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Safe at Home & Work

Being safe at work and home during pregnancy is important
Tell your doctor what kind of work you do and talk about when you should stop working. Many women stay on the job until their baby is born. You may have to make a few changes at work. Here are some things to think about:

Sitting

When you sit for a long time, your muscles get stiff. Your back may hurt. The veins in your legs may swell. Move your head, feet, and shoulders once in a while if you sit a lot. Each hour, take a short walk, or stand up and shake your arms and legs.

Standing

Standing in place for too long can make your legs and back hurt. If you have to stand much, wear shoes with low heels. Also wear support panty hose. Try to put one foot up on a box or stool from time to time. Take breaks often.

Lifting

If you lift heavy loads at work, ask your doctor if it's still safe. If lifting makes you feel dizzy or sick to your stomach, stop doing it. When you pick something up, don't bend over from the waist. Bend your knees and squat down. Keep your back straight. As your belly gets bigger, your balance changes. Be careful not to fall.

Infections

Some illnesses can harm your baby. If you work in a doctor's office or at a hospital, try not to get close to other people who are sick. Wash your hands often. One infection, toxoplasmosis, can be spread by changing cat litter. Try to get someone else to do it, or wear rubber gloves.

X-Rays

Avoid x-rays. If you have an accident, be sure to tell the doctor that you're pregnant before the x-ray is performed. You may have to wear a special apron. Let your dentist know about your pregnancy. The dentist may be able to put off taking x-rays until your baby is born.

Lead

You shouldn't work with lead when you're pregnant. It can harm your baby's brain. To be sure you're safe, find out if you work with any products that contain lead. And try to avoid renovating a home or stripping old furniture, which can increase the risk of lead exposure.

Chemicals

Chemicals can be dangerous for your baby while you're pregnant. You should make sure to stay away from

• spot removers, cleaning fluid, and some cleaning products



• turpentine and paint thinner



• insect sprays



• strong glues



• paints, particularly oil based or latex

Pregnancy: Your Changing Body

Your pregnancy has three parts and each one lasts about three months. The parts are called trimesters. During each trimester you'll notice many changes in your body. Some changes aren't very comfortable, and some days you may not feel well.

But pregnancy is a very exciting time. You'll see your belly get bigger and feel your baby move inside you. So when you're not feeling too well, think about your goal-having a healthy baby.

Here's what will happen during each trimester:

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The First Trimester Months 1,2,3

At the very beginning of your pregnancy, you'll be more tired and may feel sore. Your uterus, or womb, will get bigger as the baby grows inside it. Your uterus will push against your bladder. This means you'll have to urinate more often.

You may feel sick to your stomach sometimes. Usually this happens in the morning, thus morning sickness. But it can happen at any time of day. If you feel sick when you wake up, eat crackers or dry toast before you get out of bed. Then get up slowly.

Eat small meals during the day and eat often. Keep crackers handy, and try sniffing a slice of lemon. Drink lots of water. You may vomit. If you can't keep anything down for more than 24 hours, call your doctor.

If you become constipated, exercise may help. Try eating high-fiber foods like bran cereal and raw fruits and vegetables. Drinking extra water may also help.

You may feel dizzy when you stand up quickly. If this happens, breathe deeply. Also be careful not to move suddenly. If you feel dizzy often, tell your doctor.

It is important to see a dentist during your pregnancy. Your gums may get red and bleed. A softer toothbrush may help. Brush your teeth and floss each day.

If you get headaches, try taking a nap or getting fresh air. Ask your doctor before you take any medicine.

When you're pregnant, your mood may change often. You might be very excited about having a baby and then be scared about it. You might worry that having a baby will hurt or that the baby won't be healthy. This is normal. If you are very worried about having a baby, talk to your doctor.

You will start to gain weight even though you don't look pregnant yet. Aim to gain about four to six pounds in the first trimester. If you are hungry between meals, choose healthy low fat snacks such as fresh fruit and vegetables. These will fill you up and they're good for your body.

Exercise can help many of pregnancy's discomforts. It's good for you and your baby. Walking or gentle dancing are two fun, easy ways to get a good workout. Start slowly, and take a break if you get tired.

Every pregnancy is different. Your friends may tell you about things that bothered them that aren't bothering you. You may not have many of these discomforts. Enjoy this special time and the changes that are happening to your body.

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The Second Trimester Months 4, 5, 6

The second trimester is also an exciting time. You and others will notice your growing belly. You'll begin to feel your baby moving inside you. Morning sickness usually goes away about now, and you won't feel as tired.

Your nipples will become larger. A thick, yellow fluid called colostrum may leak from them. Colostrum feeds you baby the first few days after birth, before your milk comes in. Wear a comfortable maternity bra during this time. If your breasts hurt, you may even want to sleep in it. You can put nursing pads inside your bra to catch leaks.

If you back starts to hurt, wear low, comfortable shoes with good arch support. Be very careful when bending. Always make sure to bend at your knees, not at your waist. Try to sleep on a firm mattress. Later in this trimester, it might be hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. You may not lie down on your stomach. You should not lie down on your back. The best position is on your side. Put an extra pillow between your legs and another under your belly.

You might start having leg cramps. Stretching your legs before going to bed may help. And don't point your toes when stretching or exercising. If cramps wake you up at night, try long massage strokes down your leg toward your heel.

After you eat a meal, you may get heartburn. This is an uncomfortable burning feeling in your chest. To prevent it, eat small meals instead of big ones, and drink lots of water between meals. If you still get heartburn, try sleeping with your back propped up. If necessary, ask your doctor if it's okay to take an antacid-and if so, which one. (Some could be unsafe).

