Category: Pregnancy

Nausea, tiredness, mood swings. These are just some of the early signs.

A pregnancy test will confirm, but some women experience early signs because of the hormone changes that occur. The more common ones include:

1. Disliking foods you once enjoyed
2. Mood swings e.g. apprehension, fear, unexplained crying, agitation, and excitement
3. Stomach bloating
4. Needing to urinate often
5. Tiredness
6. Tender, swollen breasts
7. Nausea
8. Vomiting
9. A missed period
10. Increased need to urinate

The sooner you go to the doctor the better as this will help determine how many weeks pregnant you are.

Pregnancy is a time of many changes. Your body, emotions, and family life are all changing. While some changes may be welcomed, they can also add new stresses to your life.

Feeling stressed during pregnancy is common, but excessive stress can make you uncomfortable. It may lead to trouble sleeping, headaches, loss of appetite, or overeating.

High and prolonged levels of stress during pregnancy can cause health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, this type of stress can increase the chances of having a premature baby (born before 37 weeks) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5½ pounds). Babies born too soon or too small are at increased risk for health problems.

Several factors can cause stress during pregnancy:

• Dealing with the discomforts of pregnancy, like nausea, constipation, fatigue, or backache.
• Hormonal changes that can cause mood swings and make it harder to handle stress.
• Worries about labor and birth or how to take care of the baby.
• Balancing job responsibilities and preparing for time away from work.
• Managing life’s unexpected turns even during pregnancy.

Certain types of stress can lead to pregnancy problems, such as negative life events, catastrophic events like natural disasters, long-lasting stress due to financial problems, abuse, serious health issues, or depression, and stress related to racism.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can also affect pregnancy. Women with PTSD may have serious anxiety, flashbacks of traumatic events, nightmares, and physical responses when reminded of the event. Pregnant women with PTSD may be more likely to have premature or low-birthweight babies and engage in risky health behaviors like smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking street drugs.

Stress may affect pregnancy by influencing certain stress-related hormones that can lead to complications like infections of the uterus and premature birth. Additionally, stress may impact how women respond to situations, potentially leading to harmful behaviors during pregnancy.

While we don’t fully understand the effects of stress on pregnancy, some studies suggest that high levels of stress during pregnancy may cause problems during childhood, such as trouble paying attention or feelings of fear.

To reduce stress during pregnancy, consider:

• Identifying stressors and discussing them with your partner, friends, or healthcare provider.
• Understanding that pregnancy discomforts are temporary and seeking guidance on managing them.
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising with your provider’s approval.
• Prioritizing tasks and avoiding unnecessary activities.
• Building a support network and utilizing community resources if available.
• Accepting help from trusted individuals and practicing relaxation activities like prenatal yoga or meditation.
• Taking childbirth education classes to know what to expect and practice relaxation techniques.
• Planning ahead for maternity leave and discussing arrangements with your employer.
• Seeking help for depression or other mental health concerns.

When it comes to working during pregnancy, inform your boss about your pregnancy and discuss time off for prenatal care. If you work in potentially hazardous environments, inquire about safer job responsibilities during pregnancy.

Plan your maternity leave by considering when to start, how long you want to stay home after birth, and any adjustments to work responsibilities. Familiarize yourself with the Family and Medical Leave Act and your employer’s maternity leave policies. Additionally, explore whether your employer offers paid maternity leave, continuation of health insurance during leave, flexible work arrangements, and support services like lactation rooms or employee assistance programs.

Remember that the Pregnancy Discrimination Act protects employees from discrimination based on pregnancy or related health conditions.

Source: www.marchofdimes.org

Lots of women work during pregnancy, some right up until their due date. Here are some things you can do to help make your pregnancy work at work!

When’s the best time to tell your coworkers and boss that you’re pregnant?

You get to decide when to tell people at work that you’re pregnant. Some women wait until after their first trimester, when the risk of miscarriage is lower. Others can’t wait to share the news and tell everyone right away.

Whatever you choose, here are some things to think about when talking to your boss about your pregnancy:

• Make sure he finds out about your pregnancy from you. You don’t want your boss hearing about it from one of your coworkers. Let your boss be the first person at work to know you’re pregnant.
• Tell her about time you may need away from work for prenatal care. This is medical care you get during pregnancy. It’s important to go to all your prenatal care checkups to make sure you and your baby are healthy. In the beginning you have checkups about once a month; you go more often as you get closer to your due date. Talk to your boss about how to make up time you may have to miss from work.
• If you work with strong chemicals or do heavy lifting, ask about changing your job responsibilities during pregnancy. It’s important to stay healthy and safe at work, especially during pregnancy. Standing all day or working with things like pesticides or radiation may be harmful for you and your baby. Talk to your boss about doing different work while you’re pregnant to help keep you and your baby safe.

