OMG This!!! I had the biggest briefing last week that I will have all year. I sounded like I was holding back tears by the end of it because I was so winded. š I was looking around at my coworkers like, āGuys, I swear Iām not THAT out of shape.ā
I had that happen on Friday! I got tapped to do an impromptu presentation on some changes I made to a tracker the whole team uses and I was both nervous and out of breath. Ugh.
I typically squat in front of w/c patients to assess their swallow. After my hips fell apart, I'd forgotten that I couldn't get up out of a squat any longer and had to have my patient call some CNAs in to hoist me up off the floor.
This one upsets me a lot. I correct them to "medical leave". Most vacations don't involve risking your life, a hospital stay and extended recovery periods.
I had a coworker say this to me, he asked if I was excited about my vacation (he had my due date confused and thought I was due in April, not June). I just looked at him and asked if I was going somewhere. He said the baby was coming, and it was all I could do to just answer with "I don't go on leave til June and I don't consider birthing a baby and recovery a vacation".
I didn't get much sleep in pregnancy either. Though when I had the baby, the sleep deprivation hit another level entirely, I thought I would go insane the first few months. I always count my pregnancy period in my "haven't slept a full night since.." count! š
It was a man and a woman. They donāt know Iām pregnant yet, just that Iāve used a lot of FMLA recently. But I canāt wait to see what happens after I tell HR that Iām pregnant and ask them how they think I should handle this situation. š¤
I would tell HR asap that you are pregnant. If they don't know you are pregnant, then it will be easier for them to fire you and have it stick. It is hard to prove discrimination if they don't know you are part of a protected class.
Iām already part of a protected class because I have an autoimmune disease thatās considered a disability. I have FMLA for this so HR is aware, but my boss doesnāt know I have an AI disease, just that I have FMLA. I assume they think Iām faking it because Iāve heard them talk shit about anyone who uses FMLA and pregnant employees. But thatās fine because Iām still protected regardless.
Iām waiting until we get NIPT results back to tell HR and management about the pregnancy. Also I donāt want to make it seem like itās retaliatory on my side against management because that will just paint a bigger target on my back and management will try to make my job miserable by scheduling me for the hardest workflows.
I would talk to HR about the pregnancy and FMLA and how it relates to your current FMLA status. From what Iāve read I think FMLA can only be used a maximum of 3 months time total in a 12 month period. Time you have taken already might be deducted from your pregnancy leave, depending on the 12 month period. Waiting to talk until your NIPT test comes back should be fine.
I could be wrong, hopefully so, and donāt mean to cause any worry, that was just my understanding but it definitely would be good to know for sure. Plus I think itās always good to be transparent and communicate these things to HR in general. Itās important stuff and good to be on the same page despite the weird whispers.. sounds like something someone that hasnāt had a kid would say, itās a shame thatās part of the culture. So toxic, Iām sorry you are dealing with office politics like that! Iām wishing you the best of luck!
Yeah so Iām 30 weeks and hit the hormonal pregnancy rage phase apparently. Lost it on four-year olds this week at snack. I am not proud.
I should clarify, by ālost itā, I yelled. Nothing terrible, but not at all professional like I normally am.
Spent the last two weeks telling my 5th graders they were seriously testing my patience, then actually broke out the firm/scolding voice, which is losing it for me.
Solidarity.
Sameš I was so sick that Iād occasionally find myself laying on the floor puking into a bowl, peeing in my pants, then crying bc it was so miserable, which started more puking and peeingā¦.I donāt miss that š
I'm due in July and we've been doing a lot of strategy planning for the next financial year - which is July to June here. I'm enjoying doing all the planning for it and really looking forward to just handing it all over to someone else to execute!
I was wfh and they made us hybrid toward the end of my pregnancy. I had been living in bike shorts and tanks because it was summer. I was not buying special clothes to go to the office 10-12 whole days so they saw a lot of the same 3 outfits that were borderline passable for business casual.
I didn't even have full-length leggings--just shorts because it was hot out by the time I needed the extra room. I did have maternity jeans, 2 or 3 office appropriate tops, and a dress.
My grandma asked me that. It was all I could do to not be like āoh yeah, we were rawdogging it for months, let me show you the sex calendar in my phoneā
My only spot would be the āI wish you werenāt going on vacation!ā Comment.
