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Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: A Step In The Right Direction

May 11, 2012 By 1 Comment

This week congress introduced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a bill set forth to grant pregnant women certain accommodations while pregnant. Though it is not a disability, pregnancy is huge life change, and adjustments must be made for a healthy gestation for mother and baby.

Though pregnancy discrimination was outlawed over 35 years ago, discriminations are still a very common practice. Pregnant women need extra water to stay hydrated, yet a pregnant woman can be fired for carrying a water bottle on the job. She can also be fired for requiring help with physically strenuous aspects of her job or be forced out on unpaid leave.

Women are nearly half of the workforce here in the US and it is becoming more necessary for that second income in many households. Putting a pregnant woman’s job in jeopardy could be financially devastating to a family and the overall economy. This holds true especially for the low-wage and blue-collar women in physically demanding jobs.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act seeks to protect pregnant women from common workplace discrimination and to “ensure that pregnant women are not forced out of jobs unnecessarily or denied reasonable modifications that would allow them to continue working.”

The protections under the bill are modeled after the Americans With Disabilities Act, and it is an important bill because though pregnancy discrimination is not legal, it is also not protected under the ADA or civil rights bills.

I cannot say I ever faced being fired or placed on leave for my pregnancies, but I am very lucky to be self-employeed. I have been pregnant twice, and thankfully had very healthy pregnancies. i was placed on bed rest toward the end of my second pregnancy and faced minor complications that limited my abilities to function as a normal person, never mind if I had a physically demanding job. I feel strongly that women should be protected during pregnancy, it is a very special, yet crucial time in a woman’s life and should be respected. It is not a permanent condition, but the effects of financially devastating a family can be.

What are your thoughts on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act?

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Pregnancy Nesting Tips

May 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

When I was pregnant I believe I nested for the last two months. Nesting is the strong, uncontrollable urge to get things ready and in order for your new arrival. I swear I made list after list, I reorganized the closets, the bedrooms, the office, the playrooms, the kitchen cupboards, the pantry – you name it, and it was done.
I crossed off, tore up, and remade list after list, until even I could find nothing more to do! In the final days before I gave birth, the hardest part was keeping everything in order after having done all that work. With a toddler, a teenager, and a husband, it can be a challenge.

 

Here are somethings I did while nesting that helped the most after birth:

Cook ahead of time – and freeze those meals or individual portions. This is especially important if you have other children. Your partner will be too tired to cook, and you do not want to eat out every night. Take the time to make some nutritious meals and snacks.

 

Stock up – make sure you have diapers, wipes, and anything that goes quickly. Also cans of soup, pasta, things that you can make easily. You don’t want to have to run to the store.

 

Have your bag packed – this I actually didn’t do this time around. And it totally screwed us up. I was worried that I would not go into labor because I was too prepared. Silly, I know. So when my water broke and I was to meet my midwife at the birth center at 1 – we didn’t get there till 3 because we weren’t packed. Thankfully it turned out okay, but it could have been a disaster.

 

REST – seriously, everyone says it, no one does it. It is hard – you are excited, there are things to do, but you will be so tired in those first few days, and resting ahead of time will definitely help.

 

Don’t stress -  relax, it is an exciting time, so enjoy it!

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Nursing Positions

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday I talked about milk engorgement and how I dealt with it, so I wanted to follow up with my favorite nursing positions. The regular cradle nurse can get old and switching it up can make nursing easier, especially when dealing with engorgement. The football position is extremely easy, and I love the way my little guy snuggles against my body in this position.

I also enjoy nursing while laying on my side. We are a co-sleeping family, and I find we all get more rest this way. I had bought an Arms Reach co-sleeper, and the baby uses it occasionally. But he will only go an hour or so in it. We are buying another king bed this weekend so we will have a giant bed. Bringing the baby into bed allows me to nurse while still laying and resting, the baby goes 2-3 hours without nursing as opposed to an hour, and my toddler doesn’t get woken by the baby’s cries cause I can start nursing before he gets all worked up!

 

What nursing position works best fir you?

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Postpartum: Milk Engorgement

May 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

Postpartum milk engorgement can be quite painful and frustrating. I just had a baby and I am speaking from first hand experience. I did not experience engorgement to this extent with my first child, so it was a new challenge for me.

My little guy is a great latcher and feeds around the clock. My milk came in much sooner this time around, on day three. However I was at the point of tears from being so engorged and uncomfortable, and on top of that, I became so full that my baby struggled to latch.

Thankfully my husband is a great support and helped me get through. He looked up ways to relieve the pain and help baby latch. I alternated cold compresses every 20 minutes, and when it was time to feed I did reverse pressure softening and massaged the milk down. I also took advil to help with the pain. Warm showers can help too, but be careful not to stand in too long, as it can actually release more milk. I would use warmth right before a feeding. I also used Lansinoh HPA Lanolin for my sore and cracked nipples.

