Contraceptive Birth Control Options and Disclosures

Contraceptive birth control prevents conception of children and can be a widely controversial method of birth control depending on religious, moral, and social opinions.  There are several different types of contraceptive birth control that we will describe here.  This is adult material meant for adult consideration.

The most common form of contraceptive birth control used today is a condom for men.  Contraceptive birth control using condoms is eighty to ninety percent effective when used in combination with spermicide.  Condoms are not full proof.  One of the major drawbacks to using condoms is that they can break or become stuck in the female’s vagina.  Condoms do not require a prescription and can be used to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

Implants are another type of contraceptive birth control.  Implants have a ninety-nine percent effective rate.  They work by inserting small tubes containing progesterone into the woman’s body.  The progesterone is released in fractional doses and prevents the woman from releasing eggs from her ovaries.  When there are no eggs, there can be no conception.  Contraceptive birth control using implants generally lasts for up to five years.  As soon as the implants are removed, fertility returns. 

A medical procedure is necessary to implant and remove these devices.  Women with certain pre-existing medical conditions are not viable candidates for implants and there can be adverse side effects.

Diaphragms have been used for contraceptive birth control for quite awhile.  They work very simply by forming a barrier to stop sperm from reaching the cervix.  Spermicide is always used in conjunction with a diaphragm.  Diaphragms are believed to be about eighty-five percent effective as a means of contraceptive birth control. 

Diaphragms are believed to be safe and fertility returns when they are no longer used.  Diaphragms require a prescription and a medical professional must fit them.

You can now be injected with contraceptive birth control medicine.  The process is ninety-nine percent effective.  There are basically two types of injections available.  One must be done on a monthly basis, while the other injection needs to be repeated every ninety days.  Contraceptive birth control injections are thought to be safe and highly effective.  The injection needs to be administered by your doctor.  Normal fertility does not return until six to twenty-four months after discontinued use of injected contraceptive birth control.

The Pill has been the most popular form of contraceptive birth control for many years.  A woman takes a pill that contains two types of man-made hormones that imitate the natural hormones in a woman’s body.  The hormones are estrogen and progesterone.  These hormones prevent the eggs from full development and release from the ovaries and cause changes in the walls of the uterus and the cervical mucus that interfere with conception.

The Pill is ninety-nine percent effective, requires a prescription and must be taken every day.  Women with certain pre-existing medical conditions should not take the Pill.

There are many other types of contraceptive birth control available, from more prescriptions to sexual abstinence.  Whatever type of contraception you are considering, be certain to talk things through with your doctor before engaging in any type of contraceptive birth control.  

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/contraceptive-birth-control-options-and-disclosures/

Kids Healthy Diet Hinges on Substitution

You can give your kids healthy diet choices that will still keep them running to, rather than away from, the dinner table.  The secret to a kids healthy diet is often just substitution.  Instead of giving them foods in their diet that are high in fat or questionable in dietary benefit, substitute a few ingredients that won’t change taste but will keep your children healthy.  For instance, when making meatballs for spaghetti, it is a good idea to substitute whole wheat or bulgur breadcrumbs for some of the ground beef and bake the meatballs rather than frying them.

Other recipe ideas for a kids healthy diet include coating chicken tenders in an almond and whole-wheat crust and cooking them in the oven rather than deep-frying in oil.  This makes for crispy, delicious chicken fingers with half the fat of the usual ones.

Another kids healthy diet recipe idea is to make baked beans into a main dish by adding chicken sausage and spinach.  Baked beans are low in fat and high in protein, adding to a kids healthy diet options.

Using whole-wheat breadcrumbs and whole-grain cereal flakes, you can make your own homemade fish sticks.  Again, cook them up in the oven instead of deep-frying and save on fat and cholesterol as part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Update a Sloppy Joe as part of a kids healthy diet by cooking down chopped mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes to make a zesty sauce added to lean ground beef.

Pepperoni pizza can get an overhaul by using whole-wheat dough, adding pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce for increased beta carotene and fiber, and substituting turkey pepperoni for the topping.

Cut pork tenderloin into long filets and bread it with the same coating as the chicken fingers for a delicious kids healthy diet dinner.

Stuffed cheeseburgers are a tasty alternative to sticking the cheese on top of the burger.  Simply form lean meat patties around cheese and cook as normal.  Using lean meat, real cheese instead of cheese processed food, and whole grain buns makes this meal part of a kids healthy diet plan.

Remember that at the heart of kids healthy diet recipes is the simple idea of substituting less healthy ingredients for more healthy ingredients.  You can do this with almost any of your children’s favorite foods.  Make sure to change ingredients that will not drastically alter the flavor so that your child will hardly notice the difference at all.  You might also only want to change the recipe slightly at first and then change it a little more each time it is served until they become used to the fully healthy variation.  For instance, when first making the pizza recipe above, you might want to only change to turkey pepperoni.  The next time you make the pizza, switch out the dough for whole-wheat and then, finally, add the pumpkin puree to the tomato sauce.  Your child may be less likely to notice the subtle change of the recipe over time than the full switch to a kids healthy diet recipe all at once.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/kids-healthy-diet-hinges-on-substitution/

Educational Kids Movies Help to Teach and Inspire

Educational kids movies can be a good developmental tool for your child.  There are plenty of educational kids movies out there and many of them are available as free downloads.  There are several sites on the Internet offering educational kids movies for free and at discount prices.

