One advantage of being a man in the work force is he will never have to face the dilemma of being both employed and unexpectedly pregnant. He can’t truly understand the stress of deciding whether or not to have the baby and if she decides to have it, planning her career around a brand new life that she may end up raising on her own.
Perhaps you or a friend have recently discovered you are unexpectedly pregnant. If this isn’t welcome news, the shock is resounding, not to mention the panic. For women who are Christian, especially Roman Catholics, having an abortion is difficult. For many it isn’t even an option. If you’re going to get an abortion then make a quick decision. Agonizing over getting an abortion is one of the worst things you will ever do, except perhaps having the abortion.
One way to decide if you should have an abortion is to mind map your beliefs to help you think it through. Here’s an example I made on Wisemapping. I included a link to a good worksheet from the Children by Choice website here.
If you decide to have the baby, it’s best to make yourself a career plan. There will be some challenging changes in your professional life, make no mistake. Penelope Trunk’s blog Quit work for a while to have kids. Your career will be just fine states ost potential parents today are much less consumed with money and prestige, and more concerned with personal growth and flexibility. So taking a position below the last one is not as upsetting as it used to be. People do not think of a career as a straight shoot up the corporate ladder.
Once you have determined that you can keep your job and will have a job to return to after your mat leave is finished, here are some ideas to help you.
Explore a work from home option. Perhaps you can arrange this through your company or you may have to leave your company and get a work at home option somewhere else. That’s aside from the work you will put in raising a baby of course.
If you have worksite daycare that relieves you of much of your stress when you return to work. You don’t have to worry about leaving your baby with a complete stranger and you probably won’t have to pay for it.
If you have a website and a blog you have been building for some time, consider a career in social media.
Find other ways make money than your current job. For instance open a business online and attach a shopping cart option.
Explore family and friends as child care options if your work doesn’t provide daycare.
Retrieve needed resources well in advance of the delivery date.
Reflect on the positives of being a career woman with an unplanned pregnancy:
- you have the income to support a child;
- you have legal means to get financial support from a man who is probably also employed and making a good salary;
- you have the maturity to develop solid parenting skills;
- you are aware that there are support groups for women in your situation;
- you are aware enough to seek out resources such as groups that offer free baby items.
- young mothers, especially teenage mothers, often do not have these options or don’t know they are available.
- there are women who would love to be in your shoes. Not everyone can get pregnant and many women who have children are unemployed.
- you will love your baby until the day you die.
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