Working while pregnant and dealing with miscarriag - my experience

I just read this article on what it was like working while pregnant. For me it was and always has been a challenge. Made worse by a pregnancy loss.

With my son I worked up to a week before he was born. I was hoping to have two weeks or so off, but there were other plans. I work as a research fellow - in a University in a demanding position. My brain needs to be switched on, and when you are pregnant, that is not so easy. Compounded by pelvic instability and illness, my pregnancy was not a lot of fun. My boss has no kids herself, and is not the most sympathetic person. I felt I was letting the team down, so I just pushed through.I tried to get help with my desk setup - and in the end just got into trouble by asking for help from OHS (without consulting my boss - when I was doing what was in my legal right). I did get to work from home, and did cut down to part time hours. But it was hard.

With my second pregnancy, I hid my pregnancy from my boss till I was 10 weeks and started to spot. I was on my way to work when my ob sent me home and off for a scan to make sure the spotting was nothing. I was then in tears I rang my boss to tell her I was pregnant, spotting and not sure I could attend a meeting in Sydney (a 1hr flight)  the next day. At that scan my little bub was perfectly happy, strong heartbeat and moving around. I will never forget those images, the last I have of my baby alive. I was cleared to fly and as exhausted as I was I flew. I then came down with a cold, and was expected to make the same trip to Sydney two weeks later. I took a few days off to try and recuperate, and even with a head blocked up and feeling horrid, I got on that plane. I did not want to let my boss down, I didn't want to waste money on an airfare, and I just sucked it up. My ears hurt horribly, and it took a good month for my ears to clear again. I was 12 weeks when I flew, and it would be a week later I would find out the baby passed. I am yet to find out if the baby had a chromosome issue, but I do wonder if I had taken it easy and put myself first if things would have ended differently.

Going back to work was the hardest thing. I think coming into an environment that people know I was "sick" but not what happened. Moving forward but finding it hard to concentrate. Not wanting to let anyone down, or to do a bad job. But one thing I know, I will not fly during my first trimester, I will look after myself, and they can go get %^^# if they think I will not put myself first. I know what my boss will say (I have heard her say it about others), I know the annoyance I will hear in her voice, and I know I will just have to deal with it.

The most ironic thing - I work in a women's health unit.