When Marissa Mayer took over the reins of Yahoo as its new CEO despite being six months pregnant, she opened a new chapter in the history of women’s emancipation.
At a time, when most women bid adieu to their careers, Mayer’s appointment drew both appreciation and shock.
Clearly, the company had no problems hiring a heavily pregnant CEO, proving that times have changed and with it the equation between pregnancy and careers.
Pregnancy is no longer a hurdle between a woman’s personal life and professional aspirations, moreover she needn’t sacrifice one for the other.
Marissa told the media that she’s happy to work through her pregnancy and is confident of handling both. ‘It is good to continue working throughout one’s pregnancy.
Work keeps you active both mentally and physically, while helping to ease the tedium that pregnancy brings with it,’ affirms Dr K V Mahalakshmi, gynaecologist, Rockland hospital.
Experts believe that if women can balance their nutrition, physical and emotional wellbeing along with their professional responsibilities, then they can easily enjoy a healthy pregnancy and an active career.
PLAN AND PREPARE
‘In nuclear families where both the partners work, pregnancy is usually wellplanned keeping in mind the partners respective professional aspirations,’ informs Dr Monika Malik, gynaecologist at Apollo hospital.
33-year-old Ridhi Chowfla, a PR manager at Avon is expecting her first child in few weeks, and agrees with Dr Malik’s view stating, ‘I’ve been married for seven years and working for twelve. I reached a stage where I was settled and mentally prepared to have a child without any compromise on professional front.
During these nine months I have never skipped a day of work and in fact, office was where I was happy.’ Like Chowfla, women have started embracing pregnancy when they feel settled, personally and professionally.
A majority are choosing to get pregnant in their thirties when they are mentally and financially prepared for it.
The advantage is an increased level of maturity, patience and an understanding of the importance of one’s health and wellbeing, which in turn helps them balance motherhood and work easily.
WORKING NON STOP
It’s a passe to bid farewell to a career in exchange for a pregnancy. In fact, women now aim to keep working through their pregnancy.
‘My work was my biggest stress buster during both my pregnancies,’ claims Nandita Raipurani of designer-duo Hemant & Nandita.
The celebrated designer delivered successful collections at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week both in 2010 and 2012 when she was expecting both her babies respectively.
‘I never felt over loaded or stressed because of work. I made sure that I took all my meals and snacks on time.
While working on my collection, I dedicated an hour to rest and kept a couch at my office so that I could steal a short nap from my busy schedule,’ she shares.
If it was the short nap in Nandita’s case, it was taking short breaks and walking in fresh air for jewellery designer and Founder – Mirari, Mira Gulati that did the trick.
It helped Mira relax at work where she spent her time until fifteen days before welcoming her baby daughter.
‘Work is the only thing that keeps me sane and motivated. Since you are mentally active, it helps you divert your mind from many discomforts that come with pregnancy,’ she shares.
Mira also suggests that as the pregnancy advances one can keep working by reducing the number of working hours.
