Women Should Learn About Their Personal Care

Women's hygiene, a very important matter which needs to be addressed. A subject, which women need to learn about. I have been learning about the different types of women's hygiene available, and believe me, there is a lot that us women don't know. For example, did you know that there are about 13 different types of sanitary pads available?, Not only that but most places which stock women's hygiene also do maternity pads and incontinence pads.

See there are many things which women do not know about their personal care, like for instance, what suits them best. They do not know, what is good quality, what is not, the different types of tampons which will suit different women. Now, I'm a woman myself, and I am only informing all women about this, because I have just recently learnt so much, I believe that they should know as well. What is the difference between a maxi-pad and ultra-pad? For those who didn't know, don't feel bad because a lot of other women didn't either. I shall tell you.

Maxi Pads, are thicker than ultra pads and come in four different types, regular, super, slender and long.

The Regular Maxi Pads are contoured to comfortably fit the shape of your body and is suitable for medium to heavy flow.

The Long Maxi Pads are thick and extra long for extra protection especially when you are asleep and for extra protection during the night.

And for those that may not know, a Super Maxi Pad, is thicker than a regular to give more protection, for those with medium to heavy flow.

A Slender Maxi Pad, is thicker than a regular, however it is slimmer, for those with light to medium flow.

See you don't have to wear, the first one you pick up, read the label. What suits YOU best? Which would you prefer? We are all different.

Now, Ultra Pads come in regular, Super, Super plus, and long, also all of these may or may not have wings. Hunt around, find the one which you will be more comfortable with. Now I am not going to go into the ultra pads, because I guess that you can probably guess which one's are which. However I will say one thing, regular is ultra thin, super is thin, super plus is thicker than super, and long, is for night times and for extra protection when you need it most.

Also did you know that there are 5 different types of tampons on the market?

For those of you lucky ones, there is the regular either with or without the applicator, this is for light to medium flow, the applicator makes it easier to put a tampon in, however the non-applicator is more comfortable and can be 100% cotton.

There is the Super Tampons, which are for those with medium to heavy flow and these tampons also come with or without an applicator. There is also a Super Plus tampon which can come with a non-applicator, made with 100% cotton and is for those with medium to heavy flow.

You also have those pads that you can wear everyday, which just lets you have a sense of security and lets you feel safe. The Ultra Thin Liner, is exactly what it says, the Tanga panty liner, is for those who want to wear sexy under wear like thongs, or french nickers, without anyone finding out that you are wearing protection. You also have a breathable liner, which again is, what it says. It allows you to breathe by being made from 100% cotton. A curved liner will be perfectly contoured to your body.

Most places which sell of these above products also sell intimate wipes for you too feel nice and fresh when you need it most, incontinence pads, nursing pads and maternity pads.

So next time you go out to buy your personal care products, think carefully, is that one really best for you? Think about your personal care products!

Colorado Health Insurance Policies

Colorado health insurance policies are designed to provide health cover to individuals, self-employed, group of employees, the elderly and students. These policies are mainly intended to provide coverage to insured members in meeting their costs towards treatment, doctor visits, physician consultation, investigation, and operations besides the hospitalization costs.

If you are interested in an Individual policy, in Colorado you are subject to a medical review, and there is no guarantee that you will not be accepted. The insurance company may request your medical records from doctors and may exclude certain pre-existing medical conditions. They can also decline insuring you. Many plans will not cover maternity care, but you may be able to add it as a rider to the regular coverage. This will cost you more, but it's worth it. Without this coverage, the huge expenses involved in maternity care can really scare away expectant parents and the joy may soon turn into a burden. Coverage for pre-existing conditions vary and depend on what condition you have and what insurance you are looking for.

Group insurance policies are guaranteed and there is no medical review. A qualifying business has to be accepted by providing tax information and other documents requested. Acceptance of a group policy is contingent on qualifying as a business, and being able to provide the necessary tax and other documents requested by the carrier.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have been in effect Colorado since January 1st, 2004. This allows for a high deductible medical insurance policy with a special tax-deferred "Health Savings Account." Anthem, Rocky Mountain Health plans, Fortis and United Healthcare, are just some of the Carriers that offer HSA compatible policies and many more are expected in the coming year.

When deciding on PPOs or HMO remember the differences. In an HMO your primary care physician is the one who has to refer you to specialists or other doctors. PPOs allow you to see other physicians without a referral. But, the doctor you see must be listed in the PPO network. PPOs are more expensive than HMOs. They both have pluses and minuses.

Tips On How To Deal With Pregnancy Food Cravings

Many females possess strange cravings in the course of pregnancy. These pregnancy food cravings may appear and move to the different levels throughout the process of carrying a child and can vary from being salty meals in a trimester to sweet in another. Pickles or ice cream? Pineapple pizza and anchovy? Ketchup on... almost everything? Late evening candy binges.

Some adjustments in the food choices can be anticipated and will be triggered because of the hormonal alterations in the human body. For some females, sometimes the faint stench of a once most liked meal or beverage is adequate to make them hungry, while for some, food items that were once fended off are desired with an eagerness.

Fact is, no one is confident why a number of females possess food cravings. For instance, you might not feel like alcohol consumption when expecting, which is helpful since preventing dark beer, wines, along with spirits fosters the infant's psychological and bodily growth.

Others believe an expecting female's desire food items for instance salt-laden chips can be nature's means of aiding her fulfill her everyday sodium quota. Nonetheless, it's extremely improbable that cells turn so-called nutritional shortfalls in food urges. Desiring a specific meal will differentiate pregnancy meals urges from cravings females own if they aren't expecting.

This is how to take care of pregnancy food cravings:

1. Attempt to fulfill a snack craving with a small-size bar rather than the full size. Must have potato chips? Select a munch size of cooked chips to confine fat ingestion and general intake.

2. Give attention to low-calorie meals. Yogurt and ice bars low on fats could work when you wish super-king size ice cream.

3. Consume balanced diet, which includes thin sources regarding protein, grains, reduced-fat milk foods, veggies, fruits as well as legumes. If your diet plan is nicely balanced, a portion of not-so-healthy meals will not crowd out the food intake the child needs.

4. Consume repeatedly for avoiding reduction in the blood sugar that can induce food urges. Dividing meals into 6 little gratifying meals will help.

5. Include frequent physical exercise (as authorized by the doctor). This will help you stay active throughout the pregnancy and to avoid any food cravings.

6. In the event the cravings for brownie sundaes are always on your mind, get your brain off by turning your attention to something else(if you have acquired a balanced food or munch in the last 2 hours); by taking a quick walk; going to an errand (but please stay away from the market! ); leaving the kitchen area; phoning a friend; or studying.

Pica in the course of carrying a child is a situation during which a female has pregnancy food cravings and takes in contents without any nutritional value. Affected females have urges for non-food products for example ice, washing starch, the baking soda/powder, grime, clay-based, ashes as well as chalk. Should you find you've this sort of strange urges, speak to your physician immediately.

This article is for information purposes only. Please consult with your physician on any dietary changes during your pregnancy.

United Healthcare Insurance From Golden Rule

United Healthcare through their subsidiary Golden Rule is a carrier offering affordable health insurance rates in much of the United Sates. Recently UHC added several new benefit options to their individual and family plans including preventive care, dental coverage, term life, as well as more deductible, coinsurance, and copay choices.

Comprehensive Coverage Options

Consumers who wish to purchase comprehensive health insurance coverage should consider the Copay Select, Plan 100, and HSA 100. The Copay Select offers preventive care, prescription drug coverage, and either a $25 or $35 doctor's office copay - all of which are not subject to the deductible. The HSA 100 is a health savings account qualified plan offering preventive care that will cover medical expenses at 100% after the deductible has been met. The Plan 100 works much like the HSA 100 except that it does not offer a tax qualified health savings account and more than one deductible must be met before families are covered as a whole.

High Deductible Catastrophic Coverage

Consumers who want catastrophic, lower premium health insurance plans will find an abundant selection with UHC. The HSA 80, Plan 80, Saver 80, and the Copay Saver all offer comprehensive medical coverage at an affordable price. These types of plans will offer higher deductibles as well as 20% coinsurance (usually up to $10,000) after the deductible has been met. No frills coverage like this may not offer much in the way of first dollar benefits like prescription drug coverage and doctor's office co-pays, but the trade off is low cost insurance that will cover larger medical claims.

Available Benefit Options

All plans with UHC offer several riders that can be purchased at an additional cost. Riders include a lifetime maximum of 5 million as oppose to 3 million, a 24 month rate guarantee, supplemental accident coverage, term life insurance, maternity coverage, increased prescription drug coverage, and many states offer two dental plans to choose from.

Competitive Niche for the Shopper

UHC polices are competitive in many age groups including individual and family policies. Clients enjoy their large nationwide network and affordable rates. Underwriting is not accept/decline as with some other carriers, rather the insurance company might not include coverage for certain preexisting conditions like back disorders, severe asthma, allergies, etc. Oftentimes this means consumers can purchase health insurance with riders through United Healthcare when they have been declined elsewhere.

In summary, UHC offers several plans with different coinsurance and deductible options for prospective insureds. Affordability, network strength, and underwriting options are their most attractive features. As with all insurance, it is important to read the brochure and/or policy provisions for possible exclusions.

Overcome Infertility - Endometrial Lining Causes of Infertility

As we mentioned in previous articles, infertility is defined as inability of a couple to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse. It effects over 5 millions couple alone in the U. S. and many times more in the world. Because of unawareness of treatments, only 10% seeks help from professional specialist. In this article, we will discuss the endometrial lining causes of infertility.

