Telling work about potentially difficult pregnancy?

[ChristinaYang10]

When I was pregnant with DD (who is now nearly 2), I had to be signed off work for two months from about 5 weeks pregnant. This was due to a combination of bad sickness, plus some other long term health conditions I have. I now work at a different company.
If you’ve had medical issues with a previous pregnancy, did you tell work earlier with the next pregnancy? I’m torn between mentioning it asap as a kind of “this may happen” or not mentioning it until it’s an issue? My other health issues have not gone away, and morning sickness will (from what I’ve read) presumably be similar to last time so I can only assume I’ll have the same problems. The only thing that might be better this time is we are still wfh 100%, whereas my previous company did not allow wfh and I think some of the time at the start and end of my absence could have been avoided had I been able to.

My manager is pretty family friendly, I have two colleagues who work part time and they’ve been able to totally flex their hours to what is convenient to them due to childcare during lockdowns etc. I’m full time so don’t have that option, but just using it as an example as I know my manager has been really helpful to them.

What’s the best way to approach it? I’d feel guilty knowing I might have to take approx two months off and not mentioning it as it would really inconvenience colleagues and a heads up to my manager might be useful, but then I don’t want to announce a pregnancy unnecessarily, plus DH mentioned that it might look a bit like I’m “getting my excuses in early”.

In my last pregnancy I spent every day of the last couple of months of my pregnancy in hospital being monitored. I just mentioned in my risk assessment that extra appointments might be needed and left it at that.

Personally I wouldn't and didn't. I had HG in my first pregnancy and took 12 weeks off work. I had to tell work at 7 weeks as I'd already self-certified for a week and had to get a sick note then. I was clear that I was not telling my colleagues with it being so early so the only people who knew were my manager, his manager and HR. I returned to work on 50 per cent hours at 18 weeks and 'announced' why I'd been off to my colleagues then. Was back full-time with flexitime at 20 weeks. I really struggled and went back before I was ready for financial reasons and I asked to WFH in the mornings and was not allowed to. Second pregnancy (same employer), I likewise had to go off sick at 6 weeks and I was up front from day 1 with my manager about why that was and the fact that I'm unlikely to return anytime soon.Only my manager and HR know. It's my same manager as last time so he remembers roughly how long I was off last time etc but my employer don't even get cover for maternity leave so it's not like they would be doing anything much different for me being off on sick leave for a few months. I'm 14.5 weeks now and signed off until the end of the month. I'm really hoping to start a phased return in May as now I am WFH I imagine this should be much easier to manage than when I struggled last time being office based - keeping sick bowls on my desk and rushing to the loo multiple timess a day puking in them en route in a huge open plan office was so vile and stressful.

I don't see the point in mentioning anything earlier because on the off chance you don't suffer this time it would be a waste. And you can't really anticipate how long/how severe your sickness will be this time anyway and I'm not sure what your work could do about it anyway?

Hi,
Personally, I wouldn't mention it until it becomes an issue and you need to take time off. If you were signed off from 5 weeks last time it wouldn't give them that much warning now anyway. Hope this pregnancy goes better for you this time round. How far along are you?