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If you are returning to work after having a baby, you will need to start planning weeks ahead of time. Sometimes, you even need to start while you’re still pregnant.

Holly Menino sat down with nurse Dani Kurtz from Intermountain Moms on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss how to prepare yourself and your baby for going back to work.

 Daycare: who you’re going to leave your baby with is probably one of the most stressful aspects of going back to work.

• Search during early pregnancy for daycare.
• Factors to consider when choosing a daycare.
• Once you’ve picked a daycare, get to know them.
• Downside: illness. It’s bound to happen.
• Pro: socialization

Separation Anxiety: parents have more of it than babies.

• At the young age of 2-3 months when mothers typically go back to work, a baby doesn’t understand object permanence
• You can give your baby smaller and shorter doses of separation at home before having to do it the first time.
• While on maternity leave look for opportunities to leave your baby with a trusted caregiver for short amounts of time-go on a date, run some errands by yourself.
• That dreaded moment when you leave your crying baby in someone else’s arms is rough—but rest assured that you’ll probably cry more than your child.

Breastfeeding/Pumping: how does it all work when going back to work?

• It is definitely possible to continue nursing a baby after going back to work! The key is maintaining milk supply by pumping about as often as your baby eats while you’re gone.
• Nurse in the morning before leaving for work and plan the rest of your day’s pumping schedule off of that first feeding.
• Talk with your boss about a safe and comfortable place to pump while you’re at work.
• To be most efficient, purchase or rent an electric double breast pump
• Be prepared with videos of your baby cooing and crying

 Plan ahead

• Pack bags and plan outfits the night before. Do whatever you can to make the morning easier.
• If possible, make plans with your boss to work from home part time.

Make time for you.

• This is much easier said than done, but think of yourself as a cell phone with limited battery power. If you don’t get charged, you’ll be just like your phone and shut down. At that point, you’re no good to yourself or anyone else!

  For more information click here.

 The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News. 

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When your partner is getting ready to give birth for the first time, Dads or significant others may not know what to expect or how to be involved or even wonder how much their being involved makes a difference. Studies prove that when fathers or partners are involved before, during and after a baby’s birth there are numerous benefits to the mom and the baby.

Holly Menino sat down with Hollie Wharton, DNP, CNM, WHNP, a midwife and nurse practitioner at Intermountain Alta View Women’s Clinic on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss the important role of partners during and after childbirth.

 Benefits of Father/Partner Involvement

• Mother more likely to have early, regular prenatal care
• Parents more likely to attend pre/postnatal classes
• Mother more likely to breastfeed, continue breastfeeding
• Maternal smoking and alcohol abuse rates reduced
• Reduced anxiety
•  Less perceived pain
•  Greater satisfaction with the birth experience
•  Lower rates of postnatal depression
•  Lower rates of premature birth and infant mortality
•  Father more likely to take an active role
•  Father feels empowered rather than helpless

A childbirth preparation class can help prepare you and your partner for labor and delivery

Intermountain Healthcare hospitals offer one-day options on Saturdays or one evening a week for a few weeks. They can help you know what to expect during labor and what to expect at the hospital and how to prepare.

To find Intermountain childbirth classes, call the hospital where you plan to deliver or visit your hospital’s website or click here.

10 things labor partners can help with:

1.  Help monitor/coach partner thru contractions.
2. Ask mom what you can do to help make her comfortable and support her (distraction, touch, breathing, music, pain relief, etc.).
3.  Be her advocate and get to know the staff – you are part of the team.
4. Understand what she’s going through is hard, exhausting and things don’t always go as planned. Be open to changes that may occur.
5.  Encourage and support her through each stage. Sometimes just sitting next to her can be enough of support.
6. Offer to hold her leg during pushing if necessary.
7. Ask to be involved with process (cutting umbilical cord, helping with delivery).
8. Enjoy the miracle of birth and your new baby.
9. Participate in skin-to-skin with your baby to start bonding.
10. Make sure to ask questions if you have them. We can accommodate you and your partner within reason. Feel comfortable enough to speak your thoughts.

