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Apr 16

5 Best Books to Read While Pregnant

by mom


Families are flooded with media about pregnancy and childbirth. Publishers happily send free magazines, television shows are devoted to the subject and even full websites have been born to share information about the process of pregnancy and childbirth. If that weren’t enough to prevent an expectant mom from buying a book on the subject, when she arrives at the book store she finds herself searching through shelves of books trying to find just the right one.

It is worth it to buy a book, if you know what you are looking for. Every book is different, written for a different purpose by an author with a unique expertise. The following books are five of the best about pregnancy and childbirth, but they may not all be good matches for you. Choose the book or books that have the best chances of answering your questions in a way you can relate to.

For Fun

Birthing from Within by Pam England and Rob Horowitz is by no means your typical childbirth text. Written by a midwife, it talks about the spiritual, emotional and psychological issues surrounding birth missed by most other authors. Instead of telling you what to do, the book is designed to help you discover who you are and where your strengths lie. This is done through games, art projects and a variety of other activities. Mothers who are looking for something other than the nuts and bolts of pregnancy will find Birthing from Within a welcome treat. However, mothers who are looking for answers may find the book too vague and scattered and would do better to pair this book with another more intentional about answering questions.

For Education

Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley and Ann Keppler covers everything you could think to ask about the entire childbearing year. Written very much like a text book, this comprehensive guide is well indexed and follows a logical sequence with charts to help you quickly find and compare information. The authors’ expertise as nurses, childbirth educators and doulas is displayed in the wide variety of information they share, from the physical process to how it feels and what to do about it. Mothers who are pregnant for the first time, or want to understand more about the process of pregnancy and childbirth will love reading this book cover to cover. Experienced mothers who know the basics will benefit from looking up answers to specific questions.

For Information

New Active Birth by Janet Balaskas shares the information you need to know to work with your body during labor. Moving beyond the basics of what options are available and what different terms mean, Active Birth explains the movements of the baby through the pelvis and how to help your baby make these moves. Authored by a childbirth educator, the book not only explains what to do, but why you should do it based on good body mechanics. With exercises for pregnancy to help you learn to move your pelvis, this is the perfect book for any mother looking for the next step of information to help her prepare for labor. Mothers without previous birth experience may find the book too focused on position and movement of labor to answer all their questions and should use it in combination with another book.

For Courage

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin is written in such a warm style you feel as if the author is a trusted friend sharing her experience. Rather than being impersonal, Ina May’s Guide treats birth as a normal, healthy event and celebrates the wonderful experiences women have during pregnancy and labor. Not shy about answering embarrassing questions, and not to proud to admit mistakes, the author, a midwife experienced in homebirth, teaches you about labor from her first hand experiences. Most mothers will feel much more confident in their ability to give birth after reading this book, however a handful of mothers find it difficult to read because of the non-standard terminology used (i.e. rushes instead of contractions).

For a Challenge

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Childbirth by Heci Goyer is a synopsis of the medical research on pregnancy and childbirth. Rather than saying “do what your doctor tells you and you’ll be OK,” The Thinking Woman’s Guide challenges you to pay attention to what is happening to your body and to be a part of the decision making process. The author, an award winning medical writer specializing in birth issues, holds nothing back when exposing common misunderstandings and myths that can harm you during labor. With information about how to avoid unnecessary procedures, and advice about how to make the procedures better if you need them, most mothers will find this book indispensable as they prepare for childbirth. However, the text of the book is filled with research findings and mothers who get overwhelmed with too much information may prefer to start with the pros and cons of each chapter, reading the text if they want or need more information on a subject.
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Home And Family

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Apr 15

Difference Between Analog and Digital?

by mom


Analog and Digital

As a technology, analog is the process of taking an audio or video signal (the human voice) and translating it into electronic pulses. Digital on the other hand is breaking the signal into a binary format where the audio or video data is represented by a series of “1″s and “0″s. Simple enough when it’s the deviceanalog or digital phone, fax, modem, or likewisethat does all the converting for you.

Digital versus analog can refer to method of input, data storage and transfer, the internal working of an instrument, and the kind of display. The word comes from the same source as the word digit and digitus.

