New and Expectant Mothers
General Guidance

You may be pregnant for some weeks without being aware of it.  This may result in your working with risks that may affect your health and the baby eg lifting and handling. Therefore, it is important and to your benefit to notify your manager as soon as you have the pregnancy confirmed by your doctor so that the assessment for your work can be revised and any necessary changes made in good time.

You may not want to disclose a pregnancy until a later stage, or not wish to talk about the loss of a child, but you must at least inform the BBC HR Direct so that steps can be taken to protect your health.

You should also tell your manager if you have been through labour in the last six months and if you are breast feeding, particularly if you work with hazardous substance.

Hormonal changes affect the pregnant woman in many ways not only in their size and shape; causing greater susceptibility to injury when involved in manual handling tasks.  Ligaments in the pelvis are weakened by these alterations in hormones and exacerbate postural strain, backache from prolonged sitting or standing. and greater susceptibility to injury when involved in manual handling tasks.  Pregnancy related conditions such as raised blood pressure or diabetes mellitus may result from the change in hormones.