Working Pregnant Mama Tips

By Heather Lopez

Being that I worked through both of my pregnancies and my main business focuses on new moms and mommies to be, I felt it would be appropriate for me offer up some tips for managing your pregnancy and your job.

Tip #1: Wear comfortable, flat shoes

Sometimes when us women go to work, we want to wear dress shoes with a heel. Even if you are used to heels, you will not be used to them when you are pregnant. Your feet will swell and can even get permanently bigger, so you might consider purchasing the wide version of a shoe or even one size larger. When your feet swell and you are carrying around all of that weight, you’ll appreciate having a comfy pair of flats for your tootsies. Additionally, when your pregnant body expands, you lose your equilibrium, causing you to lose your balance more easily. I remember once that I wore a low heel while pregnant & I slipped and fell on the ground. You should’ve seen me struggling to get up with my huge belly. Believe me, it wasn’t pretty.

Tip #2: Pack a Snack

Eating several small, healthy snacks throughout the day, helps you to maintain your blood glucose level. You will avoid an energy crash and you will not feel hunger pangs. It’s good to pack some crackers for nausea, carrot sticks & celery make a good treat, sometimes a fruit & nut mix are filling and delicious, and let’s not forget about water. You should drink several glasses of water a day when you’re pregnant. Try to avoid caffeinated beverages or at least limit them to 2 cups a day.

Tip #3: Get your work clothes ready the night before

Lay them out so that they are ready for you to get up in the morning. Many women suffer from “morning sickness” and in my case “all day sickness,” so it can be really helpful to have everything ready to go when you are feeling nauseous. Plus, having things ready, means that you can sleep a little later and take more time getting ready before you go.

Tip #4: Buy Wrap Dresses

These little numbers can look professional, they are very comfortable, and they adjust to your body’s ever-changing shape. Plus, a good wrap dress can be used post pregnancy before you get back to pre-baby weight

Tip #5: Write everything down

When you are pregnant, you might find that you become very forgetful. The trick is to write everything down, so you don’t forget. Carry around a little memo book in your purse to jot down appointments, phone numbers, dates, names, etc.

Tip #6: Try to schedule appointments around work

I know what you’re thinking, “She says it like it’s so easy.” I know it’s not, but you will maintain a better appearance at work and keep on task better if you make your appointments around work. Try finding an ob/gyn open late, extra early, or on the weekends. Trust me, when you are pregnant you will be attending a lot of appointments, especially toward the end, and you do not want to be perceived as slacking. In an ideal world, your boss would understand, but in the real world, you need to show your commitment to your job by trying to maintain your schedule as best as possible. Even if you work for yourself, you still have a boss- your customers and clients.

Tip #7: Do Some Extreme Advance Planning

Many jobs provide for unpaid family leave if you have worked at your job for a year and worked at least 1200 hours. But what if you don’t qualify? You need to discuss your impending birth with your boss to try to keep your job when you return to work. Can you afford to take unpaid maternity leave? If so, more power to you. But, if you are like me, you need some kind of income to survive. Your job might be willing to offer some work from home, so that you can still do some work until you have steady childcare. Many daycare’s require babies to be at least 6 weeks old. Another way to plan for the leave is to put aside a little from each of your checks, so that you have something saved up to draw from when you aren’t working. Trust me, those first few weeks can be extremely expensive with all of the diapers, clothes, baby equipment, etc. you go through. Who am I kidding, for the next 18 years, your baby will be expensive, but hopefully you can save enough for the weeks you will be away from work. Also, you need to plan for how your work will get done while you are away. You don’t want everything to fall apart without you. You need to plan to have another worker or workers cover you until you get back. Some jobs even hire temps, so you need to find out about their policies and what you need to leave for them, such as passwords. You should also have your work e-mails forwarded to someone who will be covering for you. They can kindly respond to all inquiries on your behalf.

Tip #8: Get Shoulder Massages

Work can already be stressful and can be amplified even more when you are going through so many changes. Many people store their tension in their shoulders, and getting a shoulder massage could be quick, easy, effective, & affordable. If you’ve got a good partner, maybe they can massage your shoulders. If you prefer a professional, a simple shoulder massage can be done at a mall kiosk. If you’d like to delve into other massage, like back, and feet, you should hire a licensed massage therapist that has specialization in prenatal massage. For instance, there are actually trigger points in your feet that could lead to contractions and a specialist should have a special table with a cut-out for your stomach.

I hope that these tips have been helpful!

Heather Lopez is a 30 y/o married mom to 2 in diapers. She runs an e-zine , social network, and pamper events for new moms and mommies to be. Check out her next event Happy and Healthy MOM DAY Miami on 2/22 and find out when the next one is your area is.

