You’re Pregnant and Interviewing: WTF Do You Need to Tell Them?

Last Updated on September 13, 2026 by Salty Sereia

I’m writing this from the perspective of a woman in marine science, but the guilt around getting pregnant at work is definitely not limited to labs, boats, or field sites. Women across industries are made to feel like pregnancy is an inconvenience they should apologize for.

It isn’t.

Ok, let’s break this shit down.

I’ve gotten pregnant twice while starting new jobs. Yes, it was nerve-wracking. No, I did not plan the timing. But let me tell you this: it’s not as scary as everyone makes it out to be.

If you are a great candidate and they want you, pregnancy does not erase your qualifications. Pregnancy is temporary. Long-term employment with a great candidate is everything.

The tricky part is figuring out what the hell you’re supposed to tell them, when you should tell them, and how much guilt you’re going to dump on yourself in the process. And trust me, I stumbled my way through this one.

Pregnant, Job Hunting, and Everyone Has an Opinion

My first pregnancy was a welcome surprise. I was living on an island at the time, which was pricey AF, and we knew we couldn’t afford to stay in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with rent increasing and a baby on the way.

So we both started looking for jobs closer to family. And if you want a post on changing jobs or explaining a resume with gaps or a bunch of different jobs, drop a comment below. I’ve done both so many damn times.

I started applying as soon as I found out I was pregnant and managed to nail a couple of interviews. This was right after COVID, so the initial interviews were virtual.

Then I got a third interview for a university job.

In person. At six months pregnant.

Awesome.

And of course, everyone had an opinion. Some people told me to be completely upfront. Others told me to hide it until I couldn’t.

Personally, I don’t think you have to tell them during the interview process, especially if you’re still early in pregnancy and haven’t even hit that three-month mark when a lot of people start telling friends, family, and work. Others may disagree with me here, and that’s fine.

If you’re job seeking while pregnant, one of the biggest questions is whether you should say anything at all. There is no single perfect way of disclosing pregnancy during interview conversations, and when you tell them may depend on how far along you are, what the job requires, and what you’re comfortable sharing.

At some point, yes, you’re obviously going to need to tell your employer. You’ll need to talk about leave, your due date, and any accommodations or scheduling shit that needs to happen. But I don’t think that conversation needs to happen before they’ve even decided whether they want to hire you.

Outside of the fact that it’s none of their business when you had sex, are men telling employers during interviews that their wives are pregnant when they also plan to take parental leave?

I’d argue not.

I wanted to know that if I didn’t get the job, it was because I wasn’t qualified or someone else was more qualified.

NOT because I was pregnant.

Being Pregnant in Marine Science Is a Whole Other Game

Being pregnant in marine science can complicate shit depending on your position.

For me as a marine ecologist, that meant I couldn’t lift heavy stuff or SCUBA dive, which can be a huge part of certain jobs. If you’re working in a lab, maybe you don’t want exposure to certain chemicals. If you’re working offshore, maybe you’re not comfortable being on a boat all day.

And if you’re doing fieldwork, there may be heavy lifting, long days, heat, shitty weather, marsh mud up to your knees, or whatever other ridiculous shit comes with being a marine scientist.

And then there’s all the peeing and needing to sit down. Try having to pee every 20 minutes while wearing full Grundéns on a boat in the middle of the ocean and squeezing your large self into that tiny-ass head.

Again, this is completely career dependent.

If you’re asking yourself, is it safe to work while pregnant, that’s going to depend heavily on your specific job, what you’re being asked to do, and your individual pregnancy. Marine science can mean anything from sitting behind a computer all day to hauling equipment around a boat, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

But pregnant women are often looked at as a wild card. Is it her first baby or second? How long does she plan on going on leave? Will she decide not to come back, and now we’ve wasted all that time hiring her just to go back to the drawing board?

And if it’s a government job? Oh man, does it take forever just to approve an FTE (full-time employee) if you end up not working out.

The Problem: You’ll Never Really Know Why You Didn’t Get the Job

This is one of those areas where I would absolutely recommend checking your state’s pregnancy discrimination and employment protections instead of taking some random person on the internet’s word for it.

Including mine.

Pregnancy discrimination protections exist, along with protections around pregnancy-related accommodations, but exactly what applies depends on the employer, your job, and potentially your state.

And discrimination isn’t always going to look like, “Sorry, we’re not hiring you because you’re pregnant.”

It may look like, “We decided to move forward with another candidate.”

Maybe they genuinely did. Maybe someone else was more qualified. Maybe they needed someone immediately. Or maybe your pregnancy played into it.

How the fuck are you supposed to know?

And that was another reason I didn’t want to disclose before they decided whether they wanted me.

How I Handled Interviewing at Six Months Pregnant

Listen, I wasn’t trying to hide it. Like I said before, I ain’t no petite lady, so I couldn’t hide it even if I tried. If you’re wondering how to disclose pregnancy in job interview situations when you’re visibly pregnant, here’s how I handled it: I didn’t bring it up during the interview at all. But I also didn’t show up in a body-con business dress either (I wore a blouse and blazer).

And there I was, interviewing at six months pregnant.

Again, I thought it was fucking obvious.

