Perfect Timing?

I will said congratulation, on 1987 I got my BA and I got my daughter on my and graduate on june, and start to work on sep[tember. You will be fine, what you need to do is to find a responsable babysitter or a family that will help you. Another option see if there's an Early Head Start program you will be fine N. Early Head Start teacher

I tried to look for work when I was 7 months pregnant and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. There is definitely skepticism from employers when it comes to hiring a pregnant woman. Sad world. Anyway, it worked out great to look for work after my son was born.

It always eases the mind to have something lined out. If you are in Texas,Georgia, or NY; I may have something that would help.
You can email me if you want to learn more about working from home. ____@____.com

M.,

I think you should do your job search and interviews. Just let them know when you plan on working. Ther is no harm in looking. If you are planning to breast feed make sure you bring a pumping system so you can pump and save your milk while you are at work. you can also store your milk for when you are away from baby. Good luck in your surch.
M. K

First of all let me congratulate you for getting your BS. Next let me tell you that having a baby is great and your "HUSBAND" should be glad and proud, as there are many couple that cannot get pregnant. Now for the sour notes. You have lived with this man for 5 years, did you get pregnant by accident? Whether yes or no, what are you guys waiting for? Saving for your wedding is just another way of saying we're not sure. It is also spending money you will be needing for your house and other needs. A wedding expense is a waste. All you are doing is feeding other people, renting a hall so that they can dance with the music you provide and then eat and go home ... all at your expense. Just go see a justice of the peace and say "I do" and it is just as good and memorable if you love each other. Do not start out trying to show off. The expense will not be worth it. Keep it simple.
Wait on your job search .. you might find just what you are looking for and then find out that you might not be able to work right after your pregnancy for some reason or other. Good luck !!!

I would start looking for a job now, with the help of your college's career support center. They can also help you with the delicate issue of your pregnancy and need for maternity leave/recovery time. You won't be available right away to begin work and that is perfectly fine. Companies work around that all the time. But, you must keep in mind that employers are looking at potential employees' personal lives and finances with more and more scrutiny these days.
Please understand that I'm being objective in this response. You are pregnant with a child out of wedlock although you and the father have been together for 5 years. However, you have committed to earning a 4 year college degree. As an employer, I would not take you seriously. That tells me that you do not have your priorities straight. If you can't afford a big wedding now, who cares? You need to show commitment and go to the Justice of the Peace. At least for now. You already have lack of experience going against you. Why would you want to add lack of commitment? You must remember, you are in essence asking for your potential employer's money as well as time.
Be ready to show them that you are a sound investment (not a risk) in all facets. Also, from my experience... If you're not married and not even living together, you need to have at least 6 months of living expenses saved up for you and your baby to live off of. There are NO guarantees once the baby arrives. It is a trying experience for all involved. I would marry BEFORE the baby arrives for a multitude of reasons. Commitment being the most important. I hope this did not come off as too opinionated. I'm just trying to give you the corporate point of view on this. Good Luck!

You are lumping some of the top life stressors all in at the same time. Wait on the job, finish school, have the baby and then job serch. You will be glad that you did. I run a company with about 20 employees and I can honestly say if you came to me now I would ask you to come back after the baby is born to see if we still have an opening.

You need to wait.....at least until the baby is 1 month then go ahead.....you physically and psychologically won't be ready to start a job until then...just enjoy your time right now..try to save in all areas and have a yard sale!! or sell some items you don't need now...on ebay, babysit, try to make some extra money...talk to people and let them know you can babysit. I have been there and know how it is..MOM of TWO

I had pretty much the exact situation you are going through two years ago, ut I got married when I was 4 months, graduated when I was 6 months and got my first full time job when I was 8 months pregnant. So I believe you should go ahead and start searching. People told me all the time that it was against the law for the employer to ask you if you were pregnant. When I got interviewed I guess she couldn't tell that I was until I actually started and she was happy that I was about to have the baby soon, and not be pregnant for a long period of time with the job. I am still at the job today. So again I say start searching. You'll never know what can happen unless you try.

