The path to motherhood is an incredible experience, and while it’s easy to get lost in all its bliss (as is expected!), it’s important for working mothers (or soon to be) to keep in mind that nine months isn’t that far out after all. Stress is detrimental during a pregnancy, and though it’s inevitable in some cases, there are some apprehensions that are avoidable — starting with your career.
Just like baby proofing a house prior to the arrival of a new addition to prevent any accidents from happening, consider proofing the workplace, too. Four to six months prior to maternity leave, expecting mothers should consider doing the following to avoid anxiety and ultimately feel prepared:
Communicate with your manager. Set timelines for conversations and priorities, like who needs to be handling which of your responsibilities, whether or not training needs to be involved, or what the plan is if you go early. Having a timeline will hold you and your manager accountable for planning.
Map out your agenda. Jot down daily, weekly or monthly tasks. This doesn’t have to include minute-to-minute details but should be a broad overview to ensure the team fully understands what each assignment entails, or how you work through a task or…