Handle It Like A Boss!

Find out how to stay safe and healthy at work during pregnancy, and when you need to take extra precautions.

-  Aarti Pathak

When planning to work through your pregnancy, start with informing your superiors about the pregnancy. Let them know how long you’ll be working before you go on maternity leave and how long a break you tentatively plan to take. This will give them time to train your colleagues in the tasks handled by you and make the transition smooth. Inform them before you tell your colleagues so that they know you have been forthright and honest with them and also so that they don’t hear it first through the office grapevine either. If you know your work is stressful and demands irregular hours, now is the time to ask for a transfer to a position which has better hours and lesser stress.

If the pregnancy is normal and there are no obstetric complications then office going women can continue to work right till delivery. But one needs to follow the doctor’s orders properly and maintain good health by focussing on a well-balanced diet, staying hydrated, regular exercise and taking the prenatal vitamins prescribed by the doctors.

Though no two pregnancies are alike, not even two pregnancies of the same mother, knowing broadly what one can expect each trimester, can help mums to be prepared for the months to follow.

THE FIRST TRIMESTER

Here you can expect morning sickness, fatigue, heightened sensitivity to smells, frequent urination, cravings and aversions, mood swings, tenderness in breasts, constipation, acidity and so on. Alternately, there are mums who breeze through the first-trimester symptom-free, with a lovely glow already in place. Regardless of the symptoms, the first trimester is the time when risks of miscarriages are maximum so make sure to discuss the nature of your job with your doctor and understand your pregnancy and required precautions properly. Take adequate rest and don’t ignore any signs that your body may be giving you.

THE SECOND TRIMESTER