Office Play: Expecting & In Need of Love (Pregnant Sex & Lactation)

Tasmanian Health Service

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Breastfeeding - deciding when to stop

It's very important, she adds, "always to bear in mind that pregnancy is a physiological event and not a pathological event". Eating properly, taking your breaks at work and availing of pregnancy and birth education, such as antenatal and breastfeeding classes, are very important, Cliona stresses. Wearing support tights or support stockings can help with swollen ankles, a typical late-pregnancy discomfort.

Cliona recommends having your feet slightly elevated, if at all possible, in the confines of the office. Nutritionist Alva O'Sullivan, from Alva O'Sullivan Nutrition and Fitness, believes that what you eat can make a real difference to how you feel during pregnancy. She believes that managing your diet can help you to cope with the additional challenges posed by working outside the home during this time. Alva says that the foods an individual can tolerate while they're struggling with nausea and morning sickness can differ from person to person.

She feels in the early stages, you "shouldn't panic too much about whether you're getting all the nutrients" or "is there enough variety in my diet".

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She recommends "eating small snacks throughout the day to keep your tummy settled and keep your blood sugars stable. Alva suggests crackers and cheese or toast with almond butter or cashew nut butter, "full of great proteins and fat" as potential snacks and says the key is keeping it simple. It's simple, it will stay down, hopefully, and it is nutritious.

All these type of foods are good whole foods. Alva says it's important to move away from the three-meal-a-day thinking, to focus on small meals and "just going with your body". As long as morning sickness is restricted to early pregnancy and isn't excessive, she doesn't feel there is any need to overly worry about missing out on nutrients. There is one thing in particular she places huge importance on, however. Sipping throughout the day can help ward off dehydration. While she doesn't advocate relying solely on soft drinks for hydration, she does concede that the Irish mammy's solution for everything, of "flat 7UP", has its place, if all else fails.

So, with the managing of some of the more unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy taken care of, what are your legal obligations to your employer - and your employer to you? Maternity leave is currently 26 weeks, with 16 weeks additional unpaid leave, which begins immediately after the end of maternity leave. Payment depends on your contract of employment. Some employers top up Maternity Benefit pay, which is a Department of Social Protection payment, while some employees receive this payment alone. Jane, a HR business partner, says that while employees are not obliged to inform their employer of their pregnancy until four weeks before they intend to take maternity leave, many will advise their managers well in advance of this so as to avail of their legal entitlement to attend antenatal appointments and some antenatal classes with pay.

Pregnancy sickness, Jane advises "is treated as normal sick leave" by most companies and the "company's sick-leave policy will apply".

While pregnant employees are entitled to have a risk assessment carried out, many would have their more straightforward requests met at their suggestion, Jane reports. If we receive a doctor's certificate making a suggestion, we would generally send the person for an occupational health assessment.

Depending on the organisation, they may move to Health and Safety Benefit after this. If you so desire, however, it is possible to start your maternity leave any time from 24 weeks pregnant. Officially, you must give notice in writing four weeks before you intend to start. There is a legal requirement to take at least four weeks after the birth of your child.

It's extremely costly if you bring in somebody. You have a double salary to pay. After maternity leave, an employee is entitled to return to the same job with the same contract of employment. If this is not possible, the employer must find suitable alternative employment on similar terms.

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The good news is that, while your employment terms cannot be worsened by the fact that you have taken maternity leave, you are entitled to avail of any improvement in conditions, pay or otherwise, that might have occurred while you were on maternity leave, once you return to work! Nutritionist Alva O'Sullivan suggests 10 healthy, simple meals that will keep blood sugar stable, energy high and fight nausea. Eating small meals frequently that contain carbohydrates and protein will help fight nausea. Keep meals simple and avoid spicy, sugary and greasy foods.

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Some 25pc of three-year-olds and 20pc From hovering helicopters to relentless tigers, there's a catchy parenting style out there to categorise At 12 months old, your little baby will have reached, or will be reaching so many exciting developmental There was a time when every Irish classroom had its fair share of Josephs, Gerards, Marys and Margarets. Top tips to navigate pregnancy and your professional life Expecting a baby brings about huge life changes, and these all have to be juggled with work. But, in the unnatural food landscape of today, in which irresistible unhealthy snacks are the easiest foods to come by, it can also be bad.

Firstly, she says, the average woman in the US who becomes pregnant is already overweight or obese, which heightens the risk of conditions like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and postpartum haemorrhage.

Breastfeeding - deciding when to stop - Better Health Channel

And, as more and more individual studies on the impact of maternal behaviour are reported, it can feel as though the media is building a case against mothers. I try to focus on the healthy aspects of eating while pregnant. So, after walking readers through the cold, hard science of pregnancy weight-gain and the risks associated with eating badly, the fun part begins: Week 34, for instance, is all about squash, which is high in fibre — an essential in beating third-trimester constipation.

A nice prompt, but then fibre is always necessary.

Practical support

In the throes of early pregnancy, however, all this is the last thing many women want to deal with. The hospital in New York where Avena works runs weight-loss clinics and, when female attendees become pregnant, many of them want to drop out.

Avena demystifies cravings by talking about the hormones involved and suggesting how to beat such mutinous urges. Taking a mindful approach has been shown to help addicted people move past their cravings; rather than trying to fight it or giving in, simply acknowledge and accept it.

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