Is Pregnancy a Disability?
Katie
|
This weekend I saw a headline that caught my attention. Right there on the internet was an article that asked, “Should pregnancy be considered a disability?”
My initial gut reaction was a very loud NO. But the more I read and the more I’ve thought about it, the more I think my initial reaction might have been wrong.
This last week in my clinical (in the NICU) I came literally within seconds of passing out. It didn’t seem to be related to stress (it was a very low stress situation with a healthy full term baby), but more likely due to my blood sugar and prolonged standing, neither of which were ever a problem pre-pregnancy. It is only because in the final moments of the blurring vision and muted hearing that I told someone that I was going to pass out that I didn’t end up on the floor of the hospital, but instead in a wheelchair with a cool washcloth and a glass of juice.
And since then, I’ve been handled with a big pair of (metaphorical) kid gloves.
I’m not allowed to stand for extended periods of time in the hospital. I’m given all kinds of rests and water breaks throughout the day, most of which I find really unnecessary. I’m only 23 weeks pregnant, I can stand for a while, I can go several hours without food. I do love the water breaks because carrying my water bottle around has the potential to bring germs into the NICU or germs out of the hospital with me each day.
I am getting these accommodations because my clinical instructors are kind and reasonable people. But what this article made me realize is that many bosses and many jobs are not this flexible. They may not allow for breaks, for opportunities to sit or eat more often, and in that way, pregnancy is a health condition that may require increased protection at work.
To be clear, I don’t think that pregnancy should entitle all women to a handicap placard and front row parking. I don’t think that pregnancy is truly a disability unto itself. A normal, uncomplicated pregnancy shouldn’t require much more than some general understanding and compassion. But I do think that if pregnancy was included in the Americans with Disabilities Act, it would make working while pregnant a lot safer for many women. And I am a firm believer in anything that can reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy, even if it means a label I’m not all that wild about.
What do you think: Should pregnancy be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Pregnancy Health Primer: What to eat, safe supplements and more!
Brandi 
Suzie 
My work pays maternity leave out by giving you short-term disability pay, which is food for thought, no?
I worked in a warehouse as a manager for the length of my pregnancy and they put me through hell. I was on the overnight shift and it was affecting my glucose levels so when I requested to be moved to days (a reasonable accommodation) I had to have a doctor’s note supporting the request. So they put me in a department in which the expectation is to stand ALL day and be in charge of over 100 people in over 12 stories. I would feel faint and get swollen and be miserable, overall. When I requested a chair I was told that I would need a doctor’s note, once I got one I was not allowed on the warehouse floor and was given a task that required me to be on the computer, seated all day. I don’t think that pregnancy is a disability, but it may take treating it as such in order for some employers to provide reasonable accommodations to expecting mothers.
Where I worked I was sat in a big office all day and the chairs they have are ones where you aren’t allowed to slouch or relax on them so I constantly had a extremely painful lower back ache they wouldn’t let me sit in a different one as they thought I would be slacking, so have taken maternity leave early, now someone else at work is pregnant and has complained also and the company had to purchase normal comfy chairs for pregnant women only
It’s sad that we live in a world where one might even need to label pregnancy a “disability” just so women can have some extra consideration from others. Our society needs to look after pregnant women without even being asked. It’s just part of common decency!
i had to quit my job because when i told them i needed to take a break or 2 to eat and use the bathroom and rest ( i was waitressing) i was told no, i could not have a break, because if they gave me a break, then everyone else would want one too
To give some background on my situation,I am a mother of a 2 year old, postgraduate student ( having come back to studying following gaining my BA and working for 3 years)have congenital Cerebral Palsy and am 26 weeks pregnant. I live in the UK. I feel that classifying pregnancy as a Disability is a little extreme. However, here in the UK we have legislation that protects pregnant women and requires temporary adjustment to working conditions to be provided for both pregnant women and new breastfeeding mothers and personally I feel that this is the best way for the situation to be handled. I think it would be a lot harder to administer if it had been tacked on to Disablity Legislation. My Disablity is a separate issue from my pregnancy and I believe a lot of the disabled community would be offended it pregnancy became classified as a Disablity after all pregnancy was my choice, my Disablity was not. However, both come with significant physical and mental challenges and both should be accommodated appropriately by employers.
