Overcome The Symptoms In The First Trimester Of Your Pregnancy

Surprised with the outcome, you abruptly told your husband about this news soon after having a home pregnancy test in one early morning. Afterward, both of you were so contented that you hugged each other for minutes while tears were dropping on your cheek.

All the emotions of joy, fear, amazement and acceptance, assembled within you. There was no exact word to describe the feeling.

Now you should prepare yourself for the next huge things. The upcoming nine months will be more thrilling than before. You’ll experience unexpected, remarkable changes in your body.

In general, pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. Each one has its own nature.

Take a look at the general symptoms you may have in the first trimester of your pregnancy – a crucial time when you should be careful with your fetus. Also, the tips given will hopefully help you go through this wonderful journey. Enjoy.

1. Morning sickness – Nausea and vomiting are two common symptoms of early pregnancy. Hot drinks, crackers, and fresh fruits are great choices for relieving them.

2. Frequent urination – The growing of uterus causes some pressure on your bladder. You’ll be going to the restroom more often.

3. Tender breasts – The increasing hormone lets your breasts become more sensitive, fuller and heavier than usual. This time you may replace your bra with a more comfortable one.

4. Uncommon Exhaustion – Don’t push yourself by working too hard. Try to get some rests whenever you feel fatigue.

5. Increased craving – Acquire nutritious and balanced food intake. Make sure you and your baby are well nourished.

6. Bad moods – The change of hormones in your body causes your moods to switch as well. Mild exercises can help your moods. Moreover, just think that it’s a preliminary change and challenge you’ll have before and after your baby arrives.

Some of you may not recognize that you’re pregnant until it reaches five to six weeks from your last period. But soon when you find it out, it’s best to think which health care provider you’ll go to for a routine check-up.

Ask your pregnancy condition to your obgyn. Some of the congenital abnormalities may be observed at the end of the third month of pregnancy by a USG examination. Consult with him when unexpected things occur.

Read also lots of information about pregnancy. Knowing what happens in your uterus – and your pregnancy in general – will make you feel safe and comfy.

Most of all, enjoy your bigger size. It’s an amazing experience you’ll never forget in your life.

Overweight Children

The nutritional requirements of a child have to be considered carefully.  Growing children require a high amount of energy intake to help them to grow, but, just as with adults, if energy intake exceeds energy usage, the child will put on weight.

Naturally, children should, and must, gain weight through the natural process of growth, but many children go beyond that and put on excess fatty tissue; i.e. they become obese.  Obesity is rapidly becoming a serious problem with today’s children, partially through the wrong nutrition and eating too much of the wrong foods, and partially through ignorance on behalf of the parents who have a misconception that ‘puppy fat’ is a healthy and normal thing.

To a certain extent this is true, but excess ’puppy fat’ is as dangerous to a child as excess fat is to an adult.  It is estimated that more than 15% of UK children are overweight or obese, and this figure is rising rapidly. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on the 4th April that the level of overweight American children was 33.6%.   Obese children grow into obese adults.  They do not lose this so called ‘puppy fat’ unless positive steps are taken. They have a significantly higher risk of developing serious health problems , both now  and as an adult, including potentially life threatening conditions such as bowel cancer, diabetes, strokes, heart conditions and high blood pressure. The more overweight the child, the greater the risk.

There are also psychological problems to consider. Overweight and obese children frequently experience playground teasing about their appearance which can destroy self esteem and confidence, and lead to isolation and depression.  This can last for the rest of their lives, and often leads to such children taking up smoking and drinking alcohol at an early age.

It is predicted by health experts that due to our children’s poor diet and lack of exercise their own parents will be outliving them.  This is a scary thought, is it not.  The most exercise many children get is getting out of bed!  Many spend their leisure time in front of a computer or games console.  School sports are non existent in many schools due the ethos of everyone having to be a winner.  Competition in sports is bad because someone must lose.  Many school playing fields have been sold off by local councils to developers.  How short sighted!

