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Do's and Dont's For Working While Pregnant

Being pregnant and working can leave most pregnant women with some interesting challenges. How do you manage to remain healthy, stress free, control morning sickness and still ensure that your work does not suffer?

It's a good idea to get a handle on how you can manage all of these issues and perhaps more importantly to recognize when the everyday duties of your work may affect you and your baby.

Dealing with morning sickness

Anyone who suffers from morning sickness knows that it can hit you at anytime – it doesn’t know the difference between morning and afternoon. This particular pregnancy symptom can leave you feeling terrible at the best of times, so how do you control it and prevent it from affecting your everyday work?

Avoid triggers. If the smell of coffee makes you sick, then try and stay out of the kitchen or away from the coffee shop. Avoid foods that may make you feel queasy – there is nothing worse than having to work if you are feeling like you are going to vomit every 5 seconds
Snack often. Eat smaller meals or snack more often, especially dry crackers, hard candy, lemon drops
Drink plenty of fluids. Keep your intake of liquid up will help keep the nausea at bay. Try ginger team ginger ale as these often help relieve that nasty feeling
Take it slow in the morning. Allow yourself extra time to get ready for work. Rushing around can contribute to nausea
Get enough sleep. The more tired you are, the more nauseated you may feel. Make sure you get to bed early and that you have a solid night sleep.

Dealing With fatigue

Fatigue and pregnancy go hand in hand – and I am pretty sure that you will find it difficult to sneak in a quick cat nap when you are working. So dealing with this symptom may be easier if:

Take short, frequent breaks. Keep yourself awake by taking little breaks from your work at regular intervals – and use that time to walk around, take your eyes of your screen and do something a little different from your actual work
Reschedule. You may feel more tired in the morning or in the afternoon, but if there are regular periods where you feel tired and energy sapped, then use that time to do work which is less demanding or energy draining
Cut out outdoor activities. Scaling back can help you get more rest when your workday is over. You might even do your shopping online or hire someone to clean the house or take care of the yard
Keep up your exercise routine. Although exercise may be the last thing on your mind at the end of a long day, it may help boost your energy level — especially if you sit at a desk all day. Take a walk after work or join a prenatal fitness class, as long as your health care provider says it's OK.

Keeping Comfortable

There is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable at work, so take these in mind when you are at work:

Sitting. Adjustable armrests, a firm seat and back cushions, and good lower back support can make long hours of sitting much easier. You will really need to take all these into account especially in the third trimester as you are getting bigger and finding it difficult to move around or remain comfortable
Standing. If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time – which can often lead to blood to pooling in your legs, dizziness and back pain – try and put one foot up on a footrest, and alternate as time goes by. Take frequent breaks if you can and give your feet a rest. Make sure your shoes are comfortable and offer support.

Keeping Stress Under Control

Stress is difficult to control for most people so make sure you reduce the work related stress while pregnant by doing the following:

Make A List. Do lists are great to help you prioritize your tasks. It will also make it easier for you to delegate – if that option is open to you – or remove from the list if need be
Talk it out. Get rid of any frustrations with a supportive co-worker, friend or partner
Relax and have fun. Try and relax whenever you can and try and have fun at work to help get rid of any work related stress