How do you plan your maternity leave?

Maternity leave is time you take off from work when you have a baby. When thinking about maternity leave, ask yourself these questions:

1. When do you plan to start your leave? Do you think you’ll work right up until your due date? Or will you stop working a few days or weeks before your baby’s birth?
2. How long do you plan to stay home with your baby after birth? Do you need to go back to work right away? How long can you afford to stay home without working?

You may have ideas about how you want your maternity leave to be, but your needs may change during pregnancy. Pregnancy, labor, and birth go smoothly for most women. But you may need to change the timing of your leave if you have pregnancy complications or if things don’t go as planned.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (also called FMLA), employees can take time off without pay for pregnancy- and family-related health issues. You can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year. You can keep your health insurance during your leave if you:

• Work at a location where your employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles
• Have worked for your employer for at least 12 months
• Have worked at least 1,250 hours of work over the past 12 months

In addition to the FMLA leave, your employer may have its own maternity leave policies. Talk to your boss or someone from human resources (also called HR). It’s a great idea to do this before you get pregnant if you can. Ask these questions:

• Does your employer offer paid maternity leave? Some employers offer paid time off for the birth of your baby. Talk with someone from HR to find out if you have paid maternity leave.
• Does your health insurance continue while you’re on maternity leave? Health insurance helps you pay for medical care. If you get your health insurance through your employer, your HR person can tell you about what your insurance plan covers. You may need to change your health plan after your baby’s born to make sure he’s covered too.
• Does your employer offer flex time or telecommuting for when you’re ready to go back to work? For example, can you work fewer hours each week or work from home at the beginning? And then increase your hours or your time in the office little by little over a few weeks?
• Are there other programs or services that your employer offers to new moms? If you’re breastfeeding, find out if your employer has a lactation room. This is a private space (not a bathroom) that you can use to pump breast milk. Employers with more than 50 employees must provide this space for breastfeeding moms. Also, find out if your employer has an employee assistance program (also called EAP). An EAP can help connect you with professionals like counselors, child care providers, and lactation consultants. A lactation consultant is a person with special training to help women breastfeed, even women who may have special breastfeeding problems.

Talk to your boss about maternity leave well before your due date. Talk about ways to manage your work responsibilities while you’re on maternity leave. If you’ve got projects coming up, think about how much you can get done before your baby’s birth. You may want to create a to-do list or a set of instructions so your job tasks are taken care of correctly while you’re out.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act says that employers can’t discriminate on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or other related health conditions. So if you’re pregnant or affected by pregnancy-related conditions, your employer has to treat you just like any other employee with a similar condition.

Source: www.marchofdimes.org

Most working women can keep working during their pregnancy. Some women will work right up until the day their baby arrives.

Working during pregnancy may have some challenges. Learning how to stay safe and comfortable can help you have a healthy pregnancy at the workplace.

How can you manage common pregnancy discomforts at work?

During pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, you may find it hard to manage common pregnancy discomforts while at work. Here are some tips:

Nausea:

Even though it’s called morning sickness, nausea during pregnancy can happen at any time during the day. Follow these tips to help ease morning sickness.

• Avoid smells or foods that bother you.
• Snack on crackers or other bland foods that are low-fat (for example: rice, toast, and applesauce).
• Try eating 5-6 small meals during the day instead of three larger meals.
• Drink lots of fluids throughout the day.
• Get plenty of rest and take it slowly in the morning.

Fatigue:

You might be feeling more tired than usual, especially during early and late pregnancy. To fight fatigue and make it through the day:

• Take breaks often; get up and walk for a few minutes or try taking a short power nap in your car during your lunch break.
• Go to bed early so you can get plenty of rest.
• Exercise when you can; it’ll help you have more energy during the day.
• Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, but ease up before going to bed so you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
• Eat healthy foods, especially foods that are rich in iron and protein.
• Relax and avoid stressful situations when possible.

How can you keep a safe work environment?

It’s important that the environment around you is safe for you and the baby.

Dangerous substances:

Talk to your health provider if you work with:

• Metals (like mercury or lead)
• Products that contain lots of chemicals (like certain cleaning solutions, pesticides, or gases)
• Radioactive waste, radiation, or other dangerous substances (like drugs to treat cancer or X-rays)

Being in contact with these kinds of things without proper safety equipment (gloves, gowns, and masks) can cause birth defects, miscarriage, or other serious health problems. Describe your work environment to your provider and any safety equipment you or your company use. Your provider can then tell you if it’s safe for you to keep working during pregnancy.