One of these sites is Watch Know.org.   Watch Know offers educational kids movies for children from the ages of three all the way up to eighteen.  They cover subjects ranging from English literature, math, history, science, social studies, languages, physical education, health education, arts, computer technology, life skills, ethics, philosophy, religion, to hobbies and crafts.  Watch Know even provides educational movies for teachers and parents.  It is truly a good site to find educational kids movies on a wide variety of subjects.

Brain Pop is another good site for finding educational kids movies.  This site is a little more child friendly and features graphics and interaction designed for younger kids.  Brain Pop provides animated curriculum-based lessons.  Brain Pop is used primarily to support educators with movies, experiments, timelines, and activities for children.

Safe For Kids is a good site for parents to locate and purchase educational kids movies and entertainment rated safe for children.  There are many options at Safe For Kids that allow you to choose from simple entertainment to educational kids movies.  There is also a section featuring games, activities, and crafts.

The modern educational kids movies are different than the ones you might have grown up watching.  Much more research has been put into modern educational kids movies than ever before.  Because of this, exposing your child to educational kids movies at an early age can be tremendously helpful in their development.  Even if your child is too young to read, he or she is not too young to benefit from educational kids movies.  Such movies help them to absorb beneficial information in a fun, fascinating manner.

One of the best sources for educational kids movies is Public Broadcasting.  Besides Sesame Street and other well-known kids television, PBS often broadcasts educational kids movies.  These movies are usually available on DVD so you can play them anytime at home for your children.  So, don’t forget to look for PBS produced DVDs when searching for educational kids movies for your child.

Online, Amazon and other book retailers are often a good source for educational kids movies, as well.  Many online stores like these offer entire sections of educational DVDs for children.

Educational kids movies do not always teach a subject or curriculum.  Sometimes they teach a life lesson.  These sorts of educational kids movies can be very profound in teaching children lessons in life and inspiring them to do special things and achieve exceptional goals.

When choosing educational kids movies, you probably want to do a little research first.  If possible, watch the movie before you give it to your child to watch.  If reviewing the movie yourself isn’t practical, go to the Internet and look for comment on chat sites and blogs about the movie.  You can often find professional reviews and commentary by parents and educators simply by Googling the title.

However you decide to go about your search, remember that educational kids movies can be an important part of your child’s progression and a way for them to discover that learning can be fun.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/educational-kids-movies-help-to-teach-and-inspire/

The Benefits of Educational Computer Games for Kids

Children these days are naturally disposed for interaction with computers and this makes educational computer games for kids an important part of their development.  With as much time as your child is going to want to be on the computer, it is important to expose them to educational computer games for kids early on.  The good news for parents is that many of these games, especially ones geared for elementary school children are free.

There is a website called ABCya! that provides free educational computer games for kids that you can access on the web.  ABCya! Games are all created by or approved by certified teachers.  The games cover grades kindergarten through fifth and feature titles like Alpha Munchies typing game, Create a Car, Paint, Railroad Patterns, Math Fact Shoot-out, and Raceway Number Values.

Another website providing fun and educational computers games for kids is called Learn 4 Good.  Learn 4 Good also provides links to books and other learning materials on subjects like the alphabet, math, science, social studies, reading, writing, languages, phonics, coloring, nursery rhymes, and more.  Learn 4 Good is not only a site where you can download hours worth of educational computer games for kids, but it is a beneficial resource for parents as well.

Another Internet site loaded with educational computer games for kids is Knowledge Adventure.  At Knowledge Adventure you can choose from a long list of educational computer games for kids.  Most of the games are age appropriate for toddlers to six-year olds and you can segregate games by your child’s age.  Knowledge Adventure even has computer games for the preschool set.

Another site with educational computer games for kids ages three through twelve is called Prongo.  Like all of the other websites with educational computer games for kids, Prongo has a wide variety of games covering many different subject areas.  Prongo even has an area with jokes for kids.

This list of educational computer games for kids could probably continue on and on, listing other sites like Wonder Rotunda, Mothergoose.com, Leap Frog, and Up To Ten.

Many of these sites combine free downloadable educational computer games for kids and games that you can download at a cost.  If you travel away from your computer screen and to your closest national chain toy store, you will find a selection of educational computer games for kids there also.  It is suggested that you make note of the games you and your child find most appealing and look for reviews of those games on the Internet.  Simply type the name of the game software and the word review into a search engine and you will come up with commentary from parents and educational experts that should be beneficial in aiding your search for educational computer games for kids.

Wherever you go to get educational computer games for kids it is good to have your children playing and learning as soon as possible.  As with any type of educational toy, educational computer games for kids can be a tool in the development of your child without their ever realizing that they have any application other than fun.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/07/the-benefits-of-educational-computer-games-for-kids/

Infant Educational Toys To Build On

Infant educational toys should be simple, like the building blocks that kept so many of us busy from infancy to when we became toddlers.  Infant educational toys like these have not lost their impact because of digital and computerized options.  There are specific mechanics that babies need to learn that are provided by the simplest of toys you can imagine.

One of the best infant educational toys is a mobile.  A mobile for baby provides stimulation that is vital from the onset of baby’s life.  A good mobile will feature plenty of attachment toys, music, bright colors and movement.  Mobiles are good developmental toys for babies because they stimulate the child at the same time as entertaining them.

Baby rattles are yet another one of the time-tested infant educational toys which are simple and highly effective for stimulating baby’s eyes and ears.  Babies use rattles for sound, sight, and texture exploration.  Once they learn to shake their rattles to produce noise, they become activity toys as well.