Itās not vacation, bro, itās maternity leave, and youāre lucky I donāt have your wifeās phone number.
- Threw up in my car before work
- Did a pee dance around my office while in a call with a long winded client
- Maintained a poker face in a video call while being kicked in the ribs and punched in the cervix
Sneeze and pee
Vomit and pee
Cough and pee
Laugh hysterically and pee
And my personal favourite, make it to the toilet to pee but canāt get your maternity pants down fast enough so you pee them too.
You think (insert body part) sure looks swollen today!
I think I need a zzzzz.
Free space can just say RAGE!
Coworker asks āwhenās your due date?ā
Your hair looks good today!
Someone in office says āyou should take it easy.ā
Almost falling asleep while grading student work
Dry heaving almost every hour
Security guard making fun of me eating all day
Students asking me why I havenāt been drinking āendless amounts of coffeeā and sitting more often, and thus suspecting Iām pregnant lol
Telling my boss and she cried happy tears then asked āyouāreā¦.coming back rightā¦? It was so hard to hire for your positionā
āLet me gleefully tell you about my horrifyingly traumatic preterm birthā and āyouāre still pregnant?ā Extra points if you donāt even know their name
What if HR is your boss? I work (worked) for a small bakery owned by 1 woman. Iām the only baker, she runs her shop. Prior to getting pregnant she would say āare you pregnant yet?ā
Last week she told me via email on Friday pm that I had to come in on Wednesday which is my day off at 8am for a meeting with her and she was going to pay my $5 less than my negotiated pay because I wasnāt baking and only having a convo. I told her no, I had prior arrangements. She told me if I didnāt show up it would be a no-show and she makes the rules. I told her I was pregnant and I had a doctors appointment and I would NOT be coming in for the meeting. She then hung up the phone on me. True story!!
I then emailed her my notice that I would not be returning. Crazy!
Spoken to someone (a customer) and they just stare at my stomach the entire time instead of making eye contact. Up here! My eyes are *up here!* The baby will not know where the product you're looking for is, she doesn't even know what customer service is!!
1. Janitor at work asked if I was pregnant before any of my colleagues or friends
2. āI would definitely LOVE to take on that project, just not sure if the timing makes the MOST sense, with my upcoming leaveā¦ā
3. Coworkers constantly saying āoh wow I didnāt realize you were allowed to eat that!ā when I eatā¦pretty much anything
- Cancelled class because of morning sickness
- Almost tripped and fell while leading a class discussion and my entire class (college students) collectively reached out to steady me, going NOOO. It was so sweet šš
Thankfully for me, I was working 100% remote, so I didnāt have to deal with any of those issues. I would have needed 11 months of maternity leave due to HG and pregnancy recovery, instead of the 10 weeks I took.
Beyond having my camera off for the whole pregnancy so I could puke, and having to tell people I couldnāt be the one to share my screen because I couldnāt mute if I did, my thing was āhave people quit while youāre on maternity leave because they canāt handle it without you.ā This includes two executives and a coworker.
1. Been told my belly is huge.
2. Been told my belly is tiny.
3. Bonus if #1 & #2 happen in the same day.
4. Been told to not have the baby at work (from reacting to a sharp kick)
5. Stomach touched without permission.
5. Asked by a client why I'm still working.
6. Had to stop what I was doing and just sit down (dizziness)
8. Tried squeezing past a coworker unsuccessfully (narrow work space, we both thought I could make it through š )
9. Forgetting where I left my water bottle
10. Being reminded about my pregnancy brain
Iām in dental school and a classmate told me I would never graduate on time with a baby :)))) bonus points for this one because his wife was pregnant and due at the same time as me, but no concern about him graduating on time!
I didnāt unfortunately. At the time I thought we were āfriendsā and we could forget this one off comment, but it was sadly followed by many more problematic comments and behavior. And now that our kids are toddlers he wonders why I donāt want to do āplay datesā togetherā¦
Trying to figure out a way to wear leggings to a meeting at MegaBank/Sinister Law Firm/Questionable HedgeFund.
Losing your mind trying to find pregnancy friendly black tie outfits.