Apparently not.

I got through the process and got the job. Then I explained how excited I was about the offer, but there was something I needed to discuss. I was pregnant and would need to take leave not long after starting—about three months later, to be exact.

They were surprised.

I guess they assumed I had eaten four Big Macs that day or had liver disease because, again, I WAS SIX MONTHS PREGNANT AND IT SHOWED.

I could hear the disappointment in their voices, and immediately I felt bad. Like I had tricked them. Reality check: I did not. But at the time, that guilt was very real.

They eventually allowed me to start after I took leave. Looking back, their reaction probably should have been a sign not to take that job. Most “good” places won’t give you grief because they don’t want you contacting HR on their asses. But instead of seeing their reaction as a red flag, I felt bad about being pregnant and having to go on leave so soon after they hired me.

The job and my boss ended up being awful, and I left about a year and a half later.

Not Disclosing Pregnancy During an Interview Does Not Make You an Asshole

You are not lying because you don’t announce your pregnancy during a job interview. You’re interviewing for a job and discussing your qualifications, education, experience, and whether you can do the job.

You don’t owe someone your entire personal life just because they might hire you.

And depending on when you’re interviewing, you may not even be telling friends and family yet. A lot of people wait until later in pregnancy to share because miscarriage is unfortunately very common, especially during those first three months.

I understand this personally.

I had a miscarriage the week I was going to tell my employer I was pregnant with my second child. Unfortunately, I never got the chance.

If anyone is interested in hearing more about my loss, let me know and I can share that story too. When I went through my miscarriage, my friends and family were great, but at the time, I didn’t have anyone close to me who had been through one themselves.

And honestly, I really wanted to talk to someone who actually understood what I was experiencing. Sometimes sharing the painful shit helps someone else feel a little less alone.

So no, I don’t think you should feel pressured to share a pregnancy at work before you’re ready just because you think your employer is entitled to know.

They’re not living through it.

You are.

You Got the Job While Pregnant. Now When The F Do You Tell Them?

This is where interviewing while pregnant turns into starting a new job while pregnant, because getting the offer does not suddenly make the anxiety disappear.

Now you’re thinking: When do I tell them? What about maternity leave? What if I don’t qualify for leave yet? What if my due date is during field season? What if they think I tricked them?

First, get the information you need.

Look at the benefits, leave policies, your start date, and what the job physically requires. And do not assume you already know what leave you qualify for.

This is boring adult shit, but read the damn employee handbook.

How to Ask About Maternity Leave Before Disclosing Your Pregnancy

This is where interviewing while pregnant turns into starting a new job while pregnant, because getting the offer does not suddenly make the anxiety disappear.

Now you’re thinking: When do I tell them? What about maternity leave? What if I don’t qualify for leave yet? What if my due date is during field season? What if they think I tricked them?

First, get the information you need.

Look at the benefits, leave policies, your start date, and what the job physically requires. And do not assume you already know what leave you qualify for.

This is boring adult shit, but read the damn employee handbook.

How to Tell Your New Boss You’re Pregnant Without F*cking Apologizing

When you are ready to tell them, for the love of Poseidon, please do not start with an apology.

You do not need, “I’m so sorry,” “I know this is terrible timing,” or “I hope this isn’t a problem.”

Try:

“I’m really excited about joining the team, and I wanted to let you know that I’m pregnant and due in [insert month here]. I wanted to give you plenty of notice so we can discuss my start date, leave, and anything we need to plan for.”

Then pause.

You do not need to fill the awkward silence.

Don’t Be Afraid to Push Back Your Start Date

Depending on how far along you are, you may want to negotiate your start date.

Again: ASK.

Maybe you want to work until you give birth. Maybe you want to start after maternity leave. Maybe you want a few weeks between leaving your current job and having the baby.

You don’t know what they’ll agree to until you ask. Remember: it’s ALWAYS a no until you ask.

You can say:

“I’m very excited about the position. Given my expected delivery date in [MONTH], would you be open to discussing a start date of [DATE]?”

That’s not unreasonable.

That’s called negotiating.

Starting a New Job While Pregnant: My Second Experience

There’s also a difference between getting pregnant after accepting an offer and changing jobs while pregnant. I’ve basically experienced both versions of this shit, and my second experience looked completely different from my first. 

I found out I was pregnant about three weeks after accepting a new job. We were already trying for another child and planning a move, and this position was NOT marine science.

It was remote.  And that was strategic.

See my post Midlife Career Change: Why I Left My Dream Job at Almost 40 if you want the full breakdown.

I wanted to be able to work anywhere and have flexibility during this season of my life, especially if my children were sick and I needed to be home. Basically, I wanted a job that fit the life I was trying to build.

Because it was remote, I also had more control over when I told them I was pregnant. Because of my previous miscarriage at three months, I waited until I was about five months pregnant to tell my employer. Again, I could do this because I was remote and the only thing I was showing on Zoom was my face.

My due date also happened to fall during the busiest time of year for this job, right around the one main in-person event I was required to attend.

Because of course it fucking did.

This was a customer support role, so my absence would mean extra work for the rest of the team. So I told them.

