Archive for the ‘while pregnant’ Category

Pregnancy Leave

Know your rights for Pregnancy Leave

Your rights for pregnancy leave are primarly determined by the governing family leave act which mandates that employers provide maternity time off for new mothers.  Although the law typically mandates a minimum of twelve weeks of time off, your actual amount of pregnancy leave will depend on the size of the company that you work for and their HR policies.

The family leave act specifically applies to companies that have at least fifty employees.  If the company that you work for is smaller, then there are limitations on what is covered for pregnancy leave.  Indeed, for those who are working in small businesses, short term disability may be an alternative if the employer is too small to accommodate the pregnancy leave

While pregnant, it is important to know that you employer can only change your position and job responsibilities if your pregnancy makes you unable to perform your required duties.

During the actual pregnancy leave, your employer is required to pay you the equivalent amount of what you would receive on short term disability.  Upon completion of the twelve weeks, your employer is required to restore you to the same pay and the same or equivalent position as your old job.

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Posted on July 29th, 2009 by Julie  |  Comments Off

Drinking While Pregnant

San Diego State University
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Drinking while pregnant has significant risks to the expecting mother. Unfortunately, statistics show that about 12 percent of US women drink at least some amount during pregnancy and around 2 percent binge-drink. Earlier this year the CDC confirmed that those percentages have not changed significantly in the past 18 years. From a health perspective, drinking while pregnant can seriously impact fetal development and the resulting fetal alcohol syndrome may take a lifetime of intensive treatment to manage.

Drinking alcohol while pregnant

Consumption of alcohol while pregnant essentially introduces toxins into the growing baby which may impact their development. Many women however, choose to consume a glass of wine while pregnant or periodically have one or two drinks. While the risk of damage may be lower with less frequent consumption, researchers have not yet determined what, it any, level of alcohol consumption is safe for the expecting mother. As a result, there is almost universal agreement that women should avoid drinking alcohol while pregnant.

Choline may help while pregnant

For those mothers who are unsuccessfully battling addiction, there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon. A study being done in San Diego State University is studying the effects of alcohol consumption on 600 pregnant women in the Ukraine. The study is looking at the nutrient choline to see what effect, if any, it will have on the women and their babies. In looking at the quote form the AP press release that announced the drinking while pregnant study.

“Nutrition plays a powerful role in proper development of the brain and nervous system: Getting enough folate during pregnancy, for example, can prevent spina bifida and related birth defects. And significant alcohol consumption interferes with mom’s ability to absorb various nutrients, in turn affecting whether her fetus gets enough. So Thomas’ group tested choline, a precursor to a brain chemical that plays a key role in learning. She exposed pregnant rats to alcohol during a third-trimester spurt of brain growth. Giving the mother rats extra choline — or, importantly, giving newborn pups the nutrient — significantly improved the pups’ later ability to learn.”

In addition to choline, zinc and a few other vitamins and minerals are being evaluated to see if they have an effect on these conditions. The best advice however, is to still have a healthy and varied diet. While pregnant, take care of your health, eat right, avoid toxins, and enjoy your pregnancy.

Overall, abstinence from alcohol while pregnant is the best approach to ensuring that drinking alcohol does not affect the baby. In addition to nutrition status, genetics, and levels of consumption, there are numerous other factors that determine if drinking alcohols during pregnancy will affect the baby. With all those variables, and the risk of an unpleasant outcome, why risk it?

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Posted on July 10th, 2009 by Julie  |  Comments Off

Flying While Pregnant – First Trimester

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Flying while pregnant

For most of us, flying is an unavoidable way to travel.  Whether it is for business of pleasure, most of us choose to fly.  Although not typically fun, flying can be even more challenging while pregnant.    However, traveling while pregnant does not need to be a wholly unpleasant experience and many challenges of flying during pregnancy can be easily overcome.

Airline regulations for pregnant women

If you choose to travel during pregnancy, you must be less than 36 weeks pregnant.  This is
the standard policy for domestic air travel (it is 32 weeks for international. According to the different airlines, this regulation is in place not only because of the health risks associated with being near term, but also because most airlines do not want to accept the liability or risk of a pregnant women going into labor during a flight.  This regulation was not made on an unfounded basis, many women have gone into premature labor from the stresses of near term air travel.

Other than premature labor, one of the larger concerns with flying while pregnant is risk of deep vein thrombosis.   This condition which is essentially a blood clot in the lower extremities; which may be triggered by sitting motionless for long periods of time.  Level of hydration and overall circulation may have an effect on the condition; both of which are challenges for pregnant mothers.   If you must fly while pregnant, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, stay hydrated, and get up and walk around often.  The physical activity will help with circulation and help to lower the risk of a blood clot.

Flying while pregnant may present challenges for your circulation which will also affect your level of comfort.  Sitting for prolonged periods may cause your ankles to swell and may also result in cramping.  Once again, periodically getting up and walking around in flight will help address these issues.  Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and comfortable clothes to make the flight more pleasant.   Also, be sure to choose an aisle seat for better mobility, the opportunity to stretch out while sitting, and for those inevitable bathroom breaks.

