Are you expecting a baby soon? If so, congratulations! Searching for jobs for pregnant women may be on your ever-expanding to-do list, and it helps to know where to start.
Pregnancy can be an exciting time! But it’s also overwhelming. Looking after yourself and your baby should be your top priority.
But pregnant women still need to earn money. They can also work (as long as there are no complications during pregnancy).
Not all jobs are suitable when you are with child, though. That said, we are sharing the 20 best jobs for pregnant women.
So, put your feet up, grab a snack, and find out what your options are when preparing for a baby.
Elements of great jobs for pregnant women
When you’re pregnant, there are certain things that you should and shouldn’t be doing to protect yourself and your baby from complications or pregnancy-related health issues.
Keep the following characteristics in mind when job hunting:
Low stress
High stress levels during pregnancy have been known to cause complications, and chronic stress can lead to potential preterm labor and other problems, so it’s essential to keep stress away as much as possible. Choose a job that won’t lead to excessive workloads or worry.
Minimal standing
Pregnancy can be tough on all body parts, especially your feet, during the last two trimesters. Trust us; you won’t want a job where you’re standing all day!
Feeling faint is also a common symptom of pregnancy due to hormone changes, so it’s important to be able to sit if you need to.
Flexible hours
You’ll need to attend several health appointments during your pregnancy, so having a job where you can work flexible hours is extremely helpful. If you suffer from morning sickness, you may also appreciate not having to start work first thing in the morning if you don’t have to.
Work from home opportunities
In my opinion, working from home can make it easier and less stressful to prepare for welcoming a child. The time you save on commuting can be spent decorating the nursery or packing your hospital bag.
The comfort of your home is also a more relaxing environment, which may boost your mood and total wellbeing.
A hygienic, toxic-free environment
It’s possible that being around chemicals (particularly household chemicals) may cause complications in your pregnancy (but there are only possible links to this, nothing confirmed for certain), including low birth weight, preterm birth, and even pregnancy loss.
Work in an environment that is safe, clean, and hygienic, and see this list of substances to avoid when pregnant.
Short commute
Long commutes are not ideal during pregnancy because it can be stressful when you’re stuck on a busy subway or sitting in your car during heavy traffic. You may also be feeling tired, nauseous, or needing a bathroom!
So short commutes are much more pregnancy-friendly.
Zero-low physical requirements
A career that requires heavy lifting or a lot of standing can lead to complications such as ligament pain, decreased blood flow, and even low birth weight or preterm labor. If you’re unsure whether to continue work that requires lifting or standing, speak to your healthcare advisor.
20 best jobs for pregnant women
When you’re pregnant, you might need to find work quickly that doesn’t require extensive amounts of training. Even if you’re already employed, if your job isn’t suitable for your current situation, you may need to look for alternative employment.
These 20 jobs are ideal for expectant moms because you won’t need extensive qualifications, and they are all low impact – both physically and mentally. Make an income with less stress than a traditional job!
1. Library worker
If you still want to work with other people and get out of the house during your pregnancy, becoming a library worker will allow you to earn money whilst working in a relaxing, calm, and comfortable environment.
Librarians typically have set hours and a good work-life balance, so you won’t have problems working around pregnancy-related appointments.
Typical duties for library workers include:
- Ordering books
- Processing late return fees
- Assisting people with finding books
- Organizing book displays and shelves
- Stock checks
Sound like your kind of job? Approach your local libraries and ask if they are taking on new staff.
If nothing is available, I recommend volunteering a few hours a week to show your skills and passion for working in a library. Volunteer work may turn into a paid position. Library assistants earn about $17 per hour.
2. Review books
Getting paid to read may seem too good to be true, but plenty of genuine opportunities exist! What better way to spend your pregnancy than curling up on the sofa with a book?
Here are five sites to find book reviewing opportunities:
Pay will vary significantly depending on the publication you’re writing the review for. You can expect to receive anything from $10-$100 per review, not to mention the importance of reading books can’t be overstated.
