Child Birth | Better Parenting

Easing the Transition of a Move

December 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Wesley Fryer via Flickr

Relocating after accepting a lucrative job offer, even with a company for whom you already work, can be either a smooth or a traumatic affair. Much of it depends on your planning and organization skills, but on some level, it’s hard on people to pick up and leave a familiar area no matter their level of preparation. Still, a few things can make the experience a welcome one.

- Look up the things in the new area that will replace your present interests. If you presently frequent a gym, find one in your new city so you can go and blow off steam as usual soon after arriving. This will help to keep your tension level down.

- Find a restaurant or two that sound appealing and pay them a visit soon after moving. It’s great to arrive with a ready replacement for a night spent out of the house, and as a bonus, you might even meet some locals, especially if you begin to regularly frequent a favorite eatery.

- Spend a day soon after your arrival just wandering your neighborhood on foot. You’ll get a good feel for the neighborhood’s layout, and this is an easy way to bump into the hidden gems that might otherwise go overlooked. Finding your favorite coffee shop or Saturday morning breakfast place is often easier in person than using the Internet. Small local spaces often have a fairly weak Internet presence.

- If you’ve moved into a community such as that fostered by Scottsdale Property Management, go out and meet the neighbors! Everybody is a stranger at some point in their lives, so it’s important to break through that barrier as soon as possible, and start making friends with others.

Quickly creating a community around yourself is the best way to ease the strains of a full blown, out of state move. Get started before you arrive!

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Child Birth, Child Care Tagged With: Business, Internet service provider, IP address, IPv6, IPv6 transition mechanisms, Management, Peering, Saturday morning cartoon

Raising a Child as a Single Parent

December 16, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Being a single parent can be very challenging. There’s always so much to do, and you don’t have anyone else to help you. It can be even more difficult if you had a partner for a while and you suddenly split up. That puts even more strain on a stressful time, and can leave you feeling down, depressed, confused, angry, and anxious. The good news is that you have your beautiful child to distract you from some of the upset. Of course, providing for that child might be more difficult, unless you were the breadwinner before the breakup with your partner took place.

If you need some help with your split, to ensure that you can take care of your child properly, get in touch with some good New York divorce lawyers. They can guide you toward what you’ll need to know to get proper child support, and perhaps alimony, as well. No matter what you do in life, taking care of your child should be your first priority. That’s true whether your child is just a baby or already a teenager. As long as you have legal custody of that child and responsibility for him or her, it’s important that you have the means to care for your child and at least meet basic needs.

If you don’t have the money to do that because of a breakup, a divorce lawyer may be able to help you recover the money that you deserve, so you can help your child succeed. It can be very frightening raising a child alone, but you’re strong and you can handle it. Just make sure that you take advantage of resources that are offered to you, so that you can make the most of your situation. By doing that, you’ll be helping your child and teaching him or her about the value of resourcefulness, which is a great lesson.

Filed Under: Child Birth, General Tagged With: Child custody, Child support, Children Youth and Family, Divorce, Marriage, New York, Payment, Single-parent

Keeping Your Bones Healthy: The Connection Between Calcium and Vitamin D

December 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Why Do You Need Both Calcium and Vitamin D?

You probably know that women in particular have a tendency to lose bone mass as they age. The bone loss occurs primarily after menopause. If you take both calcium and vitamin D supplements, though, you won’t suffer as much bone loss as you would if you didn’t take them. Vitamin D helps your body more efficiently digest the calcium you eat. If you are a new mother, bone loss may seem as though it is a long way away, but taking care of your body now will have a definite effect on how you age later.

You might think you are getting enough vitamin D by being outside in the sunshine, but the truth is that many North Americans really don’t get an adequate amount of vitamin D from the sun. If you want to have a doctor check the level of vitamin D in your blood, ask your doctor to include that check in any blood work that is done the next time you have a well visit. The chances are good that you are probably deficient, and that as a result, the calcium you are eating is not having as beneficial an effect as it ought to have.