I. Definition
The endometrium is the inner membrane of the women uterus. It helps to support the fertilized egg. Under influence of the high levels of estrogen at the early part of the menstrual cycle, the endometrial lining become thick then become soft once ovulation occurs when progesterone is produced with high amount to support embryo implantation.

II. Endometrial lining Causes of infertility
1. Adenomyosis
Adenomyosis happens most likely in the late of woman life and who has had several pregnancy. It is classified as a medical condition of endometrial cell grows within the muscular walls of the uterus causing symptoms similar to those of endometriosis. It may interfere with the embryo implantation if the uterine tissue extends through entire region of the uterine wall resulting in infertility and miscarriage.

2. Endometrial hyperplasia
Endometrial hyperplasia is defined as overgrowth or thickening of the uterus lining as resulting of high levels of estrogen and insufficient levels by of progesterone leading miss ovulation and infertility.

3. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is defined as cells of endometrium grow somewhere else other than in the endometrium. Normally, endometriosis not travel far but around the uterus region. It interferes with the ovulation and embryo implantation leading to infertility and miscarriage.

4. Endometritis
Endometritis is defined as infection or inflammation of the uterine lining caused by pelvic infection or sexual transmitting diseases leading to miscarriage for pregnant women.

Trying to Get Pregnant - Tips You Can Use Tonight!

Boosting your fertility doesn't have to involve complicated procedures and expensive hormonal treatments when you are trying to get pregnant. Tips you can use such as avoiding certain habits or products that can aggravate your fertility problems can go a long way towards increasing your fertility potential. It's important to understand which factors can help bring you closer to your dreams of parenthood. Here are some simple pregnancy tips you can try tonight.

Stay away from cigarette smoke.

Sure, smoking might make you look more glamorous and desirable (or so says the tobacco ads), but it's not going to bring you one step closer to pregnancy. According to the British Medical Association, female smokers are 40% less likely to conceive than women who do not smoke. It's difficult to say exactly how this happens because here are literally hundreds of chemical compounds in cigarette smoke. However, researchers believe that some of these chemicals can trigger hormonal imbalances, which cause irregular menstrual cycles or anovulation. Not only that, but these harmful chemicals can also cause genetic abnormalities in mature eggs. In the likelihood that a female smoker does get pregnant, she's still at risk of an early miscarriage if the chemicals from the smoke stay in her body.

The bad news is that female non-smokers are not necessarily in the clear. It turns out that passive smoking, or inhaling secondhand smoke, also increases the likelihood of infertility or miscarriages. It doesn't matter who's lighting up the cigarette; as long as you're inhaling the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, your fertility is in danger. So if your partner is a smoker, ask him to step away from you whenever he needs his nicotine fix. Better yet, get him to start quitting altogether. Studies show that smoking can also contribute to male impotence by impairing sperm function and lowering sperm count.

Use foreplay to heat things up

A common problem experienced by couples trying to conceive is a lack of excitement in their sex lives. It's completely understandable - what with the stress of work, the pressure of a ticking biological clock, and the lack of spontaneity, sex just isn't as exciting as it used to be back when you were still dating. Instead of getting straight to the point of intercourse, spend a little more time doing foreplay. Believe it or not, foreplay can increase your fertility in two ways. The most obvious way is that t will help you feel more relaxed. By now you probably know how much stress can lower your chances of conceiving because stress hormones upset the balance of sex hormones.

Extended foreplay also encourages natural vaginal lubrication. Stress and fertility drugs tend to cause vaginal dryness, and most couples trying to conceive make the mistake of using commercial lubricants to solve this problem. Leading lubricant brands act as spermicide, even if they are water-based and contain no spermicidal chemicals, because their pH levels are too acidic. Sperm need an alkaline environment in order to survive. Although semen provides this sperm-friendly environment, the pH balance gets disrupted when a commercial lubricant is introduced. Lubricants also contain certain ingredients that affect sperm motility, or their ability to swim. Although a lubricant called Pre-Seed can provide the right environment for sperm to survive, it's probably best to lubricate the vagina naturally with a little foreplay.

Sex positions

When trying to get pregnant, it makes sense to use a position that makes the journey as short as possible for the sperm. The missionary position, or the man on top, is one of the best positions for conception because it provides deep penetration and deposits the sperm right outside the opening of the uterus. Another excellent position is doggie style, or rear entry, with the woman on all fours or lying down on her belly. This also brings the sperm right in front of the cervix and is especially useful for women with an inverted uterus. And yes, MRIs actually confirm that these two positions do place the sperm closest to the egg! Positions to avoid include woman on top, or any position where gravity can prevent sperm from reaching its destination in time.

Some experts also suggest lying on your back and "bicycling" for several minutes after intercourse to help the sperm swim along. There are no fancy imaging technologies to prove that this works but if anything, it should induce a couple of giggles. And what better way is there to make babies than to be silly and have fun?

Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy refers to a fertilized egg that implants somewhere outside of the uterus. This is generally in the fallopian tube and is sometimes referred to as a tubal pregnancy. Certain women are at a higher risk for having an ectopic pregnancy than others.

An ectopic pregnancy can start out just like a normal pregnancy. You may have a positive pregnancy test, miss your period or have other normal pregnancy symptoms. Then again, you may not have a positive pregnancy test and you should seek immediate medical help if you experience any of the ectopic pregnancy symptoms.

Many women first experience abdominal pain that can be tender to the touch, sharp or sudden, persistent or intermittent, or it could be fairly mild. Symptoms can have a wide range from person to person. Some women only have pain on one side while others have it in their entire abdomen or pelvis.

Vomiting or nausea can occur. Spotting or vaginal bleeding is also normal. Pain generally gets more severe if you are active, sneezing, coughing or laughing.

If your fallopian tube has ruptured, then you could be in immediate life-threatening danger and you should call 911 immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms. Pain in your shoulder, especially when you lie down can be caused by internal bleeding. Lying down can wash the pooling blood up to your shoulder and put pressure on the nerves, causing pain.

This is a real emergency and you may not have much time to get medical help. Do not delay in calling 911 and never attempt to drive yourself if you experience this type of pain. You may go into shock and experience a weak or fast pulse. Your skin could become pale and clammy. You can get dizzy and find it hard to balance. You can feel faint or actually pass out. Any of these symptoms should tell you that you are in immediate danger and you should get help without delay.

Your chances of having an ectopic pregnancy are higher if you have an IUD, have had a previous ectopic pregnancy, if you have had any type of surgery in or around your fallopian tubes, if you have had a cesarean section or other abdominal surgery or if you have had any type of pelvic infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia or gonorrhea. Any surgeries or infections can make scar tissue grow in your fallopian tubes trapping a fertilized egg. IUD's and progestin-only birth control pills can make your uterus inhospitable to fertilized eggs and they may implant in your fallopian tube instead.

If you are at a higher risk for ectopic pregnancy, be very mindful of the symptoms so that you can seek medical help at the slightest signs of a problem.

Depression During Menopause

Menopause is a disease associated with biological factors. It occurs in every woman as they grow old. This makes it difficult to deal with it. There are many beliefs associated with menopause depression. Some people associate menopause with depression. Some believe that menopause and depression occur simultaneously. The symptoms of menopause and depressions are similar. They include hot flashes, irritability, sleep disorders, anxiety, change in food habits, and lack of interest in any activity. Women are more prone to depression during menopause than men.

The visible depression symptoms and menopause symptoms in women are dejection, feeling extremely sad, melancholy, and worthlessness. This is caused by the less secretion of the hormone 'serotonin' in the body which is responsible for the mood fluctuations. They also experience extreme sadness and confusion. It may also trigger the feeling of suicidal tendencies in them. These things are quite normal in women. Care should be taken to handle this situation otherwise it would lead to severe health problems.

The first step that should be considered is that you should clearly understand the problem. Women, most susceptible to the disease, are those women, who had undergone some surgery, smoking, had managed many children, or had a stressful life. Apart from these, women with premenstrual syndrome and postpartum depression are also highly vulnerable to depression. Depression during menopause can be effectively treated with the help of doctor's treatment.

Some physical problems are also associated with depression during menopause. They include stressful relationships, divorce, and anxiety about the life when you grow old.
Tips for managing menopause depression are enlisted below:

Basically, there is no cure for menopause. Some doctors recommend hormonal therapy as a treatment. We can undertake some simple steps as a strategy to cope depression during menopause. They are enlisted below:

Undergo regular medical examination. It would help you to keep a track all the changes taking place in the body and take necessary precautions:

- Regular exercise and right nutrition
- Relax using meditation and yoga
- Opt for other herbal medicines and therapies that help you to curb its effects
- There are many tests available online that can be utilized to find out whether you are depressed or not
- Adopt changes in lifestyle that will foster the treatment of depression
- Join social groups wherein you can share and discuss your problem. It would help you to control your anger and frustration
- You can also bring out your feelings by jotting them down in a dairy. This would help you to overcome the mood swings
- Family members could support the patient by giving him/her a hearing to his/her problems and also helping him/her to overcome the depression
- Make a trip to a nearby garden or tourist place. Take a break from the stressful life
- Counseling sessions of psychologist may also help to overcome it

The most common symptoms of menopause are depression and frequent bouts of anger. Fighting depression is possible when proper care and support is provided to women during menopause. You can adopt different coping strategies and bring down the effect of depression. There is another option available of using antidepressants for depression treatment for women.

The most common mistake made by women is they consider menopause as a normal thing in the process of aging and don't treat them or even consult a doctor. Misconceptions related to depression during menopause should be removed and by adopting simple techniques you could easily cope up with depression. You should also change your attitude towards these bodily changes. It would assist you to deal with its effects and also bring you out of depression.

