Ch. 11: Work Overload

Working mummas-to-be: here is a familiar scene: pregnant, toiling away at work, hair a mess, feeling frazzled, swamped with paperwork, and its getting busier and busier as you progress throughout the pregnancy. Er, isn’t this the time to be winding back on the corporate responsibilities and putting those swollen hooves up a wee bit? You know: taking it easy?

Working Mumma-to-Be

Working Mumma-to-Be – 21 weeks along

Today was one intense, stressful, productive day. I began with great intentions on working through the pile of documents on my desk, with the delusional notion that no more will come through to me till I finish these. Ha! As I completed one task, four more came in.

The day began brightly enough though, with smiles and lofty ambitions on leaving ‘on time’ (whatever that means these days). I even declared this intention to Sal, my friend and colleague. And yet, slowly, surely, my good humor gradually decayed when I became overwhelmed. WITH WORK. The slippery slope to irritation, frustration, short tempers and abrupt missives I was now certainly on. Why were our office assistants incompetent today? How is it that each task I assign them is met with a gruff humpf, and then they inevitably mess up the deliverable anyway? WHY WAS I CLEANING UP THEIR MESS???

O I was raging; in a mood. As I peaked in crankiness, Sal, giggled “my, your pregnancy hormones have certainly kicked in, Aliki!”

I wonder, was it these so called hormones wreaking havoc on my usually sweet, patient nature? I needed a hand…

Alik 21 weeks preggers at work

Working Mumma-to-Be. Overloaded…

Enter: Mission “Accept Help”. If your colleagues want to baby you a little, and you don’t mind, then let them. Sal stepped in to offer me help. I yielded immediately. Permission to raise the white flag I gave myself. This shocked even me!

Well I consider myself fortunate to be in a supportive environment. This is a rare and special time in my life, one I have shared with Sal from the get-go, and it would be a shame to have to pretend that nothing is different. Even if I did pretend, Sal knows better.

Snapping me on her camera-phone swamped by paper, Sal showed me the ridiculousness of it all in digital, and so we laughed, and laughed some more. Then we finished up! Work overload suddenly deflated. What a pal. Mission “Accept Help” accomplished. Thank you Sal.

1 Response to Ch. 11: Work Overload

Leave a Reply