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I have received several comments on my article, Early Signs of Pregnancy, from readers wondering what they should do if they think they may be pregnant. I thought I would write a quick article with some suggestions to help other readers who may be wondering the same thing.
There are really only a couple of things you can to do determine if you really are pregnant.
- You can opt to take a home pregnancy test. These can be purchased from any pharmacy or grocery store. There are many options on the market so be sure to read the labels and pick one that suits you preferences and needs. Home pregnancy tests have fairly high accuracy rates when used correctly and used at the proper time. False positives are very rare.
OR
- You can visit your doctor for a doctor administered urine pregnancy test (similar to home pregnancy tests) or a blood test. Many women feel more comfortable hearing the results directly from their doctor, especially if you are unsure about performing the home test properly. If you don’t have a regular doctor or lack health insurance you can also go to a clinic to have these doctor administered tests.
There are many early signs of pregnancy from sore and swollen breasts, cramping, exhaustion, morning sickness, and lack of or late period. All of these symptoms can also be signs of other things that may be going on, which makes it important to find out for sure. Any time you have unprotected sex (and even protected sex since no birth control is 100% accurate) there is a chance of getting pregnant. If you suspect that you may be pregnant the best thing is to take a pregnancy test.
If you have questions or concerns about your early pregnancy symptoms, or about how to get and administer a pregnancy test you should contact your doctor.
Pregnancy comes with many common symptoms ranging from fatigue to morning sickness to heartburn. During pregnancy it is difficult to deal with a lot of these symptoms because you need to be extra careful with what you put into your body. A good approach to dealing with some of the common pregnancy symptoms is by utilizing natural cures.
Morning Sickness:
- Reduce or cut our excessively fatty or spicy foods
- Avoid those odors that induce your morning sickness
- Try acupressure (seabands)
- Try introducing ginger into your diet
Heartburn:
- Eat smaller meals more often
- Avoid foods that you know trigger your heartburn
- Avoid eating late in the evening as this can trigger heartburn at night
- Avoid wearing tight clothing
- Try sleeping with multiple pillows under your head to help elevate you a bit
Constipation:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat plenty of high fiber foods
- Drink lots of water
Fatigue:
- Exercise regularly
- Take small naps during the day
- Get enough sleep every day, try going to bed and getting up at the roughly the same time.
- Eat a balanced diet
Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about any of your pregnancy symptoms. You should never take any supplements without first consulting your doctor.
Whether you are pregnant and trying to keep your stress levels down, or already a parent and trying to manage stress in your life so it doesn’t impact your family life, stress busters can be a life saver. People find stress creep into their lives from many different directions, work, family life, finances, busy schedule, health, you mention it and I’m sure it is stressing someone out right now.
The key to living with and through stressful times is to find those little things that work as stress busters for you. Those activities that allow you to let go of the stress and relax. Each person is different in how they deal with stress and how they alleviate their stress. Here are a few simple suggestions of simple stress busters.
Take a walk: it can be a simple walk around the block by yourself to clear you mind, a nice stroll with your spouse to give you time to talk, or a walk with your little one just to get some fresh air. Be outside and active can work wonders when you are feeling stressed.
Call a friend: talking to friends can work wonders to help you get things off your chest. It is amazing how much better you can feel after a good talk with a friend.
Write in a Journal: some people find writing their thoughts and feelings down is a great way to keep their life in perspective and alleviate stress. It can be something you do every day or only when you are feeling a little stressed out.
Play a game: either alone or with your family, playing a game can help get your mind off what is stressing you out and put a smile on your face.
Exercise: sometimes a walk just isn’t enough. Try working up a sweat with some other exercise like running or riding a bike or taking an aerobics class. You can sweat out your stress!
Take a nap: sometimes we feel stressed more easily when we are tried. Taking a nap can give you some time by yourself to work out the problem, and can also give you a little rest to help you deal with the stress when you feel more awake.
Have a relaxing bath: make your bathroom into your own little spa. Soak in the tub to relax and let your cares melt away.
