SEAHO Report - Fall 2019 - 14

SEAHO Feature Articles
supervising these phenomenal professionals who understand the importance of valuing self-care and giving/
showing support towards their team members in the journey of incubating new life. This is for those considering
and/or planning to partake in this journey and trying to figure out, can I do this?
Without further adieu, here are the lessons I learned when conducting health and safety inspections and/or
building and room walk-throughs for 706 first-year residents in a two-building complex:
Communicate with your partner, "village," supervisor, assistant, etc. before you begin - Do not be afraid to
advocate for yourself! Know what you can and cannot physically handle and do not apologize for divulging a
game plan that is safe and efficient for you and your little one(s). Anytime you are doing tasks that may be more
of a challenge, regardless of your ability, you should unabashedly communicate your concerns and/or needs to
those who support you. They do not know what they do not know and you are your best advocate. For those
carrying life, this will differ depending on your specific journey in your pregnancy, so know yourself and be in
tune to your and your little one(s) needs.
Protect yourself and your little one(s) - Before you get started doing the walk-throughs, grab pairs of gloves and
face masks alongside your clip board, health and safety inspection forms, pens and hand sanitizer. If you are still
in the nauseous stage, keep chewing gum, ginger chews, hard candies, whatever works for you and your body. If
those mechanisms are not keeping you feeling well and comfortable to complete the task at hand, give yourself
permission to stop wherever you are in the process. The beauty of having support and a team is that you do not
always have to do it all if you are not able, so never feel obligated to stress or strain yourself in the name of
finishing.
Stay hydrated! - It is easy to get into "go mode" and find yourself a little dehydrated and out of breath because
you have not taken frequent water breaks to remain hydrated. If you have water fountains on your floors, make
sure you stop every floor or every other floor to sip water. You are exerting a lot more energy than you realize,
so keep you a bottle of water and/or electrolyte-infused drink handy and sip often. Yes, you will have to take a
restroom break or a few, but that is important too! Do not hold "it" in and do not refrain from hydrating so you
will not have to go.
Brace yourselves for the smells - If you have had the pleasure of entering a couple hundred spaces in a week's
span in a first-year community, you already know the surprises of what you will potentially smell and/or see.
Not everyone passes their health and safety inspections. Even with notices, bulletin board and email reminders,
and door tag reminders. If you need to step out of a room or tag another partner, do so without hesitation (make
sure to keep your mask over your nose and mouth; it helps). Sometimes these unexpected smells encourage us
to take a fresh air break and go for a walk or sit down outside on a bench.
Be comfortable and confident - You may not have met all of your residents, so do not worry about their reaction
(if there even is one), when they see wonderful you with your gorgeous rotund belly. If you are comfortable
affirming that you are indeed carrying life, it can be a cool conversation starter. It can also be a great way to
make a point if there are noted policy violations and be heard and weirdly respected more. From personal
experience, I have witnessed being viewed as "grown-grown," when explaining our closed window and pet
policies. You may get a "yes ma'am" or two, too, depending on what region you serve in.
Take sit-down breaks - Please do not wait until your back locks up on you to sit down somewhere. Reward
yourself with a 5-to-10-minute break if you have multiple floors of rooms to visit. Your body will tell you when
it needs a rest. Be sure to let your team know and they can always opt to sit down and take a load off for a little
SEAHO Report Fall 2019

SEAHO Report - Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Fall 2019