How Much Do You Need?

If you are nursing, you need as much calcium in your diet as a woman who is 51 or older: 1,200 mg per day. If you need extra vitamin D as well, you should take between 800 and 1,000 mg per day, but be sure you look at the amount of vitamin D in your multivitamin and your calcium supplement as well. When you decide how much you should take in a supplement, add up all three sources and discuss it with your doctor to be sure you aren’t taking too much. It’s also a good idea to split up the vitamin D supplement. You might try taking a multivitamin and a vitamin D in the morning, then taking calcium and vitamin D at night before you go to bed.

Filed Under: Child Birth, Parenting Tagged With: Bone, Calcium, Health, Nutrients, Nutrition, Osteoporosis, Vitamin D, Vitamins and Minerals

Is Natural Child Birth an Option?

December 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

A natural birth can have different meanings to different people, which is why the choice to have a natural birth can be so difficult. Your body was designed to give birth and it releases endorphins to fight the pain that happens with labor. Adrenalin is common during labor, but it cancels out the endorphins that are released. A medical professional can give you something that eliminates the adrenalin, so the endorphins can help you through your labor pains. It is important to not have too much adrenalin while giving birth because it can cut off the oxygen supply to the baby.

Every body has reflexology and acupressure points that help alleviate pain. These points, mostly in your feet and hands, can be massaged to help to have less pain during labor. An expert is not needed for this, but a little studying and practice by the person you want in the delivery room. Many people do not understand the behaviors of a woman in labor wanting to wear lip-gloss or suck on a Popsicle. Some moms-to-be even step in place or squeeze someone’s hand at a rhythmic pace because the lips, palms of hands, and soles of the feet allow the woman to feel less pain when they are stimulated.

The pain of contractions can be lessened by a simple touch. Since our skin is so sensitive with nerve endings, a touch can instantly alleviate pain. A simple massage sends signals to the brain that the pain is not so bad. Alternating a neck massage and a foot massage will keep the pain at bay during labor. Many women do not want to use drugs to help with their labor because they are afraid it might hurt the baby if administered incorrectly. The fear of hurting their child is more than their fear of the pain, but the pain can be helped with simple measures.

Filed Under: Child Birth Tagged With: Health, Health care provider, Massage, Medical Specialties, Medicine, Pain, Pain management, Popsicle

Finding Halloween Costumes for Your Kids

December 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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As a mom, you always want to give your children what’s best. Even if it’s just small things like playing dress-up or getting an inexpensive toy that they would really like to have, you try to please them. It’s not always easy to do, especially if you’re tired and money is tight. However, there are plenty of ways you can make your kids happy. Buying them something isn’t always necessary, as just playing with them and showing you care about them can be enough. You’ll also want to do something nice for them on special holidays, so you can all celebrate together.

Whether you need something for a birthday, a Christmas pageant, a school play, or you’re looking for Halloween costumes, there are plenty of options. Some people make their own costumes for their kids, but a lot of parents are busy and want to just buy them, instead. With fancier clothing for holidays, buying is required unless you’re a good seamstress. Your kids aren’t going to mind you buying something for them instead of making it with your own hands. What matters to them is that you love them and care for them. They can see that you do, and they won’t forget that.

It’s important to show your children every day just how much they mean to you. Children can often get confused, or misunderstand something that’s said in passing or as a joke. As you spend time with your children, make sure you talk at their level and be clear about what you’re telling them. Be sure they understand, so they don’t have to feel bad about something they misunderstood. Raising children isn’t always easy, but it brings so much joy to the life of a mom and can be a very rewarding thing to do with your life.