It is very rare for children to be overweight due to health problems.  The opposite is true.  Children have health problems because they are overweight. Unless diagnosed by a doctor, health problems should not be used by parents as an excuse. Similarly with genetics.  Although genetics can play a part, it is only a very small part.  Fat parents frequently have fat children, but this is not usually genetic.  How about the fact that children mimic the bad eating habits and activity habits of their parents?  How often have you seen parents and children living off Big Macs and other fatty convenience foods.

Rather than blame obesity on genetics or health problems parents should look at their child’s unhealthy lifestyle. Their lack of exercise and physical activity. It is become easier for children to become overweight.  Sweets, convenience meals, fast foods, all full of excess salt and sugar.  They are targeted at children through TV advertising.  Have you ever sat and watched TV with your child on a Saturday morning and taken note of the adverts? I know there are very good reasons for it these days, but 30 years ago children did not travel to school by car. They walked to school. How many hours does your child spend sitting in front of a TV set or a games console or a computer screen?  How much sport do they participate in?

It is relatively easy for adults to determine whether or not they are overweight by working out the Body Mass Index, which is not an appropriate measurement tool for children. Charts taking into account a child’s rate of growth, age, gender are used instead. Health professionals are able to measure what proportion of their weight is fat. As a rule, a child’s weight is generally classed as obese if the body weight is more that 25% fat in males and 32% fat in females.

Unfortunately far too many children have considerably more body fat then that, and we, as adults and their parents, are failing them.   They will not thank us in years to come for failing them in this way.  Don’t blame the overweight child.  Blame the parent, if there is any blame.  Some is due to genetics or illness, but only a relatively very small amount.

Over-scheduling kids

Several studies are expressing a growing concern that after school
programs are pressurizing kids to do too much too soon. They point out
that when a child’s afternoon is filled with classes, trips, sports and
other forms of organized activities, kids do not really get the time to be
just kids. They are even being deprived of the cherished family time.

Undoubtedly, there are children who are being burdened with a schedule
that places too much demand on their time. This leads to increased levels
of stress on the child and the family. As regular studies cannot be
ignored, children are almost always on the run to achieve more. Such
children are really bearing a burden that is too heavy for their frail
little shoulders.

In an ideal world, all children would go home directly after school to
loving and caring parents who are waiting for the children to come home.
But the social and economic realities show that many children have to
attend after school courses because there is no one available at home. For
such children, these classes are a boon.

Parents should however restrain themselves from reading too much into
these activities. After school programs are complimentary in nature. They
give additional support. Therefore, their importance should also be
limited.

Overweight Children – What Can A Parent Do To Help? Part 1 Of 5

The latest figures released in the US state that 15 percent of children and teenagers are now considered overweight, up from 6% 20 years ago. Statistics in the UK are similar, and rising. Whilst children starve in Africa, kids in the Western world are lining up to suffer a frightening array of weight-related illnesses, including skin and joint problems, early osteoporosis, type II diabetes, bowel cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack and strokes. Recent research also suggests that obese kids are 77% more likely to suffer from asthma.

And of course in a world where TV, movies, teenage sitcoms and advertising all promote the ideal image and the “fat kid” is often mocked and made the butt of all the jokes, many overweight children will increasingly suffer from lack of confidence and poor self-esteem, leading to isolation and possibly depression in their teenage years.

Why do the numbers of overweight children keep going up?

* Portion sizes – at school, restaurants and home – keep growing

* Children have far more choice in what they eat (previous generations ate what they were given, or went hungry)

* Food is much more easily available

* Kids’ drinks, fizzy drinks and so-called “sports” drinks abound

* Many snack foods and junk foods are specially targeted at kids, advertised to kids on TV, of little nutritional value, and far from “filling”. Some nutritionists even suspect that chemical additives can make your child crave more of particular foods

* Fast food outlets have proliferated in recent years and provide cheap, easy meals for time-stretched parents

* Kids expect “instant gratification” in many areas of their lives, including food. Living with hunger pangs – even for an hour – is no longer an option!

