by Jennifer Shakeel
Today’s purses are bright and cheerful. These large hold all, carry all bags are inexpensive and you can buy them anywhere. Stores like Target, and Kohl’s, Wal Mart and Macy’s have rainbows of pouches and purses. Their vinyl, PVC and faux leather surfaces wipe clean with soap and water, they resist spills, and you can have one to match every outfit, and every pair of shoes. These purses have great appeal to young and old. Unfortunately, they are slow killers.
Purses have joined the ranks of toxic consumer products, along with painted toys from China and play jewelry for children. A recent report from the not for profit Center for Environmental Health states that these bags, when tested, have levels of lead up to ninety times higher than the federal limit for lead in paint. This is a frightening finding for women, and their children. The lead is used to preserve colors and softness in purses and wallets that are sold in many national chain stores. Out of twenty one outlets in California, sixteen had contamination that exceeded the level required for labeling under Proposition 65. The colors that showed the highest levels of lead are yellow, and yellow tinted colors, such as green and orange. ABC News reports that H&M and New York stores are working to address this problem and pull contaminated purses from their shelves in California.More on Lead Found in Purses Risk for Pregnant Women
When you are pregnant and preparing for baby, there are several things most parents do to get ready. Expectant parents spend a lot of time preparing baby’s room, dealing with insurance, increasing or getting life insurance and taking parenting classes. However, many don’t spend any time at all preparing their marriage for the arrival of the baby.
Countless parents (if not all parents) will tell you their marriage changed dramatically after the birth of the baby. Many of these changes are good, but some are not. In some cases, the relationship gets neglected or there is not consensus in parenting decisions and responsibilities. This often breeds resentment.
In fact, for many couples, children aren’t cited high on the list in terms of marital fulfillment. A survey conducted by the Pew Center and reported in The Washington Post showed that children aren’t at the top of the list in terms of a successful marriage. Factors such as faithfulness, sex, household chore distribution and economic issues were listed ahead of having kids as a feature of a successful marriage.
There are a few things you can do to prepare your relationship for children and to avoid the pitfalls of adding parenthood to the dynamics of your relationship. One important step to take is to pay attention to each other. It is unbelievably easy to neglect each other once your day becomes about breastfeeding, diaper changes and getting baby to sleep. It takes concentrated effort to stay connected to each other.
One way many couples deal with this is to set regular date nights. The frequency can vary from once a week to once a month, but it’s important to spend time away from the baby and focused on each other. While you are still pregnant and don’t have to line up a babysitter, start the tradition of regular date nights. It will be easier to continue it after the baby is born.
Since issues such as chore distribution and economic factors rank high on the list of marital satisfaction, pay attention to these areas. In terms of chore distribution, it is common for mom and dad to be at odds. In some cases, the husband feels that since his wife is home all day, it is her job. This isn’t entirely realistic with a newborn in the house.More on Post Pregnancy: Preparing Your Marriage for Baby
Premature Labor affects about 12% of babies in the U.S. and can happen as early by 28 weeks. Early detection is important.
by Patricia Hughes
Preterm or premature labor affects about 12 percent of babies born each year in the United States, according to statistics from the March of Dimes. Preterm labor is classified as labor that begins at or before the 36th week of pregnancy. Most preterm births occur after 32 weeks, but 6% of all preterm births happen by the 28th week of pregnancy. Early detection is crucial for doctors to stop the labor or provide other potentially life saving treatments for the baby and mother.
There are some warning signs of preterm labor. Some things to watch for include:
Contractions that occur at least ten minutes apart can be a sign of early labor and can be mild enough in the beginning to be confused with Braxton Hicks contractions, or false labor. These contractions may or may not have regular intervals, but if you have having at least four or five an hour, call your doctor or midwife.
Cramping: The severity of cramping or pain in the abdomen can vary, depending on the individual. In many cases, this has been described as similar to the cramping experienced during a typical period.
Discharge: Most pregnant women experience some degree of discharge during their pregnancies. Any changes in vaginal discharge, particularly clear fluid, spotting or bleeding should be reported to your doctor or midwife immediately. Any fluid loss should be reported to your health care provider. Some women mistakenly think they will feel a gush of fluid if the membranes rupture, but it can be a slow trickle, if blocked by the baby's head.