Heat:

Also, talk to your health provider if you work in extreme heat. Working in places that are very hot can raise your body temperature. If your body temperature is too high, it could be dangerous for the baby.

Infections:

Jobs like working with children or in a health care setting are more likely to expose you to other people who are sick. Some of these illnesses (like chickenpox, rubella, flu) can be very harmful to you during pregnancy. Take extra steps to keep safe. Be sure to wash your hands regularly. If you think you and the baby’s health may be at risk, talk to your provider right away.

Heavy-duty jobs:

Some jobs may involve more physical labor than others. For example, if your job includes heavy lifting or climbing, it might not be safe for you during pregnancy. In early pregnancy, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness can make it hard to do these jobs safely. Later in pregnancy, your added weight can throw off your sense of balance and make you more likely to fall and hurt yourself. Talk to your employer about taking on other job responsibilities during your pregnancy.

If you need to lift something, follow these tips:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend at your knees, but keep your back straight and rear end tucked in.
• Use your arms and legs. Lift with your arms (not back) and push up with your legs.
• When possible, lower the weight of the item (for example, break up the contents of one box into two or three smaller boxes)

Standing for long periods of time can also be a cause for concern. That’s because blood can collect in your legs, which may lead to dizziness, fatigue, and back pain. When standing:

• Place one foot on a small footrest or box.
• Switch feet on the footrest often throughout the day.
• Wear comfortable shoes.

Computers and desks:

Many of today’s jobs involve computer use and sitting at a desk for most of the day. Some women who do these jobs may have wrist and hand discomforts, neck and shoulder pains, backaches, and eye strains. To help avoid these pains, follow these tips:

• Take short breaks often and walk around your office or building.
• Adjust your chair, keyboard, and other office equipment to be more comfortable.
• Use a small pillow or cushion for lower back support.
• Keep your feet elevated by using a footrest.
• Be sure to use the correct hand and arm positions for typing.
• Use a non-reflective glass screen cover on your computer monitor.
• Adjust the computer monitor for brightness and contrast to a setting that is comfortable for your eyes.

Is it safe to travel for work during pregnancy?

Your job may require business travel. While it’s safe for most women to travel during pregnancy, talk to your provider before making any travel decisions that will take you far from home. Ask if any health conditions you might have make travel during pregnancy unsafe.

Also, consider the place to where you’ll be traveling.

• Be sure to carry a copy of your medical records in case of an emergency.
• Learn more about the kind of medical care that’s available and if your health insurance will cover medical care at your destination
• Find out if the food and water at your destination are safe.
• Ask your health provider if there are any vaccinations you’ll need before you go.

Air travel:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reassures women that air travel is safe for most pregnant women. So long as a woman’s pregnancy is healthy and free of complications, it’s safe for her to travel by air. Most airlines allow women who are up to 36 weeks in their pregnancy to travel, but it’s a good idea to double-check with your air carrier.

If you’re pregnant and plan to travel by air, follow these tips:

• Wear comfortable, loose clothing. You may want to wear support stockings.
• When it’s safe to move about the plane’s cabin, take a walk up and down the aisle every few hours. This can help improve your circulation and avoid the risk of blood clots.
• Drink plenty of water, but avoid beverages and foods that may cause gas. Gas in your belly expands at high altitudes, making you feel less comfortable.
• Always wear a seat belt when seated to avoid injury in case of turbulence.
• When making air travel arrangements, try getting an aisle seat so you don’t have to climb over other passengers to go to the bathroom. Also, try sitting towards the front of the plane, where the ride feels smoother.
• If you’re experiencing nausea during pregnancy, you may want to take an anti-nausea medication before getting on the plane. Talk to your health provider about a medication that’s safe during pregnancy.
• If you have severe discomfort, be sure to alert the flight attendant and contact your provider right away.

Car travel:

If you’re pregnant and will travel by car, follow these tips:

• Be sure to wear your seat belt correctly.
• Driving can be tiring for anyone. Try to limit driving to no more than 5-6 hours per day.
• Never turn off the airbags if your car has them. Instead, tilt your car seat and move it as far as possible from the dashboard or steering wheel.
• If you are in a crash, get treatment right away to protect yourself and your baby.
• Call your health provider at once if you have contractions, pain in your belly, or blood or fluid leaking from your vagina.

