Pregnant? How do I balance pregnancy and work?

Bidemi Adesanya got married 5 years ago and had been burdened about having children. She is actively competent in her organisation. She works from 9 to 7pm and sometimes even later. For her, getting engulfed in her work was her escape route to avoid thinking about childlessness.

She is loved by her boss who always makes reference to her in meetings, speaks about her competence and delivery of given tasks. She never misses meetings and is always result driven. Her commendation at work was also another way of supressing her pain as she always enjoyed the compliments on her dedication to work and always wants to outdo her previous accomplishments.

Sometime in December 2015, she took ill and struggled to focus at work. In the middle of urgent deadlines, she would rush to the toilet to throw up and get back to work. Her immediate boss, a woman, called her one day and asked if she was ok to which she replied “I am fine ma”.  On her way back to her seat, she wondered why her boss called to ask if she was okay. She immediately ignored the thought of being pregnant because she just didn’t think it would happen anytime soon since she hadn’t been pregnant for once. When she got to work the next day, her boss called her again and this time she was very specific “Bidemi, I speak to you like someone who has been there before, I feel strongly you need to take a pregnancy test” she said. Bidemi’s eyes almost popping out of her sockets responded in disbelief “I don’t think so Ma, I think I just need to rest because I have been quite stressed recently” and her boss responded saying “For what it’s worth it, even if you do not want to go to the hospital to confirm, get the device and check at home” she said.

As Bidemi drove from work, with thoughts of the possibility of her pregnancy occupying her mind, she stopped over at the Pharmacy to get the pregnancy test device. “ Thank God Shola isn’t at home, I better rush to do this before he returns”. She said as she dropped her bag and rushed to the toilet and did the needful…when she checked, she saw what shocked her…Bidemi was pregnant!! She sat on the floor and wept profusely…her husband came in and met her on the floor crying “Bidemi please talk to me, what is wrong? Were you fired from work? Please talk to me baby, I have never seen you in this form ever” he said and she picked the device up and gave it to him after which Shola exclaimed “We are pregnant!!!” they held each other, cried and prayed together.

Bidemi got to work the next day smiling blushingly  as she walked into her boss’s office to which her boss said “I am right, right?” and she said “Yes”. “Congratulations Shola, I know you love your job but please take things easy, I completely understand the state you are in now”.

Bidemi was excited about her pregnancy but was worried she would not be able to function well at work and feared for her seat but she pulled through, had her baby in 2016 and went back to work after three months. Months after resumption she was promoted to assistant Manager and oops!, it’s 2018 and uhmmm….another bulge was spotted…let’s just say Bidemi isn’t willing to take chances on child birth again neither is she taking her work likely, she is just your relentless multitasking woman scoring high at workplace and the family.