Congratulations on both graduating and the new baby! I am a working mother, currently home on maternity leave. I think the answer to your question really depends on the kind of job you want and your field.

Honestly, I think it would be difficult for an employer to make any kind of investment in to you (it is often very costly to hire and train a new employee not to mention the cost of benefits) while taking the risk that you may not come back after having the baby (especially a first time mother). I work at an investment bank and this is how corporate America thinks. YOu may be able to get hired on as a temp without benefits with the possibility of permanent hire after maternity leave.

My advice is to put your resume out there, start the interview process, but don't get discouraged. Making the right contacts now could definitely payoff later in the summer. Also, keep in mind that for many industries, the hiring process pretty much stops for the holidays so if you haven't been hired by October, there is a good chance that it'll be 2009 before you are hired. Also, in some industries like mine, banking, August is a very slow month as many people take vacation.

Saying all that though, I will tell you that I was able to get a new job while I was pregnant which did have paid maternity leave so it is not impossible. They were desperate in need of someone at my level and with my experience (7 years in the industry). However, I was already a working mother and the group that I joined is remarkable in the way it treats its people. Also, I was much earlier in my pregnancy and they actually knew when I became pregnant before family and friends.

Dear M.,
Since you are going to stay at home with baby, just wait till then to send out resumes. Go to Career Builder.com and post your resume . Make sure you post it for your hometown area or they will give you the out of town jobs available. Career Builder always sends me updated reports, by email on jobs that are open in my home town of Brownsville, Texas. I know you will do well and wish you the best. Even though I am not looking anymore, I still like to recieve the reports to tell other friends.
Best Wishes,
M. Gonzalez

Congratulations, you did it!!!! College is a great accomplishment and nothing I am about to say is meant to diminish this in any way!

First of all I agree with the response...get married NOW! You can have a big fancy wedding later (I eloped and didn't invite my family, we got married in a simple ceremony later with a simple family reception and it was perfect). The point is, get that baby a father for the birth certificate and a last name to grow up with. I am definitely not judging you, but it will be better for the child in the long run for his/her sense of self worth and family history. Even though children out of wedlock is common, it isn't necessarily good. Besides, if you are married, you will enjoy many legal benefits such as tax breaks for both the marriage and the child!

I would hold off on the job search and here are a few things to consider. Once you have your baby, you may not want to work and you may find that it isn't as expensive as you think. Even though you have a college degree, doesn't mean that you have to use it. I have a Master's degree and am a stay-at-home Mother. I am using my education to educate my children. There are a few more compelling reasons to stay home. How will the cost of daycare in your area compare to your salary? How much will formula cost you as opposed to nursing? Now I am not saying don't work, I am saying consider it. The biggest factor for me was when I went around to the child care facilities and looked at the conditions. They were up to state codes, but it looked like a baby zoo to me. Some babies in cribs, others left in swings, others left in exersaucers...I just cried and cried when I left. It isn't as hard as you might think to stay at home...you may consider a more modest wedding too...how will a fancy wedding impact your future? How will staying home with your child impact his or her future? Again just some things to consider. Good luck with everything.

Hi M.,
I moved to a new area at 7 mo. pregnant and began my own job search and interviewing when I too had just completed my schooling and I found that they all LOOKED at me like, are you sure you are coming back after maternity leave, or will you change your mind on us. I don't think they took me seriously at all. I wasn't sure how I'd feel after the baby was born and I had planned on working to make ends meet, but I knew the thought of staying home was in the back of my mind. ALthough I would never have told anyone I was interviewing with that. I didn't know if we could afford to have me not go back to work. I saw being pregnant as a red flag in their eyes and on thier faces as I entered the room. I did much better after the baby was born. They only saw me as a woman who had a kid and was commited to thier company. I also feel that I presented myself better not being in my maternity attire and all and they seemed to respond to me better in return. If you are going to look for and fill out applications put your available date to start after the birth and it gives them the message that you are commited from that point on. They dont have to question whether to hire you just to have you take a big chunk of time off. That is frustrating to a new boss, and some may not allow that much time off that soon after hire. Good Luck!!!!

