Employee Protection

image from seco.admin.ch

This whole having a baby in Switzerland idea was a very good one. After a little googling and researching I came across this fabulous document - in English! It's only available in PDF, but f you're curious and want to take a peek, it's worth a look.

I gives me great peace of mind to know that I am protected under Swiss law during my pregnancy and the 16 weeks following the birth. The benefits are numerous and amazing and honestly, I wonder how employers afford all this. I believe they pay into some sort of insurance account that funds this stuff, but I can't be sure.

During pregnancy, the pregnant woman's job is completely protected. The employer cannot give the employee a termination notice during any part of the pregnancy, even if the employee was not yet aware she was pregnant! If the employer wishes to give notice, they may do so, but the 90 day notice period will not go into effect until the first day of the 17th week following the birth. Incredible!

Perhaps even more amazing is that during the first year of service to a company, a pregnant employee is entitled to 3 weeks of paid leave from work with a doctor's certificate. So if you get the flu, or even really severe morning sickness and your doctor writes you a certificate (what we would call a "doctor's note" in America) then you are excused from work, but still get paid. In the second year of service to a company, this allowance goes up to 8 weeks! I think that is wonderful. A colleague of mine last year in the States was put on bed rest three weeks before her due date. She was not permitted to work during that time and lost all of that compensation. The loss of three weeks' wages added undue stress to an already stressful time for her.

In Switzerland, maternity leave is 16 weeks with 80% pay, which is just fabulous. The maternity leave begins from the birth, so even if your doctor gives you a certificate to stop working at 36 or 38 weeks, your maternity leave doesn't start until the little critter is out and crying!

Even with all this good news, I'm holding out to tell my employer until Friday, March 11. I figure Friday is a good day to tell them so they have the weekend to digest the news. I have my 12 week scan on March 7. I am so excited for my husband to come with me to the doctor and for us to see the baby together on the sonogram. The baby will really be looking like a little baby by then, not just a blob on the screen. I've heard many people say that the 12 week scan is the most beautiful of all of the ultrasounds.

I feel so good going forward. Here's to the rest of week 10!

Worried Mommy-to-be

For some reason, I'm really worried right now. I am worried about absolutely everything. Here's a sampling. I'm worried that I don't have enough morning sickness. You see, although I'm queasy, I haven't actually thrown up. I'm worried that I have such a sweet tooth right now. I want candy and chocolate in a continuous stream. I'm worried that with the exception of artichokes, I can't stand the sight, let alone the thought of eating vegetables or salad. However, I'm eating oranges, grapefruits and berries like they're going out of style. I'm worried about whether or not I'm getting enough protein. So, last night, I ate a steak for dinner. I'm worried that I'm not drinking enough water. To that end, I've got a tall glass of the clear stuff next to me right now. I'm worried that even though my breasts seem hot and ache that they're not tingly enough. Mind you, I can't fit into any of my bras anymore. I'm worried that there is something wrong with me because I have absolutely zero interest in sex at this stage. Luckily, all of the pregnancy books say this is normal.

I'm worried about everything! Is worrying a pregnancy symptom?

Last week, I went to the doctor convinced I had a raging case of pink eye and it turned out to be allergies. Thanks to this warm spell we're experiencing, we have very early hazelnut blossoms in Switzerland this year. And that means very itchy eyes, tickly throat, sneezing and runny nose for me. Now I'm worried about my allergies. I've been using the neti pot, worried that the water is perhaps too cool. I've been vacuuming and mopping obsessively and changing the bedding, worried that airing the apartment means bringing outdoor allergies in, but that leaving it sealed up means making indoor allergies worse.

I can't seem to stop worrying about every little thing and I think all this worrying is adding to my fatigue and misery. Yes, I am fatigued, and yes, I'm a bit miserable, but from stories I've heard of other people's pregnancies, I'm worried I might not be fatigued and miserable enough.

Oof! I've got to stop worrying!

Cruel Stinky World

My sense of smell has gotten at least 1000 times stronger since I became pregnant. That translates to everything stinks. I hate this cruel stinky world I am living in.

I cannot open the refrigerator. I'm convinced that everything I eat is bad. People stink. I smell their musty closets and stale dinner from the night before just passing by them on the street. The grocery store is a horror-land filled with stink land-mines and is best avoided altogether. My husband had a beer the other night. I had a gagging fit.

I'm told this will not pass. The super sniffer is here to stay throughout the entire pregnancy! 

Cravings

They come to me out of the blue. Annie's Shells and White Cheddar with peas. Barbacoa crispy tacos with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, cheese and heaps of lettuce from Chipotle. Spicy chicken teriyaki Bento box lunch. Mexican food in general.

This is hands down the absolute worst part about being pregnant abroad. The comfort food I love and crave is not even remotely attainable. I've fantasized and imagined how I could have a visitor bring Chipotle to me. It just wouldn't work. Painfully, I can taste the sharpness of Annie's Shells and White Cheddar. I can feel the crunch and satisfaction of Chipotle's tacos. I'm literally dying to eat that delicious Bento Box lunch! Just give me a plate of enchiladas, already!

This is a sad predicament, indeed.

Food and Doulas

This is all I want to eat lately. For the first seven weeks, I dodged the morning sickness bullet with flair. I was eating well and often and getting loads of protein, leafy greens and fiber. Now I'm queasy and pickier than you can imagine. One minute popcorn and a slice of cheddar cheese sounds just right! Moments later, it's so revolting to even think of I have to step out onto the balcony for air. Toast with butter and Nutella is going strong though. So is pulp-free orange juice. It's like I'd never actually tasted how amazing orange juice is until now.

The past few days I've been emailing doulas to find a birth companion for when our little one makes his or her entry into the world. I was thrilled to find an article inThe New Stork Times featuring English-speaking doulas right here in Zürich. Talk about lucky! I've emailed two and already it's making me a bit spazzy about choosing a hospital, suspecting my doctor of secretly wanting me to have a c-section and fearing and anticipating the pain way way way ahead of schedule. What I did not do ahead of schedule, however, was make contact with the doulas. Of the two I contacted, one has only one slot left for the entire year - and it happens to exactly straddle my due date. Talk about lucky again!

I'm looking forward to meeting them and deciding on a birthing companion. Then will come all the fun of touring hospitals and birthing centers. I know we'll find the perfect place, but in the meantime it all makes me a little nervous.

Hello Little One!

I could not believe it when the doctor did the ultrasound and I saw the baby's heart beating. How crazy is that?! My body built a human heart, albeit a simple one, in less than 7 weeks. It's absolutely miraculous. It also explains why I've been so tired. During the week, I will go to bed at 8:30 and still wake up tired! Today I took a three hour nap. Being pregnant is serious work!

Along with being tired, there is very little that sounds appetizing to me the past few days. Today I've eaten oatmeal with raisins, milk and a little brown sugar, toast with butter and Nutella, crackers and cheese and cornichons, dried mangoes, and pretzel sticks. A dramatic departure from my normally balanced diet. All of the books say that bland is the way to go and to eat what sounds good. Ok.

Being pregnant is so unbelievably exciting. Yippee!