During my pregnancy I worked as a stocker overnight. I had visious morning sickness throughout my entire pregnancy and my job had no compassion. I spent most of my night throwing up in the nearest trashcan or running to the bathroom and my boss kept telling me that she was going to have to take disciplinary action against me for not doing my job right. My manager tried convincing me to take a lower paying position or I would lose my job. eventually the caved and stuck me as door greeter without decreasing my pay, but refused to let me sit down and chewed me out if I was caught sitting down. I was forced to go to the hospital several times do to dehydration and early labor and they insisted that I stay for at least four hours of my shift or the would fire me. I finally had to take early leave because I spent more time in the hospital, stopping labor, yhan I did at work, and before I took my leave I started to feel myself going into labor and when I told one of my managers, he told me to cross my legs and hold it in because he needed me to work. My fiance worked at the same place and he refused to let him off so that he could take me to the hospital. Even after I went on leave they threatened his job and reprimanded him for calling off work so that he could take me to the hospital. Even with short term disability, I couldn’t afford my bills so I lost my apartment and had to quit paying my bills just to buy food and I have talked to three other women who have had many of the same issues. Pregnant women need to have some sort of disability like status to get some sort of support during their pregnancies
I had stress and high end nausea at the beginning of my pregnancy with my oldest son. I was required to take part of my break, which was 20 minutes a day however we wanted to take it..i.e two 10 min breaks, four 5 min breaks, etc., to go to the bathroom or to be sick. I was allowed to have water only at my desk even though my doctor wrote a note saying that I needed herbal tea with ginger and crackers to keep the nausea down. I ended up missing so much work that they fired me, which violated Missouri’s laws that are already in place to protect pregnant women. The specialist with unemployment told me that a companies policy cannot supersede the laws in any given state that protect workers. Now that same company is watched like a hawk since they have violated the law in other instances. It is sad to say that many employers do things like this, and have no consideration for people with many different medical conditions, including pregnancy.
While pregnant I worked in a bank. I could take as many breaks as I needed, I could leave early.. Come in late and even extended lunch if I needed it. BUT this was all because my manager was amazing. She had children she knew what it was like to be pregnant. If someone pulled the “well she’s taking a break why can’t I?” she would just firmly let them know.. Well she’s pregnant so she technically is working twice as hard as you are. I think the only reason this was okay with me because I am a hard worker and I didn’t take advantage of the breaks.. I could totally see lazy people trying to, “rob the system” (don’t have a good saying for it)
But like Shannon said, it is sad that our society doesn’t look at pregnant women in a special way. I’m currently living in a small town and people always go out of their way to accommodate or compliment me, but when I travel to the city I get rude looks and even shoved into from time to time…. I know that’s dragging into another subject but there’s my two cents!! Lol
when I was pregnant with my first 2 children I worked at a very strenuous job up until my 8th month. For my third pregnancy I was a stay-at-home mom. I never asked for or expected to receive any special consideration. My daughter is now pregnant with her second and has placenta previa. Her OB gave her FMLA. She works in a hospital lab. She sits, stands, walks, etc. BUT if she is not feeling well, like last night when she was experiencing some cramping, she can leave work (or not go in) without any repercussions. Disability??? Absolutely not! A little consideration? Definitely!
BTW, I resent the “Expecting Mothers” parking designations. Why?? If a pregnant woman needs that, perhaps she needs a regular disabled parking placard!
I was working as an RN in OB during my last pregnancy. When I asked to get relief, so that I could use bathroom, grab something to eat-the head nurse’s re[ply? ?none of us has eaten, either” <<<it's all about who you work with, and consideration for others.. Pregnancy a disability? no way-but,,,the ability to work in an environment that is safe for mom and baby is critical!
Absolutely, pregnant women should be given every consideration.. I’m appalled by some of the stories I’ve just read. Some of the companies and people should be sued for sexual discrimination! YES, sexual discrimination against a woman just because SHE is pregnant. I had difficult pregnancies as have my daughters. Severe nausea and vomiting which is called hyperemesis is a serious medical condition which is life threatening to mother and baby. It’s about time it is given proper attention . I work with handicapped and disabled students. It behooves us all to protect women so they have every opportunity to give birth to a healthy child. These women who brag about working up until the birth of the child, are NOT heroes in my mind. Women need extra care, nutrition, hydration and rest during pregnancy to have healthy children. It really is in the best interest of us all, because our tax dollars support disabled children from mother’s who had difficult pregnancies. It needs to be law and enforced.
As a firefighter, my job is inherently dangerous for my baby. Raised body temperatures can cause birth defects or miscarriage, and a study done in 2003 showed that the core body temperature of firefighters performing normal firefighting activities can raise to 103 F or more. Because of this, I requested to go on light duty as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I’m the first pregnant firefighter to choose this option in my department, as no one else has gotten pregnant since that study was done. It has caused some grumbling and raised eyebrows among the guys, but the department has been very accommodating. I still worry when I go on medical calls about the things I may be exposed to, but it’s at least a step in the right direction.