It is illegal for anyone to not hire you because you are pregnant, BUT dont add more stress to you life right now if you can avoid it. Let yourself enjoy your new bundle of joy :). After she is born you may decide to only start off part time or you may decide you need to stay home even longer.

I don't know that there is ever a perfect time to start looking but I can guarantee that if you make a good impression on a company they will be willing to wait until you deliver. One thing you cannot wait on is finding a day care that you like and get your name on the waiting list. I have a 6 month old who attends day care part time and it was hard to find a place but we started looking early on.

As a recruiter I can provide a little insight from an employeers prospective. The positions that are available now may not be available when you are ready to go back to work. It never hurts to starts looking at what is out there and getting a better idea for what you want to do. Submitting your resume will at least get the ball rolling and your name out there. Some positions need to be filled quickly while others are not so hot of a need.

Attend job fairs through your school (if available) to meet employeers and start networking. As you get closer to delivery, hit the job boards and company websites you are interested in. Knowing that you would like to stay home for 2 months after your baby is born will give you some extra time so you don't have to stress about finding something now.

I tried to get a part-time job when I was pregnant with my first (now 6) when I was about 6 months along and was not able to land anything, even at Babies R Us... I'm thankful looking back that I did not start working because I ended up on bed rest. Everything happens for a reason and there is so much out there these days, you will be able to find something you enjoy and can utilize your degree.

Best of luck and congrats on all the exciting things to come for you and your family.

I was is the same situation, only I was 9 months pregnant. I think that you should wait untill the baby is born and make some decissions. Things have a way of working out... and those first few months are precious. I stayed home with my son for 10 months, worked for one year, and recently decided to be a stay at home mom again. Enjoy this time in your life!!!

Congrats! Your life is changing in lots of exciting ways. If I were in your shoes, I think I would go ahead and start the search while your hands aren't full with a little baby. It is against the law for employers to discriminate against you because you are pregnant or have children. Good luck!

This is such a personal decision and you even feel like you have to be careful in answering. Although it is the law that potential employers not use pregnancy in their decision making- reality is that it will impact the decision making... simply because of logistics. You life will change so much with your new addition, too. With all that in consideration I think you should wait until after the baby comes to look for a job. Spend as much time as possible at home with you new baby. You'll be glad you did!

I am also a pregnant student and will graduate in May, but I will have my baby in July. This is my second and I will tell you that you can say you want to do lots of things before you have the baby, but once you have it you might change your mind with all of it. Before I had my first I never thought I would be a "mother hen", but once she was out it was a whole different story. I thought I would go back to school right away and the transition would be easy. Well, there was something inside of me that would not let me give my baby a bottle. I can't explain the feeling but it was a strong mothering feeling. I brestfed my baby for 15 months. That means that she never had formula or a bottle. I am not telling you that is what is going to happen to you, but do not be surprised if your feelings change after you have the baby. I am looking into a job to start after I graduate but I am not sure how long I want to be at home with the baby. I know I will not take the 6 weeks maternity leave that jobs give today. You will see your baby at 6 weeks old and they are still so small I just can not see leaving a tiny tiny baby with out its mommy. I hope this helps. I went to the job fair and everyone seemed not to mind at all that I was pregnant. If your very serious about working right after haveing the baby you need to find something now while you have some good sleep and all of your brain cells working correctly.
A little about me: A am married to a wonderful man, mother to a beautiful 21 month girl, and a 25 year old student.