The digital technology breaks your voice (or television) signal into binary code a series of 1s and 0s transfers it to the other end where another device (phone, modem or TV) takes all the numbers and reassembles them into the original signal. The beauty of digital is that it knows what it should be when it reaches the end of the transmission. That way, it can correct any errors that may have occurred in the data transfer. What does all that mean to you? Clarity. In most cases, you’ll get distortion-free conversations and clearer TV pictures. The nature of digital technology allows it to cram lots of those 1s and 0s together into the same space an analog signal uses. Like your button-rich phone at work or your 200-plus digital cable service, that means more features can be crammed into the digital signal. Digital offers better clarity, but analog gives you richer quality. Digital like the VCR or the CD is coming down in cost and coming out in everything from cell phones to satellite dishes.

Phone lines

Digital lines are found in large, corporate phone systems. Though digital lines carry lower voltages than analog lines, they still pose a threat to your analog equipment.

Analog lines also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), support standard phones, fax machines, and modems. These are the lines typically found in your home or small office

There are digital-to-analog adapters that not only let you use analog equipment in a digital environment, but also safeguard against frying the internal circuitry of your phone, fax, modem, or laptop.

Cordless phone

The very nature of digital technologybreaking a signal into binary code and recreating it on the receiving endgives you clear, distortion-free cordless calls.

Cordless phones with digital technology are also able to encrypt all those 1s and 0s during transmission so your conversation is safe from eavesdroppers. Plus, more power can be applied to digital signals and thus, you’ll enjoy longer range on your cordless phone conversations.

The advantage to analog cordless products? Well, they’re a bit cheaper. And the sound quality is richer. So unless you need digital security, why not save a few bucks and go with an analog phone? After all, in home or small office environments where you may be the only cordless user, you won’t have any interference issues.

Keep in mind, when talking about digital and analog cordless phones, you’re talking about the signals being transferred between the handset and its base. The phones themselves are still analog devices that can only be used on analog lines. Also, the range of your cordless phoneanalog or digitalwill always depend on the environment.

Cellular Phones

Perhaps the most effective use of the digital versus analog technology is in the booming cellular market. With new phone activations increasing exponentially, the limits of analog are quickly being realized.

Digital cellular lets significantly more people use their phones within a single coverage area. More data can be sent and received simultaneously by each phone user. Plus, transmissions are more resistant to static and signal fading. And with the all-in-one phones out nowphone, pager, voice mail, internet accessdigital phones offer more features than their analog predecessors.

Analog’s sound quality is still superioras some users with dual-transmission phones will manually switch to analog for better sound when they’re not concerned with a crowded coverage areabut digital is quickly becoming the norm in the cellular market.

Better Sound Quality

Digital offers a better quality of sound. Proponents of digital claimed too that because digital scrambled up the signals into bursts, it was more secure than analog and can help thwart “cloning,” an act of grabbing phone account information over the air in order to copy then resell that information for piracy purposes. By some industry estimates, close to $650 million in wireless services has been coveted by these big-eared crooks, which only adds onto the operator’s bottom line a cost that is eventually passed on to the customer. Digital has stronger battery life than analog, and for the most part, better, more modern features on the phones.


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Communication

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Apr 13

Smoking While Breastfeeding

by mom


If you feel that you cannot give up smoking while breastfeeding, it still benefits your baby if you choose to breastfeed. Breastfeeding provides many immunities that help help your little one to fight illness and can even help counteract some of the effects of cigarette smoking.

There are also some ways that you can minimize the risks to your baby.

1. Smoke fewer than 20 Cigarettes a day Most studies show that as long as you smoke fewer than 20 cigarettes daily, you can keep the risks minimal. However, if you start smoking more than that and the risks start going up.

2. Never smoke while you are breastfeeding – You should never smoke while you are actually nursing your baby. This results in him or her breathing in the smoke, which is very harmful, and also elevates the nicotine levels in your blood, which can be transferred through your milk.

3. Avoid nursing right after smoking – It takes at least 1.5 hours to get half of that nicotine out of your blood stream. In addition, smoking before you nurse can cause problems with your letdown as well.

4. Never ever smoke around your baby (or anyone else’s baby!) If you are going to smoke, make sure that you never do it around kids. Go in another room, or better yet, go outdoors so little ones are not exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke.

