We are one week away from welcoming our baby boy. This week
it dawned on my husband exactly what was supposed to happen. My husband works
part time as an EMT and he said that he had a shift “seeing the experience as a
parent rather than a caregiver”. In one night he sat down and read a great
guide for what to expect during labour and delivery, he looked at a video and
realized labour is a state of mind and how he can best improve my experience.
Lastly he started researching cloth diapers. Not bad for one night!
For myself I have started “nesting” and cleaning the house
again. I went for two walks yesterday and am feeling ready to go. One of the
things that I found really helpful was a daily walk for twenty minutes, my
neighbourhood is not flat so there were little hills that I would challenge
myself on daily. Another thing I found is that my appetite increased big time.
So I have been eating small meals every two to three hours. To get ready I
watched a breastfeeding video, I am attending a class tonight and hubby and I
are doing a one day intensive Pre-natal class on Saturday. This will be the first time my husband is attending it. I have taken a six week course and this will be a refresher closer to the big day.
This week mommy
advice:
·
If pregnant go for walks it is spring time and a
great time to enjoy the outdoors
·
Take a breastfeeding class or watch a video,
while it is the most natural thing for your baby it is not always the easiest
thing to master. Keep in mind that persistence is the best thing and that milk
is produced on a supply and demand schedule. So if you keep feeding more milk
will come.
·
Pack a bag for the hospital well in advance and
also include one for your partner as most hospitals will provide a cot but not
bedding or pillows.
·
A great guide for pregnancy, delivery and
postpartum is Baby’s Best Chance written by the government of British Columbia.
It has helpful tabs, it is well organized and the guidebook provided on the
link below is a great quick resource. There are also helpful videos and FAQ’s
on the site. So even if you are not from BC it is a great guide to check out.
·
Enjoy as much sleep as you can…
Career
If becoming a mommy is on your to do list addressing the
professional questions is a good thing to do
If you live in Canada as a mom you are entitled to take 50
weeks off from work. 15 of those weeks are for maternity benefits and can be
used during your pregnancy if you choose to take time off work early. These
benefits can also be paid for up to 17 weeks after your expected due date.
After these benefits are paid you have the parental benefits that go up to 35
weeks. These benefits can be divvied up between mom and dad.
For the United States the maternity leave benefits are
significantly shorter and usually run around three months.
For both of these scenarios your employer is required to
keep your job for you for a certain time and you can return to your previous
job title anytime up to those weeks. It is best to do your research prior to
taking time off. Also look into whether your company is able to provide
insurance for your newborn on your current plan.