Source: www.marchofdimes.org

Almost all pregnant women have sleep problems of one sort or another at some point. These problems may include:

• Trouble falling asleep
• Sleep that isn’t restful
• Waking up often during the night
• Trouble returning to sleep

Causes of sleep difficulties during pregnancy

Early pregnancy

A number of problems can contribute to your sleeplessness during pregnancy. During early pregnancy:

• The same pregnancy hormone that causes fatigue during the day can also disrupt your sleep cycle at night.
• You may have trouble finding a comfortable position for sleeping.
• You may find yourself waking up several times throughout the night to urinate.

Later pregnancy

As your pregnancy continues, a wide range of problems may disrupt your sleep.

• As the size of your abdomen increases, you may have trouble finding a comfortable position.
• Anxiety and stress can also contribute to sleeplessness, particularly as your due date approaches.

Other problems contributing to discomfort and insomnia include:

• Backache
• Congestion
• Gas
• Frequent urination
• Heartburn
• Hemorrhoids
• Leg cramps
• Nausea

What you can do

Here are some tips to help you get enough rest:

• Take a warm shower or bath at bedtime.
  • Remember that your sense of balance is off during your pregnancy. Be careful not to slip in a wet tub!
  • Never take a bath if you think your water has broken.
• Reduce stress.
  • Avoid placing yourself in stressful situations.
  • Relaxation exercises, deep breathing or simply closing your eyes and imagining a peaceful scene may help.
• Take naps.
  • Nap when possible during the day.
  • This can help you avoid getting too tired, especially if you have a hard time getting restful sleep at night.
• Avoid sleeping flat on your back.
  • This position puts the full weight of your uterus on your back and on the major vein that carries blood between your lower body and heart.
  • Sleeping on your back can increase your chances of getting backaches. It can also aggravate digestive problems, heartburn, and hemorrhoids.
  • Try to get used to sleeping on your side, particularly on your left side. This position can improve your circulation and help reduce swelling in your feet.
• Use pillows.
  • Tuck one pillow between your legs.
  • Use more pillows to support your back and abdomen.
  • If you suffer from shortness of breath or heartburn, use pillows to lift up your upper body.
• Make your room comfortable.
  • Don’t watch television or read in bed.
  • Use your bed only for sleeping.
  • Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature.
  • Play some relaxing or natural sounds to help make you sleepy.
• Go to bed earlier.
  • You may need to go to bed earlier than usual, especially if you find yourself waking up several times during the night.
  • Go to bed when you feel tired. Don’t push yourself to stay awake until your usual bedtime.
• Avoid getting up during the night.
  • Drink adequate fluids earlier in the day, but avoid drinking anything for the two or three hours before bedtime. This will reduce the number of times you need to get up to urinate.
  • If you are often troubled by heartburn, eat your last meal of the day several hours before lying down or going to sleep.
  • To prevent nighttime leg cramps, gently stretch your leg muscles before bedtime.
• Exercise.
  • Unless your health care provider has advised against it, get at least 2 1/2 hours of aerobic exercise every week. This means that most pregnant women should try to get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most, if not all, days.
  • Even moderate exercise, like walking, can help you get a better night’s sleep.
  • Always be sure to find out from your provider what exercises are safe for you and how long you can maintain your exercise program.
• Do not take sleeping medications.
  • Always talk to your health care provider before taking any medications.

When to talk to your health care provider

Talk to your health care provider if your sleeplessness lasts a long time or continues to increase. If anxiety and stress are contributing to sleeplessness, your provider may be able to suggest support groups and other resources that may help.

Source: www.marchofdimes.org

On average, women gain 10-12kg during pregnancy; 0.5kg-2kg in trimester 1, about 5kg in trimesters 2, and about 5kg in trimester 3. Putting on weight slowly and steadily is best. Don’t worry too much if you gain a little more or a little less than you think you should in any week. You may have a few growth spurts when you gain several pounds in a short time, and then level off. And while you don’t want to gain too much weight, don’t ever try to lose weight during pregnancy.

Most pregnant women need only about 300 extra calories per day. Use these tips when planning your meals to make sure they are healthy and help you gain the right amount of weight when pregnant:

1. Eat foods from the five food groups at every meal.
2. Choose whole-grain bread and pasta, low-fat or skim milk, and lean meat, like chicken, fish, and pork. Eat 8 to 12 ounces of fish that are low in mercury each week.
3. Put as much color on your plate as you can, with all different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.
4. Plan on eating four to six smaller meals a day instead of three bigger ones. This can help relieve heartburn and discomfort you may feel as your baby gets bigger.
5. Make sure your whole meal fits on one plate. Don’t make huge portions.
6. Drink six to eight glasses of water each day.
7. Take your prenatal vitamin each day. This is a multivitamin made just for pregnant women.