Pregnancy: No longer a full-stop to your career!

A pregnant woman experiences a lot of emotional, mental and physical changes before, during and post-pregnancy. She has to not only consider the responsibility of raising a child but also simultaneously shoulder her career and family responsibilities.

And asking for a helping hand is a smart move. It's not because she is incapable of handling them independently but because she needs it in order to balance her life and cherish motherhood.

Discussed below are three essential aspects that every woman must keep in mind before stepping into the world of motherhood:

Continue the hard work at your job

It took you years to reach where you stand professionally, nothing came easily to you. You invested your time and efforts in education, worked hard, late-night shifts and sacrificed several holidays to reach where you are today.

You cannot let all of these go away merely because you are entering a new inning of your life. Motherhood surely is the toughest job in the world but definitely manageable with good help.

Hire a trained nanny. You can definitely continue your hard work at the office when you know that you have a reliable nanny to look after your infant when you join back post-maternity leave.

However, hiring a nanny can be an overwhelming task because you want your child in secured hands. In order to ensure that you hire the best person you can, hunt nannies three months prior to your delivery as it gives you time to select a responsible and trust-worthy nanny for your child.

Additionally, talk to your partner about equal parenting and attend a few workshops together. You will be less worried about how your child is doing since you know he/she is in safe hands.

A helping hand can work wonders for mothers as it releases all the unwanted stress in her life.

Get over the guilt

Motherhood comes with a lot of emotions and women have been observed to feel guilty on various occasions. There are women who quit their high-profile jobs with the thought that no one can take better care of their child other than them.

And if they dont then they are not good mothers. The decision can and only can be taken by a woman and should be respected by all.

But, sometimes, it has been seen that within a few months we tend to slip into post-partum depression. It is normal, not only because of the hormones but also because we suddenly miss our crazy work schedule and the high of it.

In order to avoid such situations, women must avoid making these career decisions with a lot of thought and consideration. An alternative, can be to the first sink in the pregnancy phase and cherish early motherhood days without assuming it that one has to choose between being a mother or a career woman.

Often, motherhood leads to feelings that keep on changing, some of which may change within the near future. You may be able to cope up to the challenges really well and also continue flourishing at work. So why make a decision so early on.

Therefore, it is important to listen to your body, heart, and mind so that you make conscious decisions about your future.

Time management

Apart from this, it is also important to practice effective time management. Often, adults follow a routine of attending late-night meetings, parties and other personal/professional commitments beyond work hours when they don't have the commitment of a child at home.

However, once you start planning your pregnancy it is important to start realising that this will change and to start a habit of cutting down on late nights and slowly making a disciplined schedule for work and personal time at home, and not wait till after delivery to do this.

Some of us have to work late nights due to client meetings and/or have to balance with international time-zones at work. However, you can manage this time issue by communicating it with your subordinates or team once you plan your pregnancy.

This will give you and the team time to determine precise working hours and you will be surprised to know that they are quite understanding as well!

Hoping the wonderful new mothers are ready for this new phase of life and always remember each pregnancy and motherhood is unique and there is no right or wrong way of doing it

- The writer is an ambassador and educator, Zumba Fitness