Sexual Intercourse Position Help in Getting Pregnant With a Boy Baby - 99% Guaranteed

You don't have a boy, are you desperate? Have you tired of repeated doctor's visits? Have you fed up of trying different treatment options? I'm sure if your answer s yes then your bank balance must also be giving warning alarms. Spending here few seconds would help to turn your dream into reality.

The exciting news I have for you is that nowadays the natural treatments are increasingly becoming popular as the percentage of determining the sex of unborn is increasing with the help of these conventional approaches. The easiest as well as the cheapest method to complete your dream family is by adopting specific intercourse positions.

The following reading would describe the best sexual positions that help the woman in conceiving a baby boy. Here I will also explain you the theory that works behind these sexual intercourse positions.

Many couples who are in search of knowing some specific sexual intercourse positions must have heard a lot of things about theses positions. The truth however is there are only few intercourse positions that work.

The fact that determines the sex of the unborn is that which type of sperm or the sperm fertilizes the egg. Many couples must have enough information about the Y (Boy) chromosomes as well as X (Girl) chromosomes. Both these kinds of sperm race towards the egg.

Each sperm kind has a particular set of characteristics. The best characteristics of Y chromosome is that these are fast but at the same time their bad feature is they are weaker as well. X sperms on the other are stronger, but at the same time they are slower as well.

It is vital to embed this information in the head if the couple wants to conceive for a baby boy. It is important for the couple to overcome the weak characteristic of their favorite sperm.

In order to conceive for a baby boy, it is important for the couple to understand that chromosome will begin to die quickly. There are many opinions for overcoming their weakness. The best idea is to opt a sexual intercourse position that can increase the chance of having a baby boy.

Those sexual positions are recommended for conceiving a baby boy that helps in placement of sperm's nearest to cervix. The deeper positioning helps these weak and tiny guys to stay closer to cervix. The deeper positioning helps these weaker guys to stay alive in their trip in vagina.

Rear entry is the well known position for deepest sperm penetration closest to cervix. Such position also needs that women should lay down on the bed on her tummy while resting the knees in sitting position.

How to Get Washboard Abs After Pregnancy

Tight stomachs and fine looking bodies have become an obsession for some people. Of course this is due to the society that we live in. People are not considered attractive unless they look a certain way. This can be difficult for many people as obtaining one these kinds of bodies is not a short road. It is actually something that will take some time and dedication on the part of the person as well as some simple skills.

Many wonder how to get washboard abs. They have always seen them on the television and tried to find some kind of method that will help them. This is especially true of the women that have had children. The reason being is that the stomach becomes extremely loose following a standard pregnancy and trying to tighten it up and get some definition is the main concern that they have.

So how to get washboard abs after pregnancy weighs heavily on the minds of a lot of people. Taking into account the necessary changes that must be made we will look at a couple of tips that will help you achieve this goal and continue with your plan for an attractive post pregnancy body.

Dietary Changes

One of the most important aspects of the ability to get washboard abs is dietary changes. A person generally does not have a great diet during pregnancy and that has to change for this part of your life. You should avoid lots of grains and other bread or flour based products. Concentrate on the proteins and vegetables.

Exercise Daily

Daily exercise is important for this cause. You need to be willing to put in as much exercise as you can. Crunches and other stomach based exercises are going to be the best to begin with as they will help burn off that post-natal flab. This will help you more than anything if you want to know how to get washboard abs.

Setting a goal to achieve washboard abs is also a great deterrent of postpartum depression. Since your mind will be focused on something else, depression will not have time to set in. Not only that, but you will be improving your health and your baby will appreciate to have a healthy mom.

Laying on your back and doing crunches and sit-ups is not the best way to get back into shape. It does help, but there are other exercises that are easier to do and much more effective at burning fat and strengthening your abs.

Identifying Warning Signs of Pregnancy Danger

For many pregnant women and expectant parents, the whole pregnancy phase is fraught with physical and emotional changes. Pregnancy should be the time for women to be vigilant of their health. Pregnancy complications are not uncommon and while most problems may be relatively mild and can be immediately treated, in other cases, warning signs can carry some significant health risks to the child, mother and possibly both.

Although it is generally advised for pregnant women to have frequent doctor visits, it is equally important to be aware of the possible danger signs to look out during pregnancy. These include the following signs:

o Vaginal bleeding
o Sudden weight gain
o Fever
o Chills
o Seeing Spots
o Persistent headache
o Burning sensation when urinating
o Vomiting
o Blurred and/or double vision
o Lower abdominal pain
o Thigh pains
o No baby movements for 12 hours
o Premature cramping
o Persistent lower back aches
o Nausea

Miscarriage
Bleeding during the first trimester can be a sign of possible miscarriage. According to statistics, about 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. These incidents usually occur when a woman is not aware that she is pregnant. Clots, bleeding and cramping are among the most common signs of miscarriage. In Most cases, surgery is required to remove the empty uterus in the body.

Ectopic Pregnancy
There are some cases, the fertilized egg may not reach its correct position in the uterus and the embryo grows on the fallopian tube. Since it grows on the abnormal location, it causes tear in the blood vessels and delicate structures. It is known to display the following symptoms: low back pains, nausea, lower abdominal pain, and cramping. This can require surgery to remove the nonviable embryo.

Premature Labor
One of the most common problems of pregnancy is premature labor and delivery. Babies born prematurely run the high risk of having some respiratory problems and underdeveloped lungs.

Hypertension
Elevated blood pressures are a common complication that occurs in 3 percent of the pregnancies. It can cause some adverse effects on the placenta as well as the fetus. Severe elevation of the blood pressure can cause pain in the abdomen, fluid retention , seeing spots and headaches.

Early Stages In Pregnancy

If you think you are pregnant, it is a good idea to purchase and use a home pregnancy test. They are easy to use, easy to read, and very accurate. If you receive a positive result, make an appointment with your gynecologist. If he or she is not also an obstetrician, seek a recommendation for one.

Do your best to attend every scheduled visit with the obstetrician. If you miss an appointment, it is best to reschedule. Make sure you tell the doctor everything about your medical history, especially any issues that could affect your pregnancy and the health of your baby. You will undergo tests from time to time, but these are routine.

If something goes beyond routine, the doctor will explain why it is necessary. You are always free to seek a second opinion, but you should trust your doctor. If you are uncomfortable with your obstetrician, find another one, since this is a very intimate relationship, in which you need to feel secure. Your doctor will prescribe prenatal vitamins, which are specially formulated to insure that a pregnant woman and her baby receive the proper nutrients. Take your vitamins as directed. You might want to have a bite to eat before taking them, as they make some women feel nauseous when taken on an empty stomach.

Prenatal care is a very important part of your pregnancy. It allows your doctor to measure progress and make sure that your baby is developing properly and is healthy. You will see the obstetrician once per month at first, and once each week as you get closer to your due date. It is important to keep these appointments so your doctor knows what's going on. This way, if something isn't just right, your doctor can take action to help make sure you carry your baby to term and deliver a healthy baby. If you experience morning sickness, which many women do in the first three months of pregnancy, try eating a healthy snack before going to bed or nibbling on crackers when you wake up in the morning. Pregnancy is a very exciting time in life, but it also requires you to take very good care of yourself and ultimately your baby.

Caring for a Baby During Confinement

You expect that you will be struggling to take care of yourself and the other members of your family during confinement, so how are you going to fit in caring for a small baby as well? It is quite normal to feel overwhelmed and scared as you go into this period of your life. You may wonder how you will ever care for this tiny creature once it arrives in your world, but in the end the answers will come and everything will get done.

Baby First

The first rule of thumb during confinement is that the baby's needs have to come first. If you are choosing between taking a much needed nap and feeding the baby who wants nourishment every couple hours, you have to stay awake and make sure the baby is fed. This may not be the comfortable thing to do, but it is something that every new mother has to contend with.

Your needs come second the moment your baby is born. They cannot look after their own needs and survive on their own, so they have to depend on you to do everything for them. If you don't take care of them, who will?

The best thing to do is hire a confinement nanny who can take care of many of the baby's needs while you take that much needed nap or just get a shower. You will of course still do a lot to care for the baby yourself, but you need someone there to help you out so your personal needs are taken care of as well.

Bonding Time

There are some things that you really want to take advantage of while you are in the confinement period and bonding with your new baby is at the top of the list. Them more you bond with the baby during the first couple months of their life the stronger your connection will be to them throughout their lifetime.

Take advantage of having the extra help of a confinement nanny and really spend quality time bonding with your baby. This happens as you watch them sleep in your arms or sit up with them for a midnight feeding.

Talk to the baby. Sing to them. Tell them how much you love them. Look into their eyes and allow them to grip your finger for security. Just let them know you are there for them. They may be small and unable to communicate intelligibly, but science has proven that they feel and need the love.

On Baby Time

Finally, it is important to forget about the clock that most people go by throughout their life and learn to live on baby time while in confinement. It really doesn't matter what time of day it is if your baby needs fed or has a dirty diaper. Babies are in their own little world and don't know how everyone else functions. That is how you need to be as well.

It is important to do things when you have the chance, rather than when you would routinely do them before having the baby. This means sleeping when the baby sleeps even it if is two in the afternoon and eating when the baby eats even if it is six in the morning.

Natural Unorthodox Methods To Cure Infertility Really Can Cure Infertility

Last year, Americans spent almost $1.4 billion on over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs and IVF procedures aimed at improving their infertility and increasing their chances for getting pregnant, and to treat other Infertility related symptoms.

