The Pregnant Professional offers creative solutions, coaching and encouragement to pregnant women and working mothers so they don’t feel forced to choose between two things they love: their children, and their own identity outside of their family.
While a woman is pregnant, she can feel different because of how her body is changing. But she is still herself! Maternity pants are part of that.
Some women have told me “I don’t think I own a dress.”
I like dresses. But some women live in pants. And that’s not likely to change because of pregnancy. (more…)
It surprised me to discover that for the first several months of pregnancy my stomach didn’t get much bigger. At first my pregnant belly didn’t look that much different.
What I did notice was that it was more sensitive. When I’m not pregnant, I zip up my jeans tight. I’m used to the waistband fitting snug on my middle. When I was first pregnant, I couldn’t tolerate that pressure. They pants fit the same, but I undid the button and wore long shirts to cover that it was open. (more…)
After I discovered I was pregnant, it was a big deal to decide who I should tell and when. Who would be most excited for me? Who could give me support and advice?
As a professional woman, I also knew that I had to tell my boss and my coworkers. It’s such a personal piece of information, letting everyone know that I was pregnant. And also, it felt weird to be asking for special concessions. (more…)
I’ve heard it said that only Americans can wear jeans. We invented them after all. Something about how people from other countries wear their jeans seems off.
Don’t get me wrong, everybody has their own way to wear a pair.
Jeans are so iconic. And for some women, their jeans are part of their identity. Whether you wear jeans because they feel casual and like you are ready to get some work done, or if you wear jeans because you want to say who you are a nonconformist, your own jeans can be part of how you walk in the world. (more…)
Other than babysitting, my first job at McDonalds when I was 15 was a big huge deal. I loved having a place to go, and having my own money (small as it was).
My parents were trepidatious, and my father said, “Once you start working, you will do it for the rest of your life. Do you really want to start so soon?
YES. Yes I did.
And it’s been very important to me ever since. (more…)
My life had a recognizable shape, one that I liked. After my daughter was born, it shattered. Well, it was a free-fall of spinning chaos—my body bleeding and in pain, my eating and sleeping disrupted out of all semblance—until I came to the conclusion that it would never be the same again.
When I looked around me and realized that nothing would ever be the same again, my life was shattered like a precious crystal bowl that could never be put back together. (more…)
You know what I love about being a working mother?
The independence. Yes, I can make my own way in the world. I can provide what I want without asking permission.
My destiny takes hard work but it’s mine. I’m steering. I made the choices along the way to get the skills to be able to make money.
That’s what I’m celebrating this Independence Day. (more…)
Ann was raised on a dairy farm, and really didn’t have much. But she wasn’t going to stay there. She had bigger visions for her life and went to school to become a nurse.
After she graduated, she went to work in an oncology department (that’s a cancer nurse) working long hours. It’s pretty common for nurses in hospitals to work 12 hour shifts, and it’s also well understood that “12 hours” really means 14 after you do all the handoffs from the outgoing and incoming shifts.
NOTE: This is a guest post I did for Liz Thompson at http://www.housestyleediting.com . I’m sharing it here too
“You mean I’ll be off work for 4 entire months?”
While planning for the birth of my first child, I reviewed the maternity leave. I loved my work, and used it as an excuse to delay starting a family. (more…)
What if you get, “The Illegal Question” in an interview?
It’s usually directed at women: “Are you married? Do you or will you have kids?”
The question behind the question: “Will you be coming late and bolting early for school programs, teacher conferences, medical issues and sports?” (more…)