Congratulations! You are pregnant! Or someone close to you is. Why else would you find yourself clicking through articles about pregnancy-motherhood-maternity thrown up by the search engine, right?
As you prepare to navigate through pregnancy, Inner Sense gives you a starting boost with some suggestions that could help make these nine-months stress free.
- Prepare for maternity leave
Irrespective of whether you work with an organisation or are the organisation, office location or work timings, planning a maternity leave has never been more important. With cutthroat competition in every office being a norm, planning your leave while ensuring a space to return to can be a task. Prioritise developing a leave plan as you share the pregnancy news with your supervisors and boss. Facilitate training of co-workers who may take over in your absence, create communication channels and reassure your clients. Have a detailed discussion with Human Resource Department for clarity on maternity policies.
- Hospital bag and medical plan
The maternity hospital bag is essential to making your hospital stay comfortable. This bag is a customised selection of items that you, your partner and the infant are likely to need in the hospital. While most hospitals provide a comprehensive list of items to the mother and infant, there’s nothing more comforting than the known during stressful times. Inner Sense suggests keeping at least 4 bags lined up - one each for you, your partner, the baby and a fourth in case your hospital stay is stretched. It would also be a good idea to have a conversation about the medical choices you may need to make.
- Bringing home baby
Dedicate some time through the last two months of pregnancy to preparing the house for a new-born. Explore and locate a child doctor, hunt for childcare options, arrange for a support system like a house help or create a time table with family and friends that volunteer to help. Clean the house thoroughly, cook a few batches of meals that will tide you through, organise the nursery, wash the infant’s clothes, spend time with older children and your partner. Getting through these tasks will go a long way in easing the transition from pregnancy to parenthood.
- Community connect
Friends and family are a great support system during pregnancy. But wouldn’t it be amazing to share your thoughts and feelings with another pregnant woman? How relieved would your partner be when able to share their concerns with another partner? One good way of getting pregnancy-company is locating a community around the place you live and connecting with them. You can find them on social media or even within your workspace. Just ask around.
- Indulge yourself
The last few weeks of pregnancy are going to be the most peaceful before you land in the hospital and bring baby home. Get plenty of sleep, eat well and exercise as much as the doctor permits. Micro self-care should be your mantra during this period. Catch up on reading, Netflix all you want and dream as much as you want while steadily wrapping up the planning lists. Did we mention getting that much-needed and relaxing pedicure just about now? Go ahead and pamper yourself.