3. Grocery shopper
Professional grocery shoppers visit stores to collect items for paying customers. The demand for grocery deliveries is expected to rise, making it one of the great money making skills for pregnant women wanting a slower-paced job.
You can also fulfill your orders at a time that suits you. So if you can’t sleep, visiting the grocery store when it’s quiet will allow you to catch up on rest later!
Grocery shoppers will:
- Find out what the client needs
- Go to a store
- Buy the items
- Pack and deliver them to the paying customer
Lots of people use this service, from the elderly to busy parents and professionals who don’t have time to shop.
So, how do you become one? You can advertise your services on a flyer and give them out in your area or sign up with a site like Instacart.
Shopper salaries range between $12-$23 per hour.
4. Social media manager
Social media is an integral part of all business marketing strategies. Companies don’t always have the time or resources to do this, so they hire people to manage their social media platforms.
It’s an excellent gig for pregnant women because you can work during hours that suit you and anywhere with an internet connection. As long as you are organized, it’s also low-stress work.
The day-to-day job of a social media manager will look like this:
- Creating, implementing, and monitoring a social media strategy
- Producing and scheduling regular content via a content calendar
- Engaging with followers across all platforms
- Creating advertising campaigns
- Ensure brand consistency by working with internal teams
You don’t need any experience to get started, but knowledge of social media trends is necessary.
The most efficient way to get work in this field is by using your existing business relationships. What business owners do you know? Contact them and see if you can help with their social media management.
The hourly rate for social media managers is $33.79.
5. Retail assistant
Working in retail is a desirable choice for pregnant women. It offers flexible hours and good rates of pay.
You won’t have to worry about bringing work stress home when you work in retail either because as soon as the shop is shut, you’re done for the day!
A typical day as a retail assistant will look like this:
- Welcoming customers
- Answering product questions and offering advice
- Dealing with transactions
- Setting up and tidying product displays
- Administrative tasks
Retail work is readily available, especially during peak seasons such as Christmas. Keep an eye out for online adverts and vacancies listed in shops.
You’ll earn an average of $16.11 an hour as a retail assistant.
6. Caregiver
Caregiving is a rewarding and lucrative way to make money if you enjoy looking after others. You can also decide on your working hours, which is ideal when you’re pregnant.
As a caregiver, you will need to:
- Assist with bathing and dressing
- Prepare food, drink, and medication
- Run errands
- Keep living areas clean and tidy
- Encourage physical and mental wellbeing
A great way to find work as a caregiver is through websites such as Visiting Angels.
Your earnings will vary, but the average caregiver earns $14 per hour.
7. Virtual assistant
If you enjoy organizing other people’s lives, this is a great job choice for you during your pregnancy and beyond if you are looking for jobs for stay at home moms. It’s flexible, enjoyable, and you can do it in your PJs from home!
As a Virtual Assistant (VA), you will:
- Organize client’s email inboxes, calendars, and travel
- Create social media posts
- Write blogs/newsletters
- Do some market research
- Update a website
- Create invoices
How much you earn will depend on the number of clients you take on. On average, VAs earn $18.75 an hour.
You could start with one or two clients and also take on more if your pregnancy is going well and you have the energy to do more work. The great thing about this job is that when you’re approaching your due date, you can also reduce your number of clients until you’re happy with the workload.
Using search engines is also an excellent way to find work as a VA. You can also contact local companies in your area to make them aware of your services. You never know who might need your help!
8. Online bookkeeping
All businesses need someone good with numbers to do their books. Is this you? The great thing about this job is that it can be done virtually, meaning no commuting, and you can also decide what hours you work.
When you’re pregnant you will appreciate being able to rest when you need it instead of working through it.
As a bookkeeper, you will:
- Ensure bank statements are accurate
- Categorize transactions
- Prepare financial statements
The best way to get started in this field is to create an appealing website that clearly describes your services. Use social media to get your name out there too. Indeed is also an excellent place to find virtual bookkeeping jobs, so keep an eye on that.
