coping with a career and a baby

[user1455661447]

I'm just in the process of finalising the details of a promotion at work. What they are unaware of is the fact I'm 6 weeks pregnant, I feel really nervous about telling them. I love my job and have done really well since I joined a year ago. But I'm worried they will resent my promotion and I will be sidelined once I return from maternity leave. I've already decided I daren't take more than 6 months off, which makes me feel a bit sad that I will miss out on my baby growing up. But I also don't want my career to end just because I've become a mother. Does anyone else feel like this?

Hi

Yes, I do. I work in a high pressured job and my boss has already strongly hinted twice that 9-10 months mat leave is the most I should be taking. I don't know how I'm going to my role either with minimal sleep / reduced hours when I go back. Good times!

You aren't alone.

X

Struggling with this myself at the moment. Am back to work in a high pressure job for 8 months now following maternity leave. It's getting harder rather than easier and somethings gotta give. Watching with interest for other people's experience.

Hi

I am stressing about telling work too. Will only be having two to three months off and absolutely no idea how I'm going to deal with the lack of sleep !

First things first, telling my boss without him having a heart attack.

I was in a similar position to you OP-had to present to the board for a promotion while 10 weeks pregnant. I was terrified that they'd think I'd been disingenuous when I told them, but I really wasn't made to feel that way at all.

I was nervous about coming back into the new role (it only became official 3 months before I left for mat leave) but it really was ok-I've been surprised how readily I've been able to juggle both. A couple of caveats that may have made it easier are the fact that I've been with my firm a long time and I work in a female dominated industry, so pregnancy is something my employers are always prepared for.

I really hope they react positively, and please don't restrict your mat leave (certainly don't commit to doing so) as you could really regret it (or not-some if my friends couldn't wait to get back to work-the point is you never know how you're going to feel )

Good luck!

I did an interview when 6 weeks pregnant, got the promotion (same company). Again, felt like they'd be annoyed when they found out, but they weren't, or if they were no one said anything or made me feel they were. I'm now 3 months in to my mat leave and want to take the whole 12 months off (originally only planned 9 months). I think it'll be hard but other women do it, so I will.

Interesting thread. I'm almost 5 months and told my work a couple of weeks ago. They have been very nice about it naturally but are keen to know if (and when!) I'm coming back. I work in a male dominated company who aren't very good at managing maternity! Most women who return leave as they aren't able to juggle both.

I'm the most senior female in my company of 50 so should be interesting to see how they manage my situation. Although interestingly they are already omitting me from strategic meetings!!!

I went back after 9 months. I worked throughout my mat leave but did a lot more beyond my KiT days and wasn't paid for it. At 9 months the DTs were nowhere near sleeping through the night and one day I crumpled and burst into tears in a meeting with one of the board members. Over the next 9 months I was managed out of the management team, all senior meetings, board meetings and effectively demoted. It was fucking awful. I took legal advice but all a company has to do is argue it's in the business need and they're covered. I left. Took a higher level position in a bigger company and love my job and the company. It was shit, but it got me something better and now I'm glad it happened.

I also have a fairly high pressure job and although I will have lots of childcare support I would like to think that I could maybe go down to 4 days a week to actually spend time with the baby. However, when talking about a more junior member of the team returning from maternity, my female boss said that my team can't cope with someone who needs to go off and pick the kids up (we can!) She is completely against job share and has not been not willing to consider slightly reduced hours for my colleague. She doesn't know I'm pregnant so it's going to be interesting...