5 ways remote work supports expectant parents

Remote work has this magical power of meeting you exactly where you are in any given stage of life. Yet somehow, I still underestimated the role it would play as I began this new chapter of expecting my first child.

We often hear about the perks of working remotely as a parent, but less about pregnancy or the experience of parents-to-be. These are the kinds of benefits that have surfaced as tens of millions of people realized they could decouple work from a single location.

Here are a few observations as a soon-to-be mom working for an all-remote company.

1. No need to ignore or hide your symptoms ??

For the first couple of months of pregnancy, my days revolved around an hourly rotation of plain Cheerios and bagels in a desperate attempt to keep unrelenting nausea at bay. I was not ready to tell anyone yet. From the privacy of my home office, that was doable.

When I had a particularly bad few hours of symptoms, I had the freedom to step away from my laptop to rest. I began to figure out my “best” hours on any given day, and could schedule my synchronous calls and longer work blocks during those times.

The ability to choose a non-linear workday allowed me to still contribute and achieve results at work (e.g. much of my work on our new Remote Playbook happened during my first trimester!), while also acknowledging that your body doesn't care about your to-do list or meeting schedule.

My team was wonderfully supportive when I shared the news, but here's the thing: I had their support even before they had that additional context. There’s so much focus today on wellbeing in the workplace, yet this foundation of trust is something that often gets overlooked.

2. Guilt-free doctor’s appointments ????

Let's start with the obvious: There should never be stress or shame associated with seeking regular medical care (for whatever reason) during the work week.

When I commuted to an office every day earlier in my career, I always had some level of guilt leaving for any type of appointment. This may have been self-imposed pressure, but I felt it. I’d often schedule things during lunchtime or end-of-day hours to avoid the perception of missing work hours. I’d rush back if an appointment went longer than planned, not wanting my empty desk to raise eyebrows.

These days, I have the freedom to schedule appointments at any time that works well in my life day, not just my workday. If a call gets scheduled at the same time, that's okay. The asynchronous culture at GitLab means that most synchronous meetings are optional. This works because there’s an agenda attached to each meeting invite upfront. If the call can't be moved, I can add to the agenda beforehand and catch up via the well-documented notes and recording afterwards.

No stress, no rescheduled doctor’s appointments, and I can still contribute fully at work. Shouldn't that just be the norm?

3. Ability to prioritize physical workspace comfort ????

We know workspace ergonomics are important, but what about when your physical needs are constantly changing?

My feet are elevated as I type this, because it's what my body needed right now. If I feel cold or hot, I'm able to adjust our thermostat, change clothes, or wrap up in a blanket at my desk. When I have back pain, I grab a heating pad and move my laptop to the couch for a bit. I'm able to block out daylight time to get outside, walk our dog, or take a prenatal yoga class.

There have been days in the past 6 months when nothing else felt good but a giant sweatshirt. There have also been days where I'm excited to get “dressed up” and go work from a coffee shop or meet up with local coworkers.

The examples are endless, and they apply to far more situations and experiences than pregnancy alone.

Remote work enables you to evaluate your needs on any given day, and make your own decisions about what work environment will be healthiest and most productive for you.

4. Easy access to the sustenance you need ??

I won’t sugar coat it (bad pun intended), I secretly loved when people brought doughnuts or treats to share when I worked in an office. That said, no amount of free snacks can outweigh the tremendous benefit of being steps away from my own kitchen where I can choose from my own selection of groceries.

There's no fighting for communal fridge or microwave space, no smelling coworkers' lunches when you don’t feel well, and no lack of options when you’re hungry ...again. When you're supposed to eat something every couple of hours, this convenience matters.

5. Less social pressure (without isolation) ??

Social gatherings can be stressful when you’re expecting (yes, even for us extroverts), especially when you’re not sharing the news yet. In those first few weeks, I was stealthily declining my usual favorite glass of wine, and didn’t have the energy for dinners out with friends. I found myself incredibly thankful to not also have to navigate that pressure for things like work happy hours or lunches.

This doesn't mean isolation is healthy either. Establishing intentional informal communication and having occasional in-person gatherings when you work remotely are crucial to feeling a sense of connection and belonging.

I love my regular coffee chats to catch up with my coworkers, and always look forward to getting together with other team members in person. There’s also a Slack channel at GitLab dedicated to parenting. I’ve been so grateful to watch and learn from others on the team as they navigate parenthood and openly share their stories, struggles, tips, and photos. You don't experience that level of transparency in every workplace.

It all comes down to the ability to opt in or out depending on your own social needs and preferences.

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I can't list all these benefits without also acknowledging the huge privilege it is to have the opportunity to work remotely. I recognize that pursuing a career I love from the comfort of my home while also growing my family is not something that’s possible for every person. My hope is that we’ll continue to see these opportunities unlocked for even more people across more industries in the coming years. Still, there will be jobs that don’t lend themselves to the same level of flexibility (healthcare workers, educators, those in the food service industry, and more).

For the leaders of organizations that can do their jobs outside of a physical office, add this to the growing list of reasons you should seek to provide your team with freedom and autonomy. It’s not just a perk to add to your recruiting materials. It’s a key part of providing a well-rounded employee experience and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging.

If you want to meet your people where they are, allow them to define how that looks. Know that it will evolve as their lives inevitably change. You’ll build a healthier, more productive, and more inclusive team because of it.

Wondering how to implement remote practices on your team?

Our 2022 Remote Playbook condenses all of our lessons learned into a single blueprint to help you navigate this way of work and life. No matter what type of team you’re on (remote, hybrid, etc.), this resource is for you.