Can
a Woman Work While Pregnant?
The answer to this question
depends on your own health, the health of your fetus,
and the type of job you have. If you and your fetus are
healthy and your job presents no greater risks than those
found in daily life, you can probably work right up until
labor begins
and resume work several weeks after giving birth.
Some
women may have to cut back on or stop work during pregnancy.
Before your health care provider suggests a change in your
work routine, he or she will take several factors into
account: your overall health, how you are feeling, how
well the pregnancy is going, your age, and any problems
you had with past pregnancies. Your health care provider
may also ask questions about the type of work you do, how
many hours per week you work, and whether your job duties
could harm you or the fetus.
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Heavy
Physical Work
Pregnant
women can usually keep doing the same things they were
used to doing before pregnancy. However, some things may
be hard or risky. These include heavy lifting, climbing,
carrying, standing for a long time, and activities that
involve balance. If you have had a preterm
baby or a difficult pregnancy in the past, heavy physical
work may be especially risky.
During the first few months of pregnancy, you may feel dizzy, sick to your
stomach, and tired. You may also be more sensitive to heat. If you feel that
these symptoms put you at risk for having accidents, ask your health care
provider about it. Toward the end of pregnancy, your balance changes with
the changing weight and shape of your body. Also, because women tire more
easily when pregnant, even those in the best physical shape will find heavy
work more tiring than usual.
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Stress
Stress--both
physical and mental--is a part of most people's lives.
A certain amount of stress can give you more energy and
make you more productive. Too much stress, however, can
cause depression, headaches, tiredness, weight gain, changes
in eating habits, and problems coping with everyday life.
Stress even plays a role in how well a person can resist
disease.
Women who combine a full-time job with housework and child care may feel
especially tired and stressed. Your partner or others may need to take on
more duties so that you can get enough rest. Careful planning and enough
sleep are very important.
There is much to be learned about the effects of stress on pregnancy. Talk
with your health care provider about ways to relieve stress.
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Working
Women, Pregnancy, and the Law
Before
you take a job, find out from your employer if you might
be exposed
to toxic
substances, chemicals, or radiation. The personnel
office should tell you about medical benefits, disability
coverage, and maternity leave.
After
you get a job, discuss any concerns you may have about
being exposed to toxic substances with your employee health
division, personnel office, or union representative. To
find out about laws on safety at work or to request a list
of substances known or thought to have an effect on pregnancy,
contact your state or county health department.
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Your
Right to Work
In the
past, some employers did not let fertile women do jobs
that exposed them to substances that could harm a fetus.
In 1991, however, the Supreme Court ruled that a rigid
policy that banned women of childbearing age from certain
jobs discriminated against them on the basis of their sex.
Although several toxic substances found in the workplace
have harmful effects on men's ability to reproduce, men
are not banned from jobs on that basis. This Supreme Court
ruling means that it is illegal for an employer to ban
women from certain jobs because they might become pregnant
while they are working there.
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Your
Right to Disability Benefits
Having a disability means
that you are not able to work because of physical problems
that could keep you from performing your usual duties.
Only you and your health care provider can decide whether
your pregnancy is partly or totally disabling. A disability
related to pregnancy may be one of three types:
- Disability
due to the pregnancy itself. Some women suffer side effects
such as nausea, vomiting, indigestion,
dizziness, and swollen
legs and ankles, which may cause temporary or partial
disability. These problems are usually minor. Still,
your health
care provider should reevaluate them at regular intervals. Labor
and delivery may also cause temporary or partial disability.
- Disability
due to complications of pregnancy. More serious complications
such as infection, bleeding,
early labor, or early rupture of the amniotic
sac that surrounds the fetus during
pregnancy may cause disability. Also, medical conditions
you had before becoming pregnant, such as heart disease, diabetes,
or high
blood pressure, may become disabling during pregnancy.
- Disability
due to job exposures. Some disabilities may be linked
to exposure to high levels of toxic
substances at work that could affect the fetus.
If your health care provider decides that your pregnancy is disabling, you
may request a letter to verify to your employer that you are disabled. Likewise,
if your health care provider says that you are able to keep working,
your employer may request or you may choose to submit a letter from your
health care provider stating so.
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The
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
The Pregnancy Discrimination
Act was passed by Congress in 1978. It requires employers
that offer medical disability benefits to treat pregnancy-related
disabilities just like all other disabilities. In other
words, if you are temporarily unable to work because of
your pregnancy, your employer must give you the same rights
as other employees temporarily disabled by illness or accident.
If you are partly disabled by pregnancy and your employer
regularly assigns lighter work to other partly disabled
workers, the same must be done for you. If your employer
guarantees that temporarily disabled workers can return
to their jobs or a job of the same level and salary, the
same must be done for you.
Unfortunately,
many employers do not offer disability benefits at all
for any condition. Therefore, they are not obliged to provide
disability leave for childbirth or complications of pregnancy.
If no disability plan is offered where you work, you may qualify for unemployment
or temporary disability benefits from your state. To find out whether your
state offers benefits and how to qualify, contact your local unemployment
office.
Finally
. . .
During pregnancy, working women have
special concerns. With the advice of your health care
provider
and help from your employer, you should be able to
avoid undue risks while you are working and provide for
any
periods of disability.
It is
important to eat well
during pregnancy. If possible, keep some healthy snacks
near your work station. Try to rest during breaks at work
or after work.
Total "disability" during pregnancy occurs for very few women. Others
may be disabled for only a short time before, during, and after delivery.
It varies from patient to patient and is usually 4-8 weeks. Most women recover
quickly and can soon return to their daily routines.
Talk with your health care provider about your concerns about working while
you are pregnant. Tell him or her about any work-related conditions that
worry you.