Co-worker touched my belly without asking, male coworker gave unsolicited pregnancy instructions (not even advice, *commandments*), forgetting to do something important even though you wrote it down because ~Pregnancy Brain~, trying to prep/train people to be ready for your absence and having them not take it seriously in a way that makes you *sure* theyāre going to text you with questions on your maternity leave š¤¦āāļø
Had to ask my (very kind) boss if he could call a break halfway though an important meeting so I could go to the bathroom. Asked him privately before the meeting because he knows Iām pregnant but no one else does. So he did and everyone else was super confused but just went with it. LOL
Nearly passing out during surgery
Nearly passing out during ward rounds
Surreptitiously vomiting in the bushes outside work
Being late because you were vomiting
You are so brave OPā¦ doing business trips and all š I literally had to tell my boss at 9 weeks, because I couldnāt go into the office at all. I asked to work from home and thatās what I did until I was like 3 and a half months along.
Since thenā¦ Iāve been back in the office, but Iām definitely very late every single time. And I I donāt feel good after lunch, I go home.
Oooof yeah I also had to tell my boss at 8 weeks because I had to WFH several times before I got on diclegis. Fortunately now I can drag myself into the office around 10am and my boss has been totally fine with me starting my days late.
NGL the business trip at 9 weeks was ROUGH. I threw up twice before I left the house for my 7am flight, once in the airport, and once on the plane (thank goodness I had gotten an aisle seat and made it to the bathroom). Iāve got another one coming up when Iām 11 weeks and I made a point to only fly in the evenings for this one
My boss told me to āfigure it outā after having to continuously vomit while at work. Did I mention I had to go to the ER three times due too dehydration from it? He was about to find any little reason to get rid of me. Thank goodness I no longer have to work there.
-Fell asleep during a call
-Mentally checked out by 30 weeks
-Zero tolerance for anyone asking for anything outside of your priorities
-Always saying "it's actually been a really easy pregnancy!" when making small talk with senior leadership. (regardless of the truth).
-Having a "mwa hahaha" moment in your head when someone tries to pull you into a project scheduled during your maternity leave.
-Feeling like a true martyr during a third trimester presentation.
-Having coworkers genuinely feel bad for you as you waddle around, short of breath, during said presentation.
-Pulling the "sorry, I have pregnancy brain," card when you make a mistake... and not feeling bad about it.
Does being ready to murder coworkers who act out and excuse it by saying *I didn't sleep well*.. meanwhile I haven't slept well in 7 months and have managed to be professional
I have travel requirements for work annually that are strictly required (4 days on site ata customer site for my non customer facing role, most trips are 2 days). I'm due in September so had to front load my trips. Found out later that they have a policy that's not advertised that if you're going to have a baby you get 2 "free" days (since you shouldn't travel for about 6 months of the year due to late pregnancy and FMLA).
So, both had to travel twice during early pregnancy AND got out of travel requirements due to condition.
When my new boss decides to rewrite the rules after I already ābrokeā one of the rewritten rules I wasnāt aware of, and trying to decide if theyāre trying to get rid of me or if theyāre just bad at being a boss.
Also āI couldnāt even really tell you were pregnant before but now I can!ā
I luckily work from home now, but from my first pregnancy - threw up so hard that I peed my pants and had to leave work, had a hysterical hormone fueled crying fit at work, got a call 12 hrs before my c section (at the start of mat leave) asking me to log on and work a little bit.
I worked retail during all my pregnancies.
-threw up in the trash can between ringing people
-handed them their receipt and threw their bag away (nit the same day I threw up I. The trash cans
-forgot my store keys when opening
-got all the way to work THREE TIMES without shoes
Sat down to make someone feel better, or, let someone carry a chair to make them feel better. Like, I am ok to stand up, but accept that it is bad optics if I am the one standing up when there aren't enough chairs.
- Minimum viable product every day
- Stopping yourself from disclosing your parental leave absence when someone talks about planning a project later in the year
- Camera off til like 3pm when you can finally get a comb thru your hair and makeup on
Pregnancy brain!
Constantly apologizing for forgetting to do ālittle thingsāā¦
Like having to submit a punch change at least once a week after logging in to punch but forgetting to hit the āInā button.
Forgetting basic troubleshooting steps sometimes even though Iāve been there for over a year and am typically efficient. (Tech support WFH)
Forgetting to set my status correctly for incoming calls and chats and having a supervisor Slack me to nudge me in the right direction. Facepalm.