A baby mirror is another enduring one of many infant educational toys that should not  be overlooked.  Babies are always studying faces and studying his or her own face helps baby learn to focus.  Because of this, it is always important to seek out a baby mirror that has an accurate reflection and not one with a funhouse look.

Play mats and play gyms are important infant educational toys because they give your baby a place to be physical and to be safe at the same time.  Your baby is going to want to crawl and attempt to sit up as soon as he or she is determined to do so.  A play mat or play gym gives baby a cushioned, protective area in which to be as physical as they want.  These types of infant educational toys will help your baby learn to sit up, stand, and walk with confidence.

Nesting cups are simple infant educational toys with a variety of benefits.  They are cups, usually brightly colored, which can be easily stacked or nested together.  Baby can learn many things with the aid of nesting cups, such as to recognize colors and sizes, scooping and pouring, hand-eye coordination, and support in pretend play like practicing to drink.

Stacking rings are also simple infant educational toys with many of the same benefits as nesting cups.  They are generally brightly colored rings made of plastic and feature a cone for stacking.  They are excellent for teaching hand-eye coordination, size and color recognition, and support of pretend play.  Children rarely lose interest in stacking rings, even as they become toddlers.

This brings us t the most versatile of infant educational toys.  As we have already mentioned, building blocks never go out of style.  When your baby is very small, it may be best if their first building blocks are soft and you can move on to harder materials as your baby gets older.  Whatever type of building blocks you choose, they are safe infant educational toys that build visual stimulation, activity, and motor skills from your baby’s very first days of play and beyond.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/infant-educational-toys-to-build-on/   

Birthday Celebration Ideas for Children Follow Theme

If you need birthday celebration ideas for children, they aren’t difficult to find.  The main thing to remember is that most birthday celebration ideas follow a theme.  The simplest reason for this  is that it is easier to keep a young child’s attention focused on play more than anything else.  Birthday celebration ideas that follow a theme have play built right into them.  Children engaging in birthday parties with themes are already playing pirate, fairy, superhero, star wars, cowboys and Indians, or any subject you may choose.

It is always essential to shape birthday celebration ideas around themes appealing to the birthday boy or girl.  No one, including adults, wants to have their birthday celebration ideas themed after something they don’t like.  So, when considering birthday celebration ideas, always keep in mind the particular likes and dislikes of the birthday child.

Birthday celebration ideas should always include activities in which all the children can participate.  This will keep them focused on a particular game or event rather than having them all running about wildly, attempting to entertain themselves.  Engaging the children in arranged activities keeps them in one area and makes supervision by adults much easier to accomplish.  It also allows opportunity to set up and arrange the next event or competition without interference.  This is particularly helpful when preparing food or birthday cake and treats.

Children can be encouraged to come costumed according to the theme of the celebration.  Keep this in mind when considering birthday theme ideas because you do not want to choose something too elaborate.  Children love to play dress-up and parents can easily create a costume from clothing available at home if you keep the theme simple.  You don’t want to choose birthday celebration ideas that are so sophisticated as to force parents to rent costumes.

When considering birthday celebration ideas it is important to keep the theme age appropriate to all children in attendance.  For instance, children of a certain age may enjoy and even appreciate a vampire themed party, while very young children might become frightened and uneasy to be surrounded by costumed bloodsuckers.  The same goes for gender consideration.  If you are having a fairy themed party for a girl, you might want to suggest that wizards are fairies of sorts in order to make any boys in attendance more comfortable with the topic at hand.

Also, when developing menus as part of birthday celebration ideas, keep in mind that not all children are able to eat all foods.  Find out if anyone in attendance has any food allergies or aversions to certain foods that would not allow them to partake and prepare to have substitutions on hand.

Most of all, make sure that your birthday celebration ideas include plenty of events and entertainment to keep the children busy and happy.  If the party isn’t a surprise, include the children in creating birthday celebration ideas, as this will ensure that you are making choices you can be certain they will enjoy and it will make them feel part of the entire event.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/birthday-celebration-ideas-for-children-follow-theme/

A Wireless Camera Baby Monitor Helps Ensure Security

A wireless camera baby monitor is a versatile utility for parents.  Over the years, baby monitors have become commonplace in homes with small children.  Nowadays, the majority of these come in the form of a wireless camera baby monitor.  The reason this type of baby monitor has become so popular is its versatility.

A wireless camera baby monitor can be set up anywhere in the house.  Whether your baby is fast asleep in his or her crib, active in their playpen, or sitting in a high chair, you can have a camera on baby for security.  Add the option of a small handheld monitor or even an Internet connection and you have a truly portable means for keeping track of baby at all times.

Years ago people with baby monitors were accused of being inattentive parents who allowed the supervision of their children to be governed by a machine.  Thinking like this, however, has rightfully been dismissed with the realization that even good parents can’t be everywhere at once.  A baby monitor is now recognized as a tool for good parenting, rather than an excuse for poor parenting.  The most versatile of such tools is a wireless camera baby monitor.

A wireless camera baby monitor can be a money saving device as well.  Because of its great portability, you only need one wireless camera baby monitor on hand.  Without the wireless camera parents might be forced to install extra cameras at different locations throughout the house or forced to monitor their baby in only a single setting.  With a wireless camera baby monitor, the unit can easily be moved to any location.

A wireless camera baby monitor is also a device that travels well.  So, if you are taking baby to visit grandparents, aunts and uncles, or friends, you can take your wireless camera baby monitor with you.  In fact, your wireless camera baby monitor can travel absolutely anywhere you and baby might need it in order to ensure baby’s safety and security.

