To date I have been very relaxed and happy and everyone has noticed it but I am feeling down about the attitude of my line manager and director towards my pregnancy (BTW they are both women in their 40's/50's and have no children of their own.)
The director has not mentioned anything about my pregnancy yet, she treats it like a business problem. She only talks to me about work issues.
My line manager attitude is how much trouble my pregnancy will cause her and I have been told that she refused to put money into the collection for me at work, when the other nice ladies bought me some flowers to say congratulations.
The big problem is that I am scared of hospitals and am planning a home water birth which by definition will be drug free.
To aid my choice of birth the hospital midwife gave me a leaflet for a breathing, relaxation class (which has some yoga in it too) run locally and during the day for two hours once a week. The most important element of this class is that it will teach me how to use different breathing and relaxation techniques during labour. In my mind this is essential for a natural home birth.
Bearing in mind other pregnant employees in the company not only have time off (for similar non hospital appointments) and have it paid as well but as it is at your line managers discretion and because my boss thinks this is un-necessary she said I can't go !!!
I am asking for no favours, I only asked that I work my full work hours around the two hour class. Work will not lose out at all, I will do the same amount of work that I have always done.
Yesterday I was forced into a meeting by the Director and Line manager and the director of the HR department (who was a nice lady and seemed quite shocked at the rudeness of the other two women)
They spent two hours telling me that I 'have an attitude' and that I 'can't decide when I go off on maternity leave' !!!! So work intend on telling me when I can go off and have my baby !!!
I need to learn how to use breathing and relaxation techniques even the HR lady agreed that was necessary but the Director just lost it getting more and more illogically and nasty.
I held my own at the meeting as I was so angry and frustrated but the moment I got home and spoke to my mum on the phone I was weeping uncontrollable.
I am off to the doctors next week to see if they can help me. I can’t sleep for worrying about what they will say on Monday and my headaches are getting worse, I just want to go back to being happy and I don’t understand why these women are so unwilling to be nice.
Why are they being so nasty - I am contracted to work 37 hours between 8am and 7pm Monday to Friday (as longs as I work core hours, I can work the hours of my choice)
Why does it matter to them WHICH 37 hours I work, I work on my own and see the Director maybe one a fortnight and my line manager perhaps once a week - Why prevent me from getting the lessons I need !?!
And the punch line – I work for the ‘caring’ NHS (The UK’s National Health Care Government Funded Company) which are meant to be very understanding about pregnant ladies.
For a more full rant look at \link{http://www.babieseverywhere.com/serendipity/archives/81-Bastards.html#top\My Blog Entry}
What should I do now, I need this classes ?