Made redundant, pregnant, cant find work and struggling to deal with it

littlemissfixit

Just wishing to share a bit here and maybe hopefully others in the same situation may want to share similar experience.

My position was made redundant 2 months ago, I was then 16 weeks pregnant. Nothing illegal in me being made redundant, the company closed shop. I was not entitled to maternity benefit because I wasn't yet 24 weeks gone. So went on jobseekers. Applied to hundreds of jobs at least and had a few interviews but by that time I was showing already and I couldn't honnestly pretend that I wasn't. Unsurprisingly, I did not get a job yet.
I am finding it really hard not to work, feel very guilty everyday staying at home. Now 27 weeks, I am trying to look for temporary assignements, for which my condition should not be a problem (if you have any plugs very welcome!). How is it that I know I am doing everything I can to find something, yet I can't help but feel useless and guilty?

Anyone going through something similar out there?

tenchi-fan

IMO you're unlikely to get a job if you're so far gone. No employer wants to be hit with a notice that you're going to take maternity leave. Just put your feet up and enjoy the time off.

turbobaby

Agreed, it's going to be difficult to find work. Best thing is to look on it positively. Afterall, you're working on creating a human so there's no reason to feel guilty. Enjoy the summer, I'm sure you deserve a break...

dan_d

OP I feel similarly to you....as in I'm not pregnant but I'm just unemployed and I want to enjoy taking a couple of days off-literally, a couple. But the guilt of not getting out of bed and going to work every day is killing me.

In your case, I think you should relax and just enjoy it.There's plenty of time for working later in the year, and who knows, maybe the job situation might have improved a bit.Please don't feel bad about it. It's very hard to get out of the mindset of work, work, work. Take the time to enjoy what you have now. If you want to fill a few hours, maybe try helping out locally with something, as long as you can? Or join a local group?

Best of luck OP.

Kitchen Expert

I think the suggestion by dan_d is spot on. Maybe look to do some voluntary work in the community because it will definitely take away the guilt. You should really try to enjoy being pregnant (I'm a guy by the way so what would I know) and try to relax. The voluntary work would give you some focus though so maybe see what's out there.

looksee

If you are drawing social security and you take on voluntary work you need to get a permission slip from the Social as it might be construed that you are working. That used be the rule a couple of years ago, I don't know if it has changed.