Category: Maternity

Maternity

8 Tips for a Smooth Departure on Maternity Leave

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Author: Ines Marinho

Everything related to pregnancy can be a challenge to woman, especially if it is the first born. All is new and a bit of a scary world. The woman’s life changes completely, and every detail must be thought and planed.

As human beings, we all have flaws and no one is made of iron, so for that reason, here is a guide to help all the future mommies to prepare for the maternity leave.

From six to three months before the due date, there are a few steps that should be considered in your work.

  1. Telling your boss or work responsible

It is not new that pregnant women like to keep it a secret before the first trimester. After this period of time, it is good to start to tell people at your work, mainly your boss, that you are expecting a baby. This leaves you more time to prepare an effective plan for your leave and doesn’t leave your boss in panic to find alternatives for your absence.

Showing in your working place that you care about how the responsibilities will be spread and how much you want all to go smooth and handled professional will be a plus to your career attitude. Asking your supervisor what the main concerns about your time are, since you will be away from the working place, is also a good suggestion to make clear you are involved in finding solutions.

  1. Finding a day care

It is not soon to start finding a kindergarten or day care to your kid. Usually, some living areas have the day care centers full and guaranteeing your baby’s place is a must!

By taking the time to find the best day care during this trimester, you can spend the whole maternity leave focused only on your newborn.

Two months before the due date

  1. Creating a timeline for departure

Reunite with your boss and create a plan of how and when things need to be accomplished. Check together if an action plan can be created so things go smoothly during your leave. It is certain to have a more positive outcome when you have a plan for what will happen before, during and later upon your return.

  1. Relying on documents

Create notes and guideline documents to outline the systems you use and all of your daily tasks. This will be a major help for whoever will come to replace you within the next months. Guidance is always a plus and keeping track of how things are done during your leave.

One month before the due date

  1. Meeting the people who are taking your place

Meeting the people who are taking your responsibilities it is important in a way that they will take care of your job. Guide them, train them and advise them so the best results are achieved. Supervise them while they take tasks on their own, so they feel confident in the future to take all the work.

  1. Open the possibility of your replacement contacting you while you are home

Take the time to plan how can your replacement people contact you during your leave. Also, discuss what kind of issue would be important enough for someone to contact you while you are out.

If there are still meetings or events you would still like to be involved in while you are on the maternity leave, you should previously discuss the matter. Maybe there is the chance you can participate by phone, video conference or some other ways.

You can also ask your boss or work responsible if taking your child to work is an option. Some workplaces are adapting to having mother’s and even father’s bringing their babies to work. Do you know that even baseball teams high ranked in the odds to win the World Series, like the Red Sox and the White Sox, allow athletes to bring their children to work? Of course, you should see if your child is cooperative and if he or she doesn’t get startled by your workplace – it also depends what is your occupation. Anyway, give it a thought if you think it is a possibility.

Right before the maternity leave

  1. Take action towards your absence

Set up a clear stated ‘out of the office’ answer for your emails and business voicemail. On these, clarify who they can contact instead of you and when is expected for you to be back. In case of you needing to access your work while you are away, create and learn about the company’s remote login process.

  1. Thank people

While you are away, your boss and co-workers will take an important part related to your absence. It is important to acknowledge their flexibility and show them some appreciation. For everyone involved, showing gratitude is something that has no price, so just do it.

After, you can take all of your time without worries and focusing 100 percent on your baby and yourself.

Baby · Health · Maternity

Why is an Invasive Ultrasound Important?

Jayne3 Comments

transvaginal_ultrasoundIf your doctor has scheduled an invasive ultrasound, you’re most likely asking yourself, “What does this mean?” At this point, your mind is racing with all sorts of thoughts- Is something wrong with my baby, Why do I need this procedure, and Are there any risks? There are many reasons that would constitute your obstetrician scheduling such a procedure. During early term pregnancies, an invasive ultrasound is often the only way to get a clear picture of what is happening within your body as the fetus is too small to be visible during a regular ultrasound. If your doctor has concerns regarding your due date or your medical history, he or she may order this procedure to ensure there are no complications.

An invasive ultrasound, also called a transvaginal ultrasound, is a safe and simple procedure. Similar to a regular, surface ultrasound, this procedure works by emitting sound waves from a wand called a transducer into your uterus. These sound waves bounce back and return to the machine, forming a picture on the monitor. The only difference between a transvaginal and a surface ultrasound is the shape and location of the transducer. During an internal ultrasound, the thin transducer wand is placed within the vagina instead of being swept across the abdomen. Due to the placement of the wand, this form of procedure is best suited for early term pregnancies, particularly before the ten week mark, as it is able to give a clearer picture of the miniscule fetus.

