27 Reliable Excuses To Get Out Of Work While Pregnant

Being pregnant is a blessing and a miracle to some. If you have been trying to get pregnant for some time and are finally able to get there, congratulations are in order! However, with all the great things that come with being pregnant, many difficulties come with this sacred time. This is why we’ve put together a list of understandable excuses to get out of work while pregnant.

Nobody will blame you if you call out of work because of your pregnancy. And if they do, then they probably won’t say it out loud. Your pregnancy may only last nine months, but it feels like an eternity to some. Some of these excuses to get out of work while pregnant can be used more than once, while others can only be used a singular time.

So if you really need an excuse to get out of work while you’re pregnant, or want excuses for early maternity leave, keep reading to see what works for you!

Here is our list of good excuses to get out of work while pregnant

Before we get into our list of excuses to get out of work while pregnant, we do want to mention that a lot of the examples given in this article can be very serious. Please consult with a medical professional if you are experiencing any problems. We also do not recommend faking some of the more serious conditions as that can get you into serious trouble. 

1. You have a doctor’s appointment

During pregnancy, there are a series of scheduled appointments for various things like having an ultrasound, doing bloodwork, and other routine checkups. On top of the regular appointments, you may want to schedule an appointment with your doctor if you’re feeling anxious and have questions that need answers.

2. You have morning sickness

They call it morning sickness, but it happens at any point of the day during your pregnancy. Morning sickness is a great excuse to get out of work while pregnant and also a good excuse to leave work early if you feel nausea creeping on. Typical morning sickness involves spending a lot of time near a toilet, so you won’t be any good to anyone at work, even if you do tough it out.

3. You didn’t sleep the night before

The further your pregnancy gets, the more uncomfortable it becomes to sleep. If you have been a stomach sleeper your whole life, it can be tough to adjust to sleeping on your side or your back. With such a drastic change in your sleeping routine, your day-to-day life can be impacted, especially if you walk around like a sleep-deprived zombie.

You might also notice that the regular pillow you have been used to forever doesn’t feel comfortable anymore. Pregnancy pillows can help you get better sleep, but they also take over the entire bed! So if your partner sleeps in the same bed as you, then both of you might suffer from lack of sleep!

4. You have a cold / flu

When you are pregnant, your body goes through significant changes, and your immune system does not function the way it once used to. As a result, getting the common cold or flu can put you in a weakened state.

Taking time off if you have a cold or flu is normal for any person, regardless of whether they are pregnant. However, since you’re pregnant, you may be able to use having a cold or flu as an excuse to miss work for longer than a week.

5. You are experiencing spotting and/or bleeding

Minor spotting and bleeding are common occurrences in early pregnancy, specifically in the first trimester. Even though it happens with many women, it can be scary seeing blood spots. Naturally, you might jump to the worst conclusion possible. 

Seeing spotting or bleeding can cause immense stress and warrant a trip to the doctor’s office to ensure everything is okay.

6. You are feeling extra anxious

During your pregnancy, your hormones can cause you to become extra anxious. A million thoughts are running through your head:

• Is the baby going to be healthy?
• Am I going to deliver early?
• What will happen if I go into labor while on the go?
• How painful will it be?

With all these thoughts processing through your brain, it’s no wonder you’re feeling anxious. If you are in the middle of a work shift and start feeling this way, just say you’re feeling very anxious as an excuse to get out of work for the day.

7. You are experiencing blurred vision

If you’re experiencing blurred vision during your pregnancy, it can be worrisome, but it is rarely permanent. Blurred vision can occur from hormonal changes. If you’re having trouble seeing, you need to be easy and not go to work. A variety of problems could occur if you do not see properly, especially if you drive to work. It’s best to lay low and wait for your blurred vision to subside.

8. You have a bad case of hemorrhoids

Claiming that you have hemorrhoids is another one of those ways to get out of work when pregnant, where your boss will not ask any questions.

It’s not a topic that warrants an in-depth conversation.

So if you’re trying to get out of work for the day and you’re on good terms with your boss, a text message should do the trick.

