About Pregnancy & Childbirth: The Trouble With Taking Time Off Before Baby

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The Trouble With Taking Time Off Before Baby Jul 9th 2013, 10:04 I have a lot of moms who talk to me about taking time off before the baby is born. They have a lot of questions about whether or not I would recommend it.  There are actually a couple of things that you need to think about before making that decision.  The first is your maternity leave. Do you have maternity leave that is limited? Is it paid?  Are you planning to take six weeks off or twelve weeks off before returning to your job? This matters because, let's say you took off at week 39 and didn't have the baby until week 42, you've now used three weeks of your leave up and the baby isn't even here yet. The other thing to think about is your job. Are you fairly comfortable? Is your job physically easy for you to do? How are you hanging mentally?  If you're taking off simply because you think you should and not because you're physically or mentally exhausted by your job, I'd recommend staying as long as you can. Even if you consider doing it, before you do that, ask if you can have shorter hours, flexible days, longer lunch break (read nap time!) or any other variation to your schedule. The problems I see most often are women who feel a lot of pressure to have the baby simply because they've stopped working. That feels awful. What's your take? When did you take off for baby? Returning from Maternity Leave Taking Time Off Before Baby   Photo © E Dygas/Getty Images The Trouble With Taking Time Off Before Baby originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Tuesday, July 9th, 2013 at 10:04:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: It's really not illegal...

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It's really not illegal... Jul 8th 2013, 09:25 I was reading an article yesterday and stopped to read the comments. One of the comments was from a dad who mentioned that it was illegal in his state to attend his wife during the placement of the epidural. Ugh!  I felt so awful for him. While there might certainly be a hospital policy or the policy of an anesthesiologist, it is certainly not a state law. Believe it or not, I hear a lot of people think many things about birth fall into the illegal category. I've heard that it's illegal to have a water birth, it's illegal to have someone with you during a vaginal exam or a cesarean. This isn't true. Again, it's policies in place at these institutions. The good news about institutional policy is that they can be changed or even altered for one time events. When I'm serving as a doula, I'm aware of these policies. If a couple has an issue with one, I talk to them about how to advocate for themselves to see if they can get an exception or to find a compromise that satisfies both parties. Many times they are successful in their quest for an exception. So if you hear something that doesn't sound right or appealing. Start by talking to your provider. Ask what the source and reasoning is for this policy. You may need to talk to someone at the place of birth you've chosen. It may take several conversation. Try to understand where they are coming from, it will help you address their concerns with your response. And remember, the earlier you do this the better. It is rarely successful once labor has started. Where do you learn about these situations?  Childbirth class and your prenatal visits. Have you ever had one of these conversations?  What was it about and what was the outcome? Can someone stay with me during an epidural? Can someone stay with me during a c-section? 7 Things to Consider for Your Birth Plan Photo © iStockPhoto It's really not illegal... originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, July 8th, 2013 at 09:25:32. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Pain Tolerance in Labor and Orgasm Strength

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Pain Tolerance in Labor and Orgasm Strength Jul 7th 2013, 10:01 "Having watched women give birth for 30 years I have a theory for those who say they had little or no pain with child birth. All of us have different somewhat nerve layouts all through our bodies. Pain perception comes from different areas. Those who report little or pain likely have less nerve fibers in the pelvic area. Thus their perception of labor pain is less. As I screamed bloody murder through 5 labors. Experiencing white hot, eye rolling, white noise in my ear pain- I later realized that my crazy ability to orgasm at wicked fun levels meant my labor would be wicked as well. So those who have little pain in labor- sorry about your sex life!"  -Ripple Your thoughts? 8 Things That Hurt Worse Than Childbirth Photo © Grove Pashley/Getty Images Pain Tolerance in Labor and Orgasm Strength originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, July 7th, 2013 at 10:01:27. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Princess Diana's Birth Announcement

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Princess Diana's Birth Announcement Jul 6th 2013, 09:27 Back on June 21, 1982, Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William, with her husband Prince Charles. Diana gave birth in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.  Prince William was actually the first royal baby to be born in a hospital. This is the same place that Kate Middleton will welcome Diana's grandchild this month. As the world holds their breath to wait for the newest royal baby, you may want to know where you can find out the news the fastest, you can look here on the blog or watch the Royal Twitter feed for The Clarence House. Though know, that this is going to be a longer wait than you'd think given the medium.  First of all, no one will know before the Queen knows. There will be a certified note from the doctor with the sex and health of the baby listed. It will be driven by car to the Palace. Only after the Queen knows will it be posted. If things go as with Prince William's birth, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will pose for photos in front of the Lindo Wing on the way out of the hospital. Are you waited with baited breath? Watch the birth announcement of Prince William Celebrity Baby Birth Day Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © John Downing/Getty Images Princess Diana's Birth Announcement originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, July 6th, 2013 at 09:27:30. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Wonder why your hair is falling after you have a baby?

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Wonder why your hair is falling after you have a baby? Jul 5th 2013, 13:22 I'll personally never forget the day that I looked down at the brush and found a big ball of hair. I quickly checked my hair for a bald spot. Thankfully I didn't find one, but why was my hair falling out? Turns out I was one of the many surprised women who find out only as it's happening to them that postpartum hair loss is normal. Have you heard that before? Because I don't want you to be as surprised as I was when it happened. Do you know why?  And what to do about it? Postpartum Hair Loss Share Your Postpartum Hair Loss Story The Mom Hair Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © Gabriel Blaj - Fotolia.com   Wonder why your hair is falling after you have a baby? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, July 5th, 2013 at 13:22:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Fill Your Labor Bag for Under $20

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Fill Your Labor Bag for Under $20 Jul 4th 2013, 22:25 I'll admit it - I'm the Queen of the dollar stores. I really enjoy going and hunting for fun little items. I went last night, specifically for some glow bracelets and wound up passing by the pool noodles. That's when inspiration struck!  I wondered just how much stuff I could quickly find to fill a labor bag for giving birth. Well, it wasn't hard. I found quite a few things that would work really well. Some of the items would be for personal care for both labor and postpartum, while others would be more for labor alone. (Some can be used to aid in relaxation in pregnancy as well.) So here's what I found - what would you add? Save Money on Your Labor Bag Packing a Hospital Bag Labor Bag for Partner Relaxation for Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © REW Fill Your Labor Bag for Under $20 originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Thursday, July 4th, 2013 at 22:25:58. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Pregnant at the Picnic

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Pregnant at the Picnic Jul 3rd 2013, 16:08 Yum!  This weekend's celebrations certainly open up for the summer food season.  There are some great foods that are best found in the hottest months of the year.  One of my favorites its watermelon.  While this food doesn't hold a lot of potential for illness, that's not true of other picnic foods, particularly when you're pregnant. There are some pregnancy rules of picnic food they will hold true no matter what type of picnic you're at.  But in addition to the food, think about safety from the point of the sun and heat as well.  Drink to thirst and try to keep a cool glass of water nearby, remember that caffeine can cause you to dehydrate.  You will also want to stay out of the direct sun for long periods of time and to wear sunscreen. What are your Memorial Day plans? Related: Foods to Avoid Harmful Cravings in Pregnancy Surviving the Summer Heat Summer Pregnancy Comfort Tips   Photo © Steven Errico/Getty Images Pregnant at the Picnic originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 at 16:08:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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