Hi M.,

With you going to be getting your BS in May and you are due in June (by the way congrats!!!!). I would wait until you have delivered your precious little one. They are not suppose to look at the fact that your a pregnant but they do. And you might want to look at this part also....with you being a new mommy you might want to spend a little more time at home then the usual 6 to 8 weeks.

Good luck,
Ruthie

Dear M.,
Congrats on your new baby and your soon to be degree...what an accomplishment for a young woman so young!

I agree with some of the opinions that were given to you...I think if you have the opportunity to stay home with your baby for even a little while you should take advantage of it...I am speaking from experience!

Although it is against the law to discriminate, it happens!
It happened to me! And I didn't take legal action because it would have been impossible to prove. And further more,
although times have changed and most women do the marriage thing after giving birth, or not at all, there are potential employers out there who will be judgemental and think that you aren't a "good" candidate based other things that have nothing to do with the job.

Instead of blowing the money on a big wedding, (Really, what's the point) invest that money on a house or put it in savings so you can stay with your baby a little longer.

Good luck to you and again, congratulations.

i agree with the moms who said to wait. you never know how the baby will affect your life til you have him/her, and like others said, you might find a way to work from home. but in the meanwhile, i would do a deep search for companies that work well with people like you, have maternity leave (in case you have another one) and all of that. there are good companies out there. and someone suggested looking inot day care, because there are different philosophies on how to handle children and you will want to know them. they can also be very expensive, so see how much money you can make vs how mauch day care will cost. there is always a way!

It doesn't hurt to try the job search now because you may miss out on a great opportunity if you don't. But if you do try then you have to keep a positive attitude and don't let it get you down because it will be frustrating. I tried to find other jobs while I was pregnant and was unsuccessful. They are not supposed to discriminate against you because of the pregnancy but some definitely do. Of course people can give all the advice they want but what it really comes down to is do what you're most comfortable with.

Wow congratulations on both the baby and your degree. You definitely have a lot on your plate. You know it sounds like your at a major transitioning point in your life. Baby, new career, moving to a new place etc. There's too much at the same time. I would suggest you make a priority list. If you can hook a job for the summer now then great. But what I would really focus on is making plans to take care of yourself. All of these changes plus the hormonal changes in your body can take a toll on you. Postpone what may give you stress as much as you can. Research possible companies and even interview if you can without planning to actually work. If you get the job now, then great, if you don't , then you won't be dissapointed and you will have the practice of interviewing and you'll know what's out there. This way you may not feel as overwhelmed after the baby is here and your ready to get a job. It's great to look for work when you don't have to take it right this minute. The job WILL come. Many companies are "mom" friendly - you might be surprised. Meet and plan with your boyfriend and talk about what your options are. If your moving in together then maybe you can be off more than two months. Expect the unexpected, having that little bundle in your hands changes everything. You can do it! Just remember to take care of yourself first - if you don't then you won't be able to do anything else full force. Good luck.

Depends. What kind of job are you looking for and with what kinds of companies. Some employers, like universities and colleges, may have a long time between initial application and actual interviewing and hiring. Others want someone right away and can't wait several months to fill the position. I think it would be best to talk to your school's alumni recruitment office and see what they recommend.

I would wait until you can actually start a job. No employer is going to want to hire someone who is going to be on maternity leave a month later. I'd wait until about a month before you plan to start work to send out resumes, etc. then it won't be an issue when they ask you when you can start.

A lot of it depends on what your BS is in, and unfortunately there are a number of employers that won't hire a pregnant woman. It you are planning on searching now and not planning on starting your job until mid-August (2 months after your baby is born) you might be looking too early. It might better suit you to wait until after the baby is born to do any interviews, but it will never hurt to get resumes out now. If you get an interview upfront then be very honest with them and tell them your plans.

There is also a website called "LinkedIn" where you can post resumes and network with all kinds of people and prospective employeers will contact you as well.