Infection: Certain infections, particularly Beta strep, urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases can play a role in preterm birth. The best way to reduce this risk is to treat any infections, report symptoms to the doctor and for your health care provider to carefully monitor you for signs of preterm labor.
Low Back Pain: Lower back pain can be an early warning sign of preterm labor, as well as a discomfort of pregnancy. Sudden lower back pain should be reported to your doctor, since it can be a sign of early labor. What is sometimes mistaken for normal discomfort can actually be back labor.More on Signs of Premature Labor
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by Patricia Hughes
Music for the Baby
Toys, music CDs and other merchandise designed to provide music to unborn and newborn babies tout the positive effects of music on developing babies. Expectant parents may wonder if they should purchase these products, or fear they are putting their baby at a disadvantage if they don't listen to enough, or the right kind of music. Expert opinions vary regarding whether music has a positive effect.
Various studies conducted over the past two decades have demonstrated the ability of the fetus to hear sound. The inner ear is fully developed in last trimester of pregnancy. By 26 weeks, most respond with an increase in heart rate to sound stimulation. Many studies have pointed to the change in heart rate as a positive sign that the baby is stimulated by the music.
One study published in the Music Educators Journal looked at the effect of exposure to music in the prenatal period. Some participants were given music in the womb, either sedating or stimulating musical selections. After the birth of the baby, the parents and infants visited the researcher, and a range of activities and responses were observed by researchers. The study found that exposure to music in the prenatal period seemed to be linked to increased attention, more sound imitation and earlier vocalization in the baby.
Most of what the fetus hears is the mother's voice and internal sounds of the mother's body, such as breathing, movements and other sounds. There have been many studies that suggest the mother's voice is the preferred sound of newborns, who appear to recognize their mother's voice at birth. Singing along with music makes sense because it gives baby the opportunity to hear your voice and music.More on Pregnancy and The Effect of Music on the Fetus
Pregnancy Hair Care by Patricia Hughes
Pregnancy changes many things about the body, including the hair. The changes and challenges each woman experiences with her hair are unique. Some of these changes, such as improved thickness and growth, are beneficial and others can be frustrating. As the hair changes, some adjustments in your hair care routine may be needed.
Many of the changes in the hair are caused by changes in the hormone levels during pregnancy, particularly estrogen and progesterone. Although all women experience hormonal changes, the response can depend on several factors, including genetics. For some women, less shedding of the hair results in thick, beautiful hair that has never looked better.
The thickness and shine some women experience isn't enjoyed by all pregnant women. Changes in the hair vary for each woman – and even from pregnancy to pregnancy in the same woman. It's possible to have great hair the first time and dry, brittle hair with a subsequent pregnancy.
Some women find their hair becomes dry during pregnancy and they may experience breakage as a result. If your hair is dry during pregnancy, use frequent deep conditioning treatments. Salon treatments may help and your stylist can offer suggestions for hair care products and techniques to improve the condition of your hair.More on Hair Care For Pregnant Women
Playing the Baby Clothespin Game where everytime you say 'Baby' you get a clothespin added to your sting necklace
by Patricia Hughes
Baby shower games are a part of nearly every baby shower. If you are hosting a shower, the task of selecting games and entertaining guests may seem daunting. Fortunately, planning baby shower games doesn't have to be stressful or expensive. Here are some ideas for easy baby shower games that don't require many supplies or additional work.
How big is Mommy's belly? This is a game that has been played at showers for years, but remains popular. It's also an easy and inexpensive one to prepare. All you need is some yarn and a pair of scissors. For this game, each guest cuts a piece of yarn to a size they think will fit mom's waist. The guests with the yarn nearest to mom's belly wins!
Baby Gear Alphabet: This is another game that is easy to plan. Paper and pens are all that is needed. Guests list the letters of the alphabet down one side of the page and fill in a baby item for each letter of the alphabet. For example, Amby, Bottle, Car seat, Diaper…and so on. A variation of this game is to make a list of as many baby items as possible and the one with the most items wins.