The Infertility industry reaches billions in sales each and every year. and there are hundreds of manufacturing companies that produce thousands of different products which are consumed by nearly 12 million women in the United States alone who have Infertility issues!

With billions at stake, these pharmaceutical companies will tell you anything to get you to buy their products. They deceive couples with statistics and so called advances in research just to keep you buying what they are selling so becoming pregnant this way will take a miracle.

Taking these drugs and paying for all these ongoing fertility procedures, all mean a lot of money for your doctor, the hospital, and the drug and pharmaceutical companies. The potential complications from the surgeries along with all the side effects caused by the drugs you've been prescribed are also translated into a huge profits.

If you have been trying to get pregnant and have been experiencing what I just described, then you may need to ask yourself, is our doctor really trying to help us to conceive or is he just trying to keep us coming back to make more money from our insurance company or is he using us for research purposes.

Getting pregnant should be a very exciting and positive experience for all couples who want to have a baby, but the stress and frustration of infertility can actually cause a couple to break up rather than grow closer. Emotions of guilt and anger will eventually take a toll if the lines are communication are not kept open. Making sure both partners have a clear understanding of how far they are willing to go and what they are willing to do in order to conceive a child is critical to surviving the entire process and staying together. Couples absolutely need to research what is involved in fertility procedures before agreeing to the process. Ask yourselves can we handle the costs, can the husband handle producing sperm samples whenever requested, can the woman handle the painful injections and high levels of hormones which cause extreme mood swings in many women, can the woman or wife handle being poked and prodded and investigated like some sort of a science experiment, and most of all can the marriage hold up through the entire process and possibly have to accept the same diagnosis and prognosis of infertility after going through all the tests, and surgery, etc.

The information in this article only scratches the surface as to what is actually experienced and involved in fertility procedures. There are so many mental and physical sacrifices which have to be made than are mentioned in this article.

With all this being said, would it not be a wonderful reality to experience pregnancy without going through such a stressful and negative life changing and emotional process. If you have been trying without success to become pregnant now you can, there is a cure for infertility, and you can experience a pregnancy miracle.

Even though modern medicine has made great progress in the area of infertility and has helped many couples to conceive by way of surgery and medications; however, in many cases the results are still the same and couples are left feeling helpless and hopeless. For those couples, there is an answer which does not involve more medicines, more surgeries and more visits to the doctor's office.

If you have been diagnosed or have experienced any of the following issues of infertility there are answers and solutions to reverse or remedy all of them. YOU CAN CURE YOUR INFERTILITY.

1. Tubal Obstruction
2. High Levels of FSH
3. Endometriosis
4. Uterine Fibroids
5. Ovarian Cysts
6. Have has a miscarriage
7. Male has low sperm count
8. Are in you late 30's or 40's
9. Uterine Scarring
10. Have PCOS

Do not give up on becoming pregnant. There is a natural, safe, and effective way which has been proven over and over to cure infertility, and the proof is in the testimonies of the women who suffered with infertility for years but now have happy and healthy babies. If you have tried everything else, you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

Demystify Health Insurance Online Quotes

It goes without saying that comparing health insurance online quotes can be very daunting. Besides the jargon, the policies and terms vary widely from one plan to another. To top that, the number of quotes available in the market just keeps increasing every day. To make the process of understanding and comparing these online quotes more manageable, refer to the following explanation of some of the terms you will come across.

Types of these Plans

When examining the quotes, the type of these plan may be a good place to start. Is an in-network or out-of-network plan better for you?

Indemnity Plan or Fee for Service Plan

• Traditional type of health insurance plan


• You do not need to get approval for medical care for the insurance company cover it.


• You may see any doctor you want to. There is no provider network; hence it is an out-of-network plan.


• You receive limited coverage for preventive or routine care.


• Expensive with high deductible as well as premiums.

Managed Care Plan

• Examples: PPS, POS or HMO


• Provider networks of doctors and medical centres are formed by the companies offering the managed care plan.


• On plans such as PPO, you receive less coverage if you do not go to an "in-network" provider.


• On plans such as HMO, you must go to an "in-network" provider to be covered.


• More affordable than indemnity plans.

Deductible, Coinsurance, Copayment and Out-of-Pocket Maximum

Deductible

• This is what you'll have to pay for the medical bills before the insurance coverage begins.

Coinsurance

• This is the percentage of the medical bills you have to pay. Usually the insurance covers 80% of the bill and you'll have to pay 20%. However, there is a pre-determined maximum amount that you'll be responsible for each year.

Copayment

• This is the fixed dollar amount of the medical bills that you have to pay.

Out-of-pocket maximum

• This is the maximum amount you'll pay for a year inclusive of the deductible, copayment and coinsurance. If this amount has been reached, the insurance will take over 100% of the bills.

Coverage:

Office Visits

• They refer to your visit to the doctor or the dentist for routine care. If you do not make many office visits a year, you may consider dropping this cover to bring down your premium.

Maternity Care

• You may also drop this cover if you are sure that you are not planning to have any babies. This will bring down the premium substantially.

Outpatient care

• This refers to any treatment that does not require you to stay overnight. The coverage is usually low for this. Be a little careful with this as even serious costly treatments like chemotherapy may not require you to stay overnight. You'll bear the major burden of the cost with limited outpatient care coverage in such instances.

As of far, you have been exposed to some of the main terms that you will come across when looking up different quotes. Although the list is not exhaustive, hope these brief explanations of the terms have helped demystify these special online quotes.

How Bitters Can Boost Fertility and Combat Unexplained Infertility

The first time I hear someone say that bitters can boost fertility and cure infertility, I thought it was unscientific. I dismissed the folk-remedy philosophy that bitters can make a woman conceive. Not until I started researching the causes of unexplained infertility. Bitters work so well because they boost fertility and combat infertility through different mechanisms. This range from boosting your overall health and toning reproductive organs specifically. Yes, bitters balance the hormones, tones the ovary and makes the ovary release healthy eggs.

The problem with many infertile patients is that they do not associate infertility with 'fertile nutrition.' Good nutrition is the foundation a healthy body. Remember a healthy ovary is to be found in a healthy body. When the ovary is healthy, it produces healthy egg (ovum) and healthy egg produces healthy pregnancy leading to the birth of a healthy baby.

How does bitters boost fertility? Well, bitters tone and tune-up the five pillars of health: mind and mood, ingestion, digestion, circulation, immune system.

Bitters stimulate the bitter receptors at the back of the tongue to shut down the craving for refined sugar. This in turn stimulates the vagus nerve (the 10th cranial nerve) responsible for release of digestive enzymes. Any time your digestion improves, your overall health improves. Note also that sugar is the cause of 250 diseases including causing auto immunity and free radical damage which can retard the reproductive organs including the ovary.

Bitters also helps the detoxification work of the liver and the kidneys. Estrogen is eliminated in the liver which is also responsible for balancing all reproductive hormones. The liver pushes to the kidneys the wastes that are water soluble to be eliminated through the urine. The force of the kidneys rules the reproductive organs according to Chinese medicine. Detoxification also help the body to remove pollution of the antibodies that fight disease and initiate tissue repair and degeneration. This can boost the fertility of the ovaries and eliminate ovarian cysts and premature ovarian failure. Bitters have been known to correct irregular menstruation which is a sign of anovulation and hormonal imbalance.

Once infertility is diagnosed, stress tend to kick in. The body is not designed to handle excessive stress. Mental stress releases stress hormones which cause oxidation, immune depletion, inflammation and fibrosis. Bitters are adaptogens that helps the body cope with stress. Adaptogens tend to tone the the internal organs and bring them back to normal physiological function.

Bitters also eliminate estrogen dominance by eliminating excess estradiol (the bad estrogen) while boosting the level of progesterone and testesterone secretion. Without hormonal balance, the ovary, the immune system and ovulation is thrown off balance, too. In fact hormonal imbalance causes majority of the women fibrosis diseases that has been blamed for unexplained infertility. These include uterine fibroids, anovulation, polycystic ovary disease, endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia, adenomyosis, irregular periods, and luteal phase defect. Bitters helps eliminate growths or tumors including falopian tube blockade due to adhesions.

Specifically not only does bitters help mature eggs, they also help ovulation and propelling the released eggs to the falopian tube to be fertilized by the advancing spermatozoa. Note that once pregnancy test is positive, bitters are no longer needed.

The bitters that are effective (used in combination of other herbs) are gentian (called bitter root), bitter leaf (common in African-folk medicine), golden seal, dandelion greens and watercress. The Chinese bitters are a form of gentian or bitter root found in Europe.

You take bitters consistently for one month to regularize the menstrual periods and stop if period starts again. Then take for the second month and stop if pregnancy occurs. By then it is no longer necessary. If there is no pregnancy, take after your period is over for six days and stop just before ovulation starts. Continue the cycle if there is no pregnancy. It takes an average of two months to get pregnant with bitters.

The Sly Masquerader - Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy

A 26 year old, newly-pregnant woman sits on the exam table in her obstetrician's office. She is excited about her pregnancy and does not want to complain about her nausea, vomiting, weight loss, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue. The obstetrician can tell just by looking at her that she seems to be suffering the normal symptoms of pregnancy and is not overly worried. After all, nausea and vomiting occur in 50-80% of all pregnant women, especially between the 5th and 13th week. The doctor reassures the patient that this is normal, and encourages her to hydrate and rest. Sometimes the physician will suggest a medication, or a supplement, to reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

Is it possible that this woman is experiencing something more severe than the normal, early pregnancy symptoms?

