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Having a Healthy Pregnancy

We value our employees and their families and so we have developed a special combination of programs, benefits, and extras to support expecting mothers, their partners, and their babies.

Find a Pediatrician

It's important that you decide on a doctor for your baby before your baby arrives as there are a number of check-ups and tests that need to be done within the first few days after your baby is born. Your health care provider might have recommendations for pediatricians in your area. If not, employee's participating in GW's health insurance can search for a health care provider in their area by going to www.myuhc.com.

Not sure what to look for when selecting a pediatrician? Check out this Baby Center guide on "Choosing a doctor for your baby."

Connect with Other GW Parents

Join GW's Healthy Pregnancy Program group on Facebook to get tips and resources, ask questions, and share stories with other new and expecting GW parents. The GWHPProgram Facebook group is a closed group so you will need to request to be added. In this way, anything you post to the group is confidential and can't be seen by non-group members.

Get Breastfeeding Support Now

For mothers planning to breastfeed, consider joining a La Leche League group before your baby arrives. You'll get valuable information that will help make breastfeeding easier once your little one has arrived. There's even a GW La Leche League group that meets on the Foggy Bottom campus.

The Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington is also a great resource located alongside the Foggy Bottom campus. The Center offers classes, consultations, and great prices on breastfeeding equipment and accessories.

Take a Class

Childbirth and parenting classes are a great way to prepare for labor and delivery and taking care of your new baby. The George Washington University Hospital offers a wide selection of classes, from Prenatal Yoga, to Childbirth Preparation, to Infant CPR. If you are planning to delivery at GW Hospital, you should also consider signing up for a free Prenatal Tour.

Our work-life provider, LifeCare, has a large library of articles, podcasts, videos, and webinars related to pregnancy and caring for your child from birth through college. Also, don't miss ordering the free prenatal kit and checking out the discounts on breast pumps through LifeCare's Mother's at Work program.

Prepare for Your Time Away From Work

Check out our Maternity Time Off cheat sheet for full-time staff to better understand your leave options. Faculty should refer to Parental Childcare Leave in the Faculty Code.

Eligible GW employees can take up to 16 work weeks of unpaid medical leave and 16 work weeks of unpaid family leave after the birth of a child under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Applying for FMLA is important, not only because it is required of you as an employee, but because it protects your job while you are out on leave. Even if you are planning to use sick or vacation time during your leave period, you must still apply for FMLA. While university policy requires 30 days advanced notice for FMLA leave, the earlier you plan the better prepared you will be.

While you are applying for FMLA, it is also a good time to review GW's short-term disability plan. Depending on your years of service and coverage, you may be entitled to disability pay during your FMLA leave.

In addition to short-term disability, you may use your accrued sick and annual time to cover some or all of your time away (depending on your time off balances). You may also take unpaid leave. Please note that sick and annual time is tracked within your department and not centrally by Human Resources or Benefits Administration.

Consider Your Child Care Options

Finding the right child care can be a major source of concern for new and expecting parents. GW can support you in identifying child care options that meet your needs through our partnership with LifeCare. By calling LifeCare, you will be connected with a child care consultant who will discuss your specific child care needs and preferences and then identify providers with openings in your area. This is a free service to you as a GW employee

Are you considering using a Doula during labor? Do you need a pet sitter while you are in the hospital after your baby is born? Your LifeCare consultant can help you meet all of your daily life needs too.

This might also be a good time to consider opening a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). An FSA can allow you to pay for your child care costs pre-tax, saving you money. You can open an account during GW's open enrollment period, or during the 30 days following the birth of your child.

Free Gifts and Special Discounts

We know having a baby can be expensive. So we have put together a package of gifts and discounts just for you available through our LifeCare program.

Free Prenatal and Child Safety Kits - As part of GW's partnership with LifeCare, we offer our new and expecting parents two great kits.

• Prenatal Kit - The Prenatal Kit helps employees and their families address prenatal, postnatal and child care needs.

• Child Safety Kit - If you have a child under age three, the Child Safety Kit can help you protect him or her from today's most prevalent dangers.

Breast pump discounts - Enjoy discounts on some of the most popular breast pumps through LifeCare's Mothers at Work program.

Shopping discounts - Through LifeCare's LifeMart Discounts you have access to hundreds of discounts on apparel, entertainment, travel, home, etc. Stocking up on prenatal vitamins? Trying to find a hotel discount for your family visiting to see the new baby? Need to save money on all those nursery items? Save on these items and more.

Sign Up for Text4Baby

Text4Baby is a free text-messaging service to help pregnant women and new moms get information about caring for their health and giving their babies the best possible start in life. 

Registration is easy and can be done online here or from your cell phone. Use your cell phone to text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to the number 511411. You’ll be asked to enter your baby’s due date or your baby’s birthday and your zip code.  Once registered, you will start receiving free messages with tips for your pregnancy or caring for your baby.

Protect Your Emotional and Financial Health

It is important to not only prepare your body, but also your mind for the transition to parenthood. Preparing for a new baby can be overwhelming for everyone involved. As a GW employee, you and members of your household can take advantage of GW's employee assistance program 24/7 to identify and address concerns, develop an action plan, and receive referrals. As part of this benefit, you and your household members can also take advantage of five free in-person counseling sessions. This can be a valuable way to talk through how you might be feeling about planning for a child.

A baby's first year can cost $10,000 or more, not including the cost of actually having the baby. Check out BabyCenter's Baby Cost Calculator to get an estimate of how much you need to budget. Need help with preparing your finances to meet these additional costs? GW's work-life provider, LifeCare, offers financial planning services and resources to meet your needs.

 

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