They put “Work”.
Similar to pop diva Rihanna — who, after proudly showing off her pregnant belly in an lively performance at the Super Bowl earlier this month, just announced that she’ll be singing at the Oscars on March 12 — today’s pregnant women are doing their work, regardless of how physically demanding, often in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
In truth, as many as 56% of mothers-to-be now work full time while pregnant, with 82% of first-time women remaining pregnant just days before their due date, based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
And, based on a report by the Women’s Policy Institute, while lower than 1% of the female workforce is employed in each male-dominated industries that require manual labour — like construction, cleansing jobs, and city law enforcement — social media has turn out to be a preferred place for skilled mothers to share their experiences with particularly intense performances.
Here’s a take a look at a few of the women who didn’t let a bun in the oven stop them from kneading dough of their extraordinarily demanding job.
Born to fly
Growing up in poverty with a single mother, Alejandra Paz had no idea that girls could turn out to be airplane pilots. Her traditional Honduran upbringing saw her turn out to be a housewife, taking good care of her husband and youngsters around the clock. But for Paz, 31, from Los Angeles, this life wasn’t going to fly. She went from flight attendant to industrial pilot after which continued on until her daughter Jett, who’s now 1 yr old, was born.
“I used to be certified to turn out to be a flying instructor while I used to be pregnant,” she told The Post. “I used to be flying at 7,000 feet until 5 days before my baby girl was born [in October 2021]Paz added, noting that she had obtained medical clearance from her doctor to proceed directing the planes during the transfer.
Paz, also a mother to Mars, 6, made the decision to upskill while pregnant to begin teaching others to fly immediately after returning to work in early 2022.
“[Piloting] is a male-dominated industry, and I used to be the only female [and the only pregnant person] on the course,” she said, adding that the hardest a part of becoming an instructor was the necessity pull out a 2,300-pound Piper Cherokee PA-28 every single day at 39 weeks of pregnancy.
“There have been times after I desired to throw up or simply lie down and eat a burger,” Paz said with fun. “But I’m so glad I pushed through. If I can do it as a pregnant working mom, any woman can.”
Mom backs out
Handstands, front flips, back flips, splits and wagon wheels are the each day routine of gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson. So, being pregnant with daughter Drew (3) and her 19-month-old son Jett, it felt like a natural thing to maintain her athletic skills high.
“People need to restrict women after we’re pregnant and say, ‘Oh, you’ll be able to’t do that or that,'” Johnson, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, told The Post. “But I used to be like, ‘No. I would like carry on living my life.’”
With permission from her obstetrician, the retired Olympian, who now works as a gymnastics trainer and media entrepreneur, went to the gym at the very least three days every week during her pregnancy, doing handstand push-ups, trampoline flips, and sit-ups along with her unborn babies together for a ride.
“It was definitely hard because my center of gravity was in every single place,” she said with a giggle. “But overall, it helped me during labour.”
“As a mom, it is vital to feel empowered and prove people unsuitable after they say you’ll be able to’t do something,” Johnson said. “That is how we set a very good example for our youngsters.”
On the roof
Climbing the ladder of success has been a challenge for Jade Shepherd. After learning she was pregnant in July 2022, the skilled roofer immediately felt obligated to prove she could proceed scaling 40-meter buildings replace or repair damaged shingles along with your colleagues without missing a beat. And he or she did just that.
“At work, I do manual labor 8 to 12 hours a day,” Shepherd, 23, of Saskatchewan, Canada, told The Post. “Sometimes I carry large bundles of shingles [up the ladder], which might weigh between 50 and 80 kilos,” said the expectant mum, who’s attributable to give birth to her son on April 30 with roofer husband Rayne. she said. “It might probably be complete hell, but I really like roofing. It’s my life.”
Shepherd continued working until 26 weeks pregnant in October. By then, her growing belly had turn out to be too big to slot in the safety harness she wore atop her winter work gear. (As a consequence of the harsh weather conditions in Saskatchewan, where temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, Shepherd often wore ski clothes to work every single day.)
“I worked until I literally couldn’t do it anymore because I desired to prove to everyone that roofers are only as capable as men, even after we’re pregnant,” Shepherd said, adding that she plans to return to work from maternity leave in August.
“My doctor told me, ‘Pregnancy shouldn’t be a disease, you’ll be able to do anything a person can do.’ And this [encouragement] is what kept me going every single day.”
Own mine
for Madison Crowther, works as a miner up until 34 weeks pregnant along with her daughter, she discovered a newfound measure of self-esteem.
“I’ve at all times been strong,” the recent mum of one in every of them told The Post. “But working in the mine throughout my pregnancy helped me discover a recent level of strength and perseverance.”
Before doctors put her to bed at the end of her third trimester, Crowther, 21, from Colorado, who has a background in auto mechanics, maintained vehicles and heavy equipment used to extract coal in strip mines every single day.
During the 12-hour shifts, the mother-to-be was continuously on her feet, lifting heavy equipment and operating power tools. But her love of labor kept her alive in her fragile state.
“With the ability to do my job was very empowering. I’ve turn out to be far more self-sufficient,” said Crowther, who welcomed daughter Gwen in September 2022 and is currently on maternity leave. “That is the example I would like to set for my child, in addition to other pregnant and dealing women.”