The New Mother - Taking Care of Yourself After Birth

The postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother's body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state. This period usually lasts six to eight weeks. The postpartum period involves the mother progressing through many changes, both emotionally and physically, while learning how to deal with all the changes and adjustments required with becoming a new mother. The postpartum period also involves the parents learning how to care for their newborn and learning how to function as a changed family unit.

How To Raise Your Chances Of Having Twins....Winks

Many couples trying to conceive hope to have twins. Their reasons vary, from ensuring that their child has a close sibling through childhood to simply wanting a large family. Experts say there are some steps women can take to increase their chances of having twins. Diet, ethnicity, genetics and lifestyle all play a role in whether a woman is more apt to have twins. If you want to raise your chances of having twins, follow these guidelines.

Your Essential Pregnancy To-Do List: Third Trimester

1. Be aware of your baby's movements

Your baby is growing all the time, so the type of movements will change according to his size. As your baby gets bigger and stronger, you'll probably feel sharp kicks under your ribs. 
Every baby has a different pattern of waking and sleeping, but you'll come to know what’s normal for yours. You should feel your baby move up to and during labor. If you notice any change in his pattern, always tell your midwife or doctor straight away.

First Trimester Problems: When to Call Your Doctor

Watch for 7 warning signs of trouble with your early pregnancy.

You might be tempted to dismiss these signs if you don't realize they're clues to avoid bigger troubles. Knowing what to watch for helps you take care of yourself and the little one growing inside you. Any time you're concerned about what's going on or how you're feeling, it's OK to talk to your doctor.

1. Vaginal Bleeding

What it may mean: "Some spotting is normal, but heavy bleeding could be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. The brighter red the bleeding, the more significant it is." 

"If you have bleeding and bad cramping similar to period cramps, this can be a sign of threatened miscarriage," says Manju Monga, MD. She is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "If this is coupled with sharp, lower abdominal pain, it may be a sign of ectopic pregnancy," a serious complication that occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes.

What to do: "Call your doctor," Monga says. "Your doctor will likely do an ultrasound, an exam, and some blood work based on your symptoms." Though most spotting or light bleeding may not be a serious problem, "you don’t want to ignore it if it is associated with cramping, heavy bleeding, or abdominal pain."

2. Excessive Nausea and Vomiting

It's normal to have some nausea and vomiting during your first trimester. Most pregnant women go through that.

But if it's severe or makes you dehydrated, that's something to heed. If you can’t keep any water or fluids down for more than 12 hours, call your doctor.

Causes And Treatment Of Convulsion in Infants And Children....

Convulsions are also known as ‘fits’, ‘epileptic attacks’ or ‘seizures’. Essentially, they’re states of altered consciousness, which can vary in severity.

Causes

Convulsions happen because of sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Febrile convulsions 
Febrile convulsions are seizures that occur because of which is a temperature higher than 38°C. High fevers might come with an infection. We don’t know why, but in these cases, the rapid rise in temperature causes an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain.

Febrile convulsions are pretty common, occurring in about 4% of children between the ages of six months and five years. Two-thirds of these children will only ever have one fit. Most will occur while the child is younger than three years old.

Children who have their first febrile convulsion before the age of one year have a higher risk of having recurrent febrile convulsions. This type of convulsion tends to run in families, and affects boys more often than girls.

Epilepsy is the term given to the condition where your child has more than one seizure, which isn't triggered by fever, and there’s an abnormal EEG. About 3% of children with febrile convulsions subsequently develop epilepsy (compared to 0.5% of all children). The risk of epilepsy is greater with previous abnormal neurological development, history of epilepsy in first-degree relatives, long febrile convulsions (lasting more than 10 minutes), and multiple convulsions during a single episode of fever.

8 Ways To Help You And Your Strong Willed Child..

1. Balance your authority with his independence:

Our goal as parents is to teach our children enough life skills so that they can manage one day on their own and be productive members of society. Strong willed children already have a strong dose of the independence they need to make it on their own and it should be recognized as a strength. Remember that many great people were strong willed and mischievous. It is a sign of good character, creativity and persistence.

Many times parents think that we need to subdue our children and always make them listen to what we say. This is not the case. We should cultivate a child’s independence. It does not have to be at the expense of maintaining our authority as parents in our homes.

Wow - 50 Reasons To Be Glad You're Pregnant..Smiles

1 Relishing the early weeks when only you and your partner know your special secret.

2 Knowing you've got nine whole months to plan, dream and fantasize.

3 Choosing maternity clothes - they've never been more practical or more sexy.

4 Now you've got the perfect excuse to pamper yourself - spending hours in a scented bath, enjoying a massage or rubbing soothing lotions into your growing bump.

5 Maternity rights in the are getting better all the time. You can take up to 52 weeks off work.