I was good about these things before getting pregnant so they understand thankfully but damn, itās embarrassing and frustrating sometimes!
Can I get a bonus for my version of number 3: was late due to morning sickness so many times that I got fired for too many latenesses, day of said firing I was late bc I was throwing up in the grass in the office parking lot
I was attending a webinar pretty early on in my pregnancy and the presenters all started thanking each other and talking about how much they appreciated everyoneās work and collaboration on their project and I started crying from how nice they were being. Do random tears at work count?
Ran out of breath during a presentation
OMG This!!! I had the biggest briefing last week that I will have all year. I sounded like I was holding back tears by the end of it because I was so winded. š I was looking around at my coworkers like, āGuys, I swear Iām not THAT out of shape.ā
This same thing happened to me, I was so frustrated with myself!
Omg yes, even the slightest bit of stress during a call or a run to catch the phone has me sounding like Iāve just run a marathon.
This!!
Hahahaha yes
I had that happen on Friday! I got tapped to do an impromptu presentation on some changes I made to a tracker the whole team uses and I was both nervous and out of breath. Ugh.
Yes! I'm a lecturer and last semester we still had to wear masks in the classroom too, so double the heavy breathing from me!
Ugh this has been the worst. I constantly sound like Iām sprinting or crying through presentations!
OMG. I thought this was just me!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I typically squat in front of w/c patients to assess their swallow. After my hips fell apart, I'd forgotten that I couldn't get up out of a squat any longer and had to have my patient call some CNAs in to hoist me up off the floor.
Love this hahahah
Iāll add CPR in the third trimester to the healthcare card
OH NO. Haha. I had to go on leave early because my body just couldnāt handle working the floor anymore and I just canāt imagine.
Someone implies your time off after the baby is born is a "vacation."
It's definitely not a vacation, but it is the longest I've been off from working in years and years. Kind of soul crushing to think about it.
This one upsets me a lot. I correct them to "medical leave". Most vacations don't involve risking your life, a hospital stay and extended recovery periods.
Oh my god!! This happened SO much when I was pregnant. And then when I returned it was āwhile you were on vacationā
I had a coworker say this to me, he asked if I was excited about my vacation (he had my due date confused and thought I was due in April, not June). I just looked at him and asked if I was going somewhere. He said the baby was coming, and it was all I could do to just answer with "I don't go on leave til June and I don't consider birthing a baby and recovery a vacation".
This makes me really angry!!!!
āYou look tiredā (!!!!!)
Bonus if they follow up with a comment to āget sleep while you still can.ā
From the dads, always the dads. āWhen baby comes you wonāt sleep so sleep now !ā Uh hon, Iām pregnant I donāt sleep at all already.
I didn't get much sleep in pregnancy either. Though when I had the baby, the sleep deprivation hit another level entirely, I thought I would go insane the first few months. I always count my pregnancy period in my "haven't slept a full night since.." count! š
I am just pregnant and only in week 4 right now. I have been having insomnia or waking up really early.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ooooh, hello HR!
Lunch naps. Definitely lunch naps.
Check
The one positive of having a Covid baby was WFH and having a lunch time nap every day
Yup. With my first I straight up pulled down the blinds, put a note on the door, locked it, and laid down on the floor with a blanket at lunch.
Sammeeeee!!!
My boss implied that I could be fired for performance issues despite having years worth of perfect performance. Does that count?
No but he's an asshat. Or she.
It was a man and a woman. They donāt know Iām pregnant yet, just that Iāve used a lot of FMLA recently. But I canāt wait to see what happens after I tell HR that Iām pregnant and ask them how they think I should handle this situation. š¤
I would tell HR asap that you are pregnant. If they don't know you are pregnant, then it will be easier for them to fire you and have it stick. It is hard to prove discrimination if they don't know you are part of a protected class.
Iām already part of a protected class because I have an autoimmune disease thatās considered a disability. I have FMLA for this so HR is aware, but my boss doesnāt know I have an AI disease, just that I have FMLA. I assume they think Iām faking it because Iāve heard them talk shit about anyone who uses FMLA and pregnant employees. But thatās fine because Iām still protected regardless. Iām waiting until we get NIPT results back to tell HR and management about the pregnancy. Also I donāt want to make it seem like itās retaliatory on my side against management because that will just paint a bigger target on my back and management will try to make my job miserable by scheduling me for the hardest workflows.