One of the great masqueraders for pregnant women is thyroid disease. Many of the symptoms that women experience in the early stages of pregnancy are the exact symptoms that occur with thyroid problems. Women will commonly experience fatigue, weight gain, constipation, insomnia, and lethargy. Health care providers will often reassure patients that this is normal and these symptoms are due to the hormonal and physiological changes that one expects with the early stages of a healthy pregnancy. However, one must be on the alert that these same symptoms could be representative of a much more serious underlying problem; one that could have major, negative ramifications on the pregnancy and the newborn infant. Left undiagnosed and untreated, hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) could result in serious, high-risk conditions during the pregnancy. Prematurity, preeclampsia, placental separation (abruption), and/or serious consequences in the child such as congenital cretinism (mental retardation, deafness, muteness).

This weeks article will focus only on hy-PER-thyroidism (when you have too much thyroid hormone.)

Next week we will review hyp-O-thyroidism. (when you have too little thyroid hormone) and its effects on pregnancy.

Who should get screened for thyroid disease in pregnancy?

The current American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines state that thyroid functions should be checked only in women with a personal history of thyroid disease or symptoms of thyroid disease. It is NOT universally recommended to test all pregnant women even though there are cases of women who have disease that do not have symptoms (subclinical cases).

How does maternal thyroid hormone effect the fetus?

The fetal brain is completely dependent on maternal thyroid hormone until about 12 weeks gestation. At that time, the fetus is able to manufacture its own thyroid hormone in conjunction with the maternal hormone that crosses the placenta. Diminished levels of thyroid hormone in the mother impair fetal brain development. Elevated levels can also cross the placenta and cause excessive production in the fetus. (Graves disease.)

What is hyperthyroidism?

The thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the neck that controls metabolism. It receives a message (TSH) from an area in the brain called the pituitary which releases thyroid hormone (T4).

When the gland produces more hormone than it is supposed to, hyperthyroidism is diagnosed (elevated thyroid hormone T4 and low TSH.) This can occur in about.2% of all pregnancies. The most common form of the disease is Graves disease where certain antibodies are made by the body that stimulate thyroid hormone production. Other causes can be multinodular goiter, subacute thyroiditis, an extra thyroid source of hormone production (certain tumors of the ovary or pituitary), thyroid adenoma.

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?

• nervousness


• tremors


• tachycardia


• frequent stool


• excessive sweating


• heat intolerance


• weight loss


• goiter


• insomnia


• palpitations


• hypertension


• eye changes-lagging of the eyelid and retraction of the eye lid

What are the risks to the mother and the fetus if hyperthyroidism is left untreated?

If left untreated, hyperthyroid can cause:

• preterm delivery


• severe preeclampsia


• heart failure


• fetal loss


• low birth weight infants


• stillbirth


• fetal hyperthyroidism

How do you treat hyperthyroidism in the mother?

A classification of drugs called thioamides are used to treat hyperthyroidism.

• PTU


• methimazole

These drugs prevent the manufacture of the thyroid hormone by preventing a needed substrate iodine from attaching to the thyroid molecule and it also blocks the the manufacture of of another active form of the hormone T3.

These drugs do cross the placenta and can effect the fetal thyroid, although it is generally transient. Generally, these drugs are safe to use in pregnancy but rare side effects of the drug can include fever, sore throat, hepatitis, rash, nausea, loss of taste and smell, loss of appetite and a very serious and rare side effect called agranulocytosis (less than 1%) which is an abnormal condition of the blood characterized by a severe reduction of white blood cells (fever, prostration and bleeding ulcers of rectum, mouth, and vagina.)

Infants must be observed carefully after birth with mothers on antithyroid medication since newborns have been known to have neonatal hypothyroidism and goiter in mothers who have been treated. Babies are ultrasounded during pregnancy looking for fetal goiter and growth problems which can present problems at delivery due to the hyperextension of the neck.

It is generally considered safe to breast feed on these medications.

Other drugs used to treat hyperthyroidism are beta-blockers (propranolol) which act to reduce the rapid heart rate that can occur. Side effects from this drug can include growth retardation in the fetus, fetal bradycardia (slowed heart rate) and hypoglycemia in the infant (low blood sugar).

Radioactive iodine is never used in pregnancy since it can ablate the fetal thyroid. A patient was treated with radioactive iodine prior to becoming pregnant, should avoid becoming pregnant for at least 4 months. If all medications fail, or allergy to the medications exist, thyroidectomy, or surgical excision of the thyroid is recommended.

What is subclinical hyperthyroidism?

In about 1.7% of women there are asymptomatic women with normal thyroid hormone but a low TSH. This condition generally has been found to have no effect on the pregnancy since it is the maternal T4 level that is critical for fetal brain development, regardless of what the TSH level is. However, these women should be observed for osteoporosis, cardiovascular morbidity and progression to overt disease or thyroid failure in the future.

What is thyroid storm?

Thyroid storm is an acute obstetrical emergency that occurs in about 10% of women with hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include a change in mental status, seizures, nausea, diarrhea, and cardiac arrythmias. Patients are placed in the intensive care unit for constant monitoring and observation since there is a high risk of maternal heart failure. Thyroid storm can be precipitated by an acute surgical emergency, infection, diabetes. anesthesia, and noncompliance with thyroid medications. In addition to the usual treatment of hyperthyroidism as described above, steroids are commonly given.

Can thyroid disease present itself right after delivery?

About 6 to 9% of women with no history of thyroid disease can present with disease after delivery, generally within the first year postpartum. This is common in women that have previously known thyroid antibodies that are not activated until after the delivery, or women with a strong family history of diabetes or other autoimmune disorders. Most women have transient hyperthyroidism which then converts to hypothyroidism requiring treatment. About 77% of women will completely recover but 30% will continue with thyroid disease permanently. Many women that recover will develop this disorder again with subsequent pregnancies.

Summary:

Because of the close similarity of symptoms that occur with a normal early pregnancy, be sure to ask your health care providers if you should be screened for thyroid disease. Discovery and correction of this condition can have beneficial ramifications to ensure a happy, healthy mother and baby. As stated in many previous articles, pregnancy can be the crystal ball of future medical conditions and by being vigilant, pregnancy can help a woman avoid diseases and conditions from surfacing later in life.

Importance of Good Maternity Wear

There are many things you need to take care of when you are pregnant like diet, exercise, maternity clothing, being happy, meditating, and looking after your self in general. This article deals with the importance of maternity clothes for an expectant mother and what she should look for.

Maternity clothes are today being made by many young and fashionable people who understand the need of mixing fashion and sensible and practical maternity clothes. Who says pregnant women can't be fashionable? You can today indulge in the latest trends in maternity wear and rock the natural glow that is associated with pregnancy.

Mommies to be often ask why it is important to wear maternity clothes. Why can't they just wear their old ones in larger sizes the answers are here:

Change in Size

Most maternity clothes can be bought in the same size as your normal clothing. It is just that maternity clothes are cut in the same way as normal clothes, with the difference being that the belly area is cut in a different way.

You will need Expandable Waistbands

Today you get many different types of waistbands like scoop under the belly, V belly under, over the belly, flat front or fold over instead of the traditional big rib pouch. As your waist expands with the progress of the baby you can't wear your old pants and jeans. You get stylish maternity jeans which look very stylish and smart.

Comfort

Every pregnant women needs to be as comfortable as possible. Pregnancy is not all easy as there are times when you are overtly emotional, or there are days when you are feeling unwell, you feel bloated and swollen. In such cases you need comfortable maternity clothing which allows you the movement and freedom of space that you need. It is important that you don't buy tight maternity clothes as they will only get tighter and won't allow your skin to breathe.

Maternity Bras

Your breast size will change after the 3rd month and you will require a maternity bra from the 5th-6th month. You need the extra support that only maternity bras can give you. Some even are cross back. Some ladies even need to wear bras to keep their breast pads in place as there can be pain and discomfort in the region of the breast and these pads offer a cool relief. Women after delivery especially need to wear maternity bras of breast feeding bras for convenience and easy access.

Feel Good About Your Self

It is very important to know that you are a gorgeous women who is responsible for bringing a new life into this world. And what better way to celebrate this than to show off to people with smart and attractive maternity wear. There is nothing like a pretty dress and compliments that follow to boost your morale and ego, so why not indulge in the best maternity clothes you can find?

If you are interested in some great maternity wear in Brisbane then you could consider the name Maternity Revolution. For more info please click here www.maternityrevolution.com.au.

Anxiety During Pregnancy - Acknowledging This New Feeling Might Help You in Your Future Pregnancies

Anxiety during pregnancy is a very common feeling during the all 9 months. Even when a baby is very much wanted, pregnancy is a time when women experience a whole variety of emotions, one of the most prominent of which is anxiety. Women who have had problems in conceiving a baby may be extremely anxious about whether they will be able to hold on to this pregnancy.

Women who have had previous miscarriages are fearful until they are well beyond the last date at which they previously lost a baby. You may feel frightened all the time because of your previous miscarriage or miscarriages, and you may feel worried about whether you are going to have another miscarriage or not. So previous miscarriages can cause mixed reactions with your current or future pregnancies.

Women who have given birth to a baby who afterwards died or who was disabled can spend nine months is a in a strained state of wondering whether the same thing might happen again, anxiety during pregnancy might be a very common feeling for this category of women also. If you are baby died during labour or after he is born, maybe because of some heart defects or similar reasons, your current pregnancy might be incredible worrying for you and you might lose your confidence at all in having a healthy new baby. Acknowledging this might be the first step in taking measure precautions for your current or future pregnancies to actually develop without any other similar problems.

