Hi all,
I am having a tough time going to work. I even thought about quitting during my 7th-8th week. I am tired all the time and get depressed when I have to go to work. I live in the US. So I have to do the cooking too. It is so miserable. I wish I could get a year maternity leave.

How r u all managing? Kirti replied. Hi Binu,

I am glad you are into your second trimester now. Most of my nausea disappeared once I was in week 14 I think. But cooking still makes me a but sick, especially all the masalas when we start frying onion etc. My sis in the US got someone (Indian family) to cater her food thrice a week, not sure if you can avail of something like that.

This is my second baby, I feel at times like calling it quits at work, not so much because of the pregnancy but more so that I spend time with my daughter. May be I will consider simpler job that permits me to work from home most of the time after the second kid.
Good Luck with everything!
Kirti Binu replied. Hi everyone, thanks for your wonderful and consoling msgs.
Hopingfortejas , I did all the thinking that u mentioned and thats why I am still working. Thank God! It was such a tough decision. It is getting a little better now. today is my first official day of my 4th month ..thats a relief :) I just hope I start feeling much better and active.
I am also a clean freak and I just hired a cleaning lady to come in. I am still sensitive to some food, so I cant get frozen or restaurant food . It makes me nauseated . There are only a few things I can eat.
I m hanging in there. Hope the second trimester will be better!
Keep writing and thanks again :) hopingfortejas replied. Hi Binu,

I completely understand what you are going through, i am in the same boat, i am in US and was working throughout the first pregnancy . i am also working through this one.

I think you have to really think about it before you decide to quit or take a long vacation, specially in Us and in this economy. I personally feel that I would get really bored if i am at home just because life gets very lonely in US very soon. So I prefer to be working as much as I can. I think the first thought that strikes us is to quit our jobs and stay at home, but we have to think if that will actually keep us happy , i think it is a tough decision to make. Whenever I tell that i am going to quit to my hubby, he tells me let us wait for a month, if you feel the same way after that, you can quit. (he knows that what i feel is just a passing phase and I will not say the same thing after a month and that is true :-) ..)

It does get difficult in the first and third trimester to work , but most of the companies here are very flexible, I worked from home a lot in my third trimester. i think we just have to figure out compromises, like I mostly cook a lot in the weekends , so that I do not have to cook too much during the week. we try to eat out or have frozen pizza, frozen indian stuff , buy chapathis-sabji to take us through the week. Also i have tried to give cleaning a break this time (i am a clean freak, especially in the kitchen ..! ) , we have cleaning services coming in every 4 weeks , so that we do not need to worry about cleaning the bathrooms, dusting,etc.

Also, remember that , once the baby is born, you would want to stay at home even more and it is a wise idea to ask for leave then from your company rather than now ... you would be in second trimester very soon and things will be better then.

Take care,
-P PoohTweety replied. HopingForBrightness is probably right. Its quite different in India with all the domestic helps, and the huge support from your near and dear ones who live closeby. Last week, I had severe stomach cramps, and my parents who are in New Delhi came to see me - such a nice shot in the arm that was.

Anyways, would suggest, if you really have that option, try applying for a sabbatical from work.

Else, we just have a few more days to go to bid adieu to the testing painful first trimester...

Cheers,
Pooh-Tweety
HopingForBrightness replied. Sorry to hear that, Binu. It is a tough period, when you are without the support system that many ladies in India get in terms of house maids, cooks, drivers, and not the least, other family members.
It is the first trimester that is the toughest when you have food cravings, nausea, tiredness, sleepfulness etc.. Things will ease out once you cross the first trimester. So, dont feel depressed.. better times are ahead..
Try and take off from work as much as possible.. relax and listen to music.. be homebound as long as you can..
Take adequate care..
best wishes...
HopingForBest.