What do you do if you’re in an important business meeting and you’ve been throwing up because you’re pregnant? Sit by the door, advises Dr. Marjorie Greenfield in “The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book,” a guide for pregnant women in today’s workplace.
The book, to be released spring 2008, is like a reality show on the page — filled with personal anecdotes from real working women, including factory workers, police officers, managers and even a pregnant governor.
Since 60 percent of women work at some time during their pregnancy, Greenfield’s book offers prac-tical tips to help get through a pregnancy while working — including medical, legal and practical ad-vice on handling nausea, time off for appointments and maternity leave.
The book is the second for Greenfield, an obstetrician and gynecologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center for more than 19 years.
She is also author of “Dr. Spock’s Pregnancy Guide.”
Greenfield’s Top Three Tips:
• Plan your pregnancies. This allows you to have a pre-conception appointment with your doctor, as well as to avoid po-tentially toxic exposures in the workplace, such as cigarettes, alcohol, medications, chemicals and radiation.
• Listen to your body. If you don’t feel well, slow down. Be an advocate for yourself and your baby.
• Choose a doctor or midwife with whom you are comfortable. If you have strong feelings about the type of birth ex-perience you want, choose your doctor or midwife practice by its philosophy and support.
