Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Finding out you are pregnant is an exciting and life-changing experience, but it can also bring some unexpected challenges – especially if you find out you’re pregnant with twins after accepting a new job offer.
That’s exactly what happened to me. I was thrilled to secure a job at Cloudera, a company I greatly admired. However, shortly after accepting the offer, I found out that I was expecting twins. At first, I was nervous about how my pregnancy would affect my ability to perform my new role – Would my potential employer be hesitant to hire a pregnant woman? Would I be discriminated against or treated unfairly because of my situation? Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. From the moment I informed my manager of my pregnancy, I felt nothing but support and encouragement from my new workplace.
Cloudera’s culture prioritized work-life balance and family-friendly policies, which was a refreshing change from what I had heard from my peers in previous companies.
As I went through the hiring process and began working at Cloudera, I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating everyone was. My manager, Rachit Chandra, helped me every step of the way. This includes adjusting my workload and schedule as needed, and my co-workers were always willing to lend a hand when I needed it. For example, when I needed to take time off for appointments or to deal with pregnancy-related issues, there was never any pushback or judgment.
I felt valued as an employee and as a person.
On a personal note, I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my deep appreciation to my peer Aoife O’Connor for ensuring my complete comfort when I shared the news of my pregnancy after accepting the offer.
Of course, there were still challenges to overcome. Being pregnant with twins is no easy feat, and there were days when I felt exhausted and overwhelmed. But I never felt like I was facing those challenges alone. I had a supportive manager who checked in on me regularly and made sure I had the resources I needed to succeed. Rachit also recognized my strengths and helped me develop them even further, which enabled me to become a top performer in my team. In addition to this, when the twins finally arrived, I was able to take advantage of Cloudera’s generous parental leave policy and spent the first few months bonding with my new babies. 
Looking back, I’m very grateful for the support I received during that challenging time. It’s not always easy to balance work and family, especially when you’re faced with unexpected circumstances like a twin pregnancy. However, when you have a company culture that values and supports its employees, anything is possible. I’m proud to be a working mom of twins, and I’m grateful for the role my employer, Cloudera played in making it possible.
To anyone who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant and worried about their job prospects, I would say this: don’t give up hope. There are companies out there that will support you and value you as a person and as an employee. Look for a company that has a culture of inclusivity and family-friendliness, and a manager who understands your needs and wants to see you succeed. When you find that company and manager, don’t be afraid to ask for the support and flexibility you need to be the best you can be. Life does not stop and you need to be able to tackle these life events together if you want your workforce to grow successfully with you. It’s possible!
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