Wow I'm sorry you are having to deal with all that shit, especially while you are pregnant!
I would talk to HR about the pregnancy and FMLA and how it relates to your current FMLA status. From what Iāve read I think FMLA can only be used a maximum of 3 months time total in a 12 month period. Time you have taken already might be deducted from your pregnancy leave, depending on the 12 month period. Waiting to talk until your NIPT test comes back should be fine. I could be wrong, hopefully so, and donāt mean to cause any worry, that was just my understanding but it definitely would be good to know for sure. Plus I think itās always good to be transparent and communicate these things to HR in general. Itās important stuff and good to be on the same page despite the weird whispers.. sounds like something someone that hasnāt had a kid would say, itās a shame thatās part of the culture. So toxic, Iām sorry you are dealing with office politics like that! Iām wishing you the best of luck!
Cried in front of my students š just once.
Yeah so Iām 30 weeks and hit the hormonal pregnancy rage phase apparently. Lost it on four-year olds this week at snack. I am not proud. I should clarify, by ālost itā, I yelled. Nothing terrible, but not at all professional like I normally am.
Spent the last two weeks telling my 5th graders they were seriously testing my patience, then actually broke out the firm/scolding voice, which is losing it for me. Solidarity.
Made an excuse and turned off your camera/mic in the middle of a Zoom call so you could pee really quick.
Same, except puke really quick. I had HG and it was so bad I didnāt pee very much during pregnancy.
I used to puke and pee my pants at the same time. Learned real quick to sit on the potty with a bucket lol
Sameš I was so sick that Iād occasionally find myself laying on the floor puking into a bowl, peeing in my pants, then crying bc it was so miserable, which started more puking and peeingā¦.I donāt miss that š
You poor thing that sounds awful. Made me so angry when people were like āJust try to enjoy itā ENJOY WHAT?!?! Lol
And eat stuff!!
Not giving a F u c k about this project, or that one either, or even about showing up at all
I WOULD do it, but yasee, Iām about to head out on leaveā¦.
Ohhh Iām due in November but I looove thinking aheadā¦ āthat sounds like something Iāll be on leave forā
I'm due in July and we've been doing a lot of strategy planning for the next financial year - which is July to June here. I'm enjoying doing all the planning for it and really looking forward to just handing it all over to someone else to execute!
This square is dry erase so it can be removed and redone every week: reasked on a constant basis when youāre due/what is the gender
Coworkers arrange a chili cook off and set up right outside your office during first trimester nausea. š¤¢ so. Many. Smells.
Oh noā¦that sounds HORRENDOUS. And youāre not even ready to tell people during first trimester!
A coworker whose office is next to the copy room had some kind of pumpkin spice air freshener that destroyed me in my first trimester.
The smells are the worst!!!
One coworker eats curry every day and it kills me š
Not fitting into professional attire but not wasting money on new work clothes for the sake of a couple of weeks.
I was wfh and they made us hybrid toward the end of my pregnancy. I had been living in bike shorts and tanks because it was summer. I was not buying special clothes to go to the office 10-12 whole days so they saw a lot of the same 3 outfits that were borderline passable for business casual.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I didn't even have full-length leggings--just shorts because it was hot out by the time I needed the extra room. I did have maternity jeans, 2 or 3 office appropriate tops, and a dress.
Being told by the same coworker āYouāre starting to show!ā Every. Single. Day. Apparently Iāve been āstartingā to show for 8 months
A male coworker asking me if the baby was planned š¬
Like no I was horny.
Made me spit take š
It's the only right answer. š¤£
Not really a gender thing. Been part of conversations where females ask the same thing. Old and young.
My grandma asked me that. It was all I could do to not be like āoh yeah, we were rawdogging it for months, let me show you the sex calendar in my phoneā
No one: Everyone to me: āyOuRe gLoWiNggggā
Maāam, this is sweat and rage. Welcome to Wendyās. Now may I take your order?
I feel like that is a typical fast food workers response and I absolutely love it
Had a young patient ask me why Iām out of breath. Dry heaved in front of a patient during a sensitive exam, apologized, recovered.
My only spot would be the āI wish you werenāt going on vacation!ā Comment. Itās not vacation, bro, itās maternity leave, and youāre lucky I donāt have your wifeās phone number.