9. You cannot control your bladder

Similar to the excuse above, losing bladder control is not a topic your boss will want to ask too many questions about. And unfortunately, losing control of your bladder happens in many pregnancies! As your baby grows and your uterus expands, it puts pressure on your bladder. When this happens, it can lead to some unfortunate accidents.

10. You don’t want to take public transit

Taking public transit can be awful at times, even when you’re not pregnant. Now imagine being in your third trimester and having to squish yourself in a loaded bus or train. Most people will be courteous enough to give up their seats for you, but not always.

If you’re going to use public transit as an excuse to get out of work while you’re pregnant, then you might need to get a bit creative. Perhaps tell your boss that you were waiting for the bus, but there was a delay and now they are all backed up. Subsequently, all the buses for the next few hours will be packed with people and you don’t want to squish yourself in like a sardine.

11. You can’t stop crying (hormones)

You woke up, and you can’t seem to shake off feelings of anxiousness mixed with sadness. What if you aren’t going to be a good mother? These thoughts often swirl through the heads of women during pregnancy. As a result, you can’t stop crying. You know it’s your hormones playing tricks on you, but regardless, you just can’t stop crying and you don’t want to show up to work with tears streaming down your face.

12. You have an infection

With drastic changes to your body and immune system, pregnant women can become more susceptible to infections.

“The immune system is often in flux, and as a result, pregnant [people] may be more vulnerable to infections…” – Jennifer Wider, M.D

There are different types of infections you can experience during pregnancy, all of which should be taken seriously.

13. You have a UTI

A particular type of infection women can often undergo is a urinary tract infection (UTI). This is an infection that develops in the urinary system. UTIs are preventable through good hygiene, drinking lots of fluids, and emptying your bladder after sex. Even though UTIs can be preventable, they can still occur. You’ll want to schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have a UTI as soon as possible. For this reason, it’s an excellent excuse to get out of work while pregnant.

14. You have a migraine headache

Having a migraine headache is another one of those excuses to get out of work while pregnant that can be used multiple times. If you have ever suffered a migraine headache, you know how debilitating it can be. They will most likely understand if you tell your boss that you need to stay home because your headache is too intense to work.

15. You have severe abdominal pain

Experiencing severe abdominal pain during pregnancy is usually nothing to worry about. Getting bad cramps happens to a lot of women. The pain you’re feeling is most likely ligament pain, which happens when the ligaments stretch as your belly goes to support your baby. If the pain is mild, but still causing discomfort, then it’s a plausible excuse for staying home from work when pregnant.

16. You have high blood pressure

Having high blood pressure, or gestational hypertension is a condition that can occur during pregnancy. It usually has to do with a lack of protein in your urine or can be from other complications from your heart or kidneys.

The condition usually ends after you give birth. Still, if you are diagnosed with gestational hypertension, you’ll want to take it easy and avoid stressful situations (which could mean getting out of work).

17. You are having trouble breathing

Although usually harmless, shortness of breath is a common symptom in women during pregnancy. If you want to relieve yourself of the symptoms, you should relax and try sitting or standing in different positions. Working in an environment that requires you to sit or stand all day can be problematic and trigger your breathing issues even more.

18. You developed gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy in women who that currently do not already have diabetes. It affects up to 10% of pregnancies in the U.S. every year. Having gestational diabetes sounds scary, but most women who have this condition give birth to healthy babies. In addition to this, most women see their diabetes disappear shortly after delivering their baby.

If you have developed this form of diabetes, you can use it to get a few days off work to seek medical advice and a treatment plan for overcoming it.

19. You are experiencing immense pelvic pressure

Immense pelvic pressure should be taken seriously. There might be no cause for alarm if you’re feeling this type of pressure, but it’s better to be on the safe side because it could be a symptom of something more severe. If you are experiencing lots of pelvic pressure, ask your boss to take the day off so you can speak with a medical professional.