And to reiterate: YOU DO NOT NEED TO OVER-EXPLAIN OR APOLOGIZE.

You did nothing wrong. Even if you DID try to time your pregnancy around work or your career, the universe pretty much decides when you’re actually getting pregnant anyway.

You also do not need to have every answer immediately.

If your boss starts firing off questions like, “When will you be out?” “How long are you taking?” or “When are you coming back?” you do not need to panic-answer.

I think we should all take a course on how to answer like a politician and politely dodge direct questions when we don’t have the answers yet.

You can simply say:

“I’m still figuring out the details and reviewing my leave options. I’ll get back to you once I have everything confirmed.”

Done.

Starting a New Job Visibly Pregnant: You Have Nothing to Prove

If you start a job visibly pregnant, there’s also this weird pressure to prove yourself.

Like, See! You didn’t make a mistake hiring me. I can still do this. Look how committed I am!

And that is exactly how you end up running yourself into the fucking ground trying to compensate for being pregnant.

Don’t.

Do your job. Do it well. Learn the role. Ask questions. Be reliable.

But you do not need to work twice as hard just to prove that being pregnant somehow makes you less capable. I’ve seen coworkers in the field lifting heavy equipment at six or seven months pregnant, or standing for long periods of time, just so they didn’t look like the pregnant woman who “can’t do anything.”

Ladies, we are already doing the MOST. We are literally creating a whole fucking life. Taking care of yourself and your baby is way more important than your ego or proving you can still do everything you did before pregnancy.

Let the coworker help you lift the damn thing.

You can be pregnant and still be a damn good employee. Those two things can exist at the same time.

The Pregnancy Career Penalty No One Talks About

And then there’s the shit that’s much harder to prove.

Getting left off a project. Getting fewer travel opportunities because someone assumes you won’t want to go and never bothers to ask. People assuming you’re suddenly less committed to your career. Not being considered for a promotion because they assume you have “too much going on.” People treating your pregnancy like some giant scheduling inconvenience.

This shit is especially frustrating in marine science because opportunities are often tied to field seasons, research cruises, conferences, travel, and being physically available at exactly the right time.

Maybe you would have wanted to go on that research trip. Maybe you could have handled that project. Maybe you still wanted the promotion.

But instead of asking you, someone makes that decision for you.

And that’s the part that pisses me off.

Let me decide what I can and cannot do.

Then you get to watch men become fathers without the same career penalty. A man announces his wife is pregnant and everyone congratulates him. A woman announces she’s pregnant and somewhere in the background someone is already figuring out who will cover her work.

Pregnancy does not mean I suddenly stopped giving a shit about my career.

It means I’m having a baby.

Those are two completely different things.

Stop Thinking You Tricked Your Employer

People get pregnant. People get sick. People take medical leave. People have family emergencies. People quit, move, and change careers. That is what happens when companies hire actual human beings.

And again, are men feeling this same level of guilt when their wife gets pregnant and they plan on taking parental leave?

Because I seriously doubt it.

So stop feeling bad and don’t apologize. Even if you DID intentionally try to get pregnant. Even if you accepted the job knowing you wanted children soon. Even if your due date falls smack in the middle of field season.

You cannot perfectly time pregnancy around your career. You can try, but the universe will laugh at you.

And marine science will survive without you for a few months. The fish will keep swimming. The seagrass will keep growing. The tides will keep coming in and out.

Your employer will figure their shit out.

Shit I Wish I Knew About Interviewing While Pregnant

Looking back at both of my experiences, there are definitely some things I wish I had known before interviewing and starting a new job while pregnant.

Don’t disclose during the interview just because you feel guilty. At some point you will obviously need to tell them, but you do not need to announce it before they’ve even decided whether they want to hire you.

Know your benefits before accepting. Ask about parental leave, PTO, insurance, and other leave policies. Do not assume you qualify for something just because another employee did. Read the damn employee handbook and ask HR.

Negotiate your start date if you need to. Maybe you want to work until you give birth. Maybe you want to start after leave. Maybe you need something in between. Remember: it’s always a no until you ask.

You do not need to have every answer immediately. If someone asks how long you’ll be out, exactly when you’ll return, or something else you haven’t figured out yet, say, “I need to check on that and get back to you.” Learn to answer like a politician when you need to.

Do not let other people decide what you can handle. If you still want the project, conference, research cruise, travel opportunity, or promotion, say so (ADVOCATE for yourself, no one else is going to). Let YOU decide what you can and cannot do.

And probably the biggest one: do not run yourself into the ground trying to prove they didn’t make a mistake hiring you.

They hired you because you were qualified.

Pregnancy did not erase your resume.

Go Get the Fucking Job

Can you interview while pregnant? Yes.

Can you get a new job while pregnant? Yes.

Can you start a new job while pregnant and still have a successful marine science career? Also yes.

There may be awkward conversations, shitty timing, logistics to figure out, and career bullshit you shouldn’t have to deal with. But becoming a mother does not suddenly make you less ambitious, less capable, or less deserving of opportunities.

Your career may last 30 or 40 years. Pregnancy is one tiny season of it.

So stop making career decisions based on guilt.

Now go get the fucking job.