10 Tips For Working While Pregnant

To create and nurture a life within you is no less than a miracle. Motherhood is one of the best things that can happen to a woman. It is one of the most important turning points in your life, and it also changes your life forever. With motherhood, comes the responsibility of taking care of a new life that is a part of you. For most working woman, it may pose a challenge to balance work and health during pregnancy. Many a times, women are apprehensive about working during their pregnancy and end up quitting their jobs altogether. But honestly, you don't have to give up your work if you don't want to. Balancing work and pregnancy can be a little difficult, but definitely not impossible. To make the journey easy for you, here are some very useful tips that you can follow so that you can work throughout during pregnancy.

1. Listen To Your Body

This is the most important rule during pregnancy. When you conceive, your body goes through major changes, physically as well as psychologically. You have to listen to the cues your body gives. If it demands extra rest, give it some rest. If it craves for more food, just eat. If it craves some activity, do it. If it needs sleep, doze off. Listening to your bodily needs during pregnancy will help you cope better with work. Don't ignore your body's demands during this period.

2. Take It Easy

It is natural for you to get stressed about work. If you have been a working woman for quite some time now, stress is probably a part of your lifestyle. But now you need to remember that there is much more in store for you than office stress. You don't want your baby to be stressed because of some colleague or boss in your office. Take a chill pill and relax and try to keep the stress at bay.

3. Always Keep An Emergency Contact Handy

You have to be ever cautious during your pregnancy. It's not just you anymore. Since you will be traveling to work and remain outside the house for long hours, you should ensure that you have contact number of your family and friends in case of any emergency. Make sure you carry the number in your bag, paste it at your work desk, and share it with some of your colleagues and office authority.

4. Carry Homemade Food To Work

With your pregnancy in progress, you need to bid farewell to the food at the office cafeteria and start bringing in your own lunchbox to work. This is a time when you need to be careful about what goes inside your system for the sake of the life inside you. Unhygienic food may not affect you the way it will affect your baby. Carry healthy home-cooked food and pile up on nutrition!

5. Use A Foot Rest

Often there is swelling in the legs of pregnant women if their feet are down for a long time. So when you are seated in your office, keep a foot rest to support your legs in a horizontal position. This will prevent the swelling and you will not feel uncomfortable.

6. Move Around At Regular Intervals

With the baby bump growing, you will feel the pull of gravity more than ever. Sitting in one place for more than an hour may cause discomfort in your back muscles. Walk around every now and then. Fill your water bottle, go to the restroom, chat up with a friend or stroll a little while talking over the phone. This will keep the muscles active and healthy, and reduce the chances of severe backache.

7. Keep Your Body Hydrated

Being at work means no one will be on a constant vigil to ensure that you have had enough water or fluids. You have to remind yourself to remain hydrated. With so many changes in your body, water will be your constant friend keeping you and your baby hydrated. So, go ahead, fill your bottle and empty it at least thrice during your work hours.

8. Avoid Fizzy & Unhealthy Beverages

Look away from the coke bottle in the cafeteria fridge. Aerated and carbonated drinks are not things you want to give your baby. Instead drink fresh fruit juice to quench your thirst for something sweet.

9. Say No To Smoke Breaks

By now, you know that smoking is injurious not just to your health but also to your baby's well-being. And by smoking, I mean passive smoking too. So avoid going for breaks with colleagues when they plan to smoke. Stay away from the smoking zone in your office.

10. Climb Up The Stairs But Not Down

It is best to avoid stairs altogether during your pregnancy. However, if you feel active and up to it, then take the stairs to climb up, but slowly. And avoid taking the stairs down. Climbing down may increase the pressure on your belly and may cause unnecessary complications for your baby. While you are pregnant, enjoy the elevator ride.

Now that you know some of the most important things to take care of while working during pregnancy, don't think of quitting work or going on your maternity leave right away. Work till you can, and then set your priorities straight. Wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy!

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Contributed By: Kriti Mazumdar