MATERNITY FASHION FOR THE WORKPLACE

As my pregnancy progresses, what's the most appropriate way to dress for work?
For the first three months or so, you'll probably be able to wear your regular clothes. Then you'll enter the awkward zone: You may not look pregnant yet, but you may appear to be gaining weight — and true maternity clothes are simply way too big at this point. Your best tactic: Wear vests, long jackets, sweaters, and any other loose but professional clothes that gracefully camouflage your growing belly without accentuating it — especially if you haven't shared your news with your office yet.
Once the word is out, you might as well make life easier by dressing suitably. If your office has a more formal dress code, maternity clothing stores may be your best bet for attractive suits, skirts, etc.



Where can I find formal wear?
A few years ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find an elegant maternity outfit for a special occasion. These days, there's a lot to choose from — check out Liz Lange or Japanese Weekend for evening wear. Or visit Mom's Night Out for fancy dresses and even maternity wedding gowns.

What's below:
• Is there any reason I shouldn't work while pregnant?

• How do I manage morning sickness at work?

• How do I maintain a professional image as my pregnancy progresses?

• How can I best take care of myself while working?


Is there any reason I shouldn't work while pregnant? If you're having a low-risk, normal pregnancy and work in a safe environment, you can certainly continue working. But if you work in a job with known hazards — computer chip factories, operating rooms, dark rooms, or air travel — you should ask for a new assignment during your pregnancy. If you have a desk job, your obstetrician or midwife may recommend that you stop working 1½ to 2 weeks before your due date. If you're a waitress, sales clerk, or spend more than four hours a day on your feet, you should consider stopping work about 2½ weeks before your due date. If your job is extremely active, stop at least one month before.



How do I manage morning sickness at work?
Sixty to 90 percent of women experience some nausea or full-fledged morning sickness during pregnancy. (One mother we know couldn't stomach salad dressing or anything with vinegar for the entire nine months.) Chances are, it might hit you during a workday. If you know you're prone to vomiting, keep towels and mouthwash in your car, figure out the quickest way to the bathroom, and — if you haven't told your office your news yet — try to come up with a few convincing lines about 'food poisoning' or the stomach flu in case someone comes in while you're indisposed.
If you're having a particularly severe and prolonged morning sickness experience — constant nausea or frequent vomiting — you may have to tell your supervisor about your pregnancy earlier than planned.

This can be tricky, as you don't want to be perceived as a lame duck. So before you tell her, figure out what you want: Compassion? Time off? A flexible schedule until you get through the worst of it?

Figure out what she wants — probably a commitment that you will get your work done, even if that means on your own time. And finally, assure her that morning sickness usually ends right around the end of the third month.

How do I maintain a professional image as my pregnancy progresses?
It helps to know how your pregnancy may affect you at work: During the first and third trimesters, expect fatigue, absentmindedness, and daydreaming; during the second, expect to feel more energetic and focused. Even though the fatigue and spaciness are normal, consider who at work, if anyone, you want to share those feelings with. Someone who's been there may be your best bet.

Your pregnancy, though visible, can still be private. Since you want to continue to be perceived as a hardworking professional, try not to complain or talk about your pregnancy too much. In the privacy of your own workstation, you can do whatever you want — daydream, worry, wonder, touch your growing belly as much as you please (women do tend to touch their stomachs more often when they're pregnant) — but avoid doing so in public, especially in meetings.

How can I best take care of myself while working?

• Put your feet up. Keep a box or stool under your desk.

• Wear comfortable shoes. You might try maternity tights or support hose, too.

• Dress comfortably.

• Seek out the support of fellow mothers.

• Take breaks. Stand up and stretch if you've been sitting; sit down and raise your feet if you've been standing.

• Drink a lot. Keep a tall water glass at your desk and refill it often. (This will also give you a chance to take a break.)

• Don't hold it in. If you have to go to the bathroom, do it.

• Evaluate your office space. Working at a computer won't harm your developing baby, but pregnant women are more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome, so be sure to take any appropriate measures you can to make your desk and chair arrangement as comfortable as possible.

• Rest, rest, rest. Don't overexert yourself at home or at work.

• Eat properly.

• Avoid workplace hazards.

• Reduce stress. If you can't eliminate a stress factor in your workplace, try to find ways to manage it, such as deep-breathing exercises, yoga, stretching, or simply taking a short walk.

• Accept help. If your co-workers want to baby you a little — and you don't mind — then let them. Consider yourself lucky to be in a supportive workplace. This is a rare and special time in your life and it would be a shame to have to pretend that nothing has changed every day when you're at work!