time you spend in the lunchroom—the smell of brewing coffee or a nuking burrito could make you feel even more nauseous.
·         Drink ginger ale or ginger tea in addition to water.
 
For fatigue:
·         Use part of your lunch hour to 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.
 
For lack of focus (“pregnancy brain”)
Take copious notes and use “cheat sheets.”
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. Use your e-mail’s calendar program to keep track of appointments and meetings.
 

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Feb/March 2009
Contributing editor Kim Schworm Acosta lives in Overland Park, Kan., with her husband and two children. She took advantage of California’s paid parental leave policy after the birth of her first child.

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