Returning To Work? Yes, You CAN Continue To Exclusively Breastfeed!

by Wendy Armbruster Bell
(How a Nanny and a Good Breastpump Can Help You Reach Your Personal Breastfeeding Goals)

As the end of your maternity leave fast approaches, nursing mothers have a number of choices to maintain their breastfeeding relationships with their babies. This holds true no matter how long your maternity leave will be or if you have chosen to return to work early on your own accord.

If you are fortunate to live fairly close to your place of employment, your nanny can bring your baby to you at work for as many feedings as desired. This is especially beneficial when you first return to work as it is a transition for both you and your baby. The sustained contact will be good for both of you emotionally and will facilitate your letdown as well as help to maintain your milk supply as you both adjust to the new routine.

Remember to discuss your breastfeeding and/or pumping schedule with your employer prior to your return to work so that there are no surprises for either of you. It is also a good idea to return to work on a Wednesday or Thursday so you have a short first week. Finally, plan a dry run of your morning routine, including the drive to work, before tackling the Real McCoy. This will do wonders for your stress level on that first day of leaving baby.

Following is a typical schedule that can be adapted to suit (based on a baby that is 3-6 months old):

6:00 am: Wake up, get ready for work and eat a healthy breakfast.
7:00 am: Wake and nurse your baby.*
8:30 am: Leave for work.
9:00 am: Arrive at work.*
11:00 am: Nanny brings baby to work to nurse.
12:30 pm: Eat a nutritious lunch.
2:30 pm: Nanny brings baby to work to nurse.
5:00 pm: Leave work for the day.
5:30 pm: Arrive home, eat dinner.
6:00 pm: Nurse your baby, then bed time/bath time routine for him/her.
7:00 pm: Put baby to bed.
8:00 pm: Prepare for you work day tomorrow (pack your lunch, plan tomorrow night’s dinner).*
10:30 pm: Wake baby to nurse if he/she is not sleeping through the night yet. If baby sleeps through, you may want to pump then off to bed.

* The asterisks in the schedule indicate prime times for additional pumping if your nanny is unable to bring the baby to you for whatever reason (e.g. you are out of town on business or your baby is ill). If you will be pumping at work even once per day, you may want to invest in a hands-free pumping bra so that you can still answer emails or take phone calls while pumping. Make sure you have a comfortable chair to sit in, a footrest to raise your knees to parallel while sitting (so that you don’t hunch over) and if you have problems with letdown, a picture of your baby or an article of clothing that smells like him/her. Remember that you should wait 4-6 weeks to introduce a bottle to your newborn to reduce the chance of nipple confusion.

If you don’t have an office with a lock on the door, then you will also need to find a private room that you can use for nursing and/or pumping – and try to avoid the restroom! Approach your employer to set-up a lactation room. You can pitch him or her on the benefits of having a breastfeeding mother on staff. Never mind the extensive long-term health benefits. In the short-term, research shows that:

• breastfed babies are sick less often and when they do get sick, then aren’t as sick
• breastfed babies are less likely to have ear infections, colic, diarrhea and other childhood illnesses
• babies who are breastfed are 10 times less likely to be hospitalized during the first year
• nursing mothers have a lower incidence of postpartum hemorrhage
• nursing mothers enjoy a decreased risk of iron-deficiency anemia (delayed return of menstruation) and the longer the mother nurses, the stronger this effect

Therefore, because you and your baby will be sick less frequently, your employer will benefit from reduced sick days and in turn, increased productivity from you!

After your baby starts solids at around age 6 months, whether this is before or after you return to work, he/she will be taking less breastmilk. If you do not live close enough to work to warrant having your nanny bring the baby to you, you may choose to pump during the day and breastfeed first thing in the morning and at bedtime as well as on the weekend. Your nanny can feed your baby one bottle of expressed breastmilk in the afternoon (2:30-3:00 pm) and you will still successfully maintain your supply. These types of arrangements along with an open mind, flexibility and support will help you reach your personal breastfeeding goals.

Speaking of support, a lack thereof is one of the top reasons for the extreme decline in breastfeeding rates after moms leave the hospital. The best thing you can do is to keep the following in mind:

• breastfeeding is not “instinctual”, both mom and baby need to learn how to do it
• if you are having difficulties, ASK FOR HELP from your Public Health Nurse, Doctor, Midwife, Doula, Lactation Consultant, La Leche League Leader, friend or family member
• there appears to be a learning curve for the first 6-7 weeks postpartum – if you can persevere until then, you are usually home-free
• resist the temptation to give your baby formula – as little as one feed per day can cause your supply to diminish – keep a small stash of breastmilk in the freezer instead

Following is a schedule for a baby that is 6 months or older:

6:00 am: Wake up, get ready for work and eat a healthy breakfast.
7:00 am: Wake and nurse your baby.*
8:30 am: Leave for work.
9:00 am: Arrive at work.*
12:30 pm: Eat a nutritious lunch.
2:30 pm: Pumping break.
5:00 pm: Leave work for the day.
5:30 pm: Arrive home, eat dinner.
6:15 pm: Nurse your baby, then bed time/bath time routine.
7:15 pm: Put baby to bed.
8:00 pm: Prepare for you work day tomorrow (pack your lunch, plan tomorrow night’s dinner).*
10:30 pm: Wake baby to nurse if he/she is not sleeping through the night yet. If baby sleeps through, you may want to pump then off to bed.

