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This week’s edition of the carnival of family life, hosted by Island Life is up. I encourage you to stop by and check out all the great submissions. Here are a few of my personal favorites from this week’s edition.
- Read about kids and car trouble over at Scribbit
- Little Mummy has some great baby gear suggestions
- MontrealMommy Blog has a great article about depression during and after pregnancy. It is an important read for all expect and new moms.
- Everyone Needs Therapy has a very interesting article about infant therapy.
- More4Kids has a great article about the different between sibling rivalry and sibling bullying.
I am also participating in a couple of other carnivals this week.
The Carnival of Education, which includes a lot of wonderful articles written by teachers, students, parents, school administrators and those just interested in the educational system. There are many great articles to read through. When you have a few minutes be sure to go check it out.
Last, but certainly not least, is the Pregnancy Carnival. You will find some great articles on topics ranging from a mom and dad checklist for preparing for birth to personal pregnancy stories.
During your first trimester prenatal visits your doctor or midwife with use certain prenatal tests in order to identify problems, keep on top of the healthy progression of your pregnancy, and check on the well being of both you and your baby.
You can expect the most testing to be done during your very first prenatal visit. Your doctor will do a blood test for several different reasons including; test the Rh factor of your blood, check for anemia, syphilis, hepatitis B, and your immunity to German measles. The doctor will also do a pelvic exam, including a pap smear and cultures for Chlamydia and gonorrhea. A urine sample will also be taken during this visit to test for urinary tract infections.
Other testing done during the first trimester will depend your doctor, your risk factor for certain diseases, and your wishes.
A few additional tests that are possible include:
- A glucose challenge test if your doctor feels you are at an increased risk for gestational diabetes.
- Testing for your immunity to chicken pox if you are unsure if you have either had the chicken pox or been vaccinated for it.
- A skin test to determine whether you have been exposed to tuberculosis.
Genetic screening is sometimes offered. This will depend on your doctor and your risk factors for genetic and chromosomal defects. Discuss need for these tests with your doctor.
Each pregnancy is different, and each prenatal caregiver’s approach to prenatal health is different. Discuss with your doctor what you can expect at the various stages of your pregnancy. If you are uncomfortable or unsure about any particular test that is being recommended discuss your concerns with your doctor or midwife.
Many children between the ages of 3 and 4 will attend a preschool program. It is a great way for your child to become familiar with a school setting and learning how to be a student prior to entering kindergarten.
A preschool program is one that is designed for children who will be entering kindergarten in the next couple of years. They are structured much like a regular classroom would be and give the child the opportunity to learn how to be a student, how to socialize well with other children and the teacher, how to share the teachers attention with other students, and gives them a head start on their basic skills in reading, math, and spelling. No matter if your child has been in a daycare program from day one or if this is the first time they will be outside the home the challenge remains finding a good program that works for you and for your child.
Preschool programs are usually available with various schedules ranging from a fulltime schedule similar to those of a daycare program to part-time schedules where the child goes either half days or only a few hours a couple of days a week. The type of program and schedule you choose will depend on the needs of your child and your family.
Finding the right preschool can be challenging. Here are a few quick things to keep in mind when you are interviewing schools.
- How far in advance does your child need to be registered? You may find that some schools have waiting lists so you will want to get your child on the list early.
- Does your child need to be toilet trained? Most preschools do require that the child be toilet trained before entering the program, be sure you know if this is the case for the school your child is attending so there aren’t any surprises.
- How involved are the parents in the school? Are their parent groups, like a PTA, that help plan programs like picnics and parties?
- How does the teacher keep you informed about your child’s progress and how do they evaluate the children? Are there progress reports that are sent home, are their parent – teacher interviews? What areas are the children measured in?
- How does the school and teacher approach bullying? What are the consequences if two children are fighting? It is important that you agree with the school’s discipline policy.
- How is each day structured? How much time is devoted to learning, playing, quiet time, etc.
Be sure to thoroughly evaluate the program before signing your child up. It is a good idea to take the time to go to the school to see what the facility is like, to watch the teacher and students interacting, and to see if the environment is the right one for your child. Most schools are more than happy to accommodate parents who are interesting in visiting their facility to evaluate it. If you are having a hard time finding a preschool talk to other parents who have children in preschool or your child’s pediatrician.