One of the most common reasons for an obstetrician scheduling this early stage procedure is history or concern of an ectopic pregnancy. If you have previously had an ectopic pregnancy, or someone in your direct family has experienced one, then it is likely that your doctor will want to rule out this complication immediately. Ectopic pregnancies can be life-threatening for a woman, which means early diagnosis is imperative. If another test comes back inconclusive or abnormal, your doctor may want to run further tests. An internal ultrasound is a rare opportunity to ensure that your growing fetus is safe, healthy, and correctly placed. This form of ultrasound is also great for double checking the placement of the placenta, as well as correctly identifying the number of fetuses.

While the description of the procedure may sound uncomfortable, rest assured- it is painless. If safety for your unborn child is your concern, know that your doctor will not suggest anything that would put your baby at risk. Invasive ultrasounds emit no radiation and pose no known risks to the mother or fetus; they have been used consistently since their inception in the 1980s with no documented side effects or safety concerns. An invasive, or transvaginal, ultrasound can be an important tool in the development of your baby and the treatment of any complications that may arise. If you have concerns or questions about the procedure, your obstetrician is your best resource and ally. It is important to keep in mind that your doctor will only order a procedure that they feel is necessary in the successful treatment of you and your baby.

This post was written for Mums the Word by Glenn Josephik. Glenn is an account representative and the marketing coordinator at MedCorp LLC, the industry leader and premier business source for used portable ultrasound systems. You can follow Glenn Josephik on Google+.

Baby · Family · Maternity · Maternity Matters · Mental Health · Parenting · Personal · Pregnancy

Maternity Matters Week 4 #maternitymatters

Jayne1 Comment

I can’t quite believe this is the fourth Maternity Matters linky already! We really hope you’re enjoying the process of sharing and reading so many great posts as much as we are. Seeing how pregnancy and birth experiences vary so much from person to person is as beautiful as it is informative and that uniqueness is exactly what’s at the core of Maternity Matters.

As usual, we’d love it if you displayed our badge, either on your individual posts or in your sidebar, and we’d also be grateful for anyone who isn’t already to follow the Maternity Matters Facebook and Twitter accounts.



MaternityMatters~ Mum's the Word
Baby · Family · labour · Maternity · Maternity Matters · Mental Health · Parenting · Personal

Maternity Matters Linky Week 3 – #MaternityMatters

JayneLeave a comment

One thing that Susanne and I set out to do when we started Maternity Matters was give parents a voice, regardless of how difficult the subject they’re talking about might seem, which is why in the past few years, Maternity Matters has covered topics such as birth trauma, SIDS, Post Natal Depression and PND. Pregnancy and labour can be incredibly beautiful experiences, but they can also be difficult and potentially traumatic, and we felt strongly that by collecting stories from a variety of experiences we might be able to help people who needed information, or those who simply needed to feel that they weren’t alone.

If we’ve managed to help or educate even ONE person since we started, then I think I speak for us both when I say that we feel we’ve accomplished something worthwhile. Writing about our experiences has been hugely cathartic for both myself and Susanne and encouraging others in the same way is a huge part of the Maternity Matters ethos.

So, in that vein, here’s the form for the third #MaternityMatters linky – we’d love you to link up any posts, old or new, positive or difficult, anything pregnancy, maternity, baby or health related that you’d like to share. As ever, we’d love you to comment on as many of the shared posts as possible and don’t forget to grab our badge!



MaternityMatters~ Mum's the Word
Baby · Birth · C-Section · cesarian · Family · Health · Maternity · Maternity Matters

#MaternityMatters – Week Two

JayneLeave a comment

It’s a fortnight since Susanne and I launched the Maternity Matters linky and we had some absolutely amazing posts linked up in that time. Reading about everyone’s experiences reminds us exactly why we started Maternity Matters in the first place and we hope that the linky will continue to be as popular in the coming weeks.

This week, I’ve linked the post that I wrote about my second c-section and how it was a healing experience, compared to the chaos and heartache of Sausage’s emergency c-section birth. I was terribly nervous all through my pregnancy at the thought of being awake through what amounts to some pretty major abdominal surgery and I even watched videos on YouTube of other people’s elective cesareans so I’d have an idea of what I could expect (control freak? Me?!). If you’ve got a fairly strong stomach, I’d actually recommend watching a few videos if you’re unsure of what to expect from a c-section as seeing it in action completely demystified the whole process for me and gave me a much better understanding of what would happen on the day.

Anyway, without further ado, here’s where you can link your posts this week, and don’t forget to grab our lovely badge to stick at the bottom of your posts so that your readers know where to find lots more great maternity-related writing.



MaternityMatters~ Mum's the Word