All parents want to be careful to guarantee the safety and welfare of their children.  To this end, a wireless camera baby monitor is not only a device for the security of your baby, but a device to ensure a parent’s piece of mind, as well.  While nothing is better than a firsthand presence to watch over your baby, it is just not practical to believe that you can be with your child, everywhere, at all times.  When you get suddenly called away or need to step out of the room for a period of time, it is good to know that you can still have a watchful, cautious eye on your child.

More recently, manufacturers are able to link your wireless camera baby monitor to a secure online site so you can even look after your baby when you are not at home.  Working parents who hire caretakers or have relatives watch their children at home find such devices extremely valuable.  With the combination of a wireless camera baby monitor and the Internet, parents can check in on their baby any time of day as long as they can access a desktop or lap top computer.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/a-wireless-camera-baby-monitor-helps-ensure-security/

Internet Baby Monitor is High Tech Babysitter

An Internet baby monitor can become your high tech babysitter.  Sure, it can’t change diapers or feed your baby when he or she is hungry, but an Internet baby monitor can keep you in touch even when you are not in the room.  Certainly, being able to see live streaming video of your baby from an Internet baby monitor while you work on your lap top or PC in another room is convenient, but an Internet baby monitor can do more than that.

For working mothers who are forced to leave the care of their child in the hands of a relative or hired nanny, an Internet baby monitor gives them the piece of mind of knowing they are still an involved parent.  While Mom is at work, she can simply go to a secured site on the Internet and check up on the little one through an Internet baby monitor.  As long as she has access to a desktop or lap top computer at her place of employment, Mom is still involved in the daily routine of her baby.

For many mothers, who already feel guilty about being away from their baby during the day, an Internet baby monitor is a real benefit.  While an Internet baby monitor is surely no substitute for Mom herself, or a caregiver, it does allow a baby’s mother to be in direct and immediate contact with her child throughout the day.

The mobility of a wireless Internet baby monitor allows remote viewing of any of baby’s activities.  Whether your baby is in their crib or playpen, or sitting in the high chair, the wireless Internet baby monitor can easily be set in place by the caregiver so that Mom doesn’t have to miss a thing.

Of course, an Internet baby monitor is a sound security investment as well.  Through remote viewing, you can tune in any time to be certain that baby is safe and secure in the company of his or her caregiver and that everything at home is going smoothly.  Having an Internet baby monitor on hand is certainly not indicative of distrust in your caregiver, but it does allow you the option of looking in at any time you like to make sure that baby’s day is without complication.

The maximum provision of an Internet baby monitor is security for baby, but it is also reassurance for parents.  Not only can Mom be checking in on baby, but Dad can be, also.  Anyone who is authorized can look in on baby through a secure connection that let’s friends and relatives in, but keeps prying eyes out.  An Internet baby monitor is certainly no replacement for the tender care of Mom and Dad, but it is a way for parents to have more control over their child’s contentment and comfort than they would in the normal absence that work and careers can cause.

So, if you have to be away from your small child during the course of the day, consider an Internet baby monitor a good way to remain in contact and control, even if it is from a distance.

Source Article:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/05/internet-baby-monitor-is-high-tech-babysitter/

Cheap Cloth Diapers Can Be Purchased Used

Cheap cloth diapers are reemerging as a viable alternative to disposables.  There are increasing Internet services to supply cheap cloth diapers for babies.  In the current economic situation, we are all forced to save money however we can and the parents of small children are no exception.  One of the areas where this is plain to see is in the increasing popularity of cheap cloth diapers.

One way that cheap cloth diapers are seeing a resurgence is in the form of used diapers.  Buying used diapers is not as repulsive an idea as it may initially seem.  The diapers are generally in good condition, touted as gently used, and are stain-free.  The trade benefits parents on both sides of the equation.  Parents selling the used cheap cloth diapers benefit by getting back some of the money they spent for diapers their child has outgrown and the parents making the purchase save in comparison to what they would spend on brand new cheap cloth diapers.  If you are interested in learning more about buying gently used cheap cloth diapers, check out sites like Diaper Swappers.

There are some parents who are even taking cheap cloth diapers a step further and making diapers for their children out of old tee shirts.  If you are handy with crafts or sewing projects, this is not a very daunting task.  It certainly goes a long way toward saving money and you are recycling tee shirts that you might have wound up just tossing out.  Now, it is hardly believable that you would have enough old tee shirts to meet all of your child’s cheap cloth diaper needs, but you probably have enough of them to put a dent in your diaper expenditures overall.

The savings on cost between brand new cheap cloth diapers and used cheap cloth diapers makes tracking down and purchasing the used ones a very viable alternative.  First of all, you will definitely see a savings in your initial purchase.  Then, down the road, when your child outgrows his or her cheap cloth diapers, you have the option of selling them to another parent for a return on your initial investment.  All you have to do is be attentive about thoroughly laundering the diapers during their use, something you would do anyway.  This certainly seems a more practical option than throwing money away, literally, on disposables.

Don’t let pride keep you from checking out your option to purchase used cheap cloth diapers.  Some parents feel embarrassed to be purchasing used cloth diapers.  Your baby certainly isn’t going to care whether the diapers he or she is wearing were worn before or not.  The diapers themselves will be clean and only gently used.  There is absolutely no danger of dirt or disease in any way.  If you think about, even if you purchased brand new cheap cloth diapers, they would be used after your baby wore them just one time.  So, by buying used cheap cloth diapers you are simply skipping one step (initial wear) and saving a bundle.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/04/cheap-cloth-diapers-can-be-purchased-used/

Diapers for Newborns Feature Many Choices

Diapers for newborns feature many choices that most parents probably haven’t considered.  Of course, even when it’s your first child you realize that you will be buying some sort of diapers for newborns.  You might not, however, have thought about choices beyond size.