* Parents are often setting a bad example

* Children no longer walk or cycle to school – or much at all! Outdoor activities are much less a part of their lives than in previous generations

* Spare time is spent on more sedentary pursuits, such as television, computers and video games, and even “texting”. The latest figures suggest that the average American teenager spends a horrifying 4 to 5 hours a day watching television!

How can we help our overweight child to lose weight?

Firstly, it is important to be aware that there is no magic formula and no instant solution. Your child will not be fit, healthy and the perfect weight overnight! If, however, your child eats sensibly and healthily and increases their physical activities, they will “grow into” their weight.

Secondly, it is vital that any approach you choose does not make your child feel different, guilty, victimised or unhappy in any way. Young children who worry about their weight grow into teenagers with eating disorders.

Thirdly, remember that by “banning” any foods you are likely to create rebellious feelings even in younger children, and disobeying your dictates may even turn into a game (or worse, a shameful secret). You are never going to be able to totally prevent a child from eating what he likes. If you forbid chocolate in your own house, for example, you can be sure your child will be eating it at friends’ houses or at school if he gets half the chance!

Parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this article suggest many ideas, tips and tactics for tackling the issues an overweight child faces and encouraging gentle and effective weight loss without damaging your child’s self esteem.

Ovulation

Childbirth is a momentous occasion, whether a first born or the seventh. The health and upbringing of a newborn is dependent on mother’s preparedness on how she handles this delicate issue. We can read or watch videos of childbirth but it is experience that carries weight.

The first step is to understand female anatomy and how it works during different phases of childbirth. Ovulation is one such phase of the menstrual cycle, when an egg or ovum is released from ovaries. If this ovum meets with male sperm in its journey down the fallopian tube conception takes place. It does sound simple, but Ovulation depends on the interplay of glands and hormones. This may be one reason why some women cannot conceive. The gland that affects Ovulation is the Hypothalamus, using its hormones for communication with the pituitary gland, referred to as the master gland of the endocrine system. In turn, the pituitary gland produces luteinizing hormone (LH) and FSH. High levels of LH cause Ovulation within two days. The cycle continues with mature follicles releasing ovum into the peritoneal cavity and then into the fallopian tube, and from there to the uterus. If the ovum does not encounter a sperm within 24 hours it dies.

Ovulation occurs two weeks before the onset of the menstrual period once every month till menopause, or break in between for child birth and pregnancy.  Certain changes occur in the cervical mucus, which gets slippery and slick, accompanied by general or localized pain. Sometimes there is delay or deviation from 24 to 35 days in the menstrual cycle, or slight fever in women who follow natural family planning methods. This persuades them to mistake Ovulation for premenstrual symptoms, if accompanied by pain and changes in body. Instead of playing guessing games, Ovulation should be confirmed with kits available in market or through blood tests or pregnancy ultrasound. Once sure, it is advisable to take precautions to avoid miscarriage or bleeding. Motherhood is something nature intended us to enjoy, and we should welcome it in all its cycles.

Pain Relief During Childbirth

Giving birth is rightly regarded as an extremely uncomfortable and painful experience for many mothers, and while for some women labor goes quickly and relatively easily, for others it can turn into a real ordeal. Where our grandmothers had to go through the pain barrier more or less unaided, there are quite a few options available for todays pregnant women that can lessen or even completely remove the pain, allowing the joyfulness of giving birth a much greater chance to be appreciated.

- Birthing Pool

Being in water during the early stages of labor can greatly relieve the contraction pains in some women, as the bouyancy takes some of the pressure off the muscles of the lower back. Some women prefer to stay in the water right through to the later stages of labor, and some even choose to complete the birth in a birthing pool.

Birthing pools have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they are seen as a natural way of reducing pain, in line with today’s widespread preference for keeping things simple and as close to nature as possible.

