Pregnant again and worried regarding work

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Hi there
This may be 'hormones' making me nervous but I am a bag off anxiety.

I've been back at work just under a year after being on mat leave. Anyway have just found out that I'm pregnant again. This is great but I'm sorry worried that work are going to write me off.

Since returning I've taken loads on to try and restablish myself and have made a good name. However I'm now worried that they are going to just unofficially pass me over for any opportunities for development as they think I'm off again too soon. If I include time until I'm off again it will have been about 1year and 4 months.

Anyone been in this position? How did work react? Am I over reacting, is this amount of time normal?

Any managers out there- how would you react to someone being on mat leave again?

I'm in this position, with the added difficulty of just having started in a new team. They've been nothing but supportive :).

The anticipation of telling them is much worse than doing it!

I think you have to accept that you might miss out on some opportunities for development.

Your work should not write you off (illegal) but it is not unfair that your ft working colleagues who did not have big time gaps in their employment would progress faster, unless you take a short maternity leave.

Blushoes, OP really should not expect to miss out on development opportunities before she goes on leave due to her maternity status. That would be discrimination. I'm assuming you're referring to missing opportunities when she's actually on leave? Your post is slightly ambiguous.

She shouldn't miss out but she also should not be surprised if she does. I have taken 2 maternity leaves of one year each. I don't expect during that time to be treated exactly the same as my colleagues who did not take time out. To be treated the same would in fact be unfair to those colleagues.

The law is one thing but at the same time, some common sense should prevail. To jump up and down shouting discrimination would be a disservice to other women and give employers a reason not to hire women of child bearing age.

Oh. I'm sorry that's been your experience. Mine couldn't be more different and although I'm not suggesting jumping straight to formal measures I think we should challenge this kind of discrimination.

I went on mat leave 23 Dec 2010, returned 16th April 2012 and went on mat leave 30th June to return 8th September next year!

I was 25 weeks pregnant when I told my manager I was pregnant the second time and she was fab, her boss was brill too (think it helped he had his first managerial break when his manager had 5 children in 7 years, his words "she was never there!")

There were some snidey comments behind my back of "it's not fair she can take so long again/get paid etc" by colleagues but tough sh*t that's life!!! They'll probably be more supportive than you think, oh and congratulations!

Termagent, I am not speaking from personal experience. That is my view.

Thanks so much for everyones posts.

I can understand the differing views. However I think that what I am most concerned about is discrimination.

Since returning I have been working 40-50 hour weeks, taking work home and was asked to do an additional job within 2 months of returning. I have done all of this without complaint and have received praise from management at a senior level.

I am and always have been one of the hardest workers in my department. I work longer hours than most and receive the lowest pay from my group of peers doing similar or like posts.

I have tried to raise this and when I do I stop being invited to meetings and receive little support on this. Although it is acknowledged I am doing a good job I am not receiving opportunities for development (just work to do for no extra pay with no formal recognition).

As I am going to tell them that I am going to be on Mat leave again I am worried that they will see this only and not the hard work I have been doing. My last mat leave I took 6 months plus accrued annual leave only.

So my concern is that past work is forgotten and I will be overlooked. As you can imagine, having worked so hard since being back I fee nervous that it may all have been worthless and this is what is worrying me.

Hope that makes things clearer!