Let us consider the long-standing debate of cloth or disposable diapers for newborns.  It seems that, for most babies, there are no real health issues when it comes to diapers for newborns.  While it is true that some babies might be more comfortable in cloth, there are just as many comfortable buns swathed in disposable folds as well.  The best way to gage your baby’s preference is to try both and see if he or she demonstrates any sort of preference.

Next, use the comparison to gage your preference.  When it comes to diapers for newborns, it will probably be Mom who is going to do most of the changing, although it might not.  So, in the interest of fairness, the parent doing the most changing should have the most important vote.  While it is most likely that this voting decision will be governed by ease of use, it is important to consider some other factors regarding diapers for newborns.

One of the most controversial debates about diapers for newborns is about the environmental effects of disposable diapers versus cloth diapers.  Disposable diapers are clogging up landfills and having a serious impact on the environment, some might argue.  While the people making this argument about disposable diapers for newborns are correct, other environmentalists point out the negative impact of washing and drying cloth diapers.  It appears that both sides are correct when it comes to the environmental issues.  It is now believed that the negative impact of cloth diapers is equal in proportion to the negative impact of disposable diapers.  Environmentally speaking, the green advocates have fought this one to a draw.

So, we are back to personal preferences, yours and your baby’s.  You want to consider the travel aspects of diapers.  If you choose cloth diapers for newborns, you will be trekking around with dirty diapers whenever you are out.  Many cloth diaper advocates keep disposables on hand for trips and travel away from home.  Keep in mind that most day cares require that your child wear disposables.  If you really are environmentally conscious, there are biodegradable disposables for sale, although they are costly.

This brings us to our last concern regarding diapers for newborns, price.  First of all, always include the cost of a diaper service when comparing cloth and disposable diapers for newborns.  Believe me, at some point you will toss the idea of washing and drying those diapers yourself.  For your personal sake, it might as well be sooner rather than later.  Disappointing or not, what you will find is that disposable diapers and cloth diapers for newborns wind up costing almost exactly the same.

So, we are back to personal preferences.  If your baby does not express a favorite in this great debate, it will be entirely up to you to choose between diapers for newborns on your own. 

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/04/diapers-for-newborns-feature-many-choices/

A Child Safety Product can be Critically Important

A child safety product might be critically important in your home.  We all want to keep our children safe from danger and help them avoid injury.  Many of us realize that the market often plays up to parental fear, but it is possible that a child safety product could be vital in your home.

There are many different types of child safety products on the market.  Some are more important than others when it comes to the protection of our children.  In this article we’ll talk about a few of the more significant ones.

The easiest way to discover the most important child safety product for each room of your home is simply to take a tour.  Even if it seems silly, we suggest you tour each room of your house at child level.  This way, you will clearly see some problems that might not be immediately apparent otherwise.  You can begin your scouting for a child safety product anywhere.  For our intent, we will start in the kitchen.

If you’re spry enough to get down to child height, as we suggested, one of the first things you will notice is accessibility to low cabinets.  Even if you don’t keep anything toxic or caustic in this space it’s a good idea to employ drawer and cabinet locks to keep the curious at bay.  In the kitchen space you might also think about edge cushions, stove knob guards, appliance locks, and lids for trash and recycling receptacles.

Common living spaces are good areas for the most recognizable child safety product on the market: safety gates.  Safety gates can be conveniently used to block off stairs and any room where children should not have freedom of access.  If you have a child, you are going to need more than one safety gate.  Another innovative child safety product is a safety strap that can be used to anchor unusually heavy objects like televisions or stereo equipment in place in case of a collision.

If you have a toddler, a toilet lock can be an important child safety product.  They are used to secure the lid when the toilet is not in use.  An alarming number of toddlers drown every year in their own toilets.  Again, secure drawers and cabinet doors with locks and consider a medicine safe as a child safety product for the bathroom.

In bedrooms, secure closet doors and purchase child safety products for drapery cords and blinds.  Strap down any television sets and don’t leave medicines or half-empty glasses lying around unattended.

Just keep kids out of the garage and work shop areas, as they are too difficult to danger-proof against small children.  Be certain that the safety sensor on automatic garage doors is in good working condition.  Use outlet shields on all electrical outlets in the house.  Don’t place electric cords under rugs or carpets in an effort to remove them from your child’s access as doing this can cause overheating and fire.

Always use common sense when deciding what child safety product will work best at its job and remember that simple is always better.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/04/a-child-safety-product-can-be-critically-important/

The Making of Your Child: Baby’s Fetal Development

In this article we will discus the different stages of a baby’s fetal development and what should be happening at each stage.  Remember please, that even in the womb babies develop at different rates.  Do not place undo pressure on yourself by thinking that your baby’s fetal development is too slow or otherwise different than normal.  These are simply guidelines to help you understand the progress of your baby’s fetal development and not hard absolutes.

At stage one, during the fifth week of your pregnancy, your baby will begin to develop its spinal cord, brain, heart and intestinal tract.  At stage two, which is six to seven weeks into your pregnancy, the baby’s fetal development will show signs of arm and leg buds.  During this time, your baby’s brain will divide into five distinct regions and the cranial nerves begin to appear.  Your baby’s eyes and ears start to form and the heart begins a steady beat.  This is a busy time in baby’s fetal development.

