Pregnancy Information |
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Parenting Starts Before PregnancyMargaret Paul, Ph.D. While it may seem farfetched to some people, many of my clients remember what they felt and experienced while still in the womb. Comments such as these are not unusual: “I knew even before I was born that my mother didn’t want me.” “I could feel my mother’s fear and anxiety even before I was born.” Parenting does not start once the child is born. Good parenting starts even before getting pregnant. It starts by caring about what you eat, how much exercise and sleep you get, and by making sure that you are taking responsibility for your feelings of anxiety and stress. Your baby will feel what you feel, so learning how to be in peace and joy before getting pregnant is part of good parenting. I loved being pregnant. I had always wanted children so I was thrilled to be pregnant. I loved feeling the baby moving within me, awed by the very fact of creating new life. I loved feeling an elbow or a knee slide across my stomach. I loved that my body could be a receptacle for bringing through this soul, this angel from heaven. I could not think of anything more profound, more worth doing. Who was this unique little person growing in my body I read every book I could on parenting and thought endlessly how I wanted to be a different parent than my parents were. The problem was that I have never thought about how much my relationship with myself and with my husband might affect this child. My husband was angry, distant and withdrawn during my pregnancy and the first three months after giving birth to our son. He was a person who wanted control and he was not happy that I got pregnant six months before we had planned. He didn’t open his heart until our son smiled at him at three months of age. Being young, I had no idea how to handle the loneliness I felt at not having my husband joyfully involved in the hugest event of my life. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done anything I could to get the help we needed to bring our relationship back into caring. We can’t go back, but I’m sure that my son felt the lack of joy that existed between my husband and me. I’m sure he felt the depth of my loneliness. I wish I knew then what I know now about taking responsibility for my own feelings. Being pregnant and giving birth are enormous events in a woman’s life, especially the first child, which changes your life so dramatically. If you do not know how to take responsibility for your own feelings of anger, hurt, anxiety, depression and loneliness, things will only get worse after giving birth. A child does not solve problems for you. It’s hard to imagine before having a child what it is like to be responsible for another life 24/7. If you have not learned how to lovingly parent yourself before giving birth, you might find yourself getting lost as parent your baby. Good parenting starts before getting pregnant, with learning how to take loving care of yourself. If you have a desire to be a good parent, here are steps you can take before getting pregnant: 1. Physical health: make sure that you are in good physical shape by eliminating sugar and artificial sweeteners. Start to shop in health food stores and buy only organic products. Eliminating pesticides and food additives is essential for good health. Also be sure to get enough exercise and sleep. 2. Emotional health: instead of having your eyes on your partner, turn your eyes inward and begin to compassionately notice your own feelings. Start to treat your own feelings in the same way you are planning on treating your future child’s feelings - with caring and understanding. In addition, start to practice taking loving action in your own behalf - standing up for yourself, speaking your truth, taking time for yourself. Practice taking loving care of your own feelings instead of making your partner responsible for how you feel. Begin to notice what you think and do that may be causing you stress. Changing thoughts and behavior that cause your stress before getting pregnant is essential for good parenting. 3. Spiritual health: practice opening to a higher source of guidance, wisdom, strength and comfort. This can be your own highest, wisest self within you, or a Higher Power outside of you. You will find that being able to turn a source of wisdom and comfort within or without will go a long way in helping you stay loving and stress-free with yourself, your partner, and your baby. In addition, this will help you know what to do in different challenging situations with your baby. If you are planning on having a baby, start today in becoming a good parent!
