Read on Twitter
Today, I was in a teams meeting between a pregnant PC & her line manager in my capacity as a Met Families Advocate. I became a MF Advocate after a -ve experience returning to work after having #1. The relationship between a pregnant officer & her LM can become fragile. A thread.
When you’re pregnant, you have so many different worries, it can be overwhelming at times. The fatigue is real, whether in the first 12 weeks when you’re body is wondering what the hell is going on or at the end when you’re the size of a house & struggling to move around.
You want to pull your weight at work, but there comes a time where you need to slow down. Hormones raging make you teary. You feel you’re being judged. You can have sickness. You’re hungry, all, the, time. Ankles swell, hips hurt and your pelvis can split. Hungry, all the time.
There is no training for line managers around pregnancy. There is advice that you can get from the Met Baby Programme but for the initial interaction where a woman tells you they’re pregnant, you either know what to do, or you don’t. Immediately this creates a barrier.
You want to support her, but you don’t know how. So you do what you think needs to be done. She doesn’t want to come across as needy so doesn’t tell you what could help her. The relationship cracks start at this point. “My LM is not supporting me” “She’s not pulling her weight”
Communication & Knowledge is key here. Pregnant women, speak up about concerns, worries, needs.
LMs, go onto HR, speak to an advocate, learn about the processes to support people.
By doing this, we’re empowering pregnant women & their LMs. That can only be a +ve can’t it?
LMs, go onto HR, speak to an advocate, learn about the processes to support people.
By doing this, we’re empowering pregnant women & their LMs. That can only be a +ve can’t it?