Congrats on the BS and your first little one. I am pregnant with my first and am due June 21!!! If you need help with the LinkedIn website let me know.

I was 8months pregnant and went on several interview's just because I was bored. It's against the law for someone not to hire you because you are pregnant so they can't say that. But I had a couple of good offers call me back after the baby was born. After the baby came I took 6 more months before starting my job hunt just because I enjoyed spending time with my baby. Things may change for you once the baby is born. Anyway I ended up getting a job I enjoyed with the potential to move up. Which is exactly what I needed since I was a little rusty and had to catch up on some things and get rid of my cloudy baby brain. Good Luck to you the choice is yours.

I would wait until after you had the baby. Spend some time with your little one and adjusting to life as a mom. Then, when you feel ready, start the job search. This way, you'll have more of an idea of what type of job/hours you are looking for based on your baby and family's needs.

Now, this is just my personal preference... as a stay at home mom myself, I would try to convince you to try and stay at home as long as you can :) They are only little once and you can never get back the time you missed.

I wish you the best of luck and hope everyhting goes well for you :)

M.,

I'm about your age, soon-to-be first time mom, graduated school and currently work. I'm in sales but also particiapte in recruiting. Just to give you some light that I have been where you are now. Congrats on graduating and your new baby!!

While we all would like to think that recruiters would view everyone as equals and unbiased they will not be able to help what they see. When recruiters respond back to you with a "no" they are not going to say, "Well, it is because you are expecting and we are not sure what is going to happen from there." In my opinion, if you were to start now you would have to work much harder, do more interviews and hope for the best. Personally, I would wait until after the baby. I think you would have a lot more opportunities. The only drawback is missing out on the recruiting fairs that your school might have. If you have some good friends in your same degree program maybe they can at least grab some brochures and information from some of the recruiters.

I hope this helps and good luck! :)

I would definitely begin now, especially if your school has job fairs or career services available. I started about a year early for my masters degree and was so happy that I had about 10 months to go before graduating and had a job waiting for me. I think that it will definitely relieve some financial stress for you to have one ready for you when you are ready to begin work. BTW, I didn't start early for my bachelor's degree (which was in psychology) and regretted it.

Though legally, your pregnancy can't be used against you, I think chanches are pretty slim of being hired if they know you are then going to take 2 months off...unless you are trying to get hired and not start until AFTER your maternity leave time. most businesses probably won't want to take on the insurance and maternity leave you would require, whether that is ethical or not (IMO, not ethical!).
GL and congratulations on everything!

Hello M.,
You should definitely wait until after baby is born to start job search. Stay home with your baby for as long as you can. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy and on graduating!And make sure you get married! It's tough raising children alone.
God Bless You and Yours

I would suggest trying to work from home. I thought the same thing until I had my son and then I couldn't leave him. I have checked into hundreds of work from buisnesses and I finally found one that is legit and I am earning a real income. I love what I am doing and would love to share it with you.
B.
www.MoreForMyBaby.com

Hey! wow you must be very excited!! i'm about to be a mommy too! Due June 17!!! lol Of course its my first baby too. Im 17 and a sophmore in high school!

What kind of job are you looking for? Have you thought about doing something at home for a while? ~A.

I'd wait until after you have the baby and then do your interviews, like during your 2 months off. You'll be surprised how things change after the baby, so you'll want to wait until you make a job choice. Distance from home, hours working, day care,- you won't know what you really think about these things until after the baby is born. Good luck with anything!

Most people that are interviewing NOW, have openings that need filled NOW. I lost a job once while pregnant, and had to interview while pregnant, and got NOWHERE! Plus, even tho it's not legal to discriminate, when a boss sees you fixing to have a baby, he/she knows that after the baby, you will be out frequently for Dr appts, sick child, etc.... So I suggest not starting until you are ready to start work. Don't mention having recently had a baby, or even having a child unless it is asked, which it shouldn't be. It's none of their business, and if they have to pick between a person with a newborn and a person with no kids, or a teenager, you'll always get passed over. Good luck!