20. You are going into preterm labor

Preterm labor is common during pregnancy as well, and it can happen as early as 24 weeks into pregnancy. If this is your situation, then there is no possible way your boss will expect you to come to work. It’s silly to even think about. In fact, the only thing you should be thinking about is getting ready to deliver a baby!

21. Your water broke

If your water breaks, that is one of the first signs that you are about to go into labor. This is another one of those excuses to get out of work while pregnant that will never get rejected. Unless you fake your water breaking for the whole office to see.

22. You are having contractions

Having contractions is another sign that you’re about to go into labor. Women can experience contractions without their water breaking as well. So if you start feeling regular intervals of aches in your back and lower abdomen, followed by lots of pelvic pressure, you might be having contractions. This means your body is preparing for labor!

Serious excuses to get out of work while pregnant

We don’t recommend using these serious excuses to get out of work while pregnant if they aren’t truthful. However, if you are experiencing any of these complications, you should let your work know ASAP so you can take time off that you need.

23. You have preeclampsia

If you’ve been diagnosed with preeclampsia, then you will definitely need to take time off work. Some of the symptoms, as they progress, can get quite nasty, such as severe headaches, blurred vision, pain below your ribs, vomiting, and swelling. What causes preeclampsia isn’t fully known, but stress is considered a factor.

24. There are complications with the baby

If there are any complications with your baby, then you should speak to your boss and get the time off you need. You’ll be occupied with doctor’s appointments and seeking medical treatment. You won’t have time to stress about work.

25. You haven’t felt the baby move in a long time

Another warning sign of complications with your pregnancy can be if you feel little to no movement from your baby, especially if your baby is usually active. If you haven’t felt your baby for multiple hours, you might want to consult your doctor and see what to do next.

26. You had a miscarriage

Having a miscarriage is an awful experience. You can expect multiple days off work if you are comfortable sharing the details with your boss. A miscarriage is not an excuse you’ll want to use to get out of work, but use it if you have to. Not only can there be health complications from a miscarriage, but there can be long-lasting mental health issues.

27. You had an ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tube. Unfortunately, an ectopic pregnancy is fatal for the fetus growing inside you. You will usually figure out it is an ectopic pregnancy early. You’ll need to be careful with this type of pregnancy because if left untreated, it can cause internal bleeding, resulting in death. Having such a traumatic experience will surely warrant some time off work.

Excuses for early maternity leave

If you are having a normal and healthy pregnancy, you might be capable of working up until the start of labor. Although working days before you give birth might be extra stressful. Some women stop working up to as many as ten weeks before their due date.

Discussing the terms of your maternity leave with your employer several weeks before you start your leave is essential. However, if you are getting anxious to the point where you need to leave before your planned date, talk to your doctor, and they should be able to write you a note for early maternity leave.

Here are a few valid excuses for early maternity leave:

1. You have too much on your plate

Being pregnant and planning the next steps in your life once your baby arrives takes a lot of time and effort. A lot of women go through pregnancy alone as well. They might not have a partner or family to help them out. If your job is stressful, and you are doing the whole pregnancy solo, you might need an excuse for early maternity leave. After talking with your doctor and getting a note from them, you can talk to your boss and tell them you have too much on your plate and wish to start your maternity leave earlier than usual.  They will understand.

2. You are physically exhausted

Pregnancy is extremely tiring. The lack of sleep, the constant pressure on your internal organs, and being on your feet as they swell can lead to extreme physical exhaustion. When you’re this tired, mistakes can happen at the job and in your everyday life. Of course, you’ll want to avoid making mistakes. Accompanied by a doctor’s note, this is another perfectly valid excuse for early maternity leave.

3. It is the recommendation from your doctor

Maybe you don’t want to use one of these excuses for early maternity leave and want to tough it out instead. That is admirable, but there might be a situation where your doctor advises you to take it easy and leave earlier than expected for the sake of your health and your baby’s health.

If your doctor recommends you take an early leave, you should listen to them. Your boss will understand.

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There are many different excuses to get out of work while pregnant. Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy and how you’re feeling, nobody will think differently of you if you seek additional time off.