Do you work?

[JASMAK]

Do you work, and if so, where? Does work know about your TTC journey? Are they supportive?

Right now I am working as an accounting clerk at City Hall. I like it, and I have a friend there who has been through alot, so we talk. She has had 7 pregnancies - two live births. All the rest were m/c and one stillbirth at 8 mths. She is great. I don't tell anyone else tho. The job I had previously (lifeguard/swim instructor) was HORRID for any kind of support through this. I am glad I don't work their anymore (left in June).

 

[vineyard]

I am a Registered nurse at 2 elementary schools. My principals know but no one else knows. I was open about my IUIs but my upcoming in vitro date is a secret to most. I have only told my best friend,my mother, the other nurse I work with, and my boss. Friends and family know that we are doing in vitro but I have not given them dates.

I decided my boss needed to know so that they didn't think I was just being irresponsible since many of my appointments are going to be last minute depending on the results of bloodwork and ultrasounds.

 

[NeyNey]

I work in a Security Control Room. My workmates know and are very supportive. One is pregnant (not so supportive but a nice person) - she announced her pregnancy days after I came back to work after my m/c - always felt resentment towards her for that. A coworker and friend really impressed me the other day, the pregnant lady came in complaining about her pregnancy and aching legs, I believe her words were "I'm over it" - when I commented on her growing bump - my Co worker turned around and snarled at her "Well you should consider yourself lucky you were blessed with a pregnancy". That shut her up quick smart...I was so proud of her!

 

[MissMonty]

Hi, yeah I work as a youth worker and get to see lots of teenage pregnant girls virtually everyday

At the start of 2008 my manager had to pick someone from our team to re-locate offices as we were over staffed and he picked me and explained his choice to me as 'I do not have any children', well I went mad, and without telling him outright he now thinks I am TTC after asking me very personal questions about this. Rather than moving to another team which was miles away from my home I decided to down grade myself and asked for a job which was being advertised in my home town but at a lower pay level – when I asked for this job my manager asked me if I was pregnant or TTC! They gave me the lower level job and I still have the same manger – I think he now asked me those questions as he did not want me in his team if I was to leave to have a baby - he rarely talks to me now and it has been very uncomfortable at work at times. So I think he knows - or he thinks he thinks he knows if you know what I mean?! I've told me supervisor I have an operation for 'womens problems' next week (Lap & Dye) so will need some time off and she has told my manager but he has not mentioned this to me. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to handle it if I need to go down to route of assisted conception.

 

[rachelle1975]

i'm a police officer in London - i used to work for the child abuse team and people there knew we were trying, some knew we had to go down the ivf route.

Monday i started my new job - closer to home, still a police officer but working for the rape/sexual offences unit. I haven't told them yet as there are only 6 people on my team - 1 is on maternity leave and 1 is pregnant and due end of June! My Sergeant made a sarky comment about me probably getting pregnant next.... i am dreading telling her! Having said that, the IVF prob won't be for 6 months so i can ply her with coffee/wine/home made biscuits and get her on my side by then!

 

[gymfiend]

I work as a project manager...really love it Bosses are wonderful and very understanding and happy to let me take time out as and when I need it, in return for me bending over backwards when deadlines are tight, feel very blessed to have such a great job.

 

[CareBear]

I work as a Panel Clerk in Adoption. Most of my team know I am trying and having problems but I only really talk about it regularly with one of my colleagues who started at the same time is about the same age as me who is great. She is WTT so she kinda understands and lets me waffle on. I work on flexi time so I am able to work extra to make up for my time out at hospital appointments. I just tell my manager and my team I've got an appointment and I'll be late in so I don't give them a chance to be supportive or not!!

 

[chefamy1122]

I work as an admin assistant for a wholesale security supply company. I have neen there almost 9 years, so not only do my bosses know, but pretty much everybody I work with knows we are TTC! My direct boss is really cool, and I tell her about the doctors appts and stuff.

 

[Wishing4baby]

I am a registered nurse on a mother/baby unit. So I admit all of the new babies in the nursery and then help the moms and babies after delivery. Most of my coworkers know that we are ttc, but only a few know the problems we are having. Yes, my coworkers are supportive. However, its depressing for me to hear about all of my coworkers and patients getting pregnant so quickly and without difficulty. I am so happy for them, but at the same time feeling sad for myself and dh.

 

[Tory123]

I work as a Manager of a womens refuge, most the girls are supportive and some of them have had difficulties previously themselves. I feel a little bit silly as when I first started trying concieve I almost thought I would be able to book it into my diary along with all my other duties and that just hasn't happened.

 

[maz]

I work as an audiologist specialising in hearing aids, and spend most of my days looking inside old people's ears. I generally enjoy my job, although sometimes you come across really manky ears and hearing aids, and it can make me feel a bit

My HR dept know about the MC but aren't fully aware of the lengths we went to to get pregnant in the first place. I'm hoping I can get away with not telling them for the next cycle too. But we'll just have to wait and see...

