Maternal mental health at work: Here’s how women can achieve work-life balance | Health

Pregnancy is life-altering but it can be overwhelming for many women as they will be unable to cope-up with the challenges that occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period thus, it is the need of the hour that the family members and organisations should support them and makes their life easy. As per studies, how an organization handles a mother’s return to work can have a dramatic impact on her mental health.

Organisations control the majority of work-related factors that can help with positive mental health outcomes, which can be in the form of paid maternity leave, total workload and job flexibility for new mothers. A mother may find it difficult to strike a work-life balance as returning to work from pregnancy can be taxing for a woman where one may start combining her roles as an employee and a mother.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Surabhi Siddhartha, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Motherhood Hospital in Kharghar, talked about how to maintain a work-life balance and said, “If there is a conflict between the role of a mother and an employee then it can lead to a negative outcome. Those who’ve been out of work for a long time with an illness and are coming back to the workplace can have difficulty in re-adjusting themselves after a long period of time.”

She asserted, “It is essential for the organisation to ensure a smooth transition for better productivity and successful results. There are return-to-work programs to check the employee’s capability and adjust their job responsibilities by maintaining a correct balance. There should be a support group created to help women cope with pressure situations. There should be a structure in place where we can have those conversations and meet those needs. There should be flexibility while working so that women can easily juggle both duties. New mothers should be allowed to work from home whenever possible.”

The expert concluded, “A good work environment should be provided to new moms so that they can pay attention to the baby and their work. Avoid overexerting, pamper, and take utmost care of yourself. It is OKAY to take out some time for yourself and relax without feeling guilty. Try to take charge of your health too along with the baby’s health.”