What she meant by that is when you’re trying to conceive (TTC), you’re often wondering what tweaks you need to make to your diet and lifestyle to support conception. Perhaps that means cutting alcohol and coffee or choosing low-impact workouts. Some people may make no changes at all. Rather, their mindset alters. (“I could eat this sushi, but what if I am pregnant and don’t know it?”) There are a lot of what ifs....
GnRH acts on receptors in the anterior pituitary gland. GnRH signals the pituitary gland to release the gonadotropin hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH then act on the ovaries in women and on the testes in men. They trigger the ovaries to mature and ovulate eggs, and, in men, trigger the testes to mature and produce sperm. FSH and LH also stimulate the ovaries and testes to release their own hormones....
Station is a measurement of fetal descent in labor and is measured using vaginal exams. It usually isn’t measured until the last few weeks of pregnancy or you may not hear it discussed until you are in labor. Why It’s Important The station number is one of the signs of progression in labor. When labor begins, some women will have a baby who is fairly high in the pelvis with a station of -2....
You may wonder if the time your teen spends alone, behind the closed bedroom door or during long showers is emotionally and physically healthy. Or, you may worry about whether it is possible to masturbate too much or whether your teenager could hurt their genitalia. In general, you do not need to worry about teenage masturbation. But there are some signs that your teenager may need to talk to you or to a pediatrician about masturbation....
Getting to Know the Layout Tours of the school are usually part of the orientation. Becoming familiar with a new building layout can help in the transition from elementary school. Places to get to know include drop-off and pick-up locations, gym, cafeterias, bathrooms, library, guidance counselors’ offices, nurse’s office, and administration offices. Your child may be assigned a school locker at orientation. Before leaving, be sure he knows where his locker is, and have him try his combination....
Just as it is safe to exercise during pregnancy (in most cases), it is also safe to exercise following a miscarriage. Your doctor’s recommendation will most likely be to follow your workout routine prior to pregnancy or a lighter, modified version. In other words, if you weren’t a marathoner before your pregnancy, it doesn’t make sense to run dozens of miles during or immediately following your pregnancy. Your Body After a Miscarriage After a first-trimester miscarriage, your body will return to normal fairly quickly....
There are good reasons for parents to want to know what their child’s personality will be. Parenting an introvert may involve different skill sets and techniques than parenting an extrovert, and children with different personality traits will respond better to different motivations and discipline strategies. These personality traits start to emerge in elementary school. Here’s how you can tell when your child’s personality is emerging, and what that personality may mean....
Detecting a fetal heartbeat with a handheld Doppler or a fetoscope also clinically confirms a pregnancy. Sometimes, a pregnancy ends in miscarriage before ultrasound confirmation can take place. This may be referred to as a chemical pregnancy. Understanding the definitions and difference between a chemical pregnancy, a clinical pregnancy, and pregnancy symptoms can be confusing. Let’s explore each, one by one. Pregnancy Symptoms Pregnancy symptoms are things you experience or feel when pregnant....
A child’s developmental readiness plays a big role in determining the age when they’re able to stop using diapers, but so does how their caregivers approach potty training. Learn more about some of the factors that can have an impact on the age when a child is finally ready to stop using diapers. Understanding Developmental Readiness Because each child develops at their own pace, the age when a child will stop using diapers can vary quite substantially....
Additionally, you want your car seat to be as safe as possible for your little one. But a used car seat may have expired, been recalled, have missing or broken pieces, or been involved in a crash. It’s always better to buy a new seat over a used one, and there are ways to find inexpensive or even free car seats. Why New Car Seats Are Safer A car seat’s primary job is to keep your child safe when they are riding in a car....
Over-the-top birthday parties, lavish vacations, piles of electronics, and constant entertainment sounds like a great childhood on the surface. But giving kids too many possessions, too many privileges, and too many opportunities can actually be bad for them. In fact, in some cases, overindulging children actually constitutes neglect and it can have lifelong consequences for many children. Types of Overindulgence Overindulging children isn’t just about buying lots of holiday gifts....
As you look through these baby names, realize that many can be unisex names or represent a color in another language. For even more inspiration, consider perusing a big box of crayons or paint color swatches to find the perfect color name for your baby. Adam Origin: HebrewMeaning: Man, to be red, red earthAlternative Spellings & Variations: Adamo, AdemFamous Namesakes: Singer Adam Levine, comedian Adam Sandler, actor Adam DriverPeak Popularity: Adam is a popular boy name in the U....
Diastasis recti happens when the two muscle bellies of the rectus abdominis separate. The separation between the right and left sides of this muscle can happen during pregnancy when the linea alba, or the tissue between the rectus abdominis muscles, stretches to allow the body room for your baby. Your OB/GYN or physical therapist can determine if the separation you have is considered wide enough to be diastasis recti. In general, separation of more than two centimeters at one or more points of the linea alba meets the criteria for diastasis recti....
Whether your child has a food allergy or not, it’s important to be mindful of what they bring into their school. “Although your child may not be allergic, many children have food allergies and intolerances,” says Morris Nejat, MD, a specialist in adult and pediatric allergy and immunology at NYAllergy.com. Megan Lavin, food allergy expert and author of the cookbook, “An Allergy Mom’s Lifesaving Instant Pot Cookbook,” gives an easy-to-understand example: “If you give your child a peanut butter sandwich, and they have peanut butter all over their hands and get it on a shared toy or surface, this could lead to a reaction in an allergic child....
Public Schools Public schools may be a good match for your child if: Your child is comfortable in their public school and is not struggling with problems such as bullying or marginalization.Your child’s particular needs fit nicely into the school’s strengths: most schools can provide for students with some disabilities, but may be unequipped to support children with other disabilities.Your schools are well-funded so that teacher training, aides, therapists, specialists and support programs are available....
Abigail means “cause of joy” or “father’s joy” in Hebrew. In the Bible, Abigail is described as a beautiful and intelligent woman. When her foolish husband offended King David and was about to bring disaster on their household, Abigail took action to prevent bloodshed by approaching King David with sound judgment and diplomacy. She was praised for her intelligence and loyalty. How Popular Is the Name Abigail? The name Abigail entered the Social Security List of top 1,000 names in 1901 at number 918....
You start cleaning up the mess but your toddler is complaining so loudly that the baby wakes up early and starts to cry. You decide to wait the baby’s crying out while you fix the breakfast situation, and guilt begins to gnaw at you for not responding right away. Every day is different with kids, but this kind of morning is definitely not atypical. It can sometimes feel like we can never get it all right or that we are not as good parents as we wish we could be....
Tracking ovulation is a powerful tool for people trying to get pregnant. But understanding the ins and outs of ovulation tracking can get confusing! Can My Apple Watch Tell Me When I’m Ovulating? According to the company, the new Apple Series 8 watch (along with the redesigned Apple Watch SE) has a few features that focus on reproductive health. The most prominent feature is the watch’s temperature sensor. There’s one sensor directly touching your skin and another found under the display of the watch....
But, the warnings from safety agencies and advocacy groups are clear—crib bumpers are not safe. They pose risks for suffocation, strangulation, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Here’s what you need to know about bumper pads. What Are Crib Bumpers? Crib bumper pads—which are often readily available and included in crib bedding sets—are cotton pads that go around the edge of the crib. Originally, they were developed to keep a baby’s head from falling through the slats of the crib....