You can make between $11-$25 per hour bookkeeping, but specializing in an area such as bookkeeping for legal professionals could earn you more money.
9. Voiceover artist
Fancy doing something a bit different to earn money during your pregnancy? A voiceover artist is a low-impact, low-stress job that is enjoyable too!
Many industries need a professional’s voice, including television, film, video games, audiobooks, radio, and more.
Voiceover artists will get paid to:
- Read scripts
- Follow prompts from writers and directors
- Interpret the mannerisms of different characters
- Verbally portray emotion
- Pitch your voice to different requirements
Voiceover artists earn an average of $37 per hour, which can be a lucrative career choice.
How do you become one? Follow production companies’ websites and social media platforms, where they often post job adverts. Using search engines will also let you know what work is available.
10. Website designer
Working from home is a luxury you will appreciate when pregnant, especially during your second and third trimesters! If you’re creative and have good computer skills, this could be one of the jobs for pregnant women that really appeal to you.
If this is an area you want to get into, some websites, such as Webflow provide free web design courses.
Becoming a freelance website designer while pregnant is one of the best ways to make money in this field. Why? Because you can choose the projects you work on and set your work hours.
Here are a few of the tasks that you’ll do:
- Incorporate brand guidelines
- Create page layouts
- Choose appropriate visuals/videos
- Register domain names
- Carry out coding
Once you’ve mastered the basic skills, build up a portfolio of your work (you could offer your services to local businesses or charitable organizations for a reduced rate or free for practice), then get advertising for work. Upwork, or also Dribbble, and LinkedIn are great platforms to find web design work.
Earnings will vary from $30-$80 per hour.
11. Copywriter
Copywriting is a very pregnancy-friendly occupation! And if you already have good writing and typing skills, it makes perfect sense to utilize these when looking for work.
In my experience as a writer, I manage my own workload to meet deadlines, so if I don’t feel like working one day, I don’t have to! Many women who start a career as a freelance writer during pregnancy often carry it on because it’s so flexible and can easily fit around nap times and school drop-offs!
As a copywriter, you will conduct extensive research and work on a range of writing projects for clients, such as:
- Advertising copy
- Blog writing
- Social media posts
- Articles
- Website copy
When starting out, use remote job boards such as Contena and also Problogger. Businesses will post job adverts that you can apply for.
Freelance copywriters in the US earn approximately $35.89 per hour.
12. Recruitment advisor
Do you have great interpersonal and communication skills? A recruitment advisor could be the perfect job for career success while you’re pregnant and longer.
You can choose whether to work for a recruitment company or start your own business freelancing for work.
Every day will be different, making the days and week go fast. Your due date will soon come around! It’s pretty fast-paced but not stressful as long as you remain calm and organized.
Recruitment advisors are responsible for the following:
- Look for new clients
- Research companies and the marketplace
- Build relationships
- Find job opportunities
- Advertise jobs you need to find a candidate for
- Interview and put forward suitable people
To get started in this field, you need to demonstrate to companies that you are the right person to be trusted with their recruitment process. You can show your experience and skills and meet them in person. Making yourself active on social media is another excellent way to get your name out there.
Sound like the type of job for you? A typical hourly rate for a recruitment advisor is about $26 per hour.
13. Housesit
There are very few jobs for pregnant women that allow you to enjoy home comforts at someone else’s house – but this is one of them! It’s the perfect way to make money during your pregnancy while you can still spend time away from your home without doing anything stressful.
General responsibilities for house sitters include:
- General cleaning and tidying
- Looking after pets
- Opening/organizing mail
- Watering plants
- Keeping the property secure
Find paid housesitting jobs on websites such as Trusted Housesitters. Once you’ve proven that you’re trustworthy after a few housesitting jobs, you may find that recommendations lead to more clients.
The amount you can charge for your time will depend on the tasks you’re expected to complete. A reasonable price is around $16 per hour for housesitting duties.
