Coping with Pregnancy at Work
Staying in touch during your maternity leave
Many women worry about whether going on maternity leave will impact their jobs. “A lot of women are so identified with their work that they think they’ll still want to be involved when they’re at home with their newborns,” says Dr. Greenfield. “And then they commit to a lot more contact with work than they ultimately want.”
She recommends keeping your expectations of how involved you will be as low as possible, just in case you suddenly realize you want to focus all your attention on your new baby. “Don’t make too many promises about calling in every day or answering emails–you just won’t know how things will be until after the baby arrives.”
However, you may still want to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry to make it easier when you do return to work after maternity leave. “If you don’t want to get too left out, get a coworker to copy you on important emails that you can check on your own time,” Dr. Greenfield says. She also recommends having one point person who manages all communication with you instead of having multiple people contacting you every day. Step up your involvement with work closer to your return date: it’s important to find out what’s been going on so you’re not overwhelmed your first days back, she says.
