Finding out that you are pregnant is one of the most life-changing moments a woman will ever experience. As soon as you get the news, you are focused on the future and preparing for your little one. The last thing you want to be worried about is job security, or lack thereof.
Working, for Two
Despite what so many American women fear, being pregnant is not a death sentence for your professional life. There is a policy in place mandating equal treatment and consideration for those applying for jobs or working while pregnant. In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act was passed by Congress and signed into law. This Act prohibits employment discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions.
Pregnancy Doesn’t Affect Your Professional Competence
If you’re newly pregnant and can get away with hiding the fact, it is often advised to do so while interviewing for a job. It is not dishonesty. A pregnant woman interviewing for a job might fear the company seeing her as a liability due to the fact that she will need to take leave for a period of time. This fear is not an unfounded one, as around 20% of all pregnant women have experienced pregnancy discrimination in some way. That’s 1 in 5 expectant mothers being denied accommodations such as bathroom breaks, heavy lifting restrictions, and other pregnancy-specific needs.
In the United States, it is most contradictory that pregnant women are on the receiving end of discrimination when the government has turned to bribery to convince more women to have children. Since taking office in 2025, President Trump has proposed offering lump sums of money to new parents. He’s also mentioned giving medals to mothers who have had more than six children. Yet, pregnant women still experience discrimination while doing the very thing the government has asked them to do.
Although pregnancy may feel isolating, finding a new job while pregnant is more common than you think. In her LinkedIn article, Ashley Aagaard, who is expecting her third child, speaks on finding a new job at 35 weeks pregnant. Her experience shows us that with the right support from family, friends, and employers, it is possible to make these big changes at any stage.
Percent of women who worked at all while pregnant with first child
Credit: Working while pregnant is much more common than it used to be, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (March 31, 2015)
Pressure To Start Families, but Offer No Safety Net
Mothers should have the right to choose whether or not they wish to stay in the workforce during and after pregnancy, not be forced to leave due to discrimination and accommodations not being met. Pregnant women make up 1.6% of the U.S. workforce annually. For a country that is trying to raise the current birth rate, it is quite contradictory that the United States is one of the only countries that does not have a federally mandated parental leave. This makes the decision to have children even more challenging, as you know you will need to figure out a way to support yourself since the government is not required to.
What is most important to remember is that if you are in this season of life right now, you are not alone. Pregnant women have just as much capability and worthiness in the professional world as anyone else, and the right employer will recognize that.
Credit: DC Studio via MagnificM
This article was written by a guest contributor, H. Clouser.
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