Guide for a Healthy Pregnancy

WORK AND MATERNITY LEAVE

Working During Pregnancy

If you are healthy and your pregnancy is going well, you can probably choose to work until labor starts and return to work several weeks after birth. But you may need to make changes in your work activities if:

You have a physically demanding job (heavy lifting, climbing, carrying, a lot of walking).
You have had previous miscarriages, premature labor, or certain other health problems before you got pregnant.
You are having twins or triplets.
You are having certain health problems (like high blood pressure, diabetes, or vaginal bleeding).
You are having severe discomfort (too much nausea and vomiting, swelling or back pain).
You had certain problems during labor and birth.

Some jobs and work sites may be a hazard to this pregnancy or future pregnancies. This includes jobs that expose you to chemicals, drugs, or biological agents (such as viruses). Standing for long periods, intense heat, radiation exposure, and lots of emotional stress may carry risks too.

Housework and childcare are hard work also. Set priorities for yourself and get help if you can from your partner, friends, or relatives.

If you are not sure how safe your work site is, talk to your clinician or call Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health at (617) 524-6686 or e-mail at masscosh@shore.net.

Your clinician will consider your work situation, health, medical history, and the health of your pregnancy. If necessary, he or she may suggest that you work fewer hours, limit heavy activity, change your work environment or stop working. If this happens, ask your clinician for a letter confirming your disability. (In some cases, employers ask for proof that it’s okay for you to work during pregnancy. Your clinician can give you this type of letter too.)

If you have a pregnancy-related disability and your employer offers disability benefits to sick or injured workers, federal law says the same benefits must be offered to you. Called the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, this law applies to companies with 15 or more employees. If your company does not have disability benefits, you may qualify for state unemployment benefits. Some states offer temporary disability benefits too. Check out www.mass.gov for information about your state benefits.

Taking a Maternity Leave

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, many employers must offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in connection with birth or adoption. (Some companies choose to offer more time and/or will pay you during your leave or let you use sick or vacation time.) You are covered by this law if you have worked at least 12 months for a company with 50 or more employees, and put in at least 1250 hours a year.

Because maternity leave policies and disability pay vary widely, you should check these with your personnel office. If you question your employer’s policies, call the Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor for more information 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).

Going Back to Work

Eventually you may decide to return to work some time after your child is born. When you go back to work after giving birth is a personal choice. There are a number of things to consider when thinking about going back to work. Some of these include:

For how long your company offers paid maternity leave – Paid maternity leave varies from company to company so you should check your own employer’s policy. When considering staying home past the time your paid maternity leave ends, you should consider how much money you make and for how long your family can do without it.
Options for childcare – Think about who can take care of your baby when you return to work. Possible options include family members, close friends, or daycare facilities.
Whether or not you are breastfeeding – If you are breastfeeding, give yourself enough time to develop a nursing relationship with your baby. However, you can still breastfeed using a pump; your baby can be bottle fed during the day and nursed when you are home.