But if you want to try to quit, are smoking cessation aids that replace nicotine safe while breastfeeding? The answer is that they are actually safer than smoking. When used as directed, these products pose no more problems for the breastfeeding infant than maternal smoking does and without the dangers of second-hand smoke.
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Health And Fitness

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Apr 7

The Best Weight-Loss Program For The Stay-At-Home Mom

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One of the biggest problems for stay-at-home moms, is how to stay on a diet. The refrigerator and the goodies cabinet are right there. How do you keep from snacking? The first thing the stay-at-home mom has to do is read all of the labels on the “convenience food” that is in the freezer and the cabinet. Kids love macaroni and cheese. If you are preparing typical, boxed macaroni and cheese, one serving is going to provide 26% of your recommended daily fat intake for the day. How do you cut that down? It’s easy. Use whole-grain pasta, low-fat shredded cheese, and one- or two-percent skim milk. Making it yourself will take just about the same time and it will taste better.

Stock the refrigerator with fruits and fresh vegetables. Low-fat meat, which includes chicken, fish and well-trimmed pork, provide all of the protein that you will need. Stock the dry-goods cabinet with whole-grain cereals and pasta. Use a whole-grain bread, whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel. When you buy snack food, read the label. Bananas are good, right?  If you are talking about fresh bananas the answer is yes. However, if you look at the label of the fried banana chips, there is as much fat in them as there are in potato chips.

The stay-at-home mom has far more advantages for a healthy diet than her go-to-work counterpart. The stay-at-home mom can pick and choose what she eats and when she eats it. Five or six small meals are far better for you than three large ones. Smaller meals will allow your body to process the food more efficiently and increase your metabolism. Lean meats, leafy vegetables, and fresh fruits are as close as the refrigerator. Wholesome snacks are as available in your pantry. The stay-at-home mom has far more opportunities to pick and choose what she eats since almost everything that is available is what she has purchased at the grocery store. Careful planning and intelligent choices allow the stay-at-home mom to carefully plan her weight-loss program.

One thing that cannot be stressed highly enough is to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Providing your body with enough water encourages your body to shed all of the water that it stores as a natural process. Yes you will be “running to the bathroom” for a period of time, but it’s your body shedding the stored water it has accumulated, not the water you are drinking.

The best weight-loss program for the stay-at-home mom is simply reading the nutritional values of what she is buying and making intelligent choices. Eating smaller meals more often without resorting to convenience foods will increase her metabolism. Drinking enough water allows the body to shed all the water it has stored. The best nutritional program for weight loss for the stay-at-home mom is simply making intelligent choices and then sticking with them.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom who would like more information on healthy weight loss, click here to learn about the best kept Weight Loss Secret

If you want to lose weight the right way, fast and easily, visit our blog at http://www.loseweightresources.com and learn how you can start losing weight right away! 


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Nutrition

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Mar 30

Tips On How To Stop Breastfeeding

by mom


Sooner or later breastfeeding must come to an end. But what if your baby simply refuses to stop breastfeeding? Many mothers face this problem but a few simple tips can help ease the pain of weaning for both mother and child.

For many mother and their children stopping breastfeeding occurs naturally. The baby starts taking an interest in the food being eaten by others around her and begins to eat solid foods for herself. As the baby eats more solids, the less she wants her mother’s breastmilk. However some children simply refuse to voluntarily stop breastfeeding and many mothers can become upset, tired and at their wits-end as to how to stop breastfeeding altogether. If you’re having problems stopping breastfeeding, then the following tips may be of help.

Avoid going cold turkey. This is usually very upsetting for the child, which in turn causes tantrums. Instead it is better to reduce the number of breastfeeds during the day, perhaps replacing the feed with a bottle or cup of mother’s expressed milk. This gradual reduction of time spent sucking at the breast will ease the child sense of loss or discomfort, especially if bottle fed with her mother’s breast milk. Eventually, breastmilk could be replaced with formula.

Many children cry when they wake up in the middle of the night. Usually it is the mother who tries to sooth the baby back to sleep. Unfortunately, this soothing process can mean breastfeeding the child. It might be better if the baby’s father, or some other person, who the child feels secure with, takes care of her. Many mothers will instinctively go to their child if the child is crying, so it might also be a good idea to try to stay out of earshot. The child may take quite some time with this new regime but perseverance is the key. Eventually, when the child has been weaned off these nighttime feeds, the mother can go back to settling the back at night.

