Mom's Experience - Working from Home: Is It Really Possible?

source: http://www.parenthood.com/

I didn't think so two years ago before I had my son, Weston. The office environment suited me well. I was working for a women's organization and writing for its magazine. There were weekly planning meetings, phone interviews and research projects to occupy me five days a week.

In fact, I knew very few women who didn't work outside of the home. Two-income families were a vivid reality within my circle of co-workers and friends. And I knew that being confined to a home-based job would be very boring and, at times, stressful. I mean, who do you run to talk to when deadlines are mounting and you're feeling frazzled?

Winning The Working Parent War

source: http://www.parenthood.com

The morning rush: we have all experienced it. Encouraging the kids to get dressed, eat, brush their teeth and hair, and leave the toys and the TV alone; stressing to get out the door so you’re not late for work and also so your not untimely with their daycare provider’s schedule. Saying your quick goodbyes at daycare drop off to make it as easy as possible. Okay, so you work all day, and what happens at 5:00 P.M.? It’s rush hour again. Always trying to maintain a good rapport with your childcare provider, you try not to run past the pick up time, although you still have a pile of deadlines on your desk that are screaming "if you could just finish one last task today."

Working vs. Staying at Home – How it Affects Losing Baby Weight

By Ellen Slotkin, Registered Dietician

Our Parenthood Baby Weight Loss survey found that working moms were more successful at losing baby weight than those who stayed home, especially in the first 6 months post-delivery.

Why the difference? There are several possible explanations. New stay-at-home moms may find themselves in some new, very different food environments than when they were working.

1. You are feeling more domestic. You may be preparing more meals at home than you did while you were working. For some moms, that means sampling that food along the way. What seems like only a few small bites here and spoonful there, can add up to unwanted pounds. Be mindful of tasting your creations, and remember that “tasting” means just that.

2. You are in closer proximity to food than you would be at work. (ie. The kitchen is in the other room… and it is calling you!) Healthy eating begins at the grocery store, so be proactive and keep tempting treats to a minimum. Fill your fridge with nutrient dense choices.

3. You may eat situationally- when bored, lonely, or while watching television. If you were accustomed to working outside of the home, being at home may promote some of these situations. Be sure to plan socializing opportunities with other moms and their little ones. As one mom said, “The best way to lose weight, is when I’m too busy to eat, I hardly have to think about it.”

4. Having children may change your eating habits. No one likes to waste food. So when she sees that her child’s plate is still partially full after he eats- many a mom will finish it herself. In fact 5% of moms surveyed said that they “always” finished their child’s plate, while more than a third did so “sometimes”. Those little bites can add up so be conscious of your actions.

Post Pregnancy Exercise - Getting Back in Shape

source: www.easybabylife.com

Are you just waiting to start with your post pregnancy exercise? Or do you cover your ears and close your eyes? 

I'm sure it all depends on how exhausted you are. And on how desperate you are to get back in shape.

If you are thinking about starting to exercise, here are some tips on the when, how and why. 

When to start

The general recommendation is to wait with exercise until you stopped bleeding after giving birth and until you've done your postpartum checkup. 

If you had a C-section, you should also wait until the wound has healed. 

However, the question is of course what you mean with exercise. Taking a walk is an excellent way to get started with post pregnancy exercise. This you can of course do almost immediately. Just walk slowly, stay close to home and listen carefully to your body in the beginning.

Seven principles of eating well during pregnancy

source: www.babycenter.com

Fine-tune your diet — even if you already eat well

Almost all pregnant women need to increase their intake of protein, certain vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and iron, and calories (for energy). If your diet is poor to begin with you'll want to make the transition to eating nutritious, well-balanced meals. Limit junk food, since it offers little more than empty calories.

But eating better doesn't mean eating more — or rather, much more. Surprisingly, you need only about 300 calories more per day, for a total of about 2,500 calories. It's easier than you think to get those extra calories — find out the best ways to eat for two.