Working while pregnant

reshsabu · Dec 5, 2008

Dear ILs,

I am a first time mom-to-be and am currently 9 weeks pregnant.
I resigned my job in India and am here in US with my hubby since past 7 months. We are really excited about the baby.

Here is my question and I would like the opinion of ILs especially those in US in this regard.

Our Green card is in the first stage (Labour certification) since July 2008. I was hoping that I may get my EAD by around Jan 2010 and so, I will take a break from work till then and concentrate on the baby.

But unfortunately, we got to hear from our attorney this week that due to the market conditions and some other reasons the labour certification (which usually takes 2weeks to 3 months ) may take around 18 months.
So, at this pace of green card processing i may have to wait 3-4 yrs before I get my EAD.

Good news is that I got my H1 approved for this year and am planning to start working from Jan 2009 ( by then my first trimister will be over). But the problem is that with the market down, I have been finding it tough to find any job openings in my state.Also, right now I will be able to work only as corp to corp . I am not sure how the H1 transfer process works.

I am hoping that I will find something in MI, IL etc which are like 4-5 hrs drive from my place. My husband will be able to work from home on Fridays and be with me on weekends.

Since I am a first time mom, I dont know what to expect - will i be able to manage myself from month 4 thru month 8?
So far, I dont feel any major discomforts except for fatigue.
I have read that towards the last month, I may experience fatigue and other discomforts.
I am wondering if I can manage myself or if should just forget the idea of working altogether till the baby is about 6 months old.

Please let me know what you think. Your genuine suggestions are really appreciated.

Thanks,
Resh

Manaswini08 · Dec 5, 2008

Resh,
Working while pregnant is not a big thing for most women. I worked for my full 9 months with both children. But you mentioned something about driving 4-5 hrs to get to work. That seems like a long drive even when not pregnant. I would suggest find employment closer to home. All the best for a happy, healthy baby and safe delivery.

Ria2006 · Dec 12, 2008

reshsabu

Congratulations for your pregnancy.
Well its indeed good news that you have your H1 in place. However I am nto convinced about 4-5 hrs drive. Thats just way too stretch for even a non pregnant woman. As long as your commute time is somewhere between 1-1.5 hrs one way, you should be fine woking. Else it may take a toll on your health eventually.

I am in eight month myself and I am still working full time. I dont feel any fatigue or anything at all. For me , commute time is just 10 minutes. Still I am thinking of taking off now. Just for enjoying the last phase of pregnancy before it all pass through. So my advice would be , weigh your pros and cons. In a working life span of 20-30 years, 2-3 years break is all too justified for precious possessions like babies.

Ria

reshsabu · Dec 12, 2008

I totally agree with Ria's point that a 2-3 yr break is not too much to sacrifice for having a baby. Infact me and my hubby are very excited about the baby... I am just feeling a little insecure that in current market condition,a long break may make it hard to get a job later.

Anyways..Thanks a lot Manaswini and Ria for your replies.

Pavarun · Dec 12, 2008

Reshsabu,

Working while pregnant in itself is not a big deal, if you are in fairly good health and have no complications. For my first one I worked until the day before delivery at 37 weeks, and now am in my 32nd with #2. So far so good.

I agree with the others that a 4-5 hours commute is not very practical. Were you thinking on living by yourself close to your job and have your DH come home on weekends? That may be a little tough, but can be done if you are in good health.

Towards the end (3rd trimester you do feel a little tired) but otherwise you should be fine.

I would suggest to try for a job closer to home, see how it goes. You can always quit if you feel unable to manage or after the baby comes. Until then, give it a try. Make sure you keep a lot of nutritious snacks at work so you eat right.

Good Luck!