So, Billie Piper has announced her second pregnancy and, despite being thrilled with the news, she is said to have broken down in tears when she told the theatre director of her new play that she’s expecting.

According to the Daily Mail, the Secret Diary of a Call Girl actress couldn’t hold back the waterworks when she told Michael Attenborough, director of the Almeida Theatre’s Reasons to be Pretty, of her pregnancy – fearful as she was that this might mean she was no longer suitable for the part.

Many of us will know what it’s like when pressures of pregnancy and work begin to conflict with one another, even if we’re not former pop and television stars.

Beyond a pay cheque at the end of the month, a job can also provide people with a sense of self-worth and an important means of social interaction with other adults. Preparing to welcome a new bundle of life into your family is an exciting time, but the prospect of maternity leave can also be daunting for some.

Luckily, most of us working women don’t have jobs where a growing bump is enough to jeopardise our ability to do the job these days. Employment law has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and, although there’s still someway to go, most companies are quite accommodating about letting you take time off to give birth and look after your infant then come back when you’re ready.

Just look at the recent research from Aviva, which revealed that for one in seven households, it’s the woman who goes back to work after giving birth, while hubby stays home to look after baby, most usually because she is on the bigger wage.

And things turned out quite well for Billie as well. As a happy coincidence, the character she was set to play is pregnant! Mr Attenborough told the Mail: “With a bit of judicious re-writing, we’re all delighted she’ll be with us.”