Baby Pictionary: Divide the guests into two teams and play a baby version of pictionary. Make cards prior to the shower with baby related phrases. The game works just like the traditional Pictionary game. One person from each team chooses a card and draws what is written and team mates try to guess the phrase.More on Baby Shower Games
by Patricia Hughes
Leg Cramps are common during Pregnancy
Leg cramps are a common discomfort in pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. The sudden cramping and tightening of the calf muscles is extremely painful and often happens at night, causing you to wake in pain from a peaceful sleep.
The exact cause of leg cramps is not known, but there are some factors believed to contribute to leg cramps. The increased weight of pregnancy, changes in blood circulation and pressure on the nerves from the growing baby are believed to cause the discomfort in the legs. The best way to deal with leg cramps is to prevent them.
Preventing Leg Cramps
There are some things you can do to prevent leg cramps. Standing or sitting for too long at one time can cause leg cramping. If your job requires you to stand or sit for extended periods of time, take breaks throughout the day. Put your feet up if you stand for work and get up and walk around periodically if you sit at a desk.More on Pregnancy Leg Cramps
When a woman becomes pregnant she can be both excited and a little frightened at the same time. There will be many changes happening over the next 9 months, and this is only the start of an amazing journey. Luckily we have the internet as a pregnancy resource in addition to our friends, family, books, and other helps! But the internet can be a little overwhelming too. If you Google “pregnancy”, you will find over 117,000,000 search results! So which websites will have the information you need? Here is a condensed list of what we believe are the top 25 pregnancy websites every woman should visit. They are jammed packed with information and resources. As we find or hear about more great ones we will add it to the list, so stop back. Now here is the list:Top Pregnancy Websites
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by Jennifer Shakeel
Congratulations, you have just given birth to a wonderful baby! However, as wonderful as giving birth is, the process puts tremendous stress and shock on your body. It is difficult to explain all of the complex and minute changes that your body has to go through to get your body back to pre-pregnancy status. In addition to recovering from being pregnant, the body also has to recover from the actual labor and birth of the baby, being up at all times of the night and day, severe sleep deprivation, and breastfeeding. Believe it or not your body goes through most of the changes in the first 30 days.
All of the "jobs" your body now has is often referred to the nutritional equivalent of running a half marathon… EVERY DAY. So it is important that new mothers understand that a lot of this work is done without them even realizing, so it is no wonder a mother's body and emotions are under such strain and generally leave us feeling fragile at this time. As such, emotional, physical and other issues can arise – which if not managed well can manifest into longer term problems. Studies have shown that a high percentage of new mothers in western cultures have health and sexual problems for several months to a year after delivery, and reported this as "normal".More on Pregnancy – The First 30 Days After Birth
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by Jennifer Shakeel
Birthing classes are classes for those that are expecting and the purpose of the class is to teach the expect mother what to expect during labor and delivery. They teach you different pain management options such as breathing or medication or hypnotherapy. Their goal is really to provide the mom to be with confidence that she can infact do this. These classes are usually put on by hospitals, you can find them at the hospital you plan on delivering at, but not all expectant moms take the classes. Which begs the question, do you really need the class before you have the baby?
There isn't really an easy answer to this question. That is because the baby is coming whether you take the classes or not, it isn't like you have to take the class in order to have the baby. It is a matter of how well do you want to be prepared for what is going to happen during labor and delivery. The classes prepare you for general labor and delivery… not necessarily your labor and delivery.
You have a choice when it comes to birthing classes that you could take. There are a variety of classes you could take. Here are four possible classes:More on Do You Really Need Childbirth Classes?
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Anticipating the arrival of a new baby is an exciting experience. There are a number of preparations to be made, and many decisions to make. One of the most important decisions that parents have to make – especially mothers – has to do with the nourishment of the child. A mother must determine whether she will breastfeed her child, or feed her child through the use of a bottle.
I know how difficult that this type of decision is. I have been there, and had to make the decision as well. Here, I will expound on some of the pros and cons related to breastfeeding. I feel that it is important to know and understand these so that you can make a better informed decision overall. More on Breastfeeding – Pros and Cons
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