Handling stress while pregnant

The stress of travel, especially while pregnant, can affect your mood.  Pregnancy hormones can magnify your perception of the stress and easily make the experience overwhelming.   Organization is a great way minimize the stresses of travel and make it a much more manageable experience.  Before your flight, plan out your meals, what you are going drink as well as your entertainment.  Establish how your are going to check in, curb side is highly recommended, especially for pregnant women.   Plan where you are going to stow your carry-on, if you are in the second or third trimester, plan to put it overhead, and what needs to be immediately accessible during flight.  Finally, figure out what you will need if you get nauseous during flight and how you will handle it.  Getting these little details worked out well before you board the airplane will go a long way to helping you have a peaceful and relaxed flight.

Ask for help if  flying while pregnant

Flight crews can be amazingly helpful and understanding to women who are traveling while pregnant. When you board, if it is not obvious, let your flight attendant know that you are pregnant.  If you don’t have a chance to connect with your flight attendant while boarding, be sure to let them know when they bring the drink cart.  As above, staying hydrated is key, so feel free to ask for two or three glasses.

Traveling while pregnant does not need to be an unpleasant experience.  With a little planning, a bit of help, and a lot of patience, flying pregnant can be a breeze.

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Posted on July 10th, 2009 by Julie  |  Comments Off

Flying While Pregnant

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Flying While Pregnant

Flying while pregnant should not be a big issue for most women. That being said, the second trimester is generally accepted as the safest time to fly pregnant. Generally, the airlines and medical professionals agree that during that period air travel should not complicate a normal pregnancy. That being said, make sure that you do consult your doctor before deciding to fly during any stage of pregnancy.

Flying during the first trimester of pregnancy<

Typically, there are no restrictions for air travel during the first trimester, and it is generally considered safe. However, air travel obviously takes its toll on the body. In addition, close proximity to others who may have a cold is always a great concern during flight. Also, for longer flights, be sure to get  up and move around a bit as is generally recommended for healthy individuals.  Once again, check with your doctor before flying while pregnant to discuss any risks to your pregnancy.

Flying during the second trimester of pregnancy

The second trimester is believed by many to be the safest time to travel during
pregnancy. The risks associated with the first few months have diminished and
the second trimester does not have the risk of premature labor that is associated with the later months. Flying during your second trimester does however have its challenges. The fit of the seatbelt, thrombosis from not moving for extended periods, and then there is the risk of turbulence. Once again, if you are flying while pregnant, be sure to ask your doctor before boarding the flight.

Flying during the third trimester of pregnancy

Generally, airlines have policies in place to restrict late term air travel. This is generally to avoid the possibility of delivering the baby on the plane.  These policies are in place to protect the airlines from liability, as well as protect the mother for a life changing experience. If you do need to travel during the third trimester of pregnancy, make sure that you are under the limits of the airlines and that your doctor is okay with the travel, or at least has explained the risks of flying while pregnant to you.

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Posted on July 10th, 2009 by Julie  |  Comments Off

Smoking While Pregnant

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Smoking While Pregnant

I know that there is an addition issue, but smoking and drinking while pregnant is just not acceptable.  The challenge in either drinking or smoking while pregnant is that the compounds in the cigarette smoke or alcohol get into your baby’s blood stream as well as your own.  The high that is provided by smoking or by drinking alcohol is created when the active compound enters your blood stream either though your intestines, or through your lungs.  Once those compounds enter the blood stream, they react with different cells in your body to create the expected feeling.  While those compounds are doing their business, your liver is busy trying to metabolize them and remove them from your body.  If you think about alcohol and cigarette smoke as toxins, after you consume them, you liver does the best it can to detoxify them so that the toxins from smoking and alcohol can be removed from the body.

For a normal adult, this process of metabolizing toxins from alcohol and cigarette smoke is energy and labor intensive, but the liver does a decent job.  If exposure happens daily, or you overdose, the liver can get overloaded and starts to get damaged which results in cirrhosis.  Now if you are smoking or drinking while pregnant, you share the cigarette and alcohol toxins in your blood stream with your baby. If you have a normal dose of alcohol, your baby essentially gets that same dose.

Unfortunately, your baby’s liver is much, much smaller than yours and a normal dose of alcohol or nicotine for you is a huge dose for your baby.  There are a number of protection mechanisms in place to help your baby survive exposure to toxins while pregnant, but constant exposure can take its toll.

Overall, the best approach is to avoid alcohol and stop smoking
while pregnant.  A single drink of wine every day may be okay, and some studies show that the compounds in the wine may be helpful, but never consume enough to get drunk while pregnant.  It’s just not worth it to the health of your baby.

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Posted on July 10th, 2009 by Julie  |  Comments Off

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