The engorgement went into my lymph nodes which I was worried about, but I would massage it in the shower to help release the pressure. Thankfully I started to feel relief the next day and my day five I was back to normal, aside from my nipples being sore.

They also say cold cabbage can help, but I didn’t try it.

 

Have you experienced milk engorgement? What did you do to relieve it?

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Toxins In Your Babies’ Bath

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Toxins In Your Babies' Bath

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) has put a scare in parents that there are toxins in our babies shampoo which to any parent, if true, would be very alarming.

The truth is, that there are trace amounts of formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing compounds added to some baby shampoos to prevent bacterial contamination – but you need to dig a little deeper to get the true facts.

According to Dr. Schwarcz, Director of Mcgill University’s office of Science and Society, “Formaldehyde is a likely carcinogen, but that categorization was made on the basis of inhaling the chemical in significant amounts under occupational exposure. Any suggestion that formaldehyde in shampoo presents a cancer risk is unfounded. Actually, mommy’s breath may be a greater risk. Formaldehyde is a product of human metabolism and breath can contain concentrations of formaldehyde at 0.4 mg per cubic meter.”

Furthermore, more babies would react to a poorly preserved product than they would to trace amounts of formaldehyde.

Manufacturers are often coming up with alternative solutions, but if you take a closer look at each and every one of them, I am sure there would be possible risks with those as well.

If you want to avoid your baby being exposed to formaldehyde altogether, then Dr. Schwarcz says that you will have to get rid of particleboard, permanent-press fabrics, varnishes, paints, carpeting, curtains, nail polish, many types of insulation and paper products, fireplaces, gas cookers, driving cars and of course, smoking. Oh, and guess what, formaldehyde occurs naturally in virtually all foods, even an ‘apple’.

There are by far more things to worry about when bathing your child, 40,000 emergency department visits by children are because of slippery bathtubs, showers and bathroom floors that result in falls, drowning, injuries, lacerations and even deaths. With that being said, I think it would be far more important to have a good bath mat and proper parental supervision to keep our children safe in the tub.

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Baby Naming Has Become A Competitive Sport

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Baby Naming Has Become A Competitive Sport

Are you looking for a ‘traditional’ baby name? If so, you are not following the celebrity trend that has now turned into a ‘competitive sport’ among celebrities. Every day, a new bundle of joy arrives and celebrity parents seem to scramble for their child to have the coolest name and “traditional’ is no where near what they are coming up with.

I don’t know about you, but the ‘cool’ celebrity baby names don’t inspire me. Although, celebrities do inspire our choosing clothes, hair and even the cars we buy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if more and more people start emulating their favourite celebrities. Do you think celebrities are going too far? After all, doesn’t your name define you? Imagine sitting in a boardroom one day and your name is Daisy Boo, Rumour, Dweezel or Poppy Honey, how will anyone take you seriously?

In case you are inspired and thinking about a new ‘cool’ baby name, according to research conducted by European website eDarling, a poorly chosen baby name can lead to lower self-esteem, fewer relationship opportunities, higher likelihood of smoking and less education later in life.

Here are some of the wackiest baby names that I personally would stay away from.

Read More

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Things To Do Before You Have A Baby

April 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

So you are about to pop, baby will be here soon! Go out and celebrate. Celebrate being you, and celebrate time with your partner before baby’s arrival. Here is a list of things I am SO glad I did right before I had my baby!

  • Enjoy a mani and pedi before birth. You may be feeling huge, tired and you probably can’t touch your toes to paint them yourself. Go and treat yourself. It will give you a boost and some much needed relaxation.
  • Get a massage. Seriously, now is the time to relax. You probably aren’t sleeping well and any kind of relaxation will help put you in a better state of mind for labor. It will also likely be a hot minute before you get out again on your own, so take advantage of some “you time.”
  • Go to dinner with your partner and talk. Really talk and enjoy being together. You are in for sleepless nights, and will not have alone time for a while. And that is okay. But before hand, be sure you take some time to enjoy each other. It will make the transition easier on you both and you will appreciate it.
  • If you can, go on vacation. My husband and I went to the beach for a few nights. It was amazing. I relaxed in the sun, we talked and spent some real time together and really enjoyed those last few days of being just the two of us. I think it brought us closer together, relaxed us both and made the transition and all that comes with a  new baby easier.
  • Relax. Everyone says it, but I can’t emphasize it enough. You are about to do the most incredible, exhausting thing of your life. Prepare yourself by relaxing as much as possible and take advantage of being pregnant and everyone understanding why you NEED a nap every day!

 

What would you suggest to a new mama before having her baby?

 

 

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