- TENS

A TENS machine is a small electronic device which you attach to your lower back with electrode pads. The machine passes a very slight electric current through the pads, which is intended to interfere with the pain signals, reducing the extent of the discomfort. The level of current can usually be increased during contractions, and then lowered back down as the pain subsides again. Some women find TENS machines to be highly effective, while for others the effect is minimal. The devices can usually be hired from the hospital, but are relatively cheap to buy yourself if you want to be sure that one will be available.

- Gas and Air

This is also known as entonox, and is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that is breathed in via a pipe whenever the mother-to-be feels the need. It is a very light method of pain relief, and is enough on it’s own for some women, especially in straightforward births. The effect is more of a distraction from the pain than an actual reduction, but doesn’t feature the drawbacks of the two more heavy-duty pain relief drugs below.

- Epidural

An epidural is an injection of pain relief drugs direct into the lumbar region, and is extremely effective at blocking pain. The initial injection must be performed by a doctor, although the drug levels can then be subsequently topped up by the midwife for as long as it is required. Early epidurals also interfered with movement, and so the entire birth had to be carried out lying down, but more advanced versions of the drugs used now allow the mother to walk around a little to relieve discomfort.

- Pethidine

This is the strongest pain relief option available in most cases, and is extremely effective in stopping pain over a 3 to 4 hour period. Unlike an epidural, it can’t be used indefinitely, and only two doses are usually allowed, meaning it is less than ideal for labors lasting longer than 8 hours or so. The drug can also pass through to the infant, in some cases delaying the start of breathing. Antidotes are, however, available should this occur.

Although the choice of which method of pain relief to use is usually left up to the mother, most midwives recommend starting with the less invasive choices such as TENS and gas and air, only moving up to drug treatments if necessary later on.

Parent Coaching as a Career

We often observe parents who are impatient, angry or exasperated because life nowadays is stressful and hectic. This has made parenting and raising a child a tough and confusing issue at times. How does a parent meet  all demands of life and still always be available for your child? How do you deal with issues like discipline, sibling rivalry and unhealthy eating habits? How do you make sure that what you are doing as a parent is appropriate and successful
Parent Coach
A parent coach is a trained and certified professional who empowers families to resolve conflict and find answers to their issues. Since coaching is about relationships, the  main focus is on parent – child relationship; yet the parent might choose individual coaching. A parent coach understands that each family is different. They know how to respect and acknowledge these differences and make the most of them. A parent coach helps families develop stronger bonds which do not break despite how much distance is put between a parent and a child.

A parent coach undertakes a training program which can be 9 to 12 months long. Persons interested  help make a difference in people’s lives. Just as a coach puts the team together and teaches it to function as one organic whole, a parent coach puts families together and helps them to function cooperatively.

Parent coaching as a career is rewarding and fruitful. You not only earn money but also make a difference in someone’s life. As a parent coach you help families develop deeper and stronger bonds. Under your guidance parents will learn how to raise children who are healthy and happy physically, emotionally and psychologically. You will help parents relate to their children better and vice-versa. The relationship you develop with the families you work with will be personal and lifelong. you have the freedom of working from home. You do not have to give up your current employment. Parent coaching gives you the freedom of flexible work hours and you can start part-time. The time of meeting can be decided by the client and  you. You can meet the parent in person or hold conversations over telephone or E-Mail. The time span of the meeting is not fixed either. It is a career which gives you the complete freedom of deciding how, when and for how long you want to work.
Unlike a child or a relationship counselor, your bond with your client will be deeper than professional. Your are not solving past problems like a therapist; you are finding answers together to present issues. Your meetings with clients will not be time oriented sessions where only you are to talk. The sessions you undertake as a  will be interactive participation from you as well as the client’s side. Also, your unique style of working will be your strength. You will not be expected to fall into a stereotype role.Training to be parent coach is both practical and cost effective. These programs are generally undertaken through distance learning. You can train to be a parent coach while studying or working. Even after you have earned your certificate, you have the freedom to decide when you want to step into this field. . You  will know the professional secrets of dealing with issues concerning your children. Your parenting skills will be better than ever. You can also help others gain though your experiences and knowledge. Again you have the freedom of deciding whether you want to work at a professional or personal level.Parent Coaching is an apt career choice for anyone who wants to help people and make a difference. To help bring up a child who turns out to be loving, successful and happy is a reward in itself. Contact www.academyforcoachingparents.com if you want to be a part of this fast growing industry.

