When is it legal to tell your employer about your pregnancy? How and when to speak at work

Now that the woman is completely confident in her “interesting position,” she needs to think about work issues. When should you tell your employer about your pregnancy? Work conditions and the overall environment should influence the decision when to talk about pregnancy at work. In fact, everything has already been decided for us and is strictly regulated in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 255, 261 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). A pregnant woman should familiarize herself with these regulations in advance so as not to become deceived or have their rights infringed by their employer.

You can't tell anyone about your pregnancy. Only for the baby's dad!

Yes, you probably shouldn’t trumpet everyone about the upcoming addition to the family immediately after the pregnancy test showed two coveted lines. Firstly, there are false positive tests, and no one is immune from unpleasant surprises and failures. And secondly... Maybe it’s worth keeping the secret a secret for now? It’s not for nothing that you don’t have a tummy yet, and you don’t feel anything, and only thanks to a pregnancy test do mom and dad know that the baby is already there.

Rights and obligations of the parties

What can an employed pregnant woman expect? Let's consider some provisions of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. By law, a pregnant woman employee must be provided by the employer with such payments as:

During the BiR leave, state social insurance benefits are paid

Payment to women who registered in the early stages of pregnancy - up to 12 weeks

Payment of a lump sum benefit upon the birth of a child

You can find out more about the calculation of these payments directly in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.
Payment for timely registration at the antenatal clinic can be received simultaneously with the BiR benefit. You just need to provide the employer with a doctor's certificate. With this certificate, you can be sure that management will transfer you to light work and exempt you from overtime work and business trips.

It is worth noting that in case of dishonesty of management, a woman can always go to court and be right. To do this, you need to document your “interesting position” and record this point in the HR department. This is necessary in cases where the boss is not satisfied with the employee’s position and intends to ask her to resign. Unfortunately, this also happens.

Under no circumstances should you pay attention to such provocations. You must know that the law is on your side.

According to the law, an employer has the right to fire a pregnant woman only in one case - during the liquidation of the enterprise. And also an important point - if a woman worked under a fixed-term employment contract, the employer also does not have the right to dismiss the pregnant woman after the expiration of the contract. A woman needs to write an application to extend her employment contract. Dismissal at the end of the term can only be discussed after the young mother returns from maternity leave and starts work.

Dismissal at will can only be on the initiative of the employee herself. For a valid reason - health or family circumstances.

According to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a woman can count on:

Birth and labor leave is at least 70 days before childbirth and at least 70 days after.

Toxicosis will definitely happen!

There may not be toxicosis. There are women who, even after giving birth to several babies, have never felt nauseated. And why some happy “pregnant women” have it, while others do not, not a single doctor (even a British one) has yet given an answer. By the way, doctors consider early toxicosis, which manifests itself during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, to be a pathological condition. But if toxicosis does not cause the expectant mother too much trouble and does not greatly change her lifestyle, then there is no need to worry. And you can cope with mild morning sickness, intolerance to your favorite perfume or the smell of the subway. Moreover, while morning sickness is the second sign of pregnancy after the two-line test (by the way, have you already put it in a secluded place, where the family archive is collected?), and each time you receive confirmation that someone small already exists, Very nice. In a word, change your view of toxicosis, and he may be offended and leave.

Boss

Photo source: telegraph.co.uk

The first trimester can easily give away your pregnancy. Morning sickness and fatigue are common during pregnancy.

If you are an energetic worker and these things are uncharacteristic for you, then the boss will quickly begin to suspect that something has happened even if you do not run to the toilet every 5 minutes.

Photo source: umka34.com

Wait, the weird stuff starts! You will eat chalk!

Well, non-pregnant ladies also have quirks... And even bad eating habits. Some people are partial to salted tomatoes at any time of the day or night, while others won’t open the office door without a chocolate in their purse... What can we say about such a wonderful time when you can be a little capricious girl a little more and demand a delicacy in the middle of the night ... And an increased desire to eat something (and not just salty food) is often a signal that something is missing in the body. Perhaps, if you really want yogurt or cottage cheese with blueberry jam, then your body doesn’t have enough calcium. Well, and vitamin A, which is abundant in blueberries. Yes, if you still want chalk, you can lick it a little and then go to the store for cottage cheese.

Planning a pregnancy

The need for this is caused not only by the financial capabilities of the family. The most important thing here is the health of both parents, their preparedness for the birth of a child, and the creation of favorable conditions for this. The process should begin 2-3 months before the expected fertilization. It includes:

Quitting smoking and alcohol;
Normalization of nutrition with the obligatory consumption of large amounts of vitamins, microelements, fiber;
Healthy physical activity with frequent exposure to fresh air. This part of the preparation is especially useful for a woman, because she is the one who will bear the child and give birth, which require endurance and energy expenditure;
Avoiding stress.

Actually, there is nothing complicated in these requirements; it would be good for everyone to lead a similar lifestyle all the time.

Which doctors should you visit?

