Working During Pregnancy
Contents:
Can i Work During Pregnancy
A baby’s health depends largely on how healthy the pregnancy was. Was the future mom stressed? Was she in a hazardous industry? Did she have to work night shifts? Naturally a stressful job with night shifts won’t do good for a future baby, but if a woman’s job is not tough and she loves it, there is no need to quit it.
A pregnant woman can work full time, but factors such as early rise, discomfort on travelling to work (even if in her own car), vehicle emissions, morning rush, and work stress can affect health of both the mother and baby.
Many women are concerned about their employer’s reaction and this fear of being fired makes them hide all weaknesses, prevents them from having additional breaks to have a snack and some fresh air. Starting with the very first days of pregnancy a woman should take it easy. She should work no more than 6 hours per day.
If a woman decides to keep working during her pregnancy, she should follow these simple rules:
- try to avoid stress and exhaustion;
- if you have to sit for long periods, take short, frequent breaks to get up and move around;
- it is very important to eat healthy foods – bring lunch from home or eat in the canteen;
- have snacks often – dried fruits, muesli, apples, crackers.
What Should be Avoided
Future moms should avoid working with chemicals, standing for long hours (hairdressers, waitresses), or working long hours in front of a computer. Though all modern computers are believed to be safe, it’s better to switch to a laptop or use an LCD monitor. Make sure that any computer with its back turned towards a pregnant woman stands within no more than a 2-metre proximity.
What is Not Recommended
The following types of work are prohibited during pregnancy: heavy manual and underground operations, carrying and moving heavy items. Pregnant women should not work night shifts, but it is allowed in some cases on temporary basis.
A pregnant woman can’t work overtime, on the weekends, and go on business trips.
Obligations of an Employer Towards a Pregnant
Even if a pregnant woman sticks to a healthy lifestyle and has a wonderful employer, she still needs to have a time off for prenatal care two months prior the delivery. The best option is to take regularly accrued days off too, because a woman is going to do the most important job in her life: deliver a healthy baby.
Women in our country have right for maternity leave, which consists of 70 days prior the delivery and 70 days after the delivery. This period is prolonged to 86 days in the case of a complicated delivery, and to 110 days if two or more babies were born. Maternity leave is calculated accumulatively and separately from any other vacations taken before the delivery.