As we move into stage three, during the eighth week of your pregnancy, your baby’s fetal development continues with arms and legs becoming longer.  Hands and feet areas get more distinctive and fingers and toes might start to appear, although they are probably still webbed.  Your baby’s lungs begin forming now.

During week nine of your pregnancy, you can clearly see baby’s fingers and toes, hair follicles and nipples are forming and all vital organs have begun development.

At week ten of pregnancy, all of the developments continue and the intestines rotate.

In week eleven, baby has officially passed from the embryonic stage and begins its fetal stage.

Now, your baby’s fetal development continues in all physical aspects and, at about weeks nineteen to twenty-one, baby begins to hear.  Mother may also start to feel some slight movement in her abdomen at this point in her baby’s fetal development.

Around week twenty-two of pregnancy, Mother can definitely feel the baby move, as its muscle development increases.

During weeks twenty-three to twenty-five of pregnancy, the baby starts storing fat.

Around the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy, baby’s eyes are developed along with eyebrows and lashes.  Fingerprints and footprints begin to form as well as air sacs in the lungs.  Startle and hand reflexes are apparent at this stage in your baby’s fetal development.

From here, at week twenty-seven of pregnancy, the most complex organs and tissues of the baby’s body are in a rapid development.  This point in your baby’s fetal development sees the brain and nervous system progress to advanced stages.  Your baby’s body will start storing calcium, phosphorous, and iron.  Fingernails grow past the fingertips.  The baby’s hair becomes thicker and coarse.

Of course, it is not far from this point that your baby’s fetal development peaks and childbirth occurs.  As interesting as it might be on paper, there is nothing like the things a mother feels and experiences during all the stages of her baby’s fetal development inside her body.

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/04/the-making-of-your-child-baby%E2%80%99s-fetal-development/

Postpartum Diet Should Not Be A Relentless Fast

Your postpartum diet should not be a relentless fast to get as thin as possible as quickly as possible.  You are now a mother and you have the responsibility of raising a child.  You should not begin motherhood by making foolish decisions to loose as much weight as you can, just as fast as you can.

Your postpartum diet should be sensible and in no way risky to your good health.  The most important thing to remember is not to begin your diet too soon.  Your body has been through a traumatic experience; don’t put it through another one by immediately dieting.  Give yourself time for recovery before beginning a postpartum diet.  Most experts recommend that you wait until six weeks after birth to begin trimming down by reducing calories and starting more rigorous exercise.  Mothers who breastfeed are asked to wait until their baby is at least two months old before they begin a postpartum diet.

You want to be certain that any weight loss or fitness goals you have are realistic.  For many women, pregnancy causes changes in their body that prohibits them from ever returning to the same dress size or waistline they had prior to birth.  Things like a softer belly and wider hips won’t be changed by diet and exercise.  You need to understand the limits of your reconditioning before you undertake a postpartum diet.

Losing weight is always a matter of exercise, whether the weight you are losing is part of a postpartum diet or not.  Be certain that you are ready for exercise and progress with it slowly.  You do not want to risk injury or strain.  Reduce your food intake slowly as well and by all means, don’t starve yourself.

This is particularly important instruction if you are breastfeeding.  Nursing women need an absolute minimum of 1800 calories per day to nourish their baby and themselves.  A strict postpartum diet will affect your breast milk.  Rapid weight loss can introduce toxins into your fat cells and bloodstream.  These toxins are then released into your milk supply and your baby gets them from his or her food source.

Don’t skip meals.  In fact, it might be wise to eat more often throughout the course of the day than you did before you had your baby.  You are following a much different schedule than you did before.  No matter how active a lifestyle you had, you are undergoing dramatic change.  You can, no doubt, benefit from periodic bursts of energy all through your day.  If you eat several small meals as opposed to three large ones, you can get the occasional bursts you are going to need.  Eating a small, smart meal five to six times daily is also a proven weight loss practice on a postpartum diet.

The best instruction for beginning a postpartum diet is to use common sense, set reasonable goals, and don’t do anything detrimental to your good health.  If you follow this advice, you will choose a postpartum diet that will return you to fitness slowly and purposefully. 

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/01/postpartum-diet-should-not-be-a-relentless-fast/

A Breastfeeding Education for the New Mom

If you are a new mother, you may be in need of a bit of a breastfeeding education in order to learn the steps to nursing your newborn.  In this article, we run through a few of the basics for you.

Step one in your breastfeeding education is learning how baby’s mouth should be placed at your breast.  Many children will develop a habit of pushing their tongue up against the roof of the mouth, making it difficult to nurse properly.  If the mother simply uses her breast to lure the child’s mouth open by tracing a line with her nipple from just under the child’s nose and down to their mouth, this should encourage the child to open their mouth without their tongue pressed upward.

The second thing that you’ll learn in your breastfeeding education is the significance of burping.  Burping is very important because it will avoid painful gas building in baby’s stomach.  Although breastfeeding is commonly believed to build less gas than bottle-feeding, your breastfeeding education will teach you that your baby will still have gas issues if you do not burp them after nursing.

As part of your breastfeeding education, you will want to take note of feeding spurts.  During a feeding spurt, your baby has an increased appetite and will consume more breast milk than usual.  This is generally because baby is about to grow.  If you compare feeding spurts with growth spurts, you are likely to find that your child’s increase in appetite is followed by a period of growth.