There are many things you can do to alleviate stress. Find those things that work best for you and when you begin to feel stress creeping into your life turn to your stress busters. If you are concerned about your level of stress or feel like it is impacting your health be sure to consult with your doctor.
Babies cry, it is a fact, an unavoidable fact. They cry because that is really their only way to communicate that they need something. Babies cry for many reasons (and sometimes for no reason at all), and parents become really good as they get more experienced, at recognizing what each individual cry means. Sometimes you will not have a clue what your baby wants, that’s ok. The key is to make sure all their needs are being taken care of and you are doing what you can to make them comfortable. If they still cry, it could be just because, babies do that sometimes.
It often takes trial and error to figure out your own baby, but it can be helpful to know what the common reasons babies cry are when you are still trying figure things out. Here are 7 common reasons why babies cry.
- Babies cry because they are hungry. As you learn about your baby you will begin to recognize the signs your baby is hungry before she even starts to cry, and may even be able to avoid the hunger cry. You will also begin to recognize which of you baby’s cries signifies hunger.
- Babies cry when their diaper needs changing. Each baby is different, some will cry for a diaper change the minute it gets dirty, while others will wait a while before they make their demands known. Babies don’t like to be uncomfortable, and as you can imagine having a dirty diaper is uncomfortable, so it is no wonder that it makes them cry.
- Babies cry because they are too hot or too cold. Again, babies don’t like to be uncomfortable, so when they feel too hot or too cold they will cry to let you know that something needs to be changed.
- Babies cry because they want to be held. Babies like attention, they like to be held, and they will cry to let you know it is time to pay attention to them and hold them close.
- Babies cry when they are over stimulated or have had enough of a something. People often feel the need to constantly entertain and stimulate their babies, babies don’t like that. If they have had enough they will cry.
- Babies cry when they are sick. Admit, sometimes we all want to cry when we feel under the weather, but for a baby it is the only way they have to tell mom or dad that they feel sick. There will often be other signs like a fever, but you will learn to recognize those cries that tell you something is wrong.
- Last but not least, babies cry for no reason. Often there is a reason that your baby is crying, but if you have run down the list of everything you can think of and everything is fine, chances are your baby is just crying for no reason at all. It happens all the time, some babies will cry every day at the same time for the same amount of time just because. There isn’t much you can do but wait it out.
If you have any concerns or questions be sure to consult your doctor. The best thing to remember is that there isn’t always a reason for the crying, remembering that can help you keep your sanity.
Many families are opting to make their own baby food. There are several reasons to consider making your own baby food including as a cost savings measure and to better control what goes into your child’s mouth. Making your own baby food can sound like a very time consuming and difficult task, but really it isn’t all that bad. You can make fairly large quantities at one time and store it making it a little easier, and as long as you make sure you have all the necessary tools you should be all set. It isn’t necessarily as easy as opening that convenient little jar of baby food, but when you way the health advantages you just may find it is worth the extra effort.
There are a few things to think about if you decide to try your hand at making your own baby food.
- Make sure your preparation area is clean and contamination free. Take the time to clean the surfaces you will be using, make sure all the kitchen tools you use are clean as well, and finally make sure the foods you are preparing have been washed.
- Make food choices that are nutritious. Opt for fresh or frozen options instead of canned that often contain lots of extra salt and other things you don’t want. Do some research to find out which foods offer the most nutritional value for your growing child.
- Follow all cooking directions to ensure all the foods, especially meats, are being cooked thoroughly and safely. Avoid adding any unnecessary additives like salt or sugar so that the end product maintains the best possible nutritional value.
- Consider your child’s chewing ability, or lack there of, when preparing the food. Be sure to adequately puree foods and don’t leave chunks that could become choking hazards.
- Store foods in a safe manner and don’t use them past their prime. You should do some research to determine how long you can keep certain foods safely and be sure to throw them out if it past their time. It would be a good idea to date anything you are storing so you don’t forget how long it has been in the fridge or freezer.
If you have questions about making your own baby food talk to your pediatrician or consult a child nutritionist. You can also find lots of resources online. Preparing your own baby food is a good option of you have the time, space, and tools.