Description

Parents TV talks to Heidi Murkoff, author of "What to expect when you are expecting", about how to stay healthy during the pregnancy when you are still working.

Transcript

Julia Auclair: Hi everybody, I am Julia Auclair. You are watching Parents TV. Working during pregnancy is the norm for many moms. Staying healthy and keeping stress to a minimum is a lot more difficult while you are on the job, but it is possible with a little planning. And joining us now is the author of the brand new fourth edition of What to Expect When You're Expecting; Heidi Murkoff has tips for working mothers to be. It's great to see you. Heidi Murkoff: Hi, great to be here Julia Auclair: Thanks for coming in. So tell me there are more and more working moms now than ever before. Heidi Murkoff: Yes, 67% of expecting moms are working full time and 80% of those are going straight from the desk to the birthing room. Julia Auclair: Now they like to do this. Heidi Murkoff: Almost, well it sounds like you did. Julia Auclair: Pretty much, I was in labor at work. Heidi Murkoff: And you adjust to the birthing room. Julia Auclair: Why do you think that this statistics to grown so much? Heidi Murkoff: Well, a lot of moms have to work, but also I think it's great that moms keep busy. Julia Auclair: Alright. Proper eating and staying healthy during pregnancy because it's really important, but how can women make it more of a priority while they are at work? Heidi Murkoff: You just have to schedule into your day. I mean, first of all if you not have ever chance to eat, bring food, weather you bring your snacks, keep them on your desk, keep them at your workstation, keep on in your briefcase, keep in your purse, keep them in the car, if you're in the car. Julia Auclair: Otherwise you will eat out of the wending machines. Heidi Murkoff: Exactly, the wending machine will know you by name and start calling your name when ever you are hungry. Julia Auclair: and then we will know who is pregnant, yes. Heidi Murkoff: And then also you will find a good deli that delivers us healthy sandwiches, if you are planning the meeting, schedule at for a lunch at a restaurant where you know, you can eat. If it's like a conference room kind of thing, make sure you have a same kind of food that served like, may be there be a bowl of fruit along with those donuts. Julia Auclair: You need to keep your blood flowing too. If you are sitting at the desk all day, you need to get your circulation going. What's the best way to do that? Heidi Murkoff: Well, if you are sitting all day then take a walk. If you are standing all day, sit down preferably with your feet up if you can swing it. By all means take a quick walk if you can, chances are you have to go to bathroom anyway. Julia Auclair: I was going to say that, you are going to be taking a lot of trips to the bathroom so that's a good-- Heidi Murkoff: Yeah so that's a good way to keep. And so to make sure that you do that make all those trips of bathroom, you need to stay hydrated. Julia Auclair: So drink a lot of water. Heidi Murkoff: So take a walk also to the water cooler, refill that water bottle because paradisiacally the more of water you drink, the less water you retain in those feet. Julia Auclair: Right. Heidi Murkoff: And those ankles. Julia Auclair: Because they do blow up at the end. Heidi Murkoff: They do, especially if you are on your feet a lot and especially uncomfortable if you are wearing the office shoes. Julia Auclair: Right, high heels. Heidi Murkoff: -- which I recommend that you to try to stay out of those as much as possible. You know two inch heel, wide heel is most comfortable, but obviously there are times when you have to wear something little less comfortable and so stay off when it starts to get to. Julia Auclair: Alright, let's go back to those bathroom breaks. Let's go back and talk about that little more. You are saying it's really important to go whenever you have the urge and not wait, why? Heidi Murkoff: Yeah, when you got to go, go because if you are regularly holding it in, and a lot of moms do that and we all do that. You are on the phone a lot, you are in a meeting, you are like oh, I'll just hold it and I hold it in. Oh, if you hold it in all the time, it can actually eventually lead to UTIs unit, tract infections and-- Julia Auclair: it's very uncomfortable. Heidi Murkoff: Yes, very uncomfortable, very common in pregnancy. There are also theoretically, it could lead eventually to contractions. Julia Auclair: Oh! We don't want that. Heidi Murkoff: No, we don't want that. We want that when you are ready-- Julia Auclair: In the end. Heidi Murkoff: Not before. Julia Auclair: Okay. Heidi Murkoff: So yeah, don't hold it in. Julia Auclair: So a lot of women drink coffee to keep themselves going at the office, but that's caffeine unless you have decaf, but what are the latest recommendations that's safe during the pregnancy? Heidi Murkoff: Yeah, you don't have to surrender your Star Bucks card altogether. Julia Auclair: That's good news. Heidi Murkoff: That is very good news. You just have to pull it out a little less often or use it a little more judiciously that kind recommendations limit, try to about 200 mgs a day. Now that means you have to do the math before you belly-up to the coffee bar. Julia Auclair: Okay. Heidi Murkoff: I mean I can help you do that, 200 mgs of value about 12 ounces of bru coffee, the regular bru coffee, not the Espresso stuff. Julia Auclair: Okay I think right, right. Heidi Murkoff: And you know those two cups are a lot bigger and that so if you want to fill it up to the brim, do that with milk because then you will get a calcium bonus. Julia Auclair: Oh, that's good point. Heidi Murkoff: Just keep in mind that four shot latte is going to put you up at the top, because each shot of espresso is 90 mgs of caffeine. Julia Auclair: So just go for a regular cup of caffeinated coffee. Heidi Murkoff: Yeah or you can have a two shot latte once a day, not 5 times a day. Julia Auclair: So once you get your coffee and your snack, you recommend bringing a tooth brush to the office. I know fresh breath is very important, but why? Heidi Murkoff: Especially if you are doing the oral -- in those early, busy in months Julia Auclair: Oh the morning sickness. Heidi Murkoff: And also if you have -- I don't know if you have this, but a lot of moms get extra saliva in their mouth. Julia Auclair: They can have that. Heidi Murkoff: Yeah well, Julia Auclair: Good thing, right. Heidi Murkoff: Or metal mouth, when it tastes like, you have been sucking on a freshly minted penny. Julia Auclair: Right, which is lovely. Heidi Murkoff: Not so good, but especially excessive saliva when you are on the job, it can be little inconvenient and embarrassing. Julia Auclair: Yes, it can be. Heidi Murkoff: When you are giving a talk or something. Julia Auclair: So go brush. Heidi Murkoff: Yeah, so brush your teeth. You might even want to bring some mouth wash with you. Also keep in mind that your teeth and your gums are a little more vulnerable anyway when you are pregnant, so it's a good idea to practice a lot of oral hygiene. Julia Auclair: They get sensitive too, the gums. Heidi Murkoff: They do, because the every all of them because membranes and your body swell even the ones that seem completely unrelated to giving birth. Julia Auclair: It's so strange, but it happens. Heidi Murkoff: Yeah, it happens. Julia Auclair: Carpal tunnel syndrome. Why the pregnant women more at risk of getting it? Heidi Murkoff: Well, you know the funny thing is even if you don't do repetitive motion, most pregnant woman get carpel tunnel so even if you are not using computer all day, though everybody is these days, you will -- chances are getting anyway that's because of all the swelling in your hands and that the rests on the nerves, so if you do repetitive motion of course you got a double whammy so you need to -- if you are using a computer, get a wrist rest. Julia Auclair: perhaps a keyboard that is little raised up a little bit. Heidi Murkoff: Yes, exactly. And sometimes using a brace helps, you know wear a brace, not exactly a great fashion statement, but girls got to do what girls got to do. Julia Auclair: Alright Heidi, thank you so much. Great information and we love having you hear. Heidi Murkoff: Fun. Julia Auclair: So we will see you again see you and the fourth edition of Heidi's book What to Expect When You're Expecting is in book stores now, so pick it up and we want to hear your ideas and questions. You can email us at ideas@parents.tv. Thank you for watching Parents TV, your source for the best information for your growing family.