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It can be used in the treatment of:skin problemsbronchitiswinter colds or fluliver or kidney fatiguesinusitis Just Diagnosed With a Visually Impaired Child Finding out that your child is blind, partially blind, or has low vision can be a scary experience.Some disorders will be discovered at birth, if the vision impairment has observable characteristics such as cataracts or congenital glaucoma, but many go undetected until the child doesnt meet certain visual milestones.Parents may start to notice that their child does not seem to make eye contact or track bright high contrast items.Children with profound vision loss will often have nystagmus.Nystagmus is an observable condition where the eyes tend to shift back and forth rapidly, giving the appearance of jiggling eyes.There are a few children that are born with normal vision and develop vision loss due to accidents, brain tumors, or severe illnesses.Generally if your child is not meeting typical vision milestones by around three or four months your pediatrician will refer your child to an ophthalmologist.Proper diagnosis cannot be made without a thorough exam from an ophthalmologist. Weight Gaining I learned about gaining weight when I heard the question of a skinny girl asking, "how does someone gain weight." First I came to surprise because gaining weight is not something that people want to have around you. On the other hand we hear that everyone is asking each other for tips on how to lose weight. Winning at Post-Natal Weight Loss: Six Simple Strategies for New Moms — Part 2 A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now that baby’s here, you’re probably wishing those extra pounds would hurry up and disappear!While it won’t happen overnight, these six simple tips can help you lose that extra weight in a healthy way.If you’ve missed part 1 of this article, or want to read part 3, you can find them both at http://www.mambomoms.com/articles.html How Can Green Tea Benefit My Family No doubt youve heard of Green Tea and the health benefits you can experience from drinking it. Dinner Scooped Off the Floor "We strengthen a muscle by using it, and that is true of the heart and mind, too." ------Danielle Crittenden Low-Carb Dieting During Pregnancy May Benefit Your Baby! As low-carb dieters change there eating habits, it is likely that these habits will stay with them. There is no surprise then that more and more pregnant woman are trying to maintain there low-carb routine during the months of pregnancy. There are new studies being done on low-carb dieting that point to the fat that there may be benefits in the long run for children of low-carb dieting. Alfredo, and Who on Earth Was He If you ask for pasta with Alfredo sauce at a restaurant in Italy all you get from your waiter is a stare. Why is one of the most famous “Italian sauces” for pasta unknown in its country of origin The answer is simple: because in Italy an Alfredo “sauce” doesn’t exist. Triumphing Over Tantrums Before you had kids you probably witnessed an out of control child having a temper tantrum at the store.More than likely you thought or said, "If that was my child, I would ______".Well now here you are with children of your own dealing with these exact situations.Temper tantrums are a normal part of life with toddlers and preschoolers.Almost all young children have tantrums occasionally.If handled appropriately, most children outgrow this stage by four or five. You Dont Have To Suffer With PMS We now know that premenstrual syndrome PMS is experienced by 60% of all women. What causes PMS has been difficult for researchers to pin down because each woman experiences symptoms differently. How Endometriosis Affects Conception Endometriosis is a common, yet poorly understood disease. It can strike women of any socioeconomic class, age, or race. It is estimated that between 10 and 20 percent of American women of childbearing age have endometriosis. Start Growing Healthy Children Before Getting Pregnant When I was in my early 20’s, I read Adele Davis’s book, “Let’s Eat Right To Keep fit.” I learned from her that “you are what you eat.” I also learned that our babies are what we eat while we are pregnant, and then are what they eat once they are born. If you nurse your babies, then they continue to be what you eat as long as you are nursing them. My bible during my first pregnancy over 38 years ago was “Let’s Have Healthy Children,” also by Adele Davis. I started to follow her guidelines way before getting pregnant, knowing that my health had a big effect on my baby’s health. Chinese Pregnancy Traditionally in China, when once people got married, they would immediately get ready for having a baby. That is why symbolic things such as dolls or lotus seeds would be put on the beds of the newly weds on their wedding day so as to bring in the meaning of having a baby as soon as possible. The Pregnancy Glow and Other Myths of Motherhood It happened during the ninth month of my first pregnancy. I was going through a department store check-out lane where a teenage girl was ringing up my purchases. She looked shyly at my burgeoning belly with an expression that could only be described as reverent. In Tall Grass Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 13, 2004 Sex & Pregnancy...Do They Mix As a pregnant woman, you may experience sex drives much like your moods. Up and Down! Some women claim that they have no sex drive at all during pregnancy, and others, say their sex drive is better during pregnancy. With changes to your body happening so quickly, your moods and dives may also change just as quick! Healing Heartburn Holistically Everyone at some point in time has experienced some form of heartburn. Often, what we notice is a bitter, sour or acid taste in our mouths. At times, we may feel as if partially digested foods or liquids are moving from our stomach back towards our mouth. Sometimes we may also experience chest pain that increases when we lay down. Each of these is an indication of heartburn. Fade My Freckles! Freckles, age spots, pregnancy mask - these harmless skindefects can be quite an annoying problem. We all want not onlysilky smooth complexion, but an even and healthy skin tone aswell. Feeling Sexy During Pregnancy Some people think that the word sexy and pregnancy do not belong together. I have to disagree. In fact, I have heard many men say that a woman is her sexiest and most beautiful when she is pregnant! |
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