Working During Pregnancy

The days when you were expected to quit your job once you found yourself pregnant are long over. Pregnant women are still very much part of the office landscape right up until their eighth month! Excellent health care has partly allowed this to happen but unfortunately necessity also has many mothers working well into their eighth month as well. We can thank the economic recession for that.
The fact is that most women experiencing low risk pregnancies can safely continue to work outside of the home. There is no reason to retreat from work or society unless your doctor tells you that you have a high risk pregnancy condition and need to take some time to yourself.
However if you job is physically demanding and if it requires repeated lifting, climbing, bending, stair climbing or a lot of standing it may not be good f or you. Shift work that keeps you off your sleep schedule is also not recommended if you are having a child. You should also not have any job that exposes you to toxins, radiation or other polluting substances. If you have any of these conditions in your life you need to quit your job, switch your job or ask for a job modification that will last for all or part of your pregnancy!
If you do have to work while pregnant there are some things that you can do to keep you and your fetus healthy. You should get up and move around as often as you can. Make sure you do this at least once every couple of hours. This is because sitting down for more than three hours at a stretch can lead to fluid being retained in your feet and legs. Strain in your lower back can also cause reduced blood flow to your baby and problems with your shoulder and back.
You might also want o make sure that you are sitting in way that comfortable for you while you are working at your desk. Place a pillow behind the small of your back and be sure to prop your feet up on a pillow. You should also make sure that you take regular breaks from typing if you work at a computer all day. This is because pregnant women are at increased risk of developing problems like carpal tunnel and other repetitive stress disorders.
You should also start dressing for comfort and not for style the minute that you know you are pregnant. This is no time to wear tight bras, uncomfortable suits or high heel shoes. You need to focus on comfort which means dressing in loose comfortable layers that can easily be removed because pregnant individuals often feel like they are overheating. This does not mean that you have to look unfashionable. There are all kinds of very fashionable looking clothes out there that make you seem not pregnant at all including low waited jeans and empire waited dresses.

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Coping After a Stillbirth

Sometimes a baby is still born. This is not a topic that is talked about too much because it is so tragic. Still if this has happened to you then you will definitely identify with this article. I also wrote this article to help you deal with a friend who may have had this unfortunate experience.
The first thing that happens after a stillbirth is a grieving period. For most women the weeks after it are a blur. Social workers often tell mothers of still born children not to expect much from thief because they don't know what to say. Sometimes other mommies behave like the baby's death is contagious. This is one of the worst things we can do but it is hardwired in our human nature to act like this.
Most women just cannot stop crying after a stillbirth. This is also natural. It is also the kind of anguish that parson cannot handle alone. It is very advisable to get psychological counselling.
Many mothers also blame themselves for the still birth. Many are not fair to themselves. Still births have many different causes. In about twenty percent of the births the cause is unknown.
The main cause is birth defects. About fifty to twenty percent o f stillborn babies have one or more birth defects. Almost all have chromosome abnormalities such as Down's syndrome. The death of baby can also be lined to conditions in the mother such as kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure. Death of a child can also be caused by umbilical cord problems such as a knot or blood clot. Another cause is placental abruption in which the placenta partially or totally peels away from the uterine wall before the baby can be delivered. Bacterial or viral infections involving the fetes or placenta (including genital or urinary tract infections) are a factor in about tent twenty five percent of stillbirths.
If you don't want to have a stillbirth you should also try to lose weight. Women who are obese are very much at an increased risk of having a stillborn baby.
It is rarely true that a mother can blame herself totally for a stillbirth unless she smoked, drank alcohol or used street drags during pregnancy. These are behaviours that can be changed by a mother to prevent a still born tragedy.
If you do lose a baby or know someone who does the worst thing you can do is pretend that it did not happen. It is very hurtful to the family when you do not acknowledge it. The baby is never far from our minds so don't be afraid to bring it up out fear of upsetting others. Talking about the dead baby can cause tears but it's good to get this grief out. A good friend is never scared of another friend's tears – especially in this case.

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