Parental Control – The V-Chip

Probably the greatest invention as far as parental control over TV programs was the V-Chip.  This article is going to take a look at how the chip was invented and came to be.

The V-chip was invented by Professor Tim Collings.  It is patented with US patent number 5,828,204 and Canadian patent number 2,178,474.

The first testing of this great invention was done in 1991.  The technology was originally called the View Control by Professor Collings.  Eventually, the name was abbreviated to what we now refer to as the V-Chip.  Ironically, because the chip was originally designed to block shows that contained violence, people thought the V in V-chip stood for violence.  This, of course, was not the case.

It wasn’t until 1993, however, that the chip itself really got any recognition.  At that time the head of the Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission, CRTC for short, Keith Spicer, was so impressed with Collings’ invention that he met with top US TV executives to express his concerns for the growing violence on TV.  He specifically brought up Collings’ V-Chip technology and the US TV executives were impressed.  At this time the only thing that US TV stations were doing was making announcements before shows went on that they contained violence.  But nothing yet was put in place to block the viewing of these shows.  In spite of the interest, however, nothing was done yet to actually use the invention.

Then in 1994 the news of the V-Chip had spread to Europe.  In June of that year Collings was invited to Europe to demonstrate his invention.  This was done at a conference on Violence on TV held in Paris, France.  A year later, he was invited to Belgium to also demonstrate his invention.  This is where US Vice President Al Gore got his first look at the technology.  At the time, however, the technology was only able to block one program at a time.  By 1997, however, he was invited back to Belgium when the technology was now capable of handling multiple informational schemes.  At this meeting Collings contributed to discussions about TV rating systems formats and encoding schemes.

Finally, on January 14, 1997, Collings gave the exclusive rights to his V-Chip to Tri-Vision Electronics Inc.  The announcement was made at a press conference in Toronto.  It was covered by many major Canadian as well as US TV networks.

The next step was to have the V-Chip commercialized.  So Tri-Vision and Professor Collings worked together to put out the first commercial V-Chip product which was a Set-Top decoder that was capable of handling multiple informational schemes and also able to operate with existing TV technology.  The decoder was shown to the public at the Canadian Cable TV Convention in Edmonton, Alberta in 1997.  After that it was then shown at the US Cable Convention in Nashville, Tennessee that same year.

The V-Chip technology has been in consumer use now since 1999.  In North America alone, million of sets use the V-Chip to block unwanted TV shows.

Parental Control – TV Rating System

With the increase of sex and violence on television, or as George Carlin likes to delicately put it, “Sax and Violins”, parents have to be more careful than ever about what they allow their children to watch.  But how do they do that? Unless they’ve got some kind of guide or know every movie that’s ever come out there is just no way they can possibly know if a movie or program is suitable for their child.

The TV rating system to the rescue.

Essentially, the TV rating system is a system put in place that evaluates a programs sex and violence content and rates the program accordingly.  This rating is then displayed, usually at the left hand corner of your TV screen.  This way, when you turn a program on you will immediately know if it is something you want your child to watch.  How?  Well, the ratings are pretty well defined, though there are some gray areas.

Let’s cover the basic ratings so you have an idea of what to expect.

TV Y – This is the lowest, or least offensive rating.  A program with a TV Y rating is deemed to be appropriate for children of all ages.  This can be either animated or live action.  The themes of these programs are usually also geared to a very young audience between the ages of 2 and 6.  This program should in no way frighten a young child.