With an older child – who is able to talk and understand what is being said – you could begin by putting limits on where and when you breastfeed. Tell her, “We only breastfeed in at naptime and bedtime” or “We only breastfeed when it is dark outside”.
When you are ready to stop entirely, you could simply tell her, “You are a big girl now, and big girls don’t breastfeed”. It is important to remember that with children of this age, the emotional stress caused by stopping breastfeeding can be great. Therefore replace the lack of breastfeeding with more cuddles; replace her emotional dependency on breastfeeding with other physical comforts.

It is also important to take care of your breasts during this time. Any distress or pain felt by the mother will be picked up by the child who will then also feel upset, thus aggravating an already delicate situation. By gradual reduction of breastfeeding you should help ease engorgement of your breasts. Your milk supply should gradually decrease. If it doesn’t and your breasts feel uncomfortable, then express your breastmilk- this can be given to your baby in either bottle or cup. Cabbage leaves are known to help reduce engorgement. Crush the cabbage leaves with a rolling pin if the leaves do not accommodate to the shape of your breast. Wrap the cabbage leaves around the breast and leave on for about 20 minutes. Twice daily is enough. It is usual to use the cabbage leaf treatment two or three times or less. You can use the cabbage leaves after each feeding and leave them on until they wilt.
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Womens Interests

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Mar 28

Potty Training Boys – 7 Sure Fire Ways To Mess Up

by mom




There is no doubt getting out of diapers marks a milestone in any child’s development. Do not make potty training boys any harder than it needs to be.

1. Starting potty training without the necessary communication skills

Solution: wait until your little boy understands simple instructions and knows the words associated with using a potty. Start a daily pre-potty training routine that teaches your child these developmental skills.

2. Other carers using different training techniques

Solution: agree in advance a toilet training program all carers will follow otherwise you just confuse the child.

3. Showing displeasure when accidents happen

Solution: face facts, accidents will happen. Disapproval or punishment only increases the likelihood of future accidents or physiological issues. Learn to count to ten and smile. Watch the tone of your voice. Use training pants.

4. Pushing your child too hard leading to stress and constipation

Solution: work out a strategy that makes potty training fun for you and your little boy. Think about teaching a boy doll to potty train and using wallcharts and stickers.

5. Inadequate fiber in diet leading to painful bowel movements

Solution: ensure lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in diet. Increase intake of fluids, especially water. Do not start potty training if child is constipated.

6. Not setting aside sufficient time for toilet training

Solution: block off a weekend or a few days. Give child and potty training the focus and attention they deserve.

7. Starting potty training when your little boy is stressed

Solution: wait until any emotional issue has been resolved. Waiting a few weeks or months is better than adding to your child’s stress.
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Home And Family

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Mar 27

Becoming at Physical Therapy Assistant?

by mom
I have a 4 year degree in Exercise Physiology and was considering becoming a PTA. Would I have to go through an associate program or could I simply study and talk the PTA exam? If this is not an option please provide suggestions for jobs in rehab that I may be qualified to perform. I also have one year personal training experience and 3 years experience as a Physical Education teacher. I’m currently enrolled in graduate school for counseling and work PT in a juvenile detention center.

PS

Any suggestions on where to look for these types of jobs would be appreciated. I do not currently hold a CPR/FA or personal trainer certification. Guess I should work on getting those.
Yeah that’s what I thought…so lame.
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Health Care

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Mar 26

Work at Home For Moms – How to Start Your Own WAHM Business?

by mom


Today, unlike several years ago, its very easy and cheap to start your own “work at home moms” business. You can find ready made affiliate website for as little as $5 or subscribe and get several of them each month for no more then $25. All you have to do is drive some traffic to these sites and more or less you can not fail to make at least a few hundred dollars per month.

Most of these starter kits will also have some sort of traffic guide included so you have even that covered, and if you have some extra money to invest (no more then $50 per month) you can even find people to drive traffic to these sites for you – how easy is that?!

Naturally WAHM business model has many advantages over regular 9 to 5 rat race, from work schedule flexibility to not wasting time commuting every day, this alone should save you at least two hours each day that you can spend with your family. As I’ve already said you even do not have to spend a lot of money to start your own home business, especially if you compare it with traditional business models.

For example if you decide to become an affiliate many of affiliate directories will provide many of the things you’ll need for free, stuff like hosting, web design and many will even provide top notch training. Now why would anyone give you anything for free, I mean it must be some kind of a scam, right?!

Not necessarily, you see they want you to succeed, because if you make money they make money, the more you make the more they make, it’s as simple as that. Can you think of any other business model where a person you have never met is trying to help you succeed? Me neither!