14. Online moderator
Do your friends and family always rely on you to help deal with heated situations? If so, becoming an online moderator may be a great job choice for you during your pregnancy. The beauty of this job is that it’s done remotely, so you have no daily commute and traffic stress!
Online moderators oversee online communities, social media platforms, and blog posts to ensure everyone follows the rules.
Typical duties of an online moderator include:
- Checking reported content
- Removing harmful or inappropriate comments
- Ensure guidelines and rules are being followed by users
- Blocking users
- Maintain user engagement in groups
Online job sites, including Indeed and GlassDoor, regularly post content moderator jobs, so set up an alert to get your application in early. Earnings for content moderator jobs are around $18 per hour.
15. Travel agent
You can be a travel agent that works in a store or a virtual one – the choice is yours! You don’t need specific experience to get started, but prior traveling knowledge will help.
What makes this one of the best jobs for pregnant women is the low levels of stress and the ability to sell a service you are passionate about.
Travel agents will typically:
- Listen to a client’s needs and budget
- Use your knowledge to suggest destinations, accommodations, and sightseeing tours
- Book flights or over transportation
- Make dinner arrangements
- Provide information on visas, insurance, vaccinations, and customs requirements
Either set up your own business or work in a remote or office-based position for travel companies.
Your average earnings as a travel agent will be around $17.49 per hour. But if you specialize in an area of travel, such as honeymoons or luxury accommodation, you can earn more.
16. Tutoring
Do you have an area of specialization or subject you know lots about? Teaching young people can be extremely satisfying, and you can do it sitting down! This is another flexible occupation that you can do in person or online.
You’ll be expected to have qualifications in your chosen subject, and background checks will be conducted before you start.
Not sure what to teach? Here are some ideas:
- Core subjects such as English, math, and science
- Languages
- History
- Baking
- Instruments
Set your own schedule, work around your appointments, and also enjoy your work! Earnings as a tutor can vary from $15 per hour to $100+ depending on your experience and chosen subject.
If you teach remotely, look at job sites like VIPKID. If you’re tutoring in person, advertise your services locally and on social media to find work.
17. Videographer
You don’t need a degree or formal qualifications to get work as a videographer, so it’s a great career choice if you decide to change jobs during your pregnancy. The work can be exciting, and you’ll meet many different people.
The main reason why it’s one of the ideal jobs for pregnant women is that you can choose the projects you work on. That means you don’t have to travel unnecessarily or work long days and hours if you don’t want to.
Videographers tend to work on projects such as:
- Recording live events
- Documentaries
- Short films
- Weddings
- Birthday parties
- Sports events
- Training videos
Networking is vital if you want to find regular work as a video maker. Ask everyone you know to spread the word!
Reach out to your local community and demonstrate how your skills can help them. LinkedIn is also a great place to look as businesses reach out to their network when they need assistance with a project.
Videographers are paid an average of $34 per hour.
18. Paralegal
Paralegals help solicitors, barristers, and other legal professionals carry out legal tasks. It’s an interesting, varied, and flexible career that’s one of the excellent jobs for pregnant women.
Why? Because if you work as a freelance paralegal, you can set your own schedule and rates.
As a paralegal, your typical duties will include:
- Preparing legal documents
- Writing quotes for clients
- Interviewing witnesses and clients
- Legal admin
- Researching laws and case studies
The NALA (which is the National Association of Legal Assistants) offers a Certified Paralegal Certification and the Advanced Certified Paralegal Program. These are things you can gain to help you find work, but they aren’t essential. Once you’ve started gaining experience in this industry, you’ll pick up more work.
The salary for paralegals is $28 per hour.
19. Transcriptionist
One of the great jobs for pregnant women is transcription work. You can work at any time of the day or night, so it’s super flexible and can be done from the comfort of your own home without needing to travel or be on your feet all day.