Expectant parents should definitely be examined by doctors. A woman needs to visit doctors of the following specialties:

Gynecologist. It is good that this is a specialist who will then monitor the entire pregnancy. He should know about past illnesses, childbirth, abortions. The gynecologist will need the results of tests for flora, cytology, viral infections (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis), PCR studies for sexually transmitted infections, cytomegalovirus, herpes, as well as information about the body’s susceptibility to rubella, toxoplasmosis;
Dentist. Before pregnancy, you need to get rid of infections in the oral cavity, caries;
Cardiologist;
Otorhinolaryngologist;
Allergist;
Endocrinologist.

In addition to the tests mentioned, it is necessary to do more research:

Ultrasound of the reproductive organs and mammary glands;
Blood and urine tests (general and biochemical);
Hormone levels;
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland.

If this is not the first attempt for a woman to become pregnant, the specialist may consider it necessary to prescribe:

Colposcopy of the cervix;
Hysteroscopy;
Endometrial biopsy.

Taking oral contraceptives, as well as contraception using an IUD, should be interrupted 2-3 months before conception. If there are genetic diseases in the family or one of the future parents has had radiation exposure, it is worth visiting an appropriate specialist.

In order for conception to occur exactly when the future parents want it, it is necessary to calculate the most favorable days for it. Ovulation occurs around 11-16, if you count from the first day of menstruation.

You cannot tell anyone your expected due date or keep a pregnancy calendar.

Well, it may not be necessary to tell all interested parties the expected date of birth (otherwise they will then torment you with questions “Why haven’t you given birth yet?”), but it’s better to keep your pregnancy calendar. This will help you navigate the timing of pregnancy and childbirth, and will not let you forget about scheduled visits to the antenatal clinic, about prescribed tests and studies (many diagnostic procedures confirming that everything is fine with the baby are carried out during certain weeks of pregnancy). And it will be simply very interesting to remember later, when reading pregnancy records week by week, at what stage the baby started moving, at what week the baby showed his heel to dad, and on what date he “jumped” when he heard the music.

What to tell your employer

You most likely already know about the attitude of the employer and the team towards pregnant employees.
If pregnant women are discriminated against at work in every possible way, hide it for as long as possible. Ideal if you go on maternity leave while on vacation. Sometimes you can ask the therapist to write out a sick leave, telling you about your situation. You are lucky, and the authorities favor pregnant women - report after 12-14 weeks. This will allow management to find a replacement, optimize the work process and take you on maternity leave with a clear conscience. Neighbors, friends and all those with whom you are unfamiliar should not tell you about your pregnancy at all; they will find out for themselves when they see your growing belly. Pregnancy is a mystery, and if you do not want to be disturbed over trifles under good pretext, it is better to talk about your situation as little as possible.

A pregnant woman should not knit or do needlework.

If needlework brings pleasure to a woman, then why not knit a warm blanket for a baby, embroider a napkin for a future grandmother’s birthday, or make a card for a future dad? But if your knitting or sewing skills are still weak, and the process of creating something does not bring pleasure, but only irritates and upsets you, then it’s really not worth taking on the job. There are many other activities that will allow you to feel the joy of creativity and experience inspiration. Perhaps you have drawn before? It’s worth getting back to drawing and painting! Just please don't use oil paints, they still have a smell. Buy a regular “children’s” watercolor and a student’s album. By the way, you don’t have to come up with a plot. Try, using all the variety of color combinations, to express what is in your soul. And if neither handicrafts nor creativity are close to you, read good, good books.

Is it possible to drink alcohol during pregnancy?

In no case. Alcohol abuse is associated with the manifestation of abnormalities in offspring. Alcohol penetrates into the fetal blood to the same extent as into the mother's blood, but removal takes longer: the child may be at the stage of loss of consciousness when his mother begins to feel well. Excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause not only serious obstetric complications (risk of miscarriage, premature labor, low fetal weight), but also the so-called fetal alcohol complex, a syndrome that lasts throughout life. Newborns emerge smaller, with mental and physical complications (especially of the head, face, heart, limbs and central nervous system), and mortality increases. Even 1-2 glasses of alcohol a day increases the risk of injury and stillbirth.

Is it possible to have sex during pregnancy?

Pregnancy brings changes to most couples' sexual relationships, but they are different for everyone.
Gynecologists recommend continuing sexual activity by mutual consent. The baby is protected by a cushion of amniotic fluid, amniotic sac and cervical mucus. The only warning is that partners should refuse sex if there are medical contraindications (risk of miscarriage, premature birth, bleeding, convulsions). If your partner suffers from sexually transmitted diseases, it is best to avoid sex, get treatment, or practice safe sex.

Is smoking harmful during pregnancy?

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy increases the risk of complications during this period.
It is tobacco smoking that causes problems associated with the prenatal condition (improper attachment - placenta previa, bleeding from the uterus, miscarriage, early separation of the baby's place - or premature placental abruption, premature birth, premature rupture of the amniotic sac). Cigarette smoking affects low birth weight of the newborn - the cause of many childhood illnesses and death of the child before or immediately after birth. Children born to a smoking mother are susceptible to upper respiratory tract diseases.