You are pregnant and delighted. You’ve waited a long time for this. And then your friend shows you her tummy and the result of her pregnancy: Stretch marks! Huge, red, jagged, scary looking stretch marks. It takes your breath away. Is this your destiny? Is that what your belly is going to look like when it’s all said and done? … Read More
Does Childbirth Hurt?
When I was pregnant with my first child, I spent hours and hours worrying, researching, and obsessing over just how much giving birth was going to hurt and if I could handle the pain. Unlike a lot of life experiences, like getting a splinter or scraping a knee, first time moms have absolutely NOTHING to compare child birth to, making … Read More
What to Pack for Your Delivery Day
While some deliveries are planned, most often times the baby is awarded the task of choosing their own birthday. Some babies come early and unexpected, seldom on time, while others late with much anticipation and even frustration. In order to prep yourself for your hospital stay, it’s important to pack the right things you know that you’ll need to feel … Read More
Healthy Pregnancy Cravings
When I was pregnant, I craved orange juice like it was going out of style. OJ with breakfast, OJ with lunch, OJ with dinner. Before growing a child inside my body, I never liked orange juice. However, once the 2nd trimester hit, I wanted all the orange juice. And all the brownies, but that wasn’t just pregnancy. I want all … Read More
Why Yoga and Pilates Are Good For Fertility
Optimizing the body for fertility goes far beyond diet and prenatal supplements. Exercise plays a vital role in overall health, but specific forms of exercise seem to have greater benefits for fertility. Both yoga and Pilates have been shown to improve fertility, but here we explore why. Weight Maintenance Even under the most ideal circumstances, a woman only has about … Read More
Working With Morning Sickness
Often viewed as a badge of honor, morning sickness can strike even the toughest expecting mama at the most inopportune times during her pregnancy. Despite its punctual namesake, morning sickness can happen in the morning, noon and night, and maintaining one’s professional demeanor while running to the bathroom every twenty minutes can pose quite a challenge for even the most … Read More
Telling Your Boss You’re Pregnant
“You’re pregnant!” I gasped when I heard the words coming from behind me as I stood in my office break room staring blankly into the refrigerator. I whirled around to see one of my coworkers standing behind me, arms crossed, smug smile on her face. “You are, aren’t you?” she said again, much louder than necessary. “Sssshhhh” I quickly said, … Read More
Everyone Has An Opinion
When I was pregnant, I worked with immune-comprised and very frail seniors. As a recreation therapist, I worked closely with my clients before my pregnancy. However, once I was pregnant, I had to be extra careful for exposure to shingles or pneumonia. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it, the whole H1N1 scare of 2009 happened. … Read More
Maternity Leave: Fact Or Fiction
At some point during every working woman’s pregnancy, the concept of “maternity leave” will eventually come up. Ah maternity leave – that blissful period where mother and child rest, bond, and begin to form a lasting, lifelong relationship with one another. It sounds wonderful, and it is. Unfortunately, the hard, cold policies surrounding maternity leave can quickly dampen any expecting … Read More
When Are You Due To Give Birth?
High tech equipment takes the guess work out of uncertainties such as when am I due to give birth? Is my baby a girl or a boy? Am I having twins? State-of-the-art gadgetry can sort this out and put your mind at ease but occasionally even medical equipment misses the mark. Not so many years ago, before the introduction of … Read More