Unfortunately, part of your breastfeeding experience will be to learn that babies sometimes bite while being nursed.  As your breasts and nipples are sensitive, this can be a painful experience in your breastfeeding education.  Of course, your child does not realize that they are hurting you when this happens.  She or he have no intentional desire to cause you pain.  Because of this, some mothers don’t correct the behavior and simply suffer through it best as they can.  This, however, is not recommended.  A comprehensive breastfeeding education will teach you that you can take easy steps to correct biting.  Just tell your baby, “no”, and gently remove them from your breast.  If biting continues, breastfeeding education suggests that you stop nursing for a period of time when baby bites.  Eventually, the baby will associate their biting with the loss of feeding privileges and correct their behavior.

A good breastfeeding education directs that setting the right mood for nursing time is important.  As your baby grows older, you will see them become more and more aware of the world around them.  While this is a good thing, and wonderful to observe, it means that your baby may become distracted while nursing and you could have a difficult time making sure they get their fill.  To avoid such problems, your breastfeeding education directs you to set a calm mood and space for baby when nursing.  You want baby to be able to comfortably focus on you and their feeding.  This means a quiet room without harsh lighting will usually suffice.

Always remember that breastfeeding your baby is the most natural thing in the world and very intuitive.  The best breastfeeding education you can get is simply the one that comes with more and more experience.  

Article Source:http://www.babycenter-blog.com/2010/09/01/a-breastfeeding-education-for-the-new-mom/

The Making of Your Child: Baby’s Fetal Development

In this article we will discus the different stages of a baby’s fetal development and what should be happening at each stage.  Remember please, that even in the womb babies develop at different rates.  Do not place undo pressure on yourself by thinking that your baby’s fetal development is too slow or otherwise different than normal.  These are simply guidelines to help you understand the progress of your baby’s fetal development and not hard absolutes.

At stage one, during the fifth week of your pregnancy, your baby will begin to develop its spinal cord, brain, heart and intestinal tract.  At stage two, which is six to seven weeks into your pregnancy, the baby’s fetal development will show signs of arm and leg buds.  During this time, your baby’s brain will divide into five distinct regions and the cranial nerves begin to appear.  Your baby’s eyes and ears start to form and the heart begins a steady beat.  This is a busy time in baby’s fetal development.

As we move into stage three, during the eighth week of your pregnancy, your baby’s fetal development continues with arms and legs becoming longer.  Hands and feet areas get more distinctive and fingers and toes might start to appear, although they are probably still webbed.  Your baby’s lungs begin forming now.

During week nine of your pregnancy, you can clearly see baby’s fingers and toes, hair follicles and nipples are forming and all vital organs have begun development.

At week ten of pregnancy, all of the developments continue and the intestines rotate.

In week eleven, baby has officially passed from the embryonic stage and begins its fetal stage.

Now, your baby’s fetal development continues in all physical aspects and, at about weeks nineteen to twenty-one, baby begins to hear.  Mother may also start to feel some slight movement in her abdomen at this point in her baby’s fetal development.

Around week twenty-two of pregnancy, Mother can definitely feel the baby move, as its muscle development increases.

During weeks twenty-three to twenty-five of pregnancy, the baby starts storing fat.

Around the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy, baby’s eyes are developed along with eyebrows and lashes.  Fingerprints and footprints begin to form as well as air sacs in the lungs.  Startle and hand reflexes are apparent at this stage in your baby’s fetal development.

From here, at week twenty-seven of pregnancy, the most complex organs and tissues of the baby’s body are in a rapid development.  This point in your baby’s fetal development sees the brain and nervous system progress to advanced stages.  Your baby’s body will start storing calcium, phosphorous, and iron.  Fingernails grow past the fingertips.  The baby’s hair becomes thicker and coarse.

Of course, it is not far from this point that your baby’s fetal development peaks and childbirth occurs.  As interesting as it might be on paper, there is nothing like the things a mother feels and experiences during all the stages of her baby’s fetal development inside her body.

Cheap Paternity Test Prices are a Result of the Internet

A cheap paternity test can be a reasonable alternative to traditional, more expensive DNA testing.  Thanks to the Internet, cheap paternity tests are becoming more popular.

There can be several reasons why a person might want to have a DNA test done, but paternity testing is the highest among them.  The least expensive type of DNA testing is done for family history, as opposed to a cheap paternity test.  The price of testing for family linage usually runs around $100 and the price decreases as the number of people you want tested increases, sort of a volume discount.

Cheap paternity testing begins at around $300 and can be done, according to some sites, for as little as $130.  The collection method is almost always a cotton swab that is rubbed on the inside of the mouth of the person being tested.  The DNA comes from saliva.  If you are considering having a cheap paternity test done, it is important to consider how your samples will be tested.

DNA is tested using points.  The more points used in a test, the more accurate the results.  Testing for family history should involve fewer points than a cheap paternity test.  If your cheap paternity test were to use as few points as a genealogy test, the results would be much less conclusive.  Therefore, it is important to know just how cheap your cheap paternity test will be and how many points the lab will be matching.

Competent labs will insist that the testing material be delivered within one to five days, as testing beyond this period cannot be guaranteed for accuracy.  If the lab doing your cheap paternity test seems unconcerned with the age of the samples, this should raise your concern.  In such a case, your cheap paternity test may prove too cheap.

If the results of your cheap paternity test are very important to you, you will need to do your due diligence and research the company you are planning to hire.  Find out if they have any accreditation in the field.  Discover if they are a member of the Better Business Bureau or any pro-consumer group or organization, like the Chamber of Commerce.  Search the Internet for information.  You should be able to discover any conversation or chat from customers who have either been extremely dissatisfied or pleased enough to post.

