Unemployed and Pregnant. Find a job or wait?

[marmilade92]

Hi there, I'm 28, 13+3 FTM, long-term relationship, and unemployed.

I found out I was pregnant (unplanned) not long after I finished my MSc. To be honest I hated the course but I have been applying to jobs in that area (software) and I keep getting rejected so my confidence is blown.

I have a BSc in microbiology and I really miss it and would like to get a job in research or in a lab but it wouldn't be viable right now because I'm pregnant and there would be hazardous chemicals (plus covid).

My partner has a stable well-paid job working from home at the moment. We live together in his house with a mortgage but I can't contribute to living costs because I have no job. This makes me feel crap because I feel like a scrounger and it's not fair on him. I was always wanting to find a job after my MSc but I've been struggling and now with a pregnancy I'm not sure what to do.

I've thought about some part-time work in the meantime but this would probably mean working in a shop and I'd be exposed to covid and I don't want that. He won't let me take any temporary odd job and wants me to have a proper career job which is understandable.

Should I bother looking for a job while pregnant or wait until the baby has been born? Plus I wouldn't be able to get maternity leave anyway if I got a job now.

Are there any pharama companies near you OP? It would be worth having a look if there is! If you worked in a micro lab, there would be less hazardous chemicals. And if you started there now anyway you would only be doing training and/or basic testing so no hazardous chemicals around for those. I work in a micro lab and whenever someone is pregnant they just tend to do more, paperwork, trending, scheduling etc.

It doesn't matter about mat leave, your not getting anything anyway but it would be nice to have a job lined up. And I wouldn't be to keen on letting you partner decide on whether you take a part time job...that's your decision!! Not his!!!

Apply for any pharma job. Good luck.

If you get a job you still get maternity leave without the pay.

@scubadub Yeah there's a few pharma companies near me. I've seen them advertise some lab jobs but they mostly require a chemistry degree and/or prior experience, but I'll keep an eye out or try sending my cv to one anyway.

@cabbageking I know, I wasn't clear there.

It helps to work towards paying into the system as much as you can so that you can get as much maternity allowance as you can - up to the 39 weeks paid. My first pregnancy I started a role at around your point and paid enough in to ensure I could at least get something from the government. The government pay you directly instead of statutory mat pay through your company.

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

Good luck in getting something OP x

He won't let you?

@Chimeraforce Thanks

@Glitterazzi Thanks! So even though I would have worked less than 41 weeks before due date I'd still get something from the government but not mat pay from the company?

@user1174147897 Well he would let me but he wouldn't be happy with me having a part-time/temporary job at the moment to build up money before the baby, because he reckons I'd end up staying there afterwards and not trying for a 'proper' long-term job. He says it's not worth it and to try for a full-time long-term job instead.

I started a new job at 12 weeks pregnant, didn’t tell them I was pregnant until the last minute but I did qualify for the full Maternity Allowance payment from the government so was worth doing.