 

[Trying4ever]

Hiya nice thread....well i just started my new job in a hospital.....good and bad....it means i can have all my tests done at the place i work so less time off work and less disruption! But I don't know what I am going to do about telling them why i need my appointments....my line manager is a woman...but my immediate manager that i will be working with is a guy...he seems really nice.....i actually kinda fancy him(!!! makes me even more nervous!!)......have only been there a week so dont know everyone that well yet....i'm the kind of girl who just can't lie...dead giveaway signs....and i do like to talk about things upfront.....but not really sure if its the right thing to do....cos you CAN get penalised in some jobs if theythink you are goin to get preggers like miss monty says. But NHS is supposed to be supportive right?

I used to work in a shop before and I hated it....my boss was a man who was so sexist and kept saying he would rather employ men than women who just bicker and need loads of time off......it was soooo stressful that i actually think that is part of the reasons i used to miss my periods and I haven't conceived...so we shall see!!

 

[Helen_26]

I work for social services and so far so good. My manager has been really supportive (she had difficulties conceivng initialy). I'm not sure how easily I will be able to get time off when the treatment starts though. As long as they have pleanty of notice I'm sure they will be ok though.

 

[FJL]

I work as a vet nurse 3 days a week. There are 4 other employees but I really only work with 2 of them which are both of the vets. Vet #1 is my boss and the clinic owner and she thinks she is 100000000% supportive, but she can be EXTREMELY insensitive with some very rude comments but she would never think she was being out of line...makes it hard that she's my boss so I just walk away most of the time. Having said that, she allows me all the time off I need which is great.

Vet #2 is just wonderful, she doesn't pry at all but is happy to hear me talk about my cycles etc.

There are 2 other nurses and 1 of them is also doing IVF so we have some great chats. The other nurse is wonderful though I never work with her.

I do have to be VERY careful though because working at a vet clinic you're 4 x more likely to miscarry so in my next TWW, I will be wearing a mask during surgeries and will refuse to handle any hormone drugs and of course taking x-rays will be out of the question.

You guys all have interesting jobs, its been great hearing about them

 

[MissAma]

Wow what proportion of people work in health or social....

I'm the sales and bus dev director of a software development company. My CEO has been more than understanding over our treatment periods. He was none too happy I was away to Spain for that long though. When he first hired me he would joke about how I'll be knocked up and leave him with "company's pants down" on a weekly basis but he's stopped mentioning it now bless his soul.

Of the rest of the employees only one more knows, and while the people in my teams may have heard about it no one said anything, but then again there's only one other lady in the entire company so it's hard enough for the guys to have a woman as a boss, discussing her lady bits and her husband's shooting of blanks is not exactly comfortable for them

 

[missmarls]

Great thread! I work in the ICU of a Veterinary Teaching hospital. I just started this job a few months ago so, I haven't told anyone of my struggle (with the exception of a friend who works there in different department). It seems every time I turn around, there is another pregnant person and when I started there my boss told me that they have protocols for women who are ttc or pregnant to ensure their safety so I feel like I could tell them if I want to.

 

[Omi]

Hiya,

i work admin for social services, addiction team. Mostly i enjoy my job but i have had moments of near rage when you hear and see how some of the clients treat their pregnancies and/or babies. They are also very fertile which i dont quite know how works..but hey, its the way it is.

After my first mc i said it was ok for my boss to tell people why i was off. Our admin office is all women and most of them have children, and the rest of the team, a mix of nhs staff and social workers well, i guess you'd only find out if you asked and i dont think many did.

i did tell a co-worker of mine when she asked as i knew she is ttc and is having investigations done. She's been very supportive and always asks me ttc questions, lol!

After my 2nd mc i asked only the girls in the office to be told as i couldnt bare the pity from anyone else, you know?

I just had my back to work interview this week and my boss told me please to tell her if i get pg again as work would be more than happy to help with hours and apmts etc. It was nice to hear even though i know they have to give me time off for apmts and stuff

One of my co-worker's is gonna be a granny in march and i have to admit i dread the baby photo's and the cooing... there's also an admin girl in another dept 26 weeks pg.

All in all, being the council they are pretty accomodating with maternity leave etc so i guess in that sense i am lucky. I'd also add that being nearly 39 i think it would be pretty accurate for most of them to suspect im ttc, especially with the mc's obviously...

Great thread by the way!

 

[Redfraggle]

Hey all. I'm a civil servant working for the land registry. Most people know we are TTC but are having problems but no one knows the details of what is wrong. Its such a personal problem I prefer people to assume it is a physical problem we are having.

We have a flexi time system (of sorts) so getting time off for appointments to the therapist and stuff isn't a problem at all. Biggest problem is that it is such a large office there is always someone walking past who is pregnant or a new mum.

 

[Mazmos]

I have worked for the Child Support Agency for 11.5 years, and have to listen to people every day going on about how they never wanted children in the first place etc, etc, etc




My workplace, on the other hand, is very supportive of hospital appointments etc, so lucky there really

Maz xx

 

[woodsy]

hi, i am an adult nurse working in a community hospital, my collegues do not know we are trying as have only been there for 5 months. I am going back to work tomorrow after having been off because i had my lap and dye, have now been told i have PCOS and it looks like i will be started on clomid, so i guess im going to have to tell my manager now really in case i have to go for monitoring etc. I do believe they will all be supportive ( i hope so anyway!! )

the hospital i worked in before is where i am having all the tests etc so would have been easier if i had stayed there lol!!!