TV Y7 – This program is usually designed for children age 7 and older.  Usually this type of program is geared to children who can differentiate between make believe and reality.  There may be some mild fantasy themes or comedic violence.  It might be possible for children under 7 to be scared by these shows.  If a show has a great deal of fantasy violence then it may be given a qualifier to this rating and be designated TV Y7 FV.

TV G – This program is for people of all ages.  It is not specifically intended for young children but should be okay for them to watch.  These are usually your family oriented shows that rarely if ever contain themes that may be inappropriate for children.

TV PG – This program may contain material that is not suitable for young children like mild violence or suggestions of sex.  Parents may want to watch these shows with their children to answer any questions they may have about it.  These programs occasionally will also have some suggestive language.  TV PG shows will usually have a qualifier attached to them as well such as V for mild violence, L for language or S for sexual situations.

TV 14 – This program is for children over the age of 14.  Parents are strongly cautioned to watch these shows with their kids.  These programs usually have either intense violence, strong sexual situations, strong language or very suggestive dialogue.

TV MA – These programs are intended for mature audiences only.  These are usually not for children under 17 and usually contain either graphic violence, explicit sex, or very crude language.  Qualifiers will be attached to these as well so the parent knows what is contained.  But most likely it won’t matter as they probably won’t want their kids to watch these shows anyway.

With the above guidelines, parents should have no trouble monitoring what they want their children to watch.

Parental Control – You

With all the talk about the technology available for parental control, the experts all agree that parental control starts with the parent.  We examine what the parent can do to keep their kids out of trouble.

There is a lot of talk going around about all the different ways that you can keep your kid from wandering into chat rooms, viewing adult sites, watching R rated TV programs and just about everything else that you want to keep your kid from.  But studies show that the best parental control to keep your kids out of trouble is you.

This may not be very popular with parents who feel they don’t have the time or shouldn’t have to watch over their kids 24/7, but in the old days, that’s how things were done.  True, we didn’t have the Internet, we didn’t have cable TV with all its nudity and violence and we didn’t have pornography just a click away, but kids were still kids and there were plenty of ways for them to get into trouble.  And the principals that applied then apply now as well.

The experts in this area recommend the following simple things to keep your kids from getting into things that you just don’t want them to get into.  Again, these are experts’ views and not necessarily the views of this writer.  We’re only reporting what the professionals say.

For TV it’s still the same as it was years ago.  For starters, kids don’t get their own TV in their rooms.  They want to watch something, they come into the living room or recreation room or wherever the TV is located and watch there with the rest of the family.  Then, whatever it is your kid is watching, you as the parent make sure you monitor the program.  If you’re concerned with your kid turning on a pay station then simply don’t have them in the house.  We need to set examples for our kids.  We can’t do that if we’re spending our time watching sex and violence ourselves.

Also, make sure you have designated viewing times.  Most adult oriented material is shown after prime time begins.  You may want to cut off the time your child can watch TV at around 10 PM.  Earlier if your child is very young.

As for the Internet, this becomes a bit more of a problem because sex and violence are there 24/7.  In the case of the Internet though it’s really no different from the TV.  No computer access in the child’s room.  The child uses the same computer as everyone else in the house, preferably in an open area where a parent can easily see what the child is viewing.  Make your child aware of what is out there and tell him so he understands that he’s to go nowhere near these sites.  Explain to him that it is very easy to check if he has been to a racist or porn site and the punishment for doing so will be severe.  Again, you need to set an example for your child.  If you’re going to know whether or not he has been to these sites, which you can easily check with your computer’s history, then you as the parent have to make sure that you are also nowhere near them.

Many may find the experts’ advice on this matter harsh and unreasonable, but they all unanimously agree that the problem with kids doing what they’re not supposed to do starts at home.

It’s the way it always was and it’s the way it will always be.