Depends on the type of job you will be seeking and when employer would need to hire. Maybe you could start off with something that you could do from home.

Congratulations!!!
I have 4 children and I'm very proud to say that I raised this little monsters. They grow so fast that you don't want to miss the way they grow, specially the first years, they need mom 100%. You should try to look for something that you could do from home. I believe the best job is to help your kids. I do work from home if you like I could get you in touch with my company.

M.,

I actually interviewed for jobs when I was 5 months pregnant. I got hired, but the company did not know I was pregnant. They had to hire me pretty much after they offered me the job and I told them. I missed a lot of work with Dr.'s appts and sickness. I eventually ended up quiting. I would look and see what it out there and then wait until the baby comes. Unless you find something that you can do from home while on maternity leave, most companies are not going to want to go through the maternity leave process once they get you trained and going. Just my experience.

I am a mtoher of two now and work and still do full time mommy shift!

Hi M.!
I am a mom of 8 children! Corporate America did not work for me any longer as you can imagine. I have been a work at home mom with a company that is "mom" friendly for the past 8 years! Moms are actually our "target" market! If you would like some information on our company and how you can be a stay at home mom and work from home, please give me a call. You can reach me at ###-###-#### and my email is: ____@____.com You may also visit my web site: www.formomswhocare.com and if an extra $500 or more monthly can keep you home doing what is the most important job you will ever have, then lets talk further! Congratulations on your pregnancy! Sincerely, K. Turner

I would wait and start your job search after your baby is born. Employers do not like to hire someone who will be having to take maternity leave right after starting. Also you don't want to start a job before finding out how you are going to adjust to motherhood. Some mothers get seperation anxiety after their babies are born when they are that little and it is better to find a job after you have worked through any rough patches of becoming a new mom. And others don't have any problem at all after becoming a new mom. I did not have any problems after having my 2 older children but for some reason I got post partum with the 3rd, but not to badly and I had a lot of seperation anxiety when I left her with the daycare center although my other two went to daycare since they were small.

Hope this information helps you with your decision and congratulations on your little bundle of joy.

Why don't you wait and see how your delivery and after care go, and then decide how and when you want to work. It will take time to get your baby on a schedule, arrange child care, and so on and so forth. Perhaps it would be best to get one major event and decision completed before moving on to another one.

Congratulations ! Best Wishes !

Keep in mind that those 2 months after the baby is born are going to be hectic (lack of sleep, adjusting to a new family member, dealing with body changes, etc.). You'll need to determine if that is the time you'll give the most impressive interview. I had a girlfriend interview during her last trimester (delivered during finals) and was still able to land the job she wanted. Just something to think about.

I was in the same boat 2 years ago. I finished my BBA at 8 months pregnant. I would not begin my search now, at least not until you have the baby. Those things can be very stressful.

However, I would recommend searching occasionally, and if there is a position you really want-go for it. I waited until my son was 1 month old to begin looking and applying. It took me 4 months to find work, and it was very hard financially. If you are not married, you can get govt. assistance to help out until you get a job. The worksource in Wharton was really helpful for me. Also, you can get a part-time job in the mean time if you have to.

I would not change a thing. If you are working, you are limited to how much time off you get with your new baby. I had a full 5 months with my baby, with no pressure from anyone to return to work. That makes a huge difference.

congrats!!!! I personally would wait until I am ready to begin working, to start interviewing. But it never hurts to go to networking events in your area, just to get out and meet people who could potentially assist in your job hunting. What is your degree in? I work from home with my kiddos, perhaps you could do the same ;)

Good luck!
A.

