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Important Notice!

Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for healthy growth and development of babies. Good maternal nutrition helps sustain an adequate supply and quality of breast milk. Unnecessary introduction of bottle-feeding, partially or fully, or of other complementary foods and drinks may have a negative impact on breastfeeding, which may be irreversible. Consult your doctor and consider the social and financial implications before deciding to use breast milk substitutes or if you have difficulty breastfeeding. Follow usage, preparation and storage instructions of breast milk substitutes or of other complementary foods and drinks carefully as improper or unnecessary use may pose a health hazard.

5 things every working mum-to-be should know

My Pregnancy My Way

First-time dads: Sharing the load

It's perfectly normal for pregnant mothers to work throughout their pregnancy well into their third trimester, as long as they maintain a healthy work-life balance. While you may support your partner's decision to pursue her career ambitions, here are a few things you should pay attention to:

Stay out of hazardous working environments
And there's a good reason to it too. At 3 to 8 weeks during pregnancy, what she eats and breathes will have a great impact on the foetus, as his main organs have just begun to form. If your partner is always surrounded by toxic substances like benzene, mercury, lead, chlorine, and carbon disulfide, she's even more likely to put the child at grave risk during this crucial stage of foetal development.

If she has a desk job that requires her to be in front of the computer, she has to be careful of electromagnetic radiation. There's an easy way to reduce and prevent it though: invest in a radiation filter plate and attach it to the monitor, and advise her to keep all metal objects away from the computer, as they can reflect the radiation.

Go for regular prenatal check-ups
Accompany her to check-ups and consider taking liver and kidney tests, chest fluoroscopy and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test to facilitate accurate prenatal diagnosis. Keep abreast with your partner's day-to-day pregnancy conditions and learn what to expect with each stage.

Ensure a well-balanced nutrition
When she gets home from work, ask her what she had for lunch and make it a point to encourage healthy eating. You can even go the extra mile and pack something delicious and nutritious for her to indulge during lunch hours. Also, stock up on milk formulated specially for pregnant mums so that she can have in the mornings for optimal nourishment.

Stick to your regular working hours
Towards the end of pregnancy, your partner's body is working extra hard to accommodate her growing child. So make sure she gets enough rest every day. If she does overtime too frequently, it may put her and the child's health at risk, as studies have shown that strenuous jobs can result in premature deliveries, children with lower birth weight and high blood pressure.

Take two weeks off before labour
During late stages of pregnancy, the child is developing at a rapid rate, so a mother's body will undergo major physiological changes to prepare for childbirth. Taking leave off from work will not only help her body cope better, your child will also benefit from her healthy state of body and mind.

Always make it a point to know how your partner is doing at work. If she returns home from work stressed, help her unwind by running errands for her and taking on the household chores.

The final 9 months of couplehood