Affiliate marketing as a business model for WAHM’s has even more advantages, you do not have to deal with costumers or have anything to do with shipment or product creation. All you need to do is buy your own PC/MAC, provide your own internet connection and you’re in business, naturally many moms already have all this so it’s even easier to start.

Once you decide to start your own WAHM business, you’ll need to decide what product you want to promote, do you prefer health related products or technical stuff like HDTV’s or cell phones. In most cases it smart to promote subscription based products so once you get a sale you go on receiving commission every month for as long as this person remains a costumer.

Fortunately today there are virtually millions of WAHM business programs you can choose from, try to choose an area you know something about or would like to find out more. However if you buy a pre made affiliate website then you will have to promote this niche, but since everything is already done for you that should not be a problem.

Whatever path you choose spend a little time reviewing the programs available, and then select the one that you feel will work for you. With all the new opportunities internet is providing us with starting your own WAHM business is now easier then ever before.
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Home Based Business

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Mar 26

Benefits of Single Parent Involvement in Child Education

by mom


Single parent involvement in child education may seem hard to do, but in reality, it is easier than you think.

Benefits of Parental Involvement in Child Education

A parent’s involvement in their child’s school and academic life has positive effects on her child’s growth, not only in school, but later on in life. The more a parent is involved in her child’s education, the more likely the child is to achieve higher than average grades, and develop a positive attitude towards school and homework. These children are also more likely to pursue higher education.

Given the benefits, for some parents, however, involvement in their child’s education may seem unworkable, and is true especially for working and single parents. Single parent involvement in child education is a challenge. Single parents feel they may not be able to contribute to their child’s learning or to their child’s school because of endless commitments to work, time constraints, and financial struggles.

It is possible to get involved in your child’s education!

Difficult as it seems, it is absolutely crucial for parents to find the time to participate in their child’s education. Single parent involvement in child education may currently seem unattainable, but take heart, there are simple things single or working parents can do to further their child’s education and ability to learn.

Single parent involvement in child education may be as simple as finding out what your child is being taught in school and asking them about their day. Single parents can try alternative ways to become involved in their child’s education, such as quiz your child as you make dinner, have a mock “at home spelling bee” on the weekends or make the most of the morning drive by popping an educational CD into the car stereo when bringing your child to school.

Single parents can set aside time during the evenings to read to or just spend time talking with their children. Single parents should also put together a schedule and set specific times for homework and tutoring to take place. Clearing a space for your child to study will help reinforce the importance of focus while engaging in school work.

If possible, single parent involvement in child education should extend to the classroom. Periodically, single parents can attend parent-teacher conferences, and other school events, or join the PTA.

Putting a child in team sports, music lessons and art classes can help develop a his capacity for learning. Though this may be a big time commitment for the parent, it will pay off down the road, as children pick up valuable social skills and benefit from a well- rounded education based on active learning.

Ultimately, it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure their child gets a quality education. Single parent involvement in child education may seem so a hard task at times, but is crucial to the ongoing development and continuing success of your child in life.


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Education

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Mar 22

How to deal with the criticism about being a SAHM?

by mom


My husband and I have a 2 1/2 year old daugther, and I am pregnant with our second child.

We made the choice to live on one income. I have strong feelings about it. I was raised in a home where my parents both worked a lot, and I always had to take over cleaning the house and caring for my younger brother because of it. I was very unhappy, and felt like my parents put having nicer things ahead of us kids.

Plus, there is the fact that I would either have to put my child in daycare (which sickens me, and would cost most of my paycheck anyway), or I would have to work the opposite shift of my husband, and we’d never see eachother. I dont feel like its healthy for the kids if their parents dont even have a relationship.

We do fine on just one income, and my husbands schedule still allows him a good ammount of family time. Plus, he enjoys his job, so he is happy.

continued…
Despite the fact that this is what works best for our family, I still have to deal with rude comments and questions.

My own brothers ask me when I’m going to “stop being lazy and get a real life”.
I try to explain our situation, but I guess I’m not getting through.

They all work their butts off, and have their kids in daycare all the time, and they STILL dont have much more than we do. Not enough for me to feel that its worth everything they are giving up. Yet they feel like they are “better”

I dont feel like I should have to explain all of this to every person who feels like attacking our decision.

Is it possible to curb the insults and criticisim, or is it something I just have to get used to?
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Chewing Gum

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