Many people are under the impression that a live-in nanny is out of reach financially; however, if you do the math, this choice is actually quite affordable compared to group daycare, especially if you have more than one child. Remember, there is also the option of arranging a “nanny share” with a friend, family member or co-worker.

As with many “seemingly” insurmountable challenges in life, one day you will look back on your choice to maintain breastfeeding after your return to work and say, “It was a bit of a challenge initially, but soon it was just another routine. I did it and it was absolutely worth it!”

Wendy Armbruster Bell is the Founder & Creative Director of Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear, creators of PumpEase hands-free pumping supports. When she is not helping thousands of breastfeeding Moms around the world pump hands-free and in style, she and her husband Mike are busy raising their two young daughters in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. She has been featured on Cool Mom Picks, Parents TV, Breakfast Television, Celebrity Baby Scoop and was named a Top Mompreneur for 2009 by The Mompreneur Magazine. Wendy can be contacted at wendy@snugabell.com or toll-free at 1.866.963.SNUG (7684).

Pump Ease and Snugabell are also proud to be sponsors of the Mommy News & Views Blogiversary Celebration! Please visit the Review and Give-away of Pump Ease Hands-Free Pumping Support in our Blogiversary section.

Did you work while breastfeeding your baby? What were your experiences pumping or breastfeeding at work? Please share any tips that you have with our readers by leaving a comment below.

Getting Your Breastfed Baby To Take A Bottle

Lots of first time moms want to have the option of bottle feeding their baby once in a while. Perhaps you are going to be heading back to work or perhaps you just want a few hours away from your baby or a night out with your significant other. Getting your baby to take a bottle may not initially seem as easy as you’d hoped. Here are some tips to help you succeed.

First of all, we don’t recommend giving your baby a bottle at all until they are at least 4-6 weeks old. Having any type of artificial nipple (bottle, pacifier, etc) can interfere with breastfeeding success if it is given to the baby too early. You may think that your baby can easily switch back and forth between bottle and breast early on, but many babies will develop “nipple confusion” and this can make breastfeeding success very difficult (not impossible, but difficult) – so we highly recommend enjoying these early days with your baby and avoiding the bottle until your breastfeeding relationship has been well-established.

Now, back to the bottles. You might be wondering what type of bottle is best. There are many different types of bottles and which one is “best” is very subjective. It won’t be you that makes the decision either – it will likely be your little one! I bought about 7 different kinds of bottles for my son and let him pick which one he liked best. The one that everyone told me was “best” he wouldn’t drink from – so we just did it by trial and error. Once we found one that he liked, we stocked up. So don’t go out and buy a bunch of bottles until you know which one your little bundle of joy is going to like.

When you first try to give your baby a bottle, don’t be surprised if they protest. It isn’t nearly as “cozy” as nursing – and they may not understand what this “foreign” object is that you are trying to shove in their mouth! Here are some tips for success:

• Try giving your baby a bottle when they aren’t too hungry. If your baby is starving, they are going to get upset and will just want to nurse – especially if you are nearby – so do it at a time when they are starting to show signs of hunger, but aren’t yet famished.
• Leave the room or even the house! Babies are SMART. They will know if mom is nearby – so you may have to leave the room or even the house before your baby will consent to taking a bottle. If you are nearby, they may refuse until they get their milk from the TAP.
• Be patient. Keep trying – your little one will eventually take a bottle from someone while you are away. Don’t worry – the first time you go away, your little one may have a rough time, but they won’t starve. Once the realize breastfeeding isn’t an option, they will take the bottle.
• Don’t be surprised if your baby reverse cycles. When mom goes back to work, many babies just adjust their nursing times to when mom is home. So don’t be surprised if your baby doesn’t drink much while you are away and instead power-nurses when you are home. (my son did this!) Many babies will nurse all night instead of taking much milk from a bottle while you are away. It is completely normal and acceptable.

Do you have any tips for getting a baby to take a bottle while mom is away? We’d love to hear your stories – please share them by leaving a comment!

**Baby with bottle photograph is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License.**