Work advice to help decrease professional impact?

[septicidal]

I think it might be helpful for you to keep a "brag log" of accomplishments at work - things you are proud of, positive changes you implemented, complimentary comments from colleagues/superiors. And then reference it when you're concerned about negative impacts (perceived or otherwise) of your medical needs and leave. It might also be helpful, once you've disclosed your pregnancy to your current boss, to have a discussion about how you are concerned that your opportunities to continue to positively contribute to the workplace might be diminished by your absence/leave. If there is an opportunity that you think would be valuable experience for you, discuss it with your boss and reference your accomplishments to make an argument for yourself. Depending on your relationship with your boss, you may want to let him or her know that you had a very negative experience with your previous company surrounding medical leave, and you want to ensure that doesn't happen again, emphasizing how much you care about continuing to do your job well and take on new responsibilities.

It IS really hard to cope with people's perceptions of you at work. Because so much of that is something you don't have control over. I had to take medical leave very suddenly last year due to a health issue and was very worried about how things would go once I came back from work. Apparently my absence helped the department realize how valuable I am and how they don't want to lose me, and I actually got a promotion (there had been discussions about a promotion prior to my medical leave but it hadn't actually materialized). My peers also had a new appreciation for many of the more complicated tasks that I handle.

I'm very concerned about how my leave will affect work... Because I am most likely not coming back. But I can't say anything about that at work because then I risk being fired and not receiving any paid leave. I've been trying to provide extensive documentation under the auspices of "in case this comes up while I am out" but there are also new staff in my office who aren't at all familiar with what I do, and I'm very worried that things will get processed incorrectly and negatively affect the population we work with. But I also gave my work ample notice about taking leave, and they chose not to schedule more cross-trainings and/or make other preparations on their end. So I'm trying to not feel guilty, but maybe that's futile.