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Six tips for staying on good terms with co-workers while pregnant
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Here are some tips that can help those who are expecting, those who work with those are expecting, managers, business owners, and any other person in the workforce who is or works with someone who is pregnant.
The tips are from Marjorie Greenfield MD, a practicing board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, and associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine MacDonald Women's Hospital. An esteemed expert in her field, Dr. Greenfield has earned more than a dozen top awards, including spots on several "Best Doctors in America" lists over the past decade, and is author of The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book (Yale University Press).
Here are her tips on how to stay on good terms with co-workers while pregnant:
Show them your job matters
Pregnant women are often seen as prioritizing their personal lives over their work. If you don't want this reputation, do your job well and with enthusiasm.
Act competent
"Pregnancy brain"—characterized by spaciness and confusion—is not borne out by the research, even though some women feel less sharp during pregnancy. Be careful about presenting yourself as ditzy due to pregnancy, because people tend to believe what you say about your-self—and that image isn't good for your professional standing.
Don't be a whiner
You chose to have this baby, so complaining about pregnancy symptoms or hardships may be detrimental to your professional image and reputation with coworkers. Remember that for some of your colleagues, parenthood may not be an option.
Go the extra mile
Being generous now can pay big dividends later, when you need it most. Stockpile brownie points by helping others, covering for coworkers, and going the extra mile for the organization.
Plan ahead
Prepare for your leave by talking about your workload and how it might be handled while you're away. Be professional in training your replacement; your re-entry will be easier if your substitute has done a good job and feels positively toward you.
Don't overextend
Try not to offer to work during your time at home. Most new mothers find it extraordinarily difficult, no matter how competent they are at work, to recover from childbirth, manage a new baby, and handle job responsibilities.
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