Pregnancy is not your run-of-the-mill affair. It is difficult, and it has the potential to be an excruciatingly painful, but rewarding journey. On this roller coaster ride, sometimes you will feel blessed while, at times, you may be annoyed by everyone and everything around you. And if you are a working mom-to-be, your troubles have only doubled. However, at the end of this tumultuous journey, you will be welcoming a new person into your life. You will vow to love and care for your child forever. Until that day, hold on and find ways to balance work and pregnancy fatigue. Here are some tips to help you on your journey:
1. Plan Your Maternity Leave: You will eventually have to ask for maternity leave, so it is best to plan ahead. You have to decide the tenure of your leave before you drop in the application. The best thing to do is take a prolonged leave. If you are unable to do this, you can continue to enjoy your leave and allow your body to heal during that time. Also, before setting off on your leave, make sure you have all the data on your work computer saved and made easily accessible. You do not want your replacement to fumble and call you for every little thing in your absence.
2. Walk Enough, Rest Enough: While you are still at work, walking around might seem painful. Professions like that of waitressing and nursing have it extremely tough given the hours of work they have to put in on their feet. However, not all is bad with all the walking you have to do. Standing and walking around while you are pregnant help you control your pregnancy weight gain. Nevertheless, it is important that you get enough rest lest your abdomen and back begin to ache terribly. Kick your feet up on an elevated surface whenever you can. It will enhance blood circulation and relieve your fatigued muscles.
3. Fight Fatigue With Healthy Juices: It is only a matter of time before fatigue sets in. You will notice that rolling out of bed becomes difficult, and so does keeping your eyes open post lunch. If you can, take a nap at work. But make sure it is not a prolonged one. Also, drink more water than you normally do. If you don’t like the bland taste of water, then switch to fresh fruit juices like pomegranate, oranges, and watermelons. These fruits will replenish your body fluids and provide sugars for quick energy production.
4. Manage Morning Sickness: Morning sickness is probably the most difficult and the most irritating pregnancy symptom. Make sure you always carry a set of clean clothes along with sufficient amount of paper towels and don’t forget the mouth freshener. Also, if you have to attend board meetings, sit closer to the exit so that you can excuse yourself quickly. Pregnancy also means increased bathroom breaks, so if your desk is too far from the washroom, you might want to reconsider it.
5. Break The News: You need to figure out how best to approach your supervisor with the news of your pregnancy. You have to understand that he or she will be taking the news rather objectively and assess it in terms of having to find your replacement during your maternity leave. At some point, you might feel like no one understands what you are going through. Stop and calm down, collect yourself. Your body is undergoing various changes and your family will support you and help you through every difficult time. So take a deep breath and enjoy the experience, because nine months later, all of this pain will be a distant memory and you will have a new bundle of joy in your arms.
What about you? Do you have any tips for being a pregnant working woman? Post in the comments and let us know.
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