Rihanna is not the only hard-working pregnant mom

February 23, 2023

They’re putting in “Work.”

Just like pop diva Rihanna — who proudly bared her baby bump during a high-energy Super Bowl halftime performance earlier this month, and just announced she’ll be singing at the Oscars on Mar. 12 — today’s pregnant women are getting the job done, no matter how physically demanding, often well into their second and third trimesters.

In fact, a whopping 56% of moms-to-be are now working full time during gestation, with 82% of first-timers staying on until mere days before their due dates, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

And while only 6.5% of women are employed in the more extreme, traditionally male-dominated industries such as flying planes, sports or emergency services, social media has become a popular place for professional mommies with particularly intense gigs to share their experiences.

Here’s a look at some women who didn’t let a bun in the oven stop them from making the dough at their uniquely challenging jobs.

Born to fly

Alejandra Paz decided to get her flight instructor's certification during her 2021 pregnancy in order to begin teaching folks how to fly right after she gave birth. — Alejandra Paz decided to get her flight instructor’s certification during her 2021 pregnancy in order to begin teaching folks how to fly right after she gave birth.

Before becoming a pilot, Paz had no idea that women were capable of flying planes.

At 39 weeks pregnant, Paz, who was working as a flight attendant and had received her commercial pilot's license, had to pull a 2,300-pound plane during her flight instructor courses. — At 39 weeks pregnant, Paz, who was working as a flight attendant and had received her commercial pilot’s license, had to pull a 2,300-pound plane during her flight instructor courses.

Growing up poor with a single mom, Alejandra Paz had no idea women could become aircraft pilots. Her traditional Honduran upbringing dictated she become a housewife, taking round-the-clock care of her husband and babies. But for Paz, 31, from Los Angeles, Calif., that life wasn’t going to fly. She went from flight attendant to commercial pilot and then kept going — right up until the birth of daughter Jett, now one year old.

“I got my certificate to become a flight instructor while I was pregnant,” she told The Post. “I was flying as high as 7,000 feet up until 5 days before I gave birth to my baby girl [in October 2021],” Paz added, noting that she obtained medical clearance from her doctor to continuing helming planes while carrying.

Paz, also mother to Mars, 6, made the decision to upgrade her credentials during the pregnancy in order to begin teaching others how to fly immediately after her return to work in early 2022.

“[Piloting] is a male-dominated industry, and I was the only woman [and the only pregnant person] in the course,” she said, adding that the most challenging aspect of becoming an instructor was having to pull a 2300-pound Piper Cherokee PA-28 plane out for flight each day at 39 weeks pregnant.

“There were times that I wanted to throw up or to just lay down and eat a burger,” Paz said with a laugh. “But I’m so glad that I pushed through. If I can do it, as a pregnant working mom, any woman can.”

Mom’s flipping out

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson refused to let pregnancy stop her from doing acrobatics, including flips, splits and cartwheels.

For Johnson, maintaining a healthy workout regimen, which included some gymnastics moves, helped to diminish her distress during the birthing process.

Handstands, front flips, backflips, splits and cartwheels — they’re all in a day’s work for gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson. So while pregnant with daughter, Drew, 3, and son Jett, 19 mos., keeping her athletic skills sharp felt like the natural thing to do.

“People want to limit women when we’re pregnant and they say, ‘Oh, you can’t do this or that,’” Johnson, based in Nashville, Tenn., told The Post. “But I was like, ‘No. I want to continue living my life.’”

With permission from her obstetrician, the retired Olympian, who now works as a gymnastics coach and a media entrepreneur, hit the gym at least 3 days a week during gestation, executing handstand push-ups, trampoline flips and squats — her unborn babies along for the ride.