Should I pause my job search until I have given birth?

I am about to hit 28 weeks pregnant and have been working a contract job since last november with the likelyness that I will continue this until end of May. I am due early June and am trying to figure out if I should pause my job search until i have had the baby or continue to look, knowing that I will need to take time off after the birth. Any advice would be helpful.

Iynna·Mar 28

I have never had a baby however I've seen very close friends navigating this as first time moms. Giving birth is very exhausting and across the board, job searching was not the immediate priority and even if they had processes it wasn't smth they could activate on.I suppose you could reach out to people to build relationships but would not hold my breath to get something until well after your mat leave.

Darby124·Mar 29

I think it’s a super personal decision. I interviewed for a new job during my first trimester and transitioned into a full time role during second trimester. Having mat leave was compelling motivation for me, but i totally understand the process being too taxing. Also I told my recruiter I was pregnant and they modified the interview process to accommodate. Not saying you should go this route, but I don’t think I would have been successful interviewing without accommodations given my state.Good luck to you and wishing you a low stress pregnancy.

Simileoluwa·Mar 29

Congrats on the baby! I've never had a baby but one of my friends interviewed at 8 months pregnant and she did get a job. However, she only revealed that she was pregnant at offer stage. She was able to resume for one month and then take her maternity leave afterwards. It's a personal decision and i think it's best to do what's comfortable for you as long as you have all the necessary support. All the best!

kateshastakova·Mar 30

Not sure which country you are at but sometimes getting a full-time position can bring maternity leave benefits so it makes sense to try to find job there. I also know a story where a woman got job being pregnant by exposing it during an offer stage.Good luck!

armccreight·Apr 02

If you need healthcare benefits and maternity leave, as others have said, I'd keep looking. If you have enough savings from the contract job, I'd personally use the flexibility after giving birth to see how you feel. With my first, I felt isolated and bored after a few weeks, but still needed time for physical recovery and adjusting to being a parent. With my second, I was eager to get back to work and able to keep my baby in a swing for a few months for naps while I got work done (working from home). It was great to not have to navigate pumping schedules or anything in that regard! On the flip side, it can be really stressful returning from maternity leave to big, immediate deadlines and whatnot.But since each birth and baby is truly different, if it were me in your shoes and I could make it work financially, I'd wait it out and enjoy the peace of knowing I could extend my time off or not - depending on how everything turned out. Best of luck for a smooth birth!!