A transcriptionist will listen to audio and video recordings and transcribe them into text files. The work is interesting and varied. You could work on anything from business meeting notes to court hearing recordings.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Ensuring your transcribed text is accurate and free of spelling/grammar errors
- Formatting the text file in line with brand guidelines
- Completing transcriptions quickly and efficiently
- Using the latest transcription software
- Meeting client requirements
TranscribeMe provides flexible transcription work for freelancers. You can also find transcription work on Flexjobs or also Rev.com. Hourly rates vary between $12 and $36 an hour.
20. Event planner
Who said finding jobs for pregnant women near me can’t be fun? You can be creative, have a good time, and work as much or as little as you want! You will need a mobile phone, laptop and a good internet connection.
The types of events you could offer your clients are:
- Corporate (conferences and meetings)
- Celebrations (birthdays, baby showers, weddings, graduations, local fairs)
- Promotional (charity events, fundraisers, new product launches, book launches)
I’ve found that the best way to get work as an event planner is to research my local area to find out what events need organizing and offer to help. Start small until you build relationships with vendors and suppliers and prove your planning skills.
Event planning can earn you a respectable $16.07 per hour or more!
Expert tip: How to tell your employer you’re pregnant
Being pregnant is an exciting time, so make sure you share your special news in a positive way. When you decide it’s the right time to tell your employer you’re expecting a baby, write down a few notes to help you plan what you want to say.
You should include your due date and a rough idea of when you want to start maternity leave. Keep it simple, upbeat and to the point!
You can tell your employer that you’re pregnant in person and follow it up in writing, but if you’re not comfortable with this you can just do it via an email/letter.
Tips to get hired when pregnant
You may feel nervous about your chances of getting a job during your pregnancy, but you don’t need to be!
Everyone needs to plan when considering a job change. Here are some steps you can take to help you feel fully prepared for applying for jobs and the interview stage. You’ve got this!
Carefully consider what you want to do first
This is probably the most critical step for pregnant women. Ask yourself what you want to do. Think about your skills and the type of work that you enjoy.
Your mental wellness is essential, just as your physical health. It’s also a good idea to think about a career that you could potentially continue when your baby arrives.
Be aware of your rights
It’s important that you know exactly what you’re entitled to when you’re pregnant.
You’re protected against discrimination under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Read through the information so you are armed with the facts if you need to use them.
Decide if you want to disclose your pregnancy
You should never feel pressured to tell anyone you’re pregnant if you don’t want to. Take your time, and don’t rush the decision.
Some women like to tell people as soon as they get past 12 weeks, and others like to keep it a secret for much longer. Either way is absolutely fine!
Apply for flexible jobs
Flexibility is like gold dust for expectant mothers. You’ll appreciate being able to change your hours at short notice or work from home if you need to.
It will improve your overall productivity and make you want to return to work after your maternity leave, which also benefits employers.
Research companies before the interview stage
You need to ask yourself whether they are a company you want to work for that shares your personal core values. If you’re not aligned with your employer, it’s probably best to find another opportunity where you will be happy and comfortable working.
Interviewing tips
Remember that you don’t have to declare your pregnancy during an interview; the choice is yours. If your bump is noticeable and you want to tell your potential employer, go ahead.
Be prepared to address any concerns they may have and discuss your plan for minimizing disruption while you’re off.
If you’re at the early stages of your pregnancy, focus on answering the questions to the best of your ability and demonstrating what you could bring to the job.
The best employers will see your potential and want to work with you regardless of whether you’re pregnant.
Create a plan to complete work deliverables before your due date
Showing your commitment and passion for a job is a great way to make you stand out amongst other candidates. Tell your employer what can be done before you go on maternity leave to reduce the impact of your absence.
This could include training team members, working remotely, or creating detailed handover notes and project plans.
What kind of jobs can I work while pregnant?
There are so many kinds of jobs you can work while pregnant you’ll be spoilt for choice!