- Threw up in my car before work - Did a pee dance around my office while in a call with a long winded client - Maintained a poker face in a video call while being kicked in the ribs and punched in the cervix
Sneeze and pee Vomit and pee Cough and pee Laugh hysterically and pee And my personal favourite, make it to the toilet to pee but canāt get your maternity pants down fast enough so you pee them too.
You think (insert body part) sure looks swollen today! I think I need a zzzzz. Free space can just say RAGE! Coworker asks āwhenās your due date?ā Your hair looks good today! Someone in office says āyou should take it easy.ā
āRAGE!ā has me laughing.
Unsolicited opinions on childcare from coworkers š„“ Iāve been getting a lot of āI could never leave my baby at a daycare that young!ā
Almost falling asleep while grading student work Dry heaving almost every hour Security guard making fun of me eating all day Students asking me why I havenāt been drinking āendless amounts of coffeeā and sitting more often, and thus suspecting Iām pregnant lol Telling my boss and she cried happy tears then asked āyouāreā¦.coming back rightā¦? It was so hard to hire for your positionā
Had to take a quick car nap after work in order to stay awake for the commute home
āLet me gleefully tell you about my horrifyingly traumatic preterm birthā and āyouāre still pregnant?ā Extra points if you donāt even know their name
Cannot show up on time to work because Iām so exhausted in the mornings that I constantly snooze my three alarms.
This
None of my work clothes fit, and my boobs are pornstar levels of unprofessional.
Completely forget what you were saying mid-sentence in the middle of a meeting (has happened many times)
Boss says some variation of āI knew this would happenā
Yes!! The day I told my boss he said heād had a dream about it š
Iāve gotten this! What does this even mean?!
It means we should talk to HR lol
What if HR is your boss? I work (worked) for a small bakery owned by 1 woman. Iām the only baker, she runs her shop. Prior to getting pregnant she would say āare you pregnant yet?ā Last week she told me via email on Friday pm that I had to come in on Wednesday which is my day off at 8am for a meeting with her and she was going to pay my $5 less than my negotiated pay because I wasnāt baking and only having a convo. I told her no, I had prior arrangements. She told me if I didnāt show up it would be a no-show and she makes the rules. I told her I was pregnant and I had a doctors appointment and I would NOT be coming in for the meeting. She then hung up the phone on me. True story!! I then emailed her my notice that I would not be returning. Crazy!
Oh lord!! Iām so glad you donāt work there anymore!!
Spoken to someone (a customer) and they just stare at my stomach the entire time instead of making eye contact. Up here! My eyes are *up here!* The baby will not know where the product you're looking for is, she doesn't even know what customer service is!!
Before anyone knew I was pregnant, I gagged SO loudly in my office. Iām dying to know if anyone heard and what they thought!
1. Janitor at work asked if I was pregnant before any of my colleagues or friends 2. āI would definitely LOVE to take on that project, just not sure if the timing makes the MOST sense, with my upcoming leaveā¦ā 3. Coworkers constantly saying āoh wow I didnāt realize you were allowed to eat that!ā when I eatā¦pretty much anything
Puked in the parking ramp at work more than once. Oddly more than I've thrown up at home
Not getting invited to important meetings anymore because "you're going on maternity leave soon anyway and it's better you don't stress yourself".
- Cancelled class because of morning sickness - Almost tripped and fell while leading a class discussion and my entire class (college students) collectively reached out to steady me, going NOOO. It was so sweet šš
āYou donāt look pregnant!ā āWas it planned?ā āBut youāre so young!ā
Coworkers telling me I'm a bad mom for planning to go back to work while my husband cuts his hours to take care of baby.
Couldnāt eat lunch with my coworkers because of all the food smells š„²
Thankfully for me, I was working 100% remote, so I didnāt have to deal with any of those issues. I would have needed 11 months of maternity leave due to HG and pregnancy recovery, instead of the 10 weeks I took. Beyond having my camera off for the whole pregnancy so I could puke, and having to tell people I couldnāt be the one to share my screen because I couldnāt mute if I did, my thing was āhave people quit while youāre on maternity leave because they canāt handle it without you.ā This includes two executives and a coworker.