Filed Under: Baby Products, Child Birth, Child Care, General Tagged With: Clothing, Construction, Costume, Halloween costume, Home, Parenting, Parties, Recreation

New Parents New Home

November 23, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Once you come home with your newborn child, you may realize that your home or apartment is way too small to raise your kid. Your space is fine until your child starts crawling around. With the lack of space available, your next step is to move into a new home with more space for your child to roam around. Many first time parents do not realize how much space a baby needs until the child is a little older. Without proper planning, you can end up with a home that does not suit your purpoes.

As long as you have some money saved up, you can finally go out and find the house you want to share with your family. As long as you have planned for it, the cost should not be a problem as chances are, you have already put the down payment aside. Once you have found your new home, always be sure to counter offer the price offered on the house to get the best possible bargain. This is one thing you should definitely work on with your agent. The next step is to find the best home owners insurance available to you, and one way to do that is to get several quotes and compare home insurance. Remember the cheapest insurance is not always the best, but plenty of information is available online, or your agent will be able to work with you and find you something that fits into your budget.

Purchasing your new home will seem like a piece of cake when you compare it to actually moving in and settling in your new home. Though it is very stressful, be sure to enjoy every moment. Like you new baby, your new home is a part of your family and your child’s upbringing too. Cherish every moment and enjoy the process.

Filed Under: Child Birth, Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Child, Home insurance, Insurance

Infertility

October 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Causes of Infertility

Infertility is defined as an inability to get pregnant after six months to a year of regular intercourse. About 85 percent of all couples who would like to have a baby are able to conceive within a year, but you may want to see a doctor at the six month mark or earlier if you know if any of the following describes your situation. For women:

* You are 30 or older.
* It has been six months or more since you had a period.
* You’ve had multiple miscarriages.
* Your periods hurt or are irregular.
* You have endometriosis, pain in your pelvis, or pelvic inflammatory disease.

For men:

* Your sperm count is low.
* You’ve had problems with your testicles or your prostrate.
* You’ve had sexual problems.

You could have problems conceiving if you are older; you are stressed; your nutrition is poor; you are overweight or obese; you’ve been treated for cancer; you use alcohol or drugs; and you have other medical conditions, such as diabetes or anemia. You might also be affected by something toxic in your environment, such as lead, insecticides, and herbicides.

In 40 to 50 percent of all cases, the woman is infertile, just because the whole process of an egg being released from an ovary, traveling through the fallopian tube, being fertilized, and moving into the uterus is so complicated. For 30 to 40 percent, both the man and the woman have problems causing the infertility. In the remaining 10 to 20 percent, the man is infertile.

What Now?

If you are infertile, medical help may make it possible for you to get pregnant. A doctor can’t change how old you are, or take away chronic diseases like cancer or diabetes, but you can certainly improve the odds in your favor as much as possible. The doctor can look for the cause of your infertility, and may be able to correct the problem completely or use strategies such as in vitro fertilization.

Filed Under: Child Birth, Parenting Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Fertilisation, Health, Infertility, Pelvic inflammatory disease, Pregnancy, Reproductive Health, Women's Health

After Baby is Born

October 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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The moment has arrived! You finally get to bring home the proverbial bundle of joy. So now what happens? What do you need to do?

Sometimes this depends on the amount of preparation you did before the baby arrived. Some families may need to look at ways to cut expenses, like switching to discount car insurance, to save money for diapers. Others may need to decide where baby is going to sleep for the first months.

First, plan to get rest. You just went through an excruciating labor and delivery that has left you a bit weak and very tired. Expect to be sore after giving birth. Don’t be hard on yourself, or your body, if you don’t spring back as fast as you had hoped. Look at all the work you have done. Don’t expect to have a six-pack right after giving birth. Your stomach muscles will still be soft and expanded.

Exercise will help tighten those muscles again, although the trick may be finding the time. Check into baby and mommy exercise classes at the local gym or hospital. Moms can bring their babies to class, and no one is going to frown when you have to take a break to nurse the baby. Working out with strollers has become another popular way to incorporate exercise into your day. An instructor will lead the group through exercises and a cardiovascular workout.