Some women really enjoy being pregnant, sail through it with no problems and anxiety during pregnancy is a completely absent feeling for them; others are surprised by no heightened their emotions are and how the sense of responsibility is overwhelming.

Your outlook on life changes and ordinary everyday activities take on a new importance.

Which Service Types Are Classed As Acute Services by the Care Quality Commission?

One of the first steps to complete when commencing down the path to registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is to determine exactly which service-type your particular organisation falls within. Once you have determined your service-type you can then begin to gather all of the necessary evidence to allow you to demonstrate compliance with the CQC's essential standards

One of the possible service-types that your company or organisation could fall within is Acute Services. This heading encompasses a wide range of diverse and complex care provisions, however, in general they relate to those services that provide medical and/or surgical investigations, diagnosis and treatment for a physical illness, condition, injury or disease. Within this definition Acute Services can be delivered to the whole population thus including adults, children or indeed both.

The CQC's definition of acute services dictates that these healthcare provisions can see patients on an outpatient basis as well as take admissions of inpatients and day case patients. Additionally, these admissions can be made at short notice or in an emergency, rather than long term planned admissions. Acute Services may also provide services such as:

- Surgical operations
- Specialist medical treatments
- Emergency investigations or treatment
- Maternity and neonatal care
- Termination of pregnancy
- Complex dental procedures
- Liaison psychiatry

The range of healthcare provisions delivered and the numbers and types of clinicians employed within an Acute Service can be extensive, and this is often the necessary situation in order to ensure that the needs of all service users are met adequately and conveniently within one location. Service users of Acute Services are generally referred or admitted as a result of the actions of another medical professional or clinical practitioner, for example a GP referring a patient on for immediate specialist treatment.

Types of providers that are classed as Acute include:

- Acute NHS hospitals
- Acute independent hospitals
- NHS Community hospitals
- Independent Sector Treatment Centres
- Cosmetic surgery clinics
- Haemodialysis units
- Minor Injury units

This is just a small sample of some of the healthcare types that fit into the Acute Services (ACS) category but there are many other ways in which a service can be deemed to be delivering Acute Services. Once you have correctly identified your provision's service type, whether it be ACS or an alternative, you can then review the requirements placed upon you by the Care Quality Commission in relation to the evidence you must present to demonstrate compliance with the CQC's regulatory standards. As each CQC outcome has specific prompts relevant to each service type, you must ensure you get the correct categorisation for you service before you commence your preparation for registration.

Exercise During Pregnancy - What's Safe and What's Not Safe?

If you weren't fit before you became pregnant, don't give up! Exercise during pregnancy doesn't have to be ultra-strenuous. Begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger.

When doing pregnancy exercises, keep your heart rate under 140 beats per minute and avoid overheating, especially in your first three months. Start gradually. Even 5 minutes a day is a good start if you've been inactive. Add 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes at one time.

The Very Best Exercise During Pregnancy-Swimming

Swimming is really the safest and best pregnancy exercise, as it does not have any impact on your body, as jogging or walking does. You can reach a high level of heart rate, which strengthens your cardiovascular ability and gives you a welcome buoyancy (floatability or the feeling of weightlessness).

Swimming is a safe cardiovascular exercise that will most likely not cause overheating.

If you can't swim, join a water aerobics class. Water aerobics are great pregnancy exercises as again, the water has no impact and is very safe on your stomach.

Walking

If you don't have access to a pool, then another good exercise during pregnancy is walking. Walking is very beneficial and is safer on your body and knees than running.

Running

If you were a runner before you were pregnant, in many cases, you can continue running during your pregnancy, although you will have to slow down and probably have to stop in your third trimester. Avoid bouncing and wear good shoes.

Aerobics

If you already participate in aerobics, you will most likely be able to continue; however, you should speak to your health care provider before you begin. Avoid jumping, spinning and leaping.

Keeping your balance can sometimes be difficult, so you'll want to be careful as you grow. Do not exercise lying flat on your back for extended periods of time, and don't even lie on your back after 25 weeks.

If you do choose to do aerobics, just make sure to avoid becoming extremely winded or exercising to the point of exhaustion.

Kegel Exercises

Pregnant women who perform Kegel exercises often find they have an easier birth. The best thing about Kegel exercises is that they can be done anywhere, and no one knows you are doing them. Just squeeze the muscles that you use to stop urinating for a few seconds and do this 10 times per day.

Bicycling

The best thing about biking is that the bike supports your weight, so there is less stress on your body. Using a stationary bike is great exercise because you have less of a chance of falling.

Dance

Dancing is fine as long as you do not do a lot of leaping, jumping or spinning.

Stair Climbing Machines

Stair climbing is a great way to raise your heart rate and improve cardiovascular endurance. Just hold onto the side rails so you don't fall.

Yoga

Most forms of yoga will be safe for you and your baby, as long as they are not excessively rigorous. Some yoga instructors offer special classes for pregnant women. Avoid lying flat on your back for extended periods of time and try not to over stretch.

Warning Signs

Most health care providers advise pregnant women to avoid any exercise during pregnancy after the first trimester that requires them to lie flat on their backs.

As swimming poses no impact problems and you don't get overheated like you do with other exercises, it is the best pregnancy exercise to do right up until your due date. I was swimming two days before I delivered!

Whatever you choose to do, do it consistently and with care. Pregnancy exercises are very important to your overall health, your cardiovascular strength and will increase your circulation, contributing to an overall healthy pregnancy.

And if you need a maternity bathing suit, you can find beautiful ones that will fit for your entire pregnancy at:

Independence, Motherhood and Feminism in Kate Chopin's The Awakening

"Awakening" (In Chopin C. "Awakening and Other Stories" Random House, New York, NY: 2000) involves issues of feminism whereby Edna Pontellier, the center of the American Creole/New Orleans story, often and perplexedly reflects on her role of mother-of-two who is married to a well-off and often traveling (for business or pleasure) brokerage-business husband (Leonce Pontellier). The book garnered a lot of controversy for many decades after it was written in 1899, but eventually became and has endured as Kate Chopin's most famous work.

The community views Leonce as the epitome of the ideal husband, for Leonce greatly adores and provides for wife and children, he is quite consistently concerned about the welfare and happiness of his household. Yet Edna does not look at Leonce as her choice of husband, she says their marriage was accidental, that as she was growing up there are particular men that came around her that she would have wished to take her hand. Leonce is disciplined, insistent and low-toned, often dissatisfied about Edna's attention to the children and other household issues, more so because he is often away on business and Edna has a lot of help, Leonce sometimes causes Edna to walk off and cry.

Perhaps Edna was the precursor of the modern era American woman...one who is prevalently independent (or at least longs to be), one who has more power in making decisions about what she prefers, one whose identity is not predominantly defined by wealth, looks, family, husband, or children. In her state of psychological disillusionment ("An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with vague anguish" [179]), Edna's love for the two boys she gave birth to is uncharacteristically distant, the mother's instinct seemingly weak, the kids have more fondness for their father. "If one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort....Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman..." (181).

The author Chopin hence paints a picture of a soul plagued by a mixture of feminist and psychological issues. It is to be remembered, that even in this age of feminist liberation, providing men who love and care for their wives and children are still held in high esteem and are still in high demand. Chopin implicitly displays that female emancipation and longing can be of numerous forms. Further, Chopin often compares and contrasts main characters in terms of their beauty and body textures/ forms, illustrating that this issue has been strong in the United States for centuries.

"[Edna] was rather handsome than beautiful...face...captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features" (174). Chopin writes of Edna's companion and friend Adele Rattignolle (as somewhat contrasted with Edna) that, "...her beauty was all there, flaming and apparent...two lips that pouted...the grace of every step, pose, gesture... (182). Many writers have noted that Kate Chopin was not a suffragist and did not join any feminist movements; and indeed, many feminist writers reduce the value of the aesthetic features and comparisons of women, aspects that can remind of Hollywood vagueness.

Eventually, Edna wants to leave her family big house and settle "...in a four-room house along the corner" (294). A woman who had great difficulty at learning how to swim, one who is still sophomoric at it, Edna will ultimately find disturbing comfort in introspectively walking alone to the sea, in taking off all her clothing, reflecting on her life and swim into and allow herself to be swallowed by the sea, a fatal blow to the self-possession and psychological emancipation that she sought. Edna was born a reserved child, she was miserable and felt stifled, her marriage and sketches did not reach the standards she wanted them, there was something lacking in her "ideal, loving family; her comfort and big house," the lustful affair with the lad Robert the conspicuous and philandering son of Madame Lebrun the property owner was full of gaping holes and would not last. Edna did not fit in the conventional mode of the beginning of the 20th Century American dream woman. She instead provides a window into what the woman, over the numerous decades to come, would perhaps evolve into as the individualist and the emancipated female.

In "Awakening," Edna Pontellier is supposed to be one of the most fortunate women in the world. She has a present, fidel, hardworking and earning, capable, loving husband, who sired with her two male kids, she does not have to go outside of home to work. Yet, she is dissatisfied with her status quo, a rich homely situation that many women crave to be in. The narrator is telling us that women are complex persons, each of individual personality, one size does not fit all; needs and interests, and ambitions of each woman vary. Edna is horrifyingly distant from the two boys she gave birth to. "If one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort....Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman..." (181). But indeed women (and female animals) have been known to neglect and even kill their children, reasons for which vary from psychological to dislike for tending to offspring. Women have been known to chase down and drown their children in bathtubs (Andrea Pia Yates, in 2002, drowned all five offspring in a bathtub; she has had a history of post-partum depression and psychosis), or let a car-full of their children roll into a river and get them drowned (Susan Smith, in 1994 did this to her two sons).