 The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News. 

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Some women may consider genetic testing when they are pregnant. Screening and diagnostic tests can help women find out about the genetic abnormalities of their unborn baby.

Holly Menino sits down with Lauren Eekhoof, a genetics counselor with Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss how genetic testing is done and when you should meet with a counselor.

How are genetic tests done and what conditions do these tests look for?

Screening tests are blood tests that screen for common conditions like Down syndrome and other extra chromosome conditions. These tests are optional.

Diagnostic tests are more invasive procedures that can provide a diagnosis for chromosome conditions in the pregnancy and typically are done if there is a high risk for a genetic condition in the pregnancy. These tests are also optional.

When might you want to meet with a genetic counselor if you’re pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant?

• women who’ll be over age 35 at delivery
• women who’ve had an abnormal genetic test result
• women with abnormal ultrasound findings
•  women who’ve had a previous pregnancy with a genetic abnormality
•  couples with a family history of a genetic condition

What do genetic counselors do?

A genetics counselor can help you weigh the benefits, risks and limitations of genetic testing and provide information about the nature, inheritance, and implications of genetic disorders to help you make informed decisions.

What are some reasons to do or not do genetic testing?

Most pregnancies are uncomplicated, most babies are born healthy and no test will ensure the birth of a healthy baby.

• Some women may choose not to do genetic testing as this may cause anxiety during the pregnancy.
• Some women choose genetic testing for reassurance or for planning purposes.

How accurate are the screening tests?

It’s important to remember screening tests will never be 100 percent diagnostic.

Each screening has a detection rate for different conditions as well as false positive and false negative rates.

A normal screening result can be reassuring and makes the likelihood of those conditions in the pregnancy low.

An abnormal screening is NOT a diagnosis and requires further investigation which may or may not involve diagnostic testing if a woman chooses.

What are the risks of the more invasive genetic tests?

There is a risk for pregnancy loss of about 1:300 to 1:500 procedures with various genetic tests. Women who choose a diagnostic testing procedure can weigh the benefits of diagnostic results with the possible risks of the procedures and would benefit from seeing a genetic counselor.

To find a genetic counselor or for more information on genetic testing click here.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.

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Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders are fairly common during pregnancy and postpartum. 1 n 7 women have mood disorders. The disorders often begin during pregnancy, but may not be recognized until the postpartum period.

Holly Menino sits down with psychiatrist Kelly Irons, MD, from the Intermountain Avenues Women’s Center, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss the signs and treatments of mood disorders.

 Why might women be susceptible to this during this time?

• Drastic hormone shifts occur during pregnancy and postpartum in the body and can affect the brain
• If you have a history of past behavioral health symptoms
• Life stressors: medical complications for mom or baby, job change, death of a loved one, moving, etc.

Who is at risk?

• History or family history of behavioral health issues
• Traumatic labor and delivery
• Medical complications
• Isolation or lack of support from family and friends

What are the signs of postpartum anxiety?

• Worry more than normal about the newborn (reasonable dose of worry is healthy)
• Terrified of hurting the baby
• Become irrational
• Panic attacks
• Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations
• Numbness in fingers
• Nausea, feeling faint
• Can’t think straight
• Duration of these feelings can be minutes or up to an hour.

It is important to seek treatment, since anxiety can prevent proper bonding.

What are the signs of postpartum OCD?

• Intrusive thought become prevalent and occur often
• Taking action to avoid intrusive thoughts
• Checking things over and over (checking that locks are locked, bath water is not too hot, avoiding picking up dangerous tools)

A wrong, terrible thought it OCD, not psychosis. Psychosis is when thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. Irrational thoughts become something you see yourself actually doing.

Untreated anxiety or OCD combined with lack of sleep can lead to psychosis. Talk to your OB/Gyn if you have these symptoms and believe you need help. They can refer you to a behavioral health provider.

The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.