Pregnancy in the Military
Are you pregnant and currently on active
duty in the military? If you are, you have made the decision to stay in
the Armed Forces. Before 1972, if you were on
active duty and became pregnant, you were automatically separated from
the military, whether you wanted to be or not!
Today, if you want to stay in the
service, you can. Each branch of the service has particular policies
regarding pregnancy. Below is a summary of those policies for the Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
Army Policies.
During pregnancy, you are exempt from body composition and fitness
testing. You cannot be deployed overseas. At 20 weeks, you’re required
to stand at parade rest or attention for no longer than 15 minutes. At
28 weeks, your work week is limited to 40 hours a week, 8 hours a day.
Navy Policies.
During pregnancy, you are exempt from body composition and fitness
testing. You are not allowed to serve on a ship after 20 weeks of
pregnancy. You’re limited to serving duty in places within 6 hours of
medical care. Your work week is limited to 40 hours, and you’re
required to stand at parade rest or attention for no longer than 20
minutes.
Air Force Policies.
During pregnancy, you are exempt from body composition and fitness
testing. Restrictions are based on your work environment. If you are
assigned to an area without obstetrical care, your assignment will be
curtailed by week 24.
Marine Corps Policies.
You will be on full-duty status until a medical doctor certifies full
duty is not medically advised. You may not participate in contingency
operations nor may you be deployed aboard a Navy vessel. Flight
personnel are grounded, unless cleared by a medical waiver. If a
medical doctor deems you are unfit for physical training or you cannot
stand in formation, you will be excused from these activities. However,
you will remain available for worldwide assignments.
Pregnant Marines will not be detached from Hawaii aboard a ship after their 26th week. If serving aboard a ship, a pregnant woman will be reassigned at the first opportunity but no later than by 20 weeks.
U.S. Coast Guard.
During pregnancy, you are exempt from body composition and fitness
testing. After 28 weeks of pregnancy, your work week will be limited to
40 hours. You will not be assigned overseas. Other duty restrictions
are based on your job; however, you will not be assigned to any
rescue-swimmer duties during your pregnancy.
Dad Tip
Be thoughtful about staying in touch.
If you have to go out of town, call your partner at least once a day.
Let her know you’re thinking about her and the baby. You can also ask
friends and family members to check on her and to be available to help
out.
You may not be deployed from the 20th
week of your pregnancy through 6 months postpartum. You will not be
assigned to any flight duties after your second trimester (26 weeks),
and you are limited to serving duty in places within 3 hours of medical
care.
Some General Cautions.
We know women who get pregnant while they’re on active duty face many
challenges. The pressure to meet military body-weight standards can
have an effect on your health; that’s the reason these requirements are
relaxed during pregnancy.
Work hard to eat healthy foods so you
have adequate levels of iron and folic acid. Examine your job for any
hazards you may be exposed to, such as standing for long periods, heavy
lifting and exposure to toxic chemicals. Before receiving any
vaccinations or inoculations, discuss them with your healthcare
provider. Any of these factors can impact your pregnancy.
If you are concerned about any
of the above, discuss it with a superior. Changes beyond those
described above may have to be made.
11. Taking Others to Prenatal Visits
Take your partner with you to as many
prenatal appointments as possible. It’s nice for your partner and
healthcare provider to meet before labor begins. Maybe your mother or
the other grandmother-to-be would like to go with you to hear the
baby’s heartbeat. Or you may want to record the heartbeat for others to
hear. Things have changed since your mother carried you; many
grandmothers-to-be enjoy this type of visit.
Bed Bugs
There’s a lot of information in the news
about bed bugs. Many pregnant women want to know if bed-bug bites or
the chemicals used to kill them are dangerous for a woman and her baby,
before and after it is born.
Bed bugs are round, wingless insects
that hide in the cracks of beds, mattresses, baseboards and couches. It
doesn’t hurt when they bite you, but you awake the next morning with
bites similar to those of a mosquito or other insect. A bed-bug bite
can’t be identified just by looking at it. If you’re bitten, look in
folds, creases and under mattresses for the insects–they’re pretty
tiny, so it may be hard to spot them.
Bed-bug bites can be more of a nuisance
than a health hazard. Bites can cause itching and even secondary
infections from scratching. Bed bugs aren’t known to transmit
infectious diseases to humans, so you don’t have to worry about who was
bitten before you if you get a bite.
If you get bed-bug bites, don’t
panic—they won’t hurt your baby. But try not to scratch. Anti-itch
creams and antibiotic creams to use on your skin should be OK. Call
your healthcare provider and ask what he or she recommends.
Don’t go overboard with insecticides
trying to get rid of them—exposure to the chemicals could be worse than
the bugs themselves. If you find bed bugs and are sure you have a
problem, get help from an expert. Treatments to get rid of them include
insecticides and heat treatments. Whatever you do, be careful and know
what you’re being exposed to.
It’s a good idea to wait until you have
heard baby’s heartbeat before bringing other people. You don’t always
hear it the first time, and this can be frustrating and disappointing.
Some women bring their children with them
to a prenatal appointment. Most office personnel don’t mind if you
bring your children occasionally. They understand it isn’t always
possible to find someone to watch them. However, if you have problems
or have a lot to discuss with your healthcare provider, don’t bring
your child or children.
If a child is sick,
has just gotten over chicken pox or is getting a cold, leave him or her
at home. Don’t expose everyone else in the waiting room.
Some women like to bring one
child at a time to a visit if they have more than one. That makes it
special for mom and for the child. Crying or complaining children can
create a difficult situation, however, so ask your healthcare provider
when it’s good to bring family members with you before you come in with
them.
12. Exercise for Week 14
The Kegel exercise strengthens pelvic
muscles; practicing it helps relax your muscles for delivery. This
exercise can also be helpful in getting vaginal muscles back in shape
after delivery of your baby. You can do it anywhere, anytime, without
anyone knowing that you’re doing it!
While sitting, contract the lowest
muscles of your pelvis as tightly as you can. Tighten the muscles
higher in the pelvis in stages until you reach the muscles at the top.
Count to 10 slowly as you move up the pelvis. Hold briefly, then
release slowly in stages, counting to 10 again. Repeat 2 or 3 times a
day.
You can also do a Kegel exercise
by tightening the pelvic muscles first, then tightening the anal
muscle. Hold for a few seconds, then release slowly, in reverse order.
To see if you’re doing the exercise correctly, stop the flow of urine
while you’re going to the bathroom.