Most of all, remember that costs for DNA tests are generally associated with accuracy.  If you are just looking to establish family history, you are in a different market than someone verifying paternity.

With this said, cheap paternity tests can be accurate.  There are many labs that have lower prices because of the demand for cheap paternity testing.  Some years ago, private paternity testing was not as popular as it is now.  Privacy and availability through the Internet increased demand.  The increase in demand for such testing made the testing less costly and some labs lowered their prices in an effort to grab a share in a growing market.  This how and why the Internet is credited with cheap paternity test pricing.

Prenatal Insurance Alternatives for the Underinsured

As many as thirteen percent of women who become pregnant are in need of prenatal insurance alternatives because they are underinsured or not insured at all.  This number can even rise when you consider that some health insurance companies consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition and, therefore, refuse to pay many of the costs of pregnancy.  Highest among such costs is delivery, which can run as high as six thousand dollars to eight thousand dollars, and even more for high-risk pregnancies.  For many women, the joy of finding themselves pregnant quickly dissolves in the face of the financial difficulties a pregnancy can cause.  This is why it is important to know about prenatal insurance alternatives.

Medicaid is a federally funded program administered by each state.  Medicaid will accept women who are already pregnant, but you must meet low-income requirements to qualify.  Some states also provide prenatal insurance alternatives for low-income women as part of their budget.  To find out more about the opportunities for prenatal insurance alternatives in your state, contact the department of Health offices.

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal agency that provides aid to help protect the health interests of women, infants, and children.  WIC is a prenatal insurance alternative in that it will provide nourishing foods, healthy eating information, and health referrals.

Some local communities will provide prenatal health care to those in need through religious and charitable organizations.  Contact your local representatives and ask them about prenatal insurance alternatives and pregnancy clinics.

AmeriPlan is a very viable prenatal insurance alternative.  AmeriPlan is a discount health care plan available throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska.  Since it is not an insurance company there are no restrictions on pre-existing conditions.  As a prenatal insurance alternative, AmeriPlan can offer you physicians’ services, hospital services, and ancillary care (things like lab tests and x-rays) for around fifty percent less than standard costs.  AmeriPlan has no deductibles, annual limits, waiting periods, or claim forms.

There are also other prenatal insurance alternatives that you can consider.  For instance, you can contact a physician’s billing department prior to making an appointment and explain your situation.  You may be able to make payment arrangements on installments for your prenatal health care.  Another option, if you have little or no prenatal insurance, is to think about delivering your child at a birthing center.  A birthing center delivery usually costs around three thousand to four thousand dollars in comparison to the six thousand to eight thousand dollar hospital costs we discussed earlier.  Birthing centers will generally work out payment plans on a sliding scale and accept Medicaid.

Whatever prenatal insurance alternatives you have to make, it is very important that you get health care for you and your baby.  Skipping prenatal care and trying to do your best on your own until the baby is born is not an acceptable alternative.  This kind of reaction to a lack of prenatal insurance endangers the lives of the mother and baby.  A high percentage of premature and high-risk births occur in women with no prenatal insurance and no health care alternatives. 

Pregnancy Planning Strategies for Healthy Babies

Pregnancy planning strategies are key to help have healthy babies.  Pregnancy planning can help mothers in many areas of childbirth that they might not consider.  For example, pregnancy planning strategies help a woman to conceive with less difficulty, have a happier baby, have a healthier baby, reduce the complications of pregnancy, have an easier recovery, and minimize postpartum distress.

It is recommended that women begin pregnancy planning strategies at least one to three months prior to attempting to conceive.

An important part of pregnancy planning is to become more aware of your body.  Research and learn how a woman’s body responds to getting pregnant and learn the symptoms of early stage pregnancy.  The less you stress about the changes in your body, the easier your pregnancy will progress.

Another step in pregnancy planning is to decide where you will deliver and who will give your prenatal care.  Often, when choosing a physician, you are also deciding upon where your child will be born.  There are plenty of options for prenatal care and you must make the one with which you are most comfortable.  The setting where you give birth is a very practical decision in pregnancy planning.

The oral health of the mother has quite an effect upon a fetus, so dental care is a part of pregnancy planning.  Many mothers do not consider their pre-pregnancy dental health when planning.  This is a mistake you do not want to make.  Seek good, thorough dental care before you start trying to conceive.

As part of your pregnancy planning, be sure to eliminate the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.  All of these substances are toxic to your fetus and you have to refrain from partaking while you are pregnant.  Research the available statistics and information if you need convincing and look into reducing or eliminating their intake beyond pregnancy planning and childbirth, for your own good health.

Be certain that you have effective coping mechanisms for stress.  Learn how pregnancy effects your emotional state and what you can do to center yourself and remain as stress-free as possible as part of your pregnancy planning strategy.

Your environment at work and at home has a direct impact on your ability to conceive and to have a good, healthy childbirth.  Explore the physical and emotional environments of work and home and learn how to adapt them to be most beneficial to your conception and childbirth process.

Becoming and remaining physically fit should be a central issue in your pregnancy planning strategy.  You want to be as healthy as possible when attempting to conceive and when giving birth.  It is simple, common sense.

Of course, there are other things to consider in your pregnancy planning strategy, such as nutrition, finances, insurance, relationships, medications, lifestyle and more.  Try to consider everything that will have a physical or emotional impact on you while you are trying to conceive and while you are pregnant.  Have your spouse and friends or relatives help you to create this list as the outline for your pregnancy planning strategy, and work from there.