They Told You the Baby is Posterior

Health, Infants, Life, New Parenthood, Pregnancy, Relationships, Third Trimester
They told you the baby is posterior, what exactly does that mean? Posterior fetal position (OP), otherwise known as "sunny-side-up," is a term used to determine how the baby's head is presenting when inside mom's belly. In the OP position, the back (occiput) of the fetal head is towards the woman's back (posterior), and the baby is looking "sunny-side-up." Babies have many challenging tasks to accomplish when going from in-utero to mother's arms. The majority of these efforts are done without mom having to do anything special to be successful in finding the optimal fetal position for birth. In a nutshell, babies are driven to find the correct way out of the water world. Most munchkins settle into the optimal fetal position between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy. Eager…
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Parenting in a Pandemic

Health, Infants, Kids, Life, Parenting, Relationships, Teens, Toddlers
Parenting in a pandemic can be overwhelming, even for the most level headed parents. We are called upon to dig down deep into our hearts and souls and find all the good we can to transfer onto the worried children we are trying to protect- much easier said than done! The majority of the universe has never lived through a pandemic such as this. It's not to say that we haven't had horrible things happen in our lifetime- including other pandemics- but the worst-before now-was in 1918 and most of that generation has left this earth. Not to minimize some of these runner ups: Spanish FluTuberculosisSmall PoxPlagueCholera outbreakSwine FluSARS coronavirusRussian FluHong Kong fluSerum run to Nome (diphtheria)MalariaWest Bank fainting epidemicHIV/AIDS I imagine you may have never heard of some of…
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Third Trimester Planning

Breastfeeding, Health, Infants, Life, Parenting, Pregnancy, Relationships
Third-trimester planning takes the pressure off when you are busy learning your new role- MOM! It's not essential for you to do everything on the list before the baby, but it can improve your recovery from birth. You will become an awesome mother whether you're prepared or not; after all, babies don't require much more than diapers, clothes, breasts, and shelter. It'll be ok! To-Do List Employer conversation: Know the federal, state, and office policies on FMLA-pregnancy-maternity leave and the pumping at work laws before you broach the subject with your boss. Be well versed in your rights and start that conversation now about your plans to return even if you're not sure or think you may not go back. Get a tentative return to work date agreed upon and…
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Middle-School Crisis

Health, Kids, Life, Parenting, Relationships, Teens
This middle-school crisis is a story of corruption, greed, negligence, and power concerning the ramifications on the youth involved. Our school district has been in crisis mode for the past few years (that we are aware of), with the assortment controversies. With the use of free speech, the general public has since learned about dangerous secrets and misrepresentation from past administrations. Forcing the new one to clean up the mayhem. I won't go into all the details involved but think along the lines of the nepotism going on in the most significant administration in the USA-although on a smaller scale. There always seems to be someone with something to gain while others suffer. Our most recent issue has brought about the safety of the people who inhabit a few of…
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Meeting Your “New Mom” Needs

Health, Infants, Life, Pregnancy, Relationships
Integrating your baby in your life while meeting your "new mom" needs can be tricky. Everyone wants to be part of those first few weeks, but quickly lose interest after the first month. Check on your new mom friends after week four, and you'll find some of them chomping at the bit to "feel normal again." Incorporating that balance will take time. Finding something that can help improve your new daily regimen AND keep your baby with you can be challenging. As a new mom, you're always looking for a small window of opportunity to duck out and exercise, meet friends for lunch, groom at the hairdresser, read a book, run to the store or take a bath without 487 interruptions. It becomes especially important when your health could be…
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Rock Your Labor in These Positions

Health, Life, Parenting, Pregnancy
To rock your labor in these positions, you will need an open mind, sense of humor and a little flexibility. Don't wait until crunch time to check these out! Let's face it; LABOR is hard work and requires creativity and instinct to help move the process along. Giving birth is not a sedentary sport. Active involvement can lessen your birth time, reduce pain, and decrease the need for medications. Overall, satisfaction with the birthing process comes from freedom of movement and allowing your body to do what comes naturally. Contrary to images you may have seen in movies or books, the lithotomy (laying on your back with feet in stirrups) position is not the ideal choice for women. However, many factors can influence the mother's position decision, including setting, mother's choice &…
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When Life Gives You Lemons

Health, Life, Parenting, Relationships
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. What if the lemons are rotten or too sour to make tasty lemonade? Or if you don't have the stamina to process the instructions to create said lemonade? I entered my 40's feeling young and vibrant, only to have the wind knocked out of my sails due to devastating life events. Follow along with the previous blogs to understand the whole story.  Starting off this decade, I have a 3rd husband, seven children, a dying mother, and my 13-year-old becomes very ill. What appears to be a persistent cold turned into a sinus infection, which seems like no big deal at the time. With the strongest of antibiotics, my son continues to be ill and wakes up one morning with a swollen…
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When You Need More Fertility Help

Health, Infants, Life, Pregnancy, Relationships
When you need more fertility help it can be confusing. The medical jargon and technical terms are beyond the layperson's understanding. Infertility is already stressful so let's unveil the puzzle in simpler terms. We've covered a lot of ground on a subject that should not be this burdensome. As I mentioned in the beginning, humans grow up believing that it is a right of passage to produce offspring, not a difficult feat with blood, sweat, and tears. If you're reading this and have seen your tale told here, I'm sending you a hug and positive energy. While that may not be enough, getting the people you associate with on board with your dilemma could change your passageway. Surround yourself with a supportive, loving, and understanding community while you navigate this…
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Sleep- A Hot Topic

Health, Kids, Life, Parenting, Relationships
Sleep-a hot topic in the world of parenting. Especially those with a new baby in the first years. Newborns are exhausting and require much of our physical self, but older babies and children are an emotional drain. Everything is compounded by the fact that every human is different and requires a new parenting strategy-what worked for Adam Is not necessarily going to work for Aubrey. Throw in the millions of parents offering advice on social media, and you've got a total collapse of the "mothering instinct." Let's explore what sleep means first: but wait, there is a different answer for everyone! Talk to your adult friends, family, and co-workers; ask how many hours they sleep per night, what time they go to bed and wake up if they get up…
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Reasons You’re Not Getting Pregnant

Health, Infants, Life, Pregnancy
There may be many reasons you're not getting pregnant that you haven't explored yet. Aside from the low odds of sperm and egg meeting due to lifestyle factors, let's take a more in-depth look at other arguments, often overlooked, that couples struggle with when trying to conceive.  Men and Reasons they're not Getting you Pregnant Healthy sperm are made and transported effectively to meet the egg for successful conception. Some of the below conditions are irreversible, but almost all have alternative ways to achieve their goals. Lifestyle changes can help with other sperm conditions. Read everything to give yourself the best odds for success. The most common cause of infertility in men is varicocele (overheating). When the veins in the testicles are too large, similar to varicose veins in your legs, this,…
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