Edna Pontellier had two sons, she drowns herself in the end. Women have been known to leave their enviable husbands and children in a comfortable life, and fall for top-notch criminals who are locked up in prison. Edna mentions wanting to leave her comfortable home and enviable family, and living in a smaller habitation down the street "...in a four-room house along the corner" (294). Post-partum depression has been mentioned about women, and in Edna's case it seems to have become indefinite. Many women, even in the contemporary times long for biological or at least adoptive motherhood. Still, there are those who opine their biologically begetting children as one of the most unfair ways a woman is exploited as a painstaking residence of a baby during gestation. Human gestation is a trying experience, compared to that of most other species (consider squirrels and rabbits). Human fetuses comparatively have many defects, miscarriages are common. At the same time the man does not have the burden of carrying the child to childbirth and keeping a sleep-ridden eye on the child. The fathers of the child sometimes wander away, abandoning their offspring.

Edna portrays that a woman can want much more than a family of children and a husband, perhaps she was a lesbian who had not discovered herself as one. She was at least discontented with her husband Leonce who comes off as conventional, disciplined, and inflexible. This discontentment is understandable...it happens. But why the distance from her offspring, and then the lustful interest in the young man Robert, eventually adultery? Edna will always be an enigma! Perhaps Edna suffered from multiple-personality disorder, something psychological irked her. Perhaps she longed to be the independent free woman, one who had the freedom to love or have sex with her choice of person, the precursor of the 20th and 21st Century independent and upstanding woman free to express her sexuality and stick to her preferences. Edna, many times in subtle ways, brings forth into question, feminism in the context of individuality, sexuality, marriage, freedom and choice, reproduction and child-rearing, spousal attachment and power, and the context and role of marriage in a woman's life. Edna brings it out that each female is of unique individuality, of personal talent and likes that beg to be fully uncovered so she need not be comfortable with how society compartmentalizes women, more so as wives, mothers, home-makers, and as cherished articles of beauty and ownership.

The Benefits of Maternity Compression Stockings

Although it's always best to speak with your doctor when you have concerns about your pregnancy, the following tips cover some of the most common health concerns for expecting mothers.

1. Leg Cramps
During the last months of pregnancy, women often experience leg cramps, especially while they're resting in bed. Massage or heat pads are wonderful ways to reduce the pain of leg cramps, as is wearing maternity compression stockings. Compression stockings reduce venous pressure and increase circulation, which often completely stops cramping in the legs. However, if the cramps persist, you should contact your doctor.

2. Poor Leg Circulation
During pregnancy, the weight of the fetus puts extra pressure on the legs and feet. Specifically, the uterus puts pressure on the main vein on the right side of the body, the inferior vena cava. This puts more pressure on the rest of the veins in the legs, and can result in varicose and spider veins.

In addition to following your doctor's orders for relieving swelling (such as elevating your feet when you are seated), compression stockings can also reduce the pain and discoloration of varicose and spider veins. Maternity compression stockings are specially designed to boost the blood flow from your legs to your heart; this reduces circulatory problems that can occur in your ankles and lower legs.

3. Thyroid Disease
During pregnancy, the body naturally increases the levels of estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone present in a woman's hormone system. These hormones can cause the thyroid to function differently. Altered thyroid functioning can manifest in symptoms such as fatigue, feelings of depression, high blood pressure, elevated heart rate, anemia, and intolerance to heat. Doctors often prescribe thyroid supplements for pregnant women experiencing a problem with their thyroid gland. Health professionals may recommend wearing compression socks for women as well; this will help reduce the additional leg swelling that can come with a thyroid imbalance.

4. Gestational Diabetes
When an individual is diabetic, insulin levels are too high. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood stream. If the body fails to produce enough insulin, or inappropriately uses insulin, diabetes may occur. Gestational diabetes symptoms include extreme fatigue, hunger, and thirst.

Because these symptoms are common during pregnancy, the best way to diagnose gestational diabetes is through blood testing. Doctors may instruct sufferers of gestational diabetes to follow a certain diet/meal plan, exercise regularly, regularly monitor blood sugar levels, and take certain medications. Lastly, gestational diabetes can decrease circulation, particularly in the legs, so your health advisor may suggest that you wear maternity compression stockings to prevent or alleviate pressure and swelling.

5. High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure during pregnancy is dangerous, especially for the baby. It can cause conditions such as low birth weight, preeclampsia, and premature delivery.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure during your pregnancy, it is wise to heed your doctor's advice regarding diet and lifestyle changes. Additionally, compression socks for women can help control the symptoms of high blood pressure, such as leg swelling and cramps.

The Best Position to Get Pregnant and Other Tips to Help You Conceive

When couples are having a difficult time having a child, it's not uncommon for them to start wondering what they can do different, what the best position to get pregnant is, and what other factors can they change in order to help the process along.

The best position to get pregnant is actually any position that helps keep sperm in. Any position where the woman is on top should be avoided as this allows gravity to pull sperm out. Missionary is probably one of the best, however, you should try placing a pillow under the females hips, as it will create an angle that allows sperm to travel more freely towards the uterus.

Ovulation is also key when it comes to trying to conceive. There are many ovulation testing kits on the market that can help you to pin point which days are the best to try and get pregnant. For a lot of women this will be on Day 14 of her cycle, though it doesn't necessarily have to be. It's not uncommon for an egg to be ready to become fertilized on Day 11, or even Day 16. In some rarer cases a woman may even ovulate more than once during a cycle.

If you can figure out with some degree of accuracy when you expect to be ovulating, start having sex a few days before. While an egg will generally only last 24 hours, sperm can survive anywhere from 3 to 7 days. This way, you greatly increase your chances of sperm reaching the ready egg.

Finally, try and relax. It can become frustrating when trying to get pregnant and nothing seems to be working but the added stress can actually really hinder your progress. Love making is fun, and should be fun! Don't make it into a job, but keep these tips in mind and you'll be on your way to having a baby in no time.

The Insight on Artificial Insemination and Its Cost

Artificial insemination has been widely used by couples with an infertility problem. It is a procedure in where sperm is placed into female's uterus to make the woman pregnant. The method was first used for insemination of cattle, but today it is also applied in humans and some other animals such as those in zoos. The sperm can be either from the partner of the woman or from a sperm donor if her partner has a low sperm count or no sperm at all, or the woman does not have a partner but still wants to get pregnant. The success rate depends on the infertility problem, age and some health factors, but overall it is between 5 to 20%, which is quite good. Now, how much does artificial insemination cost?

The fact is, artificial insemination is quite expensive and not all couples can afford it. However, this method is cheaper than in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is considered to be the best option for some couples. Couples that have a hard time trying to conceive using ovulation timing intercourse or relaying only on fertility drugs often have poor success. Artificial Insemination instead allows fertilization to happen naturally which is a wonderful feeling for couples, especially the woman. The method involves several diagnoses, examinations and consultations. Doctors in many cases also prescribe drugs to increase the success rate. The drugs can be in the form of ovulations drugs or drugs for women who are allergic to sperm. Commonly, couples may need more than one session applying the method, as conceiving on the first try is unlikely. One session costs vary from $300 - $700, depends on the clinic, the nature of the problem, the age and some other factors. However, in case you have to do several sessions, you need to be prepared to pay from $1000 to $5000. Often times, the drugs are excluded from the overall package and they can vary from less than $100 up to several thousand dollars, depending on what the doctor prescribes. If you go to an average clinic, the doctor might prescribe you affordable drugs. If you do it in an expensive clinic, the doctor might prescribe expensive drugs.

In addition, hospital stay is sometimes required for patients in certain conditions. Sperm washing that is necessary is also excluded and costs about $100. To see the progress after you do the method, ultrasound is required and it costs about $300 in each checking. In total, you are looking at approximately $5000 to $10,000, although you might pay much less than that. However, always expect to have to pay more just in case. Some insurance companies insure artificial insemination and you need to check with your insurance whether they cover it.

Pregnancy Back Aches - Tips to Help Reduce the Pain

One of the most common issues for all women during pregnancy is those nagging back aches. It only stands to reason that when you are carrying around an extra 20 pounds in your lower stomach that it is going to have a negative effect on your back. Well here are some tips to help you deal with this problem.

First off, be sure that what you have is an occasional back ache and not a constant pain. This could be a sign of a more serious problem and you will want to let your doctor know about it right away. It could be a kidney infection or even pre-term labor coming on. So it is better to error on the side of caution here.

Tips To Reduce Pregnancy Back Pain

* Use a heating pad when you are at home relaxing. This can really help.
* Avoid any and all heavy lifting. Now is not the time for this and it is also what causes women who are pregnant a lot of issues.
* Get off your feet at regular intervals during the day if you have a job that requires standing all the time.
* Avoid the high heeled shoes and wear sneakers instead. This really helps eliminate the pain and the extra stress on your lower back.
* Exercise and do some stretching for your lower back. This helps build up more strength and flexibility.
* Put a small pillow behind your back when you sit down in chairs. This is even truer if you have an office job where you are constantly sitting down.

These tips should go a long way in reducing the pregnancy back pain, but if they don't and you find yourself dealing with pain on a frequent basis, call your doctor. They may be able to give you some medicine to help.

Understand Cat Pregnancy and How you can Help your Cat through this Special Time

Unneutered cats are very prolific breeders and can produce three litters a year when left to their own devices. The female cat is usually able to breed from as young as six months old, sometime even younger.