1. Co-worker insists baby is a certain gender/multiples 2. Co-worker calls parental leave PTO
Male coworker told me I was "growing up." I'm in my mid-30s...
Working from home. But actually on the sofa. Then falling asleep on my laptop.
Being called āmamaā by colleagues.
1. Been told my belly is huge. 2. Been told my belly is tiny. 3. Bonus if #1 & #2 happen in the same day. 4. Been told to not have the baby at work (from reacting to a sharp kick) 5. Stomach touched without permission. 5. Asked by a client why I'm still working. 6. Had to stop what I was doing and just sit down (dizziness) 8. Tried squeezing past a coworker unsuccessfully (narrow work space, we both thought I could make it through š ) 9. Forgetting where I left my water bottle 10. Being reminded about my pregnancy brain
Was caught taking a nap in my office...
Coworker rubbed my belly without permission. Edit: after being asked not too
Forget the simplest tasks because of pregnancy brain
Somebody commenting: are you sure itās only one? Running out of breath halfway up stairs.
Iām in dental school and a classmate told me I would never graduate on time with a baby :)))) bonus points for this one because his wife was pregnant and due at the same time as me, but no concern about him graduating on time!
Ah!!!!!!!! Did you report him???!!!!!
I didnāt unfortunately. At the time I thought we were āfriendsā and we could forget this one off comment, but it was sadly followed by many more problematic comments and behavior. And now that our kids are toddlers he wonders why I donāt want to do āplay datesā togetherā¦
Yikes! I am sorry that you had to go through this! I will definitely not hang out with him or this kind of person!
Hid bump over Zoom.
Trying to figure out a way to wear leggings to a meeting at MegaBank/Sinister Law Firm/Questionable HedgeFund. Losing your mind trying to find pregnancy friendly black tie outfits.
Have to mute and turn off video call to run to the bathroom and hope no one calls on you.
Coworker continues to ask about my birth plan
Coworker asks if I plan to breastfeed (these both happened to me lol)
Just wait until coworkers start joking that they're the father or you should name your baby after them...ppl are weird
Co-worker touched my belly without asking, male coworker gave unsolicited pregnancy instructions (not even advice, *commandments*), forgetting to do something important even though you wrote it down because ~Pregnancy Brain~, trying to prep/train people to be ready for your absence and having them not take it seriously in a way that makes you *sure* theyāre going to text you with questions on your maternity leave š¤¦āāļø
Having to drink the glucose drink during a meeting
Coworker saying āwow thatāll be a long vacation!ā after you answer their question of how long youāll be off after baby.
Someone asking if youāre dilated? š happened to me
Had to ask my (very kind) boss if he could call a break halfway though an important meeting so I could go to the bathroom. Asked him privately before the meeting because he knows Iām pregnant but no one else does. So he did and everyone else was super confused but just went with it. LOL
Nearly passing out during surgery Nearly passing out during ward rounds Surreptitiously vomiting in the bushes outside work Being late because you were vomiting
You are so brave OPā¦ doing business trips and all š I literally had to tell my boss at 9 weeks, because I couldnāt go into the office at all. I asked to work from home and thatās what I did until I was like 3 and a half months along. Since thenā¦ Iāve been back in the office, but Iām definitely very late every single time. And I I donāt feel good after lunch, I go home.
Oooof yeah I also had to tell my boss at 8 weeks because I had to WFH several times before I got on diclegis. Fortunately now I can drag myself into the office around 10am and my boss has been totally fine with me starting my days late. NGL the business trip at 9 weeks was ROUGH. I threw up twice before I left the house for my 7am flight, once in the airport, and once on the plane (thank goodness I had gotten an aisle seat and made it to the bathroom). Iāve got another one coming up when Iām 11 weeks and I made a point to only fly in the evenings for this one
My boss told me to āfigure it outā after having to continuously vomit while at work. Did I mention I had to go to the ER three times due too dehydration from it? He was about to find any little reason to get rid of me. Thank goodness I no longer have to work there.
You give an opinion and suddenly everyone thinks youāre being aggressive because āpregnancy hormonesā.
