Workplace Troubleshooting Tips for Moms-to-Be: First Trimester

By Marjorie Greenfield, MD

Early pregnancy is a time of transformation—an exciting roller-coaster ride that for many women includes some stomach-flipping surprises. A demanding job can amplify the challenges, but knowing what’s ahead can really help.

Here are some early-pregnancy troubleshooting tips:

How to handle early-pregnancy fatigue at work:

* Accept less of yourself off the job—you may not be able to get anything done in the evenings for a few weeks. Eat take-in, for example, instead of cooking, or take a cab instead of public transportation.
* Rebalance your load. Try to figure out what time of day is best for you and shift your work hours, or schedule your hardest tasks for your high-energy times.
* Replenish with a brisk walk (wakes you up when you feel sleepy) or a light snack. Take a catnap during lunch hour.

How to handle early-pregnancy nausea at work:

* Avoid triggers—such as smells—that will set you off.
* If your prenatal vitamin makes you sick, take your vitamin during the time of day that you feel best, or talk to your practitioner about just using folic acid or children’s chewable vitamins until you feel better.
* Keep bland dry foods, such as crackers, in your desk and eat them multiple times a day. Drink liquids separately from when you try to eat. Never get too full or too hungry.

How to stay physically healthy at work.

* Establish healthy eating patterns at work. Eat when you’re hungry, but make them small portions, and have healthy fruits and vegetables on hand for snacks.
* Try to get exercise during the day—either by walking on your lunch hour, or by walking up or down the stairs at work.
* Avoid heavy lifting, extreme heat or cold, long hours, swing shifts, excessive standing, and exposure to toxins.
* Keep a bottle of water—half frozen, if you like it cold—on hand and sip frequently.

How to hide your pregnancy until you’re ready to reveal it:

* Combine trips to the bathroom with other reasons for getting up, such as making copies or posting mail.
* Plan a vacation in your eighth or ninth week, when nausea is often at its peak.
* Sit next to the door at meetings so you can escape more easily if you need to.
* Keep mouthwash and a change of clothing in your desk.
* To avoid buying new pants in the beginning, use a rubber band doubled up through the buttonhole to extend the reach of the top button on your pants, and wear a top that covers your waistline.

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Marjorie Greenfield MD is 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).

Tags: working and breastfeeding