The signs of a cat in heat or to use its medical name Oestrus, can be quite subtle and can be easily missed by cat owners. Although there will be some bleeding during this time, it is a lot less noticeable than in a human and if the cat is allowed outside may be missed completely. Usually the first indications that a cat is "on heat" are changes in behaviour. Often the female cat will become overly friendly towards everyone and will rub herself around your legs more frequently than usual. She will also roll around on her back more often, make unusual yowling noises and will want to urinate more often, which helps to spread her scent around.

If your female cat does have contact with complete male cats during this time, it is likely that she will mate with all that she encounters. This explains why a litter of kittens may contain many different fur colourations and markings, as they may all have different fathers.

The gestation period for a cat is between 60 and 65 days and the first signs that your cat is pregnant may not be evident until the third week of pregnancy, when her nipples will start to become enlarged. By week four the pregnancy should become visible and it during this time that a vet will be able to feel the kittens through her abdomen.

During your cats pregnancy it is important that your cat is fed top quality cat food, choosing one that is formulated for kittens is a good choice as it is higher in protein and calcium. However over feeding should be avoided, as over weight cats can suffer complications during birth. Extra vitamins may be beneficial to your pregnant cat, but supplements should not be given without the approval from a qualified vet.

As the birth draws near, the queen will start to look for a place to have her kittens. She will probably want to choose a quiet secluded familiar place that is warm and secure. As an owner you can help choose this place by placing a cardboard box lined with newspaper in a quiet warm room. Food, water and a litter tray should also be placed near by to encourage your queen to make this her birthing box.

One of the first signs that your cat is preparing to give birth is that her appetite will decrease and she will either begin to want to be on her own more than usual or she may seek out human affection to help reassure her. Also her mammary glands will become very swollen and may start to produce milk a few days before the actual birth.
During this time it is important for the owner to keep a close eye on the cat and to watch out for any signs of distress or illness. Any signs of a temperature or if the cat has not eaten at all for 24 hours, should be investigated by a vet.

Cats are normally able to give birth without any problem completely by themselves. The process appears to be practically pain free, and apart from the actual straining, the cat seems unperturbed by the whole situation. Human intervention is rarely needed, even dealing with the umbilical cord and fetal membranes can be left to the cat.

After the first kitten is born it may not be for another hour or so before the next kitten is born. However it is not unusual for successive kittens to be born 12 to 24 hours after this first wave of kittens. It is therefore important not to let your cat out or try to handle them for at least 24 hours, to make sure that the process is completed. Reassuring strokes and tickles will be enough to comfort the cat and reassure her that all is well. Fresh water, food and a litter tray should be provided close by.

Mother and kittens should be allowed to be left alone to bond and the handle of the kittens should be minimal for the first 24 hours so that our scent does not mask their own and their mothers.

Should Pregnant Women Undergo Chiropractic Care?

This is an important question that all pregnant women should know the answer to. During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes many physiological and endocrinological changes as the baby inside the womb begins to grow and develop. Due to these changes, the pregnant mother experiences various forms of misalignments in her joints and/or spine, that could result in one or a combination of, the following:

- A growing, prominent curve of the back
- Enlargement of the abdomen
- Pelvic changes
- Postural changes

These changes in the pregnant woman's body could result in them experiencing difficulty attaining proper balance and alignment. Hence, chiropractic care helps correct these conditions and enables the development for better posture that puts less stress on the pregnant body. Importantly, the misalignment of a pregnant woman's pelvis could limit the baby's development inside the womb.

Is Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy Safe?

All licensed chiropractors are trained about using chiropractic procedures on pregnant women. There are chiropractic professionals who specialize in treatments for prenatal and postnatal care individually. Hence, these professionals are trained and are required to direct their specialization to ensure the safety of both baby and mother.

Chiropractors who treat pregnant women must adjust the intensity of their treatment procedures depending on the condition and in what stage of their gestation period the woman is in. Many times, chiropractors will recommend a regimen of stretching and exercise in order to ensure optimum health for the pregnant woman.

Chiropractic Benefits for The Pregnant Woman

Before women undergo labor, it is highly recommended that she undergo chiropractic care as it assists in many ways throughout her pregnancy and delivery.

It assists in the following:

- It helps to achieve a healthier pregnancy.

- It enables the patient to achieve good control over their symptoms and/or conditions associated with pregnancy.

- It enables the patient to have an expeditious and effective delivery.

- It enables relief from pain on the neck, back, or joints which get tremendous strain during pregnancy.

- It enables women to avoid the possibility of undergoing cesarean section.

Chiropractic Effects During Labor

In addition to the benefits for prenatal conditions mentioned above, chiropractic care offers great benefits during the actual labor and delivery of the baby, especially in terms of pain management. A more successful delivery is possible upon receiving chiropractic care.

Duration of Labor

When the human body undergoes extremely stressful situations, such as in the delivery of a baby, the balance level and adaptability of the pregnant body is crucial. Most women who have to undergo Cesarean section during delivery are due to the body's inability to cope with the normal stress of delivery. Most of the time, when a woman is not strong enough to deliver a baby normally, it is the result of a misalignment of the pelvis. This slows down the descent of the fetus towards the birth canal. A limited range of motion is also a culprit that affects a woman's ability to labor efficiently. Hence, getting chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy enables a woman to address the above problems and significantly reduce her time in labor.

The Fetal Position

Another component that impacts labor time is the positioning of the fetus. Chiropractic treatments will help to adjust and place the fetus for proper movement through the birth canal. Many health experts also believe that chiropractic treatments help avoid the acquisition of any form of back conditions.

My Personal Experience With Caregiver Stress

I began my career in a cancer center. I worked in the Medical Oncology Unit, otherwise known as Med/Onc. Prior to working with individuals with a cancer diagnosis, I worked with seniors and had a great deal of experience with death and dying. At the end of the day, I was able to put my work aside and go home and not deal with any of the sadness and human suffering I encountered on a day to day basis. I thought that working with the elderly population would prepare me for my work with oncology patients.

As a young social worker, I thought I had it all together. I thought I knew how to juggle all of the balls that were being thrown my way. I would go to work on a daily basis, meet all of the demands of the day, and make sure all of my patient's needs were taken care of. I came face to face with real human suffering. I came face to face with mothers losing their children, children losing their parents and the unfairness called "cancer". Despite all that I encountered, I thought I was able to handle it as I did in the past, I thought I could come face to face with death and put it aside at the end of the day.

I was very proud of the work that I did and to be a part of such an amazing organization. As proud as I was and as much as I enjoyed the work that I did, I always carried with me an overwhelming feeling of dread. This was something that I could not shake. I did a pretty good job of masking my feelings, so good in fact, that I hid them from myself. My superwoman complex kept me from being truly real with myself. I was too proud to admit the truth...I was sinking into a depression. I did not realize it because it was insidious and I had lived with the symptoms for so long that I just thought this was the way I was supposed to feel when encountering human suffering. I never talked about it with anyone, because I could not put my feelings into words. No amount of education and past experience prepared me for what I was facing. It was not until one day that I went to see a movie with a close friend that I finally had some insight into my situation. We went to see a romantic comedy called "the rolling stone". I always avoided dramatic or sad movies because I did not want to feel sad when I was home. It was a defense mechanism I used in order to keep my wall of denial up and my defenses safe. (**spoiler alert**) There was a part in the movie where one of the main characters was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently dies. I immediately began sobbing uncontrollably. It was such an exaggerated response and as me and my friend sat alone in the movie theater, I was ashamed of myself and my emotional response. The following week I had a meeting with my immediate supervisor, where I informed her of what happened during the weekend. She was so supportive and gave me some invaluable insight...I was suffering from caregiver stress.

Caregiver Stress is stress caregivers experience when providing care to another person suffering from some type of illness. Caregiver stress is not limited to individuals caring for a loved one. This definition can also include medical professionals and others working in a medical field providing hands on care and counseling to individuals.

This was the first time where I put my pride to the side and really began to take a long, hard look in the mirror. For so long I thought that expressing my true feelings would make me appear weak or somehow undermine my clinical training. When I finally put my guard down, I was able to take active steps in addressing all of my symptoms. As a clinician it is so much easier to have empathy for others and to assess situations and provide good clinical counseling. In order for me to be a better clinician I had to be real with my own insecurities, inadequacies and emotional struggles. I had to be real in how jaded the job was making me. In my time alone, I would often time struggle with God and question why good people have to suffer and be honest with my own physical symptoms of depression.

I began my journey to healing. I began to really look at caregiver stress and its effects. I saw that I was experiencing classic symptoms.

As I understood some of my own personal feelings, I was better able to cope with all of the human suffering around me. I was kinder to myself and as a result, I was better able to provide good clinical interventions. As the feelings of caregiver stress multiplied I was exceedingly overwhelmed and not truly able to give the individuals I was working with the best of me. As I increased self care and made positive steps to address my own inadequacies and sadness about what I encountered on a daily basis, I was able to provide better patient care.

This new found awareness also continued in my personal life. While working I became pregnant with twin daughters. Of course my husband and I were delighted but no one could have prepared us for life after twins. Needless to say, the first 6 months were very difficult and I found myself overwhelmed, sleep deprived, anxious and so forth. Not to mention, I also experienced some postpartum depression. My past experience with caregiver stress gave me tremendous insight into my condition. I applied some of the same techniques and as a first time mother. It's hard when you are in the "thick of it" to put words to your feelings. We often times have more empathy to those around us and don't cut ourselves enough slack.

So often we may consider taking time for ourselves as being "selfish" and we do not make the time. I say to you, make the time. If you do not care for yourself, then you cannot care for others in the best way. Even the best intentioned people can "loose it" when they are overwhelmed and exhausted. Be just as kind to yourself as you are to others.