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C

I asked my husband what his

colleagues and boss think about

him taking paternity leave.

He said that it’s a law, so who
cares?

so my performance level didn’t decrease that
Daddy’s Girl, Mommy’s World much, but I had a “pregnancy brain” that
caused me to sometimes forget small details.
In 2019, I got pregnant with my first I also needed a help from other baristas car-
child. I had just come back from Colombia rying heavy stuff or reaching something from
where I competed in Barista & Farmer 2019. high shelves. I kept thinking ahead to not make
I was a coffee trainer/supervisor at Looking my pregnancy a problem at the store, so I
Glass Coffee back then, and I had a big plans reduced my working hours more and more
to extend my career. I was about to host work- towards the end of my pregnancy. I think it
shops there, but because of my pregnancy, it would be very hard to work as a barista if you
got postponed. I was sad that I had to put my became sensitive to smells, if you couldn’t
coffee career on hold. I found support in Re- physically keep up or if you couldn’t carry
becca Atienza’s words. She was a judge at heavy stuff and you always have to ask for help
Barista & Farmer and encouraged me that I from others.
can still go back to work in the coffee industry. After I had my daughter, I was lucky that
I want to be with my kids for now, but even- my boss kept asking me to come back to work.
tually I want to go back to work and I know I However, I felt bad for my colleagues: I used
can and I will. to work full-time, I would work morning shift
With my first pregnancy, I worked as a and night shift, I sometimes took someone’s
barista until I was 38 weeks pregnant and the shift if they were sick or they had plans but
day after I stopped working, my baby girl was now with a child, I only could work on week-
born. During the first trimester, I was worried ends. My husband and I discussed the situation
about having morning sickness, but luckily, and we decided that I only could work on
the only symptom I had was getting hungry Sunday morning. Night shifts are pretty hard,
all the time. At Looking Glass Coffee we had so most of my colleagues preferred morning
a donut machine, so I was worried that I would shifts. I felt like I was selfish to say, “I only
become sensitive to smells while working, but work on Sunday mornings because I have a
it didn’t happen to me. However, because I kid.” Sometimes I was was late for work be-
was always hungry, even if we were super busy cause of my baby daughter, and the other
making drinks and taking care of customers, barista had to start opening the shop without
sometimes I had to stop working and eat me. Usually, my colleagues understood my
something. situation, but I felt like that is not a good
Physically I was still good at my work, reason to be late.

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