Here are a couple of websites that may help in your search for the right preschool for your child.
As the end of your pregnancy approaches you are probably becoming a little nervous about what to expect, what early signs of labor, and when the call the doctor. Every new mother has these same fears and worries. Knowing how to identify “real” labor, having all the phone numbers handy of who to call when your labor starts, and talking to your doctor about your fears will all help to ease your worries.
So what is labor? Labor is what your body does in order to prepare for and deliver your baby. The contractions help to thin and open the cervix so your baby can move down and out of the birth canal.
Labor will generally start around your due date. If you are experiencing labor symptoms early call your doctor right away. Each pregnancy is different, some women have quick labors, while others will labor for much longer. Just like with everything else about pregnancy every one is different.
Your body will begin doing things to prepare for the labor and delivery any where from a few hours to a few days before your actual labor will begin. This is commonly known as pre-labor. Here are a few early signs of labor to watch out for.
- Your may notice that your baby seems to have “dropped”. Some time during the last few weeks or days of your pregnancy the baby will begin moving into position for delivery. This is known as enlightening or “dropping”.
- You may notice that your Braxton Hicks or false labor pains are becoming stronger. These are not actual labor pains but they do work to help begin thinning out the cervix in preparation for the real thing.
- Many women experience an upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea in the days leading up to labor. Your body is getting ready for the pushing that will take place by cleaning out your system.
- You may experience bloody show (a blood streaked mucus). This typically happens as the cervix begins to dilate. The bloody show is also know as a mucus plug, which plugs the cervix during pregnancy to help prevent infections and bacteria from entering the uterus during pregnancy.
Given all the symptoms that your body is going through to prepare for “real” labor how will you know when the real thing has started? It can be difficult at first to know if what you are experiencing is indeed labor, in no time you will figure it out. Here are the signs that “real” labor has begun and it is time to call the doctor and head to the hospital.
- Contractions are coming with some frequency at regular intervals, don’t subside when you change position or drink water. When you begin to feel contractions you will want to begin timing them as the doctor will want to know how far apart they are and how long they are lasting.
- Unlike with false labor pains (Braxton Hicks contractions) you will feel real labor contractions in your back as well as your stomach. The contractions will typically begin in your back and move around to the front.
- You may feel abdominal cramping or an upset stomach, as well as experience diarrhea. This is thought to be caused by the increased hormones that prompt labor to begin.
- Your water will break, also known as ruptured membranes. Not all women will experience this, some women will have to have their water broken after arriving at the hospital.
If you experience any of these symptoms, or you have other indications that labor has begun contact your doctor. Your doctor will likely get some information from you to try to determine if this is the real thing and how far along you are. If this is indeed the real thing the doctor will advise you to head to the hospital.
Knowing what to expect and how to identify the early signs of labor can be a little nerve wracking for new mothers. Talk to your doctor or midwife about your concerns and fears. They can help educate you so you feel better prepared.
Here are a few helpful websites.
I don’t know if you had a chance to watch today’s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show (you can watch clips from the show on the website). I just happened to be home today while the show was on (I am usually at work) so I decided to watch it and I’m glad I did. Today’s show was all about the challenge of deciding whether to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, as well as the lack of maternity leave in the United States.
One of the guests was Elizabeth Vargas of ABC who decided to step down as co-anchor of World News Tonight after she found out she was pregnant with her second child. There is so much that goes into making the decision about whether to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom. It is a very personal decision and one that involves a lot of thought and consideration. No one can tell you what the right decision is for you. Elizabeth Vargas addressed the importance of quality maternity leave and how the lack of maternity leave here in the United States has a big impact on the decision of whether to stay home or go back to work after having a child.
A few months ago I wrote an article on the leave available to women in the United States after they give birth and how it compares to the leave available in other countries. Elizabeth Vargas has taken up the cause of getting the message out about the need for better maternity leave in this country. What went into your decision on whether to stay home or return to work? What would you have done differently if you could?