If you haven't yet seen the dentist during your pregnancy, make an appointment now. Make sure to tell the dentist you are pregnant. Ask your doctor if it is okay to have x-rays.

The Third Trimester Months 7, 8, 9

In the last three months, your belly will grow very large. You'll feel like you really want to give birth. The veins in your legs and vagina may swell. Try not to stand in one place too long. Sit down and put your feet up often. Exercise at least a few minutes each day to keep your blood moving. Go for walks as often as you can. You'll feel even more pressure on your bladder now, and you'll have to urinate more often. However, it is important to drink lots of fluids anyway.

Sometimes urine might leak out when you sneeze or cough. There is an exercise you can do to help stop the leaking. It's called a Kegel exercise. Here's what to do: Squeeze the muscles around your vagina the way you would to stop the flow of urine. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax the muscles. Repeat 10 to 20 times in a row. Do this at least three times a day.

There's also more pressure on your back now. You can help by putting a pillow behind your back when you sit down.

Your baby is getting so big that he may be pressing against your lungs. You might begin to breathe faster when you walk or climb stairs. Try moving more slowly, and take breaks often.

You need more sleep now - about ten hours a night. Waking up to walk to the bathroom can make it difficult to get enough sleep. Also, it will be hard to get comfortable in bed. Try sleeping in a reclining chair if you have one. If you can, take a nap during the day.

During the last trimester, you may start to get more leg cramps - and they may hurt more than before. You may also feel cramps in your uterus. When you feel those cramps in the uterus, you may think that your labor is starting. It may not be. You may just be having Braxton Hicks contractions.

Braxton Hicks contractions aren't the same as labor contractions. They happen only once in a while and last around 30 - 60 seconds. They go away when you move around. They help your body get ready for childbirth.

The labor contractions that you feel when your baby is ready to be born are different. They last longer and happen closer together. They won't go away no matter what you do. You'll read more about true labor contraction on other pages in this magazine.

Close to your delivery date, you may feel tired, uncomfortable, and even grumpy. You may have some trouble moving around because your belly is so big. Don't give up-soon you'll have a brand-new baby!

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Medical Checkups

Start your pregnancy right by seeing a doctor. During visits, he or she will check both you and your baby for problems. If anything is wrong, your doctor will help you decide what should be done.

You'll have many questions about your pregnancy. Don't worry if you think a question seems dumb. When it comes to your baby's healty, all your questions are smart.

Ask the doctor or nurse your questions. Friends and relatives don't always have the right answers and usually aren't qualified to give you the correct information.

The medical care you get while you're pregnant is called prenatal care. If possible, ask your partner to go with you. That way, both of you will learn what's best for your growing baby.



First Checkup

During your first prenatal visit, you'll be asked some questions about your health. Your doctor or nurse will want to know:

• if you have been pregnant before



• if you drink, smoke, or take any drugs



• if there are any diseases that run in your family or your partner's family

Doctor will also want to know if you've ever had any sexually transmitted infections or diseases.

Your doctor or nurse will take your blood pressure. You will be given a pelvic exam to check your reproductive organs, including your uterus and your cervix.

You'll be weighed and given a uring test. You may be told to take a prenatal vitamin. This vitamin helps you get extra iron and other things your body may need during pregnancy. Someone at the clinic will tell you your due date. Thats the day that the baby should be born. This is estimated by calculated the amount of time it has been since your last period.



Later checkups

You'll be weighed at every prenatal visit. Someone will take your blood pressure to make sure it's normal. High blood pressure could cause your baby to be born too small or too early. The doctor or nurse will test your urin again. Doctor will feel your belly to measure the size of your uterus. After about the 12th week, your doctor will listen for baby's heartbeat. You should begin to feel your baby's first movements at about the 20th week of pregnancy. Let your doctor or nurse know when this happens.

Near the end of the pregnancy, your doctor or nurse will look into the birth canal to see if the cervix is getting softer. The cervix is the opening of the uterus. It softens and thins to let the baby pass through.

Ask the questions about your labor and delivery-soon you'll be at the hospital.



After birth checkup

About six weeks after your baby's birth, you'll be checked again. The doctor or nurse will make sure your uterus is back to normal size. At this visit, you can ask about birth control. Even if you're breastfeeding you can still get pregnant. To make sure this doesn't happen too soon, use birth control when you begin to have sex again. It's best to wait at least three weeks after your baby is born to begin taking birth control pills that won't reduce your milk supply.

The Amazing Dancing Bird

Saw this via Science Friday



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Wal Mart Against Employee Free Choice

When former Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott was asked about Employee Free Choice he said:

"We like driving the car and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us."

After so many years of mistreatment, it's time that Wal-Mart workers get the chance to have a say.

Wal-Mart Watch has partnered with the Service Employees International Union to fight for the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it much easier for Wal-Mart workers to form unions. The bill, which is being introduced today in Congress, will help stop Wal-Mart from intimidating or firing workers who choose to organize.

But Wal-Mart and other big corporations are doing everything they can to stop this important legislation. Watch this short video about the scare tactics they're using to mislead Americans about the Employee Free Choice Act:

See the scare tactics used by Big Business to stop Employee Free Choice

http://action.walmartwatch.com/scary

We all know that Wal-Mart workers deserve a raise. The Employee Free Choice Act will help to rebuild America's middle class by finally giving 1.4 million Wal-Mart employees a fair chance to join their voices together and earn a seat at the table when determining their wages, benefits and working conditions.

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart and other corporations are lining up to spend big bucks scaring the American public about Employee Free Choice. Watch the following video of corporate CEOs making ridiculous and untrue statements about this bill -- and then send it to your friends and family to spread the truth about Employee Free Choice:

http://action.walmartwatch.com/scary

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