Here’s a summary of the ideal jobs for pregnant women:
- Home working: Freelance writer, virtual assistant, transcriptionist
- Office jobs: Recruitment advisor, library assistant, paralegal (can also be done remotely)
- Retail positions: Travel agent, customer service rep, event planner
- Flexible jobs: Online moderator, grocery shopper, tutor, or high paying remote jobs
And the ones to avoid:
- Hairstylist
- Nail technician
- Car mechanic
- Working in a factory with chemicals
- Security at a chemical plant
Remember to listen to your body and start your maternity leave early if needed. And don’t worry – you can still find plenty of ways how to make money on maternity leave.
Will jobs hire you if you’re pregnant?
Yes, jobs will hire you if you’re pregnant! Recruiters cannot ask if you’re pregnant or refuse to interview you.
The fact that you’re pregnant does not affect your ability to do a job unless it requires physical exertion. Employers are obligated to treat you exactly the same way as other potential employees.
Lots of women get new employment while pregnant. Laws are made to protect you from discrimination.
If you feel you have been discriminated against when applying for a job because you’re pregnant, you should seek legal advice immediately.
Where is the best place to work pregnant?
Ultimately, the best place to work when you’re pregnant is somewhere where you’re comfortable and well looked after by the people around you. This can be done remotely or in a place of work.
During your pregnancy, you have the following rights to the following reasonable workplace accommodations according to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA):
- Longer or more frequent breaks (depending on the type of work that you do)
- Extra time off work for scans and pregnancy-related appointments or health checks
- Modification to no-food-or-drink policies
- Reassignment of heavy-duty or heavy-lifting work
- Protection against discrimination and unfair dismissal or treatment
- Your contract can’t be changed without your consent
- Time off to recover from childbirth even if you are not eligible for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Pregnancy can be tough without dealing with unfair employers who don’t understand what you’re going through. If your current job isn’t suitable for your pregnancy, find one that is.
Should I let potential employers know I’m pregnant when I apply for a job?
You don’t have to let potential employers know you’re pregnant when you apply for a job, as disclosing your pregnancy is a personal choice in the U.S. You’re not legally obliged to tell anyone.
Before deciding whether to tell potential employers, here are some benefits of disclosing your pregnancy and things to consider.
Benefits of sharing your pregnancy with your employer
- Adjustments can be made to your job role if required
- A pregnancy risk assessment can be conducted to ensure you’re working safely
- The company can start planning your cover while you’re on maternity leave
- Your manager can give you time off for pregnancy-related appointments
Things to consider before telling your employer you’re pregnant
- Do you want people to find out yet? You can ask your manager to keep it quiet if you don’t want the whole office to know.
- Have you had your first ultrasound and midwife appointment yet? Most women wait until they’ve had these to check that everything is ok with baby.
- Do you need more time to come to terms with the news yourself? This is absolutely ok if you do!
Where can I find jobs for pregnant women near me?
The good news is that you can find jobs for pregnant women near you in the same way as anyone else! You want your search to be efficient, so you don’t end up wasting lots of time looking at jobs that aren’t suitable for your needs.
We recommend starting your job hunt in the following places:
Job sites
Using websites is a quick and easy way to see what jobs are currently advertised. Use filters to narrow your search to ‘jobs for pregnant women near me,’ so you can quickly disregard unsuitable opportunities. Our favorites are:
Local businesses
Sometimes the best opportunities are just around the corner. Companies often list their current vacancies on their website and social media platforms, so regularly check them.
If there’s a particular business that you’re desperate to work for, you could always approach them and tell them what you’d bring to the team.
Recommendations
The best thing about working somewhere that has been recommended to you is you know that it’s a decent place to be. It’s also one of the best confidence building exercises, as you won’t be recommended unless someone has faith in your skills and ability.
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Now you know the best jobs for pregnant women, you can relax and enjoy your pregnancy without worrying about money. Take it easy and listen to your body and your doctor’s advice.
If you want to learn more about managing your finances, Clever Girl Finance has a wealth of information and advice. Find simple ways to increase your income and get answers for how much does having a baby cost as you plan your finances and future.
