Related Pages

Gifts For Pregnant Women

Working Out While Pregnant

Triplet Pregnancy

Seven Weeks Pregnant

Headaches While Pregnant

Dehydration During Pregnancy

Jobs For Pregnant Women



Find Out About Jobs for Pregnant Women

Expecting a baby is undoubtedly an exciting journey, but many mothers-to-be have to worry whether there are any jobs for pregnant women because a child comes with a lot of financial responsibilities. Here is some advice on how to handle work and pregnancy without harming your baby.

If you are going to a job interview while you are pregnant, it is generally not a must to tell your future employer about it. If your job is not affected by your pregnancy and you are seriously planning to return to work shortly after giving birth, you can choose whether you want to tell or not. However, if you are applying for a position that requires physical activity or your primary task is to keep in shape (i.e. modelling, fitness advisor) then you must let your interviewer know. You have to tell them because it is fair, honest and you would be breaking the law if you know your pregnancy is going to affect your work. Thus, there is actually a large amount of jobs for pregnant women where you are not relying on your physical condition. Office work is a very popular option as it does not require any heavy physical work and you can easily handle a desk job during pregnancy.

Once your pregnancy has been announced, your employer cannot ask you to carry out any tasks that may be dangerous to you or your baby. This is why it is crucial not to sign up for any job that is unsuitable for pregnant women and it is your responsibility to read the contract and make sure that nothing in there puts you in a position where you refuse to do a task that is actually part of your job. Make sure none of the following tasks are part of your contract:

# heavy lifting
# work that may put you in physical danger
# work that requires you to go under water or in rooms with pressure
# work that requires you to work outdoors in heat, rain or snow
# tasks in which you are exposed to dangerous rays or noise
# tasks that involve work with chemicals, germs, bacteria or virus
# work that requires you to do shift work

If any of this is mentioned in your contract you must tell your employer that you are pregnant and it is up to them to make a decision.

The best jobs for pregnant women are those in which you are protected as mother-to-be. Most industrialised countries have laws that let pregnant women leave the job for 4-5 months (2 months before, 3 months after giving birth) while paying them their usual wage or parts of it. Similarly, an employer is not allowed to fire you because you are pregnant. Exceptions apply and the US for instance has no such law to protect you as a mother. If you cannot work, you may lose your job or not get paid until your return. Thus, it is hard to find perfect jobs for pregnant women where the employer is willing to support you and especially during financial hardship only few people are willing or able to help. It is worth your while to check your contract and see whether anything is mentioned about pregnancy, and if you meet a good employer he or she may be willing to support your absence even if just a little.

If you are serious about making money to support your child, you should think carefully: do you want to go back to work straight after giving birth or would you prefer spending time with your baby? Can you afford day care or will you have to be a stay-at-home-mom? Do you want to risk losing a good job because you didn’t inform the employer about your pregnancy in the interview? The “don’t ask don’t tell” approach may give you a little time, but sooner or later it will become obvious and you may lose a good job. If you are honest from the beginning and chose one of the suitable jobs for pregnant women, you may have the chance to have your baby and still go back to work.