Now that you are pregnant you should inquire to your employer about company maternity leave benefits and policies. These policies may vary from employer to employer, but standard maternity leave ranges between 6 and 12 weeks. Some people choose to use some of their maternity leave prior to the estimated due date, such as starting leave two-three weeks prior to the due date. This leave time should be outlined by and through your employer.
Should you develop any medical complications during pregnancy (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) then your doctor may limit or halt your work activity prior to your estimated due date.
Most pregnant workers should be able to continue working until the onset of labor, according to the report on pregnancy to the American Medical Association from its Council on Scientific Affairs, Division of Scientific Activities.
In its report, the council recommended that the AMA continue to endorse the “Guidelines on Pregnancy and Work” from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for employees with normal pregnancies.
The guidelines include recommendations for maximum levels of work during a woman’s pregnancy:
• Secretarial and light clerical: May continue up to 40 weeks gestation;
• Professional and managerial: May continue up to 40 weeks gestation;
• Standing for prolonged periods of time (more than 4 hours per work day): May continue
up to 24 weeks of gestation;
• Stooping and bending below knee level-repetitive (more than 10 times per hour) may
continue up to 20 weeks gestation. Intermittent (less than 10 times per hour not more than 2) may continue up to 28 weeks of gestation. Infrequently (less than 2 times per hour) may continue up to 40 weeks gestation.
• Repetitive lifting, no greater than 25 lbs may continue up to 20 weeks gestation.
• Intermittent lifting, no greater than 25 lbs may continue up to 30 weeks gestation.
DISABILITY CERTIFICATION FOR OBSTETRICAL PATIENTS
Pregnancy is a completely normal and healthy state. It is not a sickness. Although patients may encounter occasional tiredness, nausea, vomiting, pelvic discomfort, back pain, or minor swelling of hands and feet during pregnancy, they should be able to carry on with normal activities that they were accustomed to performing before they became pregnant. Physicians cannot certify to employers or insurance companies that patients are disabled due to any of the above reasons.
To certify either partial or complete disability, physicians must find a definite medical indication that either a patient’s health of her baby’s health would be endangered by continuing normal activities. Such indications may include: hypertension, excessive edema, severe anemia, kidney or heart disease, severe diabetes, or a previous history of complications during pregnancy such as premature rupture of membranes or premature onset of labor. If these or other signs are not clearly indicated, the physicians cannot state that a patient is disabled.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have recommended that disability for pregnancy be certified two weeks before term in uncomplicated cases, but that patients who prefer to work until labor begins should be allowed to do so. Patients should not return to work until six weeks after delivery.
Contemporarv OB-GYN Vol 16, Sept, 1980
