Is It Healthy to Work Late Into Your Pregnancy?

As more and more women wait until their 30s to have children, most expecting mothers are dedicated to their successful careers. As such, it is common for many pregnant women to continue working late into their pregnancies, but a new study suggests that this may not be a very good idea.

Researchers at the University of Essex have published a study that shows stay at work until your due-date has an effect of your child that is comparable to smoking while pregnant. The risks are very similar, as children of working mothers are likely to have low birth weights, poor health and delayed development.

The findings of the study are still up for debate, however. According to Dr. Joanne Stone, author of The Pregnancy Bible, says that smoking and working should not be compared. She states that the difference between the two activities is that smoking is an unhealthy habit while working into your ninth month may be necessary. Dr. Stone also highlights that underlying medical conditions may be to blame for poor health in newborns.

“For many women it is not a choice”, she says. “They shouldn’t feel like they’re putting their child a risk by continuing to work.”