Hi M.,
Not that it's like your situation, but I was fired from a job I had been at for 6 years when I was 5 months pregnant, I won't get into the unfair treatment I received as I didn't do anything wrong. Anywho..my husband and I had just bought a home and needed money, so I began the job search right away. If I mailed my resume I'd receive a call, go for an interview and then not get the job. if I took it in in person I never even got a call. I know it's illegal for employers to discriminate but it ceartinly is hard to prove so it does happen.
I ended up staying at home for a year..thru then end of my pregnancy and then 5 months with my son. Once I decided to go back to work..I got the first job I interviewed for. HMMMMM interesting huh? So just avoid the stress and possible rejection and enjoy being pregnant and the few months you can stay home with your child. Congratulations on the baby and graduating. God bless.

Your life is about to change in a big way with several big events coming together at the same time. As a career counselor I suggest you network and do employment research first. Give yourself time to adjust to your baby,your body and your new life schedule. Do you have child care providers lined up? Once you begin the interview process you will need someone to care for you child while you interview not to mention everyday while you work. The 2 month plan sounds good but be ready to make changes because unforseen circumstances will arise. You may want to stretch things out to 3 months. Employers are not to ask about children and spouses - these are illegal questions. Pull your interview wardrobe together, study the company and practice your responses to interview questions. Be prepared to begin work when the offer comes. Also be prepared financially if an offer does not come quickly. You have a plan, just don't get overwhelmed by trying to do it all "right now". Keep the stress down. Good luck.

Wait until you have the baby. You will need some time to adjust, find child care, and rest and recover from having a baby and make sure your baby is healthy enough to attend child care. it is important when the baby naps, that you nap too. Your health and happiness are #1. The last month of pregnancy, you will want to take it easy and rest. This sounds awful, but what if your water broke during an interview, or you had to go to the bathroom pronto, or you are so swollen, that you can only put on your slippers? Relax, and cherish the time you have with your baby at home. They grow up so fast.

My experience was different from what I read about others. I was hired when I was very far along in my pregnancy. Maybe pregnancy affects the judgement of some employers, but it obviously doesn't affect the judgement of all since I was hired. Decide what is best for you and for your baby, and then act on it.

I would spend as much time as possible at home with the baby. At this point you don't know how you will feel once the baby is here. Trust me on this. Empoyers will look at the pregnancy as a liability because they know from experience that all births are not perfect and sometimes people can be out for quite sometime. A new parent is going to be more apt to take their child to the dr. more often and have a hard time getting to work on time routinely because it is hard to get them to day care/sitters and leave them there. This is just how it is, but it is easy to overlook these things when the employee has a history of being a good employee. It is hard to take all this on when you aren't sure about the person you are hiring. AS an employer it is a risk to hire just about anyone these days and then the training etc.. So my opinion as a mom is to try and get as much time as you can. My opinion as an employer would be to have your baby get yourself situated at home and when your head is clear and you can come to work and give it your all then come interview. hope this helps you.

Hi there,

First congrats on becoming a mom. If you can wait until you have the baby to get a job, that may be best. Or maybe you can get something part time that is low impact, and where you won't have to stand on your feet. Otherwise, you will have about 6-8 weeks of recovery time after the baby anyway. So that is your "two months" to stay at home. During this time, look for a job, and daycare provviders, so that you can be ready to start work as soon as your recovery time is up.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

I think you should wait unti after you have the baby because just like you said, you don't want to be thought of as a liability and also, it will give you time to get to know your baby and bond with him/her. They grow up so fast and since being a first time mom, (like me) you don't want to miss a thing!

Hi M.,

Congratulations on your pending gradutation!
And welcome to the mommy club!

Like you, I was pregnant when I graduated college back in Dec. 2006. (8 1/2 months, with twins, to be precise) Both then, and now, it felt like the timing was perfect. A natural end to my academic life (woohoo!) and a natural beginning for my family life. I decided to give myself 6months after my girls were born before embarking on the job hunt. Their father and I aren't married, but we live together and are absolutely committed to one another. We often talk of marriage but don't feel the expense of a wedding is feasible or necessary at this point in our lives.

