The Pregnant Pause in Hiring- My Months-Long Quest to be Hired while Pregnant
“I think it went really well!” I told my husband excitedly as I wiggled out of my blazer, which was now definitely too snug on my third-trimester body.
“Did they say when to expect a call back?” he asked, with noticeable caution in his voice.
We had been having this conversation for months already. It would start with me excitedly telling him that a company had reached out to me with comments on my “impressive resume.” And the first interview would almost always go well.
But then, every single time that a company made the follow-up call to discuss “next steps,” and I disclosed that I was pregnant, the conversation ended. 47 job applications later, I was now in my third trimester, my due date rapidly impending, and not a single company had called back after “The Pregnancy Talk.”
Since late fall, I had been actively applying to part-time copywriting jobs. Although I have a full-time job, my company does not offer fully paid maternity leave, so I was in the pursuit of short-term, part-time hours to offset the costs of the unpaid weeks we knew were coming in the spring.
The jobs that I applied to were ones that many employers said needed to be filled immediately–something I was eager and professionally prepared to do. And yet, once they had expressed interest in me and I disclosed my pregnancy, I was either ghosted or hit with the “please apply again after your maternity leave.”
I didn’t blame them, but I did start to wonder if perhaps my value while pregnant had diminished to only one thing: being a mother. To say the least, it was a disheartening few months.
But my story doesn’t have a sad ending, because not all companies see the limitations of hiring pregnant women or mothers. It’s true–there aren’t many companies hiring pregnant women. And there are even less companies hiring women who are 35-weeks-pregnant. And yet, that is the exact position I found myself in after 16 weeks of applying to jobs when Melissa Wirt, CEO of Latched Mama, hired me.
So, a bit of encouragement for the many mothers or moms-to-be who may find themselves in my position: there are companies hiring the pregnant woman when she is most qualified for the job. There are companies that know mothers make some of the best employees when given the opportunity.
After all, we have a reason to be driven in our careers, we know how to multitask better than almost anyone, and we don’t have a lot of time to spare, so we are uncompromisingly productive when working.
It was nearly impossible to find a company that saw that value in me once they knew I was pregnant, though. And how many hundreds of thousands of working moms already know this story? They weren’t given the chance to get the job. Or maybe even worse, they returned after maternity leave, only to be let go on their first day back. These stories are well-known among moms, and often can make the quest for a job feel overwhelming and defeating.
I’m walking away from my job-hunting experience thankful to have found what feels like a needle in a haystack–a company that sees my value as an employee, and not just my limitations as a pregnant woman. But should job-hunting while pregnant feel like searching for a needle in a haystack?
The companies who realize the value of hiring mothers sooner will undoubtedly see pay-offs that continue to prove the power of the working mother. The more we recognize this oversight in our workforce, perhaps the more companies we will see eager to hire mothers and everything they bring to the table.
Maybe motherhood isn’t just something to hide in the pursuit of a career. Maybe “motherhood” deserves a spot on your resume instead.
Great article! I shared it to Facebook.
Motherhood definitely deserves a high ranking spot on the resume! Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the limitations (that moms can most certainly work around!) often overshadow the qualifications. Hopefully a wind is shifting to identify the unique value mothers bring to the workplace.
That’s why I love Melissa and Latched Mama!!!
But I am also wondering if you can file a discrimination lawsuit. Because it is illegal not to hire someone because of their pregnancy and if those companies were no longer interested in you after finding out you were pregnant, I would think you would be able to!
Ugh I hate that this happened to you (and feels like it should be illegal to discriminate people in a job scenario based on anything connected to their body?) but I am so glad you this opportunity! Writing for a job—so many English teachers’ dream!
I was moving and once I arrived would be 21 weeks pregnant. I interviewed for jobs before I moved virtually and was offered two jobs. I didn’t disclose being pregnant until after I accepted because I didn’t want that to change my worthiness. I was nervous to tell tho, but after a week or two I told my manager and he was so happy for me and not at all bothered thankfully. I am disappointed I don’t qualify for FLMA since I won’t be here a year. I think I can get short term disability. I don’t know how long it will be either, I am hoping for it to be a good amount. I took my husbands insurance from his job, so all I want is significant time with my baby and a job to come back to.
I’m in the same situation and am so scared. I still haven’t told my employer either. I’m just looking for the right time. Did you go on maternity leave yet? Did it work out?
I found out I was pregnant right after I got a new job and my employer couldn’t have been happier. But I am finding out now that I’m 33 weeks that dr apt and conversation of going to the ER when things are wired or I’m bleeding… I get a vibe that they get frustrated and wish I wasn’t there. But I have short term due to the same situation and I get 6-8 weeks depending on company need for me to come back at 6 weeks.
I had boaster shot and suffered a side effect of irregular period and after 4 months I came to know that I was pregnant and once my work place came to know about it they started creating issues with my doctor visits and frequent break to restroom and I suffer UTI due to common washroom and had to take a day off and next day they asked me to leave and they gave me a written note saying I can join back once this is over they can not handle all this and work is suffering becoz of this and even our HR who is female and have 3 kids didn’t even understand care. I was heartbroken I worked so hard for them and all I get is this.
I am planning to sue them but my husband and frnds are saying it’s not worth of energy n time.
I really wish we didn’t have to be nervous about something that is natural. That’s how we all got here. And with women for many years have shown themselves more than experienced, qualified and worthy of jobs and still balanced motherhood. We are very much capable of doing so.