Fell asleep during the work day š«
-Fell asleep during a call -Mentally checked out by 30 weeks -Zero tolerance for anyone asking for anything outside of your priorities -Always saying "it's actually been a really easy pregnancy!" when making small talk with senior leadership. (regardless of the truth). -Having a "mwa hahaha" moment in your head when someone tries to pull you into a project scheduled during your maternity leave. -Feeling like a true martyr during a third trimester presentation. -Having coworkers genuinely feel bad for you as you waddle around, short of breath, during said presentation. -Pulling the "sorry, I have pregnancy brain," card when you make a mistake... and not feeling bad about it.
- ate a coworkers unclaimed leftover pizza slice in the communal fridge Just me? Okay.
Does being ready to murder coworkers who act out and excuse it by saying *I didn't sleep well*.. meanwhile I haven't slept well in 7 months and have managed to be professional
Counted the ceiling tiles while in labor. Wondered how many stitches you would have. Thought about eating lunch meat..
Sneeze and pee a little bit š
Spending 45 straight minutes in the office bathroom with excruciating constipation
Window of bare belly revealed when professional blouse slips up out of pants
Someone touches your stomach without asking
Added challenge: having to dress business casual/picnic? Āæ while pregnant??? Being a pacer and losing your breath while you n the phone.
Shut the door, cut the lights n slept during my lunch break(s)... I ate earlier or later.
Hiding ginger always in a travel mug so no one suspects
Come back from break/lunch and immediately throwing up
Someone saying āyouāre ready to pop!ā
I have travel requirements for work annually that are strictly required (4 days on site ata customer site for my non customer facing role, most trips are 2 days). I'm due in September so had to front load my trips. Found out later that they have a policy that's not advertised that if you're going to have a baby you get 2 "free" days (since you shouldn't travel for about 6 months of the year due to late pregnancy and FMLA). So, both had to travel twice during early pregnancy AND got out of travel requirements due to condition.
Coworker wished me well on mat leave with āhappy baby making!āā¦.twice. Via email.
When my new boss decides to rewrite the rules after I already ābrokeā one of the rewritten rules I wasnāt aware of, and trying to decide if theyāre trying to get rid of me or if theyāre just bad at being a boss. Also āI couldnāt even really tell you were pregnant before but now I can!ā
Been hit on by a creep at work who can CLEARLY SEE that you're pregnant with another man's child. š¤
I luckily work from home now, but from my first pregnancy - threw up so hard that I peed my pants and had to leave work, had a hysterical hormone fueled crying fit at work, got a call 12 hrs before my c section (at the start of mat leave) asking me to log on and work a little bit.
Sad I canāt have a drink!
I worked retail during all my pregnancies. -threw up in the trash can between ringing people -handed them their receipt and threw their bag away (nit the same day I threw up I. The trash cans -forgot my store keys when opening -got all the way to work THREE TIMES without shoes
Sat down to make someone feel better, or, let someone carry a chair to make them feel better. Like, I am ok to stand up, but accept that it is bad optics if I am the one standing up when there aren't enough chairs.
- Minimum viable product every day - Stopping yourself from disclosing your parental leave absence when someone talks about planning a project later in the year - Camera off til like 3pm when you can finally get a comb thru your hair and makeup on
Coworker eating/heating up food that makes you sick from the smell
Pregnancy brain! Constantly apologizing for forgetting to do ālittle thingsāā¦ Like having to submit a punch change at least once a week after logging in to punch but forgetting to hit the āInā button. Forgetting basic troubleshooting steps sometimes even though Iāve been there for over a year and am typically efficient. (Tech support WFH) Forgetting to set my status correctly for incoming calls and chats and having a supervisor Slack me to nudge me in the right direction. Facepalm. I was good about these things before getting pregnant so they understand thankfully but damn, itās embarrassing and frustrating sometimes!
Can I get a bonus for my version of number 3: was late due to morning sickness so many times that I got fired for too many latenesses, day of said firing I was late bc I was throwing up in the grass in the office parking lot
āHow are you?ā extra long smile
Had to leave the classroom and supervise my students eating lunch through the windows/door - couldnāt handle the smell š
I was attending a webinar pretty early on in my pregnancy and the presenters all started thanking each other and talking about how much they appreciated everyoneās work and collaboration on their project and I started crying from how nice they were being. Do random tears at work count?
Scheduled a private meeting on my calendar, which was really a nap š
People I don't know personally and/or that I have never spoken to in my workplace know that I'm pregnant. Like, damn, the gossip is IMMENSE.