Second, find other new moms. Meeting with a playgroup has helped many a new mom through those first months. Who else but new parents are willing to spend hours discussing the nuances of infancy: bowel movements, spitting up, breast feeding, pumping milk, getting no sleep, losing the baby weight. The list is endless. You won’t feel so alone knowing that there are others experiencing the same emotions that you are.

Filed Under: Baby Foods, Baby Products, Baby Toys, Child Birth Tagged With: Breastfeeding, Childbirth, Family, Home, Infant, Mother, Parenting, Physical exercise

Gentle Discipline: An Alternative to Behaviorism

October 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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Behaviorism and Parenting

Behaviorism, which is a dominant philosophy of psychology, is based on the idea of only looking at behaviors, without paying attention to what is going on internally. Many of the parenting books that are currently in print are based on behaviorism. If you read something that recommends creating a sticker chart for your child, for example, then you are reading about a behaviorism technique.

On one level, behaviorism does make sense. No one can change the past, and so spending a lot of time analyzing what can’t be changed isn’t going to help you deal with problems that exist right now. But at the same time, neglecting the fact that your child has an internal life is not the most sensible approach, either. Parents ought to be considering all aspects of their child’s life, internal as well as external, in order to most effectively parent. And although behaviorism books are certainly plentiful, other approaches do exist.

Some Alternatives to Behaviorism

Maybe now is the time for you to consider learning more about some of the alternatives to behaviorism. After all, if your child is old enough for you to be able to have a conversation, why not try what reasoning can accomplish? You might be surprised by the result.

The following books offer you an excellent starting point for some parenting alternatives:

* Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline: The 7 Basic Skills for Turning Conflict into Cooperation written by Becky Bailey.

* For Parents and Teenagers: Dissolving the Barrier Between You and Your Teen, by William Glasser.

* The Manipulative Child: How to Regain Control and Raise Resilient, Resourceful, and Independent Kids, by Ernest Swihart Jr. and Patrick Cotter. (Please note: The title of this book is a rotten one, but the book itself is excellent and can teach you a lot.)

* Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason, by Alfie Kohn.

Filed Under: Child Birth, Parenting Tagged With: Alfie Kohn, Books, Family, Home, Parent, Shopping, Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason, William Glasser

Touch Deprivation and Adoption: What Do You Need to Know?

October 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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What Happens When Children Suffer Touch Deprivation?

People need to be touched. Doctors have known this for a long time. In World War II, studies done on orphaned English children showed that children who were not touched became depressed and sometimes died, even though they had food, shelter, and clothing.

The same sad results were also seen in Romanian orphanages after a coup deposed Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989. After Ceaucescu’s death, some families placed many children in state-run orphanages where caregiver ratios were between 8:1 and 60:1.
A neuroscientist named Mary Carlson studied these abandoned children and found the results to be “pretty shocking” These neglected children were smaller than they should have been (at best, they were in the tenth percentile) and were delayed in development of their motor skills and their mental development. They had abnormal amounts of cortisol in their bodies, indicating a problem with too much stress, and many of them were unable to form normal, warm, human attachments with others.

Research Your Options

If you plan to adopt a child who has been institutionalized, you are probably aware of how difficult it can be for adoptive parents. For example, Torry Hansen is a mother from Tennessee who adopted, and then returned, a seven-year-old boy she had adopted from Russia in April 2010. When she sent her adoptive son to Moscow, a huge amount of controversy was unleashed. Some Russian leaders started saying they wanted to stop all U.S. adoptions until new procedures could be written. Adoption experts were saddened to think that other adoptions might fall through, making it harder to find good homes for children.

A family that plans to adopt a child who may have suffered touch deprivation at a critical stage of development needs to understand that the damage can be serious. If you follow through with an adoption, you will need to build a strong support system for yourself as well as your adopted child.

Filed Under: Child Birth, Parenting Tagged With: Adoption, Family, Home, International, Moscow, Russia, Tennessee, World War II