So that's a little about me and my perspective. And now to get to your questions. I've had several friends who interviewed while pregnant, and not showing, who got a great response from the interviewer, only to never hear from them again once their pregnancy was disclosed. Unfortunately, this is the norm in the job marketplace. My advice to you is wait until you are ready to start working to start the interviewing process. You already have so much on your plate with finishing school and bringing a new life into the world that prepping for interviews and possibly learning a new role at some company is just over the top. Interviewing now probably wont do you any good anyway, because any prospective employer will take one look at your belly and think "maternity leave", and dismiss you without a second thought.

so i encourage you to not underestimate the enormity of what you are already set up to accomplish: graduation and giving birth. Trust me, that is enough for even the most divine of goddesses to handle.

And from my personal experience, the one thing I truly regret about being in school for most of my pregnancy, was that I never really took the time to just sit back and marvel and enjoy the miracle of the growing new lives inside my belly. I gave much more attention to final exams and papers and presentations, instead of focusing on what i now know to be so special and so, so fleeting. So take lots of 'pregnant belly shots', take time to just appreciate the magic of the present moments of being pregnant.

and once the baby arrives, dont rush going to work. i know it seems crazy to look at the finances and see that you have more mouths to feed and less people working to feed them. but bonding with your baby is the single most important thing you can do with your time and no amount of money can buy back the first year. Baby needs mommy more than mommy and daddy need $$. That may sound preachy, but it's true. You can and will make it work. Remember that you have many more resources available to you than you might expect. Family and friends will certainly lend a hand. and don't forget to reach out to the community. WIC nutritional support for nursing mothers has been a blessing to my family--i use the vouchers i get from WIC every month to go shopping at the farmer's market on the weekends. A little help from here and there goes a long way. And before you can even blink, the first year is past.

As for me, I was absolutely set on getting a job asap after my girls were born. All through college, that had been my goal and my plan: get the degree, then get the good job, then make lots of $$$. When I found out i was pregnant, i didn't really change my plan much. I just decided to take 6 months to breast feed my girls, then I would go get a job and let someone else (daycare) raise them.

Well, my girls are 13 months old now, and I have had several really promising job interviews that didn't end with me getting the job. Each time that's happened, i am majorly bummed, but I know in my heart that it's just not the right time yet. My girls still need me. I am still breast feeding them which I think is a major reason why they have never been sick.
Don't get me wrong, I REALLY REALLY want a great job. But now, after living for a year on next to nothing, and being out of this world happy spending this precious time with my girls, I have realized that in order for me to change my current situation, whatever job i finally do accept has got to be something that i feel great about doing and the financial compensation must be extraordinary.

I guess the moral of my story is this: it's great to plan and dream and work toward goals, but in the end the divine plan for your life will prevail.
I hope you find some wisdom in these words somewhere. I was compelled to write because it wasn't that long ago when i was in your shoes.

I wish you many blessing and lots of luck on your path.
Best,
Tiff

As an hr director, wait till after the baby is born as many now don't think of it as a liability but you will miss work being out with sick kids etc. Try to take off for 3 months if possible or find a place that has a close by or in service day care. Good luck!

I don't know what field your degree is in, so I can't answer the job timing thing. If it is one with a long hiring curve, like management, then start NOW with the caveat that you wn't actually be starting the job til July or August.

The one thing I do want to say, if you are serious about going back to work at 2mos, and at the start of a new school year is: Find Daycare NOW!

I temp a little and just came off a 3mos assignment covering for a single mom on maternity leave. She is having a really hard time going back to worn now because she did not find a child care provider while pregnant. Her baby is 3mos old and right now her mom has temporarily moved in to provide child care because of the long wait for infant care.

Don't get stuck like this! If you truly need to go back when the baby is under a year old you need to find child care now. Most places have a waiting list and will tell you it's usually a 6mos wait to get in.

Do it NOW :)