Some women suffer no setbacks in their careers during pregnancy and after having children, but this is probably not the norm. Most women discuss the difficulties of balancing home and work in the early stages of motherhood, especially if they are single parents and when the company does not provide paid maternity leave.
Women also worry about how people perceive them at work after starting their families. Fortune shares that many women worry that employers and fellow workers might see them as no longer committed to their careers. Unfortunately, these fears are with good reason.
Effects of stereotypes
Because of the norm of pushing women out of work after they start a family, mothers often worry about how others will perceive them even when the threat does not actually exist at the specific organization they work for. This causes many mothers to hide their pregnancies for as long as they possibly can. Others might then try to overcompensate for the pregnancy by going over and above the requirements of their duties, which can put both them and their babies at risk.
Greater dangers in demanding fields
When women work in fields that require heavy lifting or spending hours on their feet, things can become even more dangerous. One Forbes article confirms that policymakers and organizations need to do more about making adjustments for women who become temporarily disabled by pregnancy. It particularly identifies threats for frontline workers and firefighters.
Forbes advises women not to put themselves and their babies at risk to hold on to a job. Finances, after all, only represent one portion of a happy, healthy life. To add to this, if the mother injured herself or her baby, it would only compound her mental, physical and financial burden.