Chinese Pregnancy Calendar

We are seeing a shift in the mid life crisis today. The New York Magazine has coined the phrase “grups” to describe the current middle aged population that tries to fill the generation gap. There is a sound reason for the generation gap. We probably shouldn’t try to fill it. The term grup is derived from an episode of Star Trek in which Captain Kirk and his crew find themselves on a planet run by kids. There are no adults in sight. (By the way if you know the episode I’m talking about you may be having a mid life crisis yourself). In the episode the kids create the term “grup” to refer to the adult crew visiting their child-filled planet. The word is a clever combination of the term “grown-ups” that seems to be a popular way to help us look at ourselves differently. The individuals entering the mid life crisis age are currently referred to as grups because of their inescapable desire to hold on to technology. Nothing is more aggravating than an adolescent who can show an adult how to run an ipod. (If you are wondering what an ipod is then you may be having a mid life crisis of a different kind). However, the younger generation is basically wired to work these kinds of gadgets. You may know a grup. You may even be a grup without knowing it. I got my wake-up call when I was expecting my daughter. The doctor mentioned something about advanced maternal age and I almost smacked him. How dare he? This is my first pregnancy from my first marriage. Okay, so I married when I was 34 but, still. I didn’t realize that I would be the oldest mom at daycare. I didn’t know that I was supposed to be tending to teens instead of toddlers. I was not aware that I should be in mid life crisis. Maybe this is the problem. Maybe my late start in married life is my mid life crisis. I should be sporting a “soccer mom” necklace but the idea makes me totally gag. For real. I guess that I should be listening to the oldies station but it depresses me. When did Elton John enter the realm of the oldies? Oh well, the mid life crisis has snuck up on me. I probably should forget going to the System of a Down concert I’ve been looking forward to attending. I should also back away from the ipod, too. I don’t know how to work those things anyway.

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Acid Reflux Disease

Commonly called 'heart burn', acid reflux disease is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus. It's annoying and painful. But you want to know the truth, the reflux of the stomach's liquid contents into the esophagus occurs in most normal individuals. However, when heartburn becomes acid reflux disease or Gastro esophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, it is s real problem. That is because with GERD, the acid is stronger and stays in the esophagus longer causing more discomfort. Most often, you will experience this during the daytime when you are upright, sitting straight, or standing. You body handles this reflux by the fluid flowing back down into your stomach. You swallow more during the daytime therefore draining the acid back to where it belongs. Your salivary glands produce saliva that also contains bicarbonate that acts to neutralize the acid your stomach has kicked up. At night though, you may have a greater problem when acid reflux disease occurs that is because while sleeping, gravity does not work as well lying down, your constant swallowing stops, and the production of saliva is reduced. Certain conditions make a person more prone to acid reflux disease, this GERD. For example, while you are pregnant, this can be a serious problem. Elevated hormone levels of pregnancy probably cause reflux by lowering the pressure in that part of your body known as the lower esophageal sphincter. Also, the growing baby puts more pressure on the abdomen. Both of these effects of pregnancy tend to increase the risk of GERD. If your acid reflux disease is a minor condition, then you should only experience minor symptoms. These would include primarily heartburn, regurgitation, and nausea. However, if the condition is complicated, then watch out for the following symptoms. The liquid that comes back into the esophagus damages the lining of the esophagus. The body tries to protect itself from the acid reflux disease by 'inflaming' the esophagus. Trying to speed the healing process through the inflammation, the wall of the esophagus may form an ulcer. The ulcer is a break in the lining of the esophagus wall. Then what happens is that there may be bleeding. If the bleeding is very severe, patients might need a blood transfusion or even surgical treatment. If your heartburn is severe or acute, happening very frequently, you need to see a doctor. What can you do for yourself to help the condition? Try sleeping a pillow a night that raises your chest up slightly so that gravity can bring the acid back down more easily. Since this condition usually occurs on a full stomach, eat earlier and eat less to keep the stomach from being too full. Ease off on the chocolate, peppermint, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks. Reduce fatty foods and of course, cut down or quit smoking. Other foods may aggravate the conditions. Avoid spicy or acid-containing foods, like citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and tomato juice.

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Pregnancy Test

I still remember the day my wife found out that she was pregnant. We were returning home from a movie (coincidentally a movie about kids!) when on an impulse, my wife decided to purchase a home pregnancy test kit. We had been trying to start a family for quite some time and it was sheer coincidence that she chose that day to buy and use the pregnancy test kit. We came home, she went into the rest room to administer the test and we both sat and watched with glee as the two lines (indicating a positive test) materialized on the stick. The pregnancy test had worked, and confirmed her pregnancy and we would soon have our baby! But we wanted to be doubly sure and decided to read up on pregnancy tests. We were especially concerned about how accurate the results of such self administered tests were and whether these pregnancy tests were reliable at all. The information we found as comprehensive. Basically there are two kinds of pregnancy tests. First, there is the blood test (which cannot be done at home; you need the services of a healthcare facility or a trained healthcare services provider to get the results from this sort of a pregnancy test). The next, the one we had used, is the urine based home pregnancy test, which can be done in the safety and security of your home. In order to administer this test, the female places the test stick (or container in some cases) in her urine stream. Some variations of this pregnancy test may call for a few droplets of urine to be dropped into the test container. There is a short waiting period, and viola! The pregnancy (or the lack of it) is instantly revealed. The pregnancy test is able to do this because it seeks out a special hormone (the human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG) that the woman produces during her pregnancy. If the hormone is present in the urine stream, the woman is pregnant and the test is positive. If there is no discernable presence of the hormone, the woman is not pregnant and the test is negative. However, it so happens that if the pregnancy test is carried out very early, the body would not have started production of the hormone. Hence, at least two tests, spaced over a couple of weeks are advisable. Although most home pregnancy tests are considered to be at least 97% to 99% accurate, there are a number of things that can interfere with their results. Since pregnancy tests work by looking for signs of the pregnancy hormone, any drug that has sizable quantities of this hormone will vary the results of the pregnancy test. In such cases, you will have what is commonly known as a ‘false positive test’. This means that the pregnancy test will show you as being pregnant, although you are not. But there is still an element of surety attached to a negative test. Because even if you are using drugs that contain the pregnancy hormone (to treat cases like infertility) a negative test means no pregnancy. Most other over the counter drugs, antibiotics and even alcohol or other stimulants will not have any impact on the test results of a pregnancy test.

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Prevent Acne Problems in Pregnancy

We have all heard that prevention is the best medicine and this idea holds true even for people who are plagued with acne. This simple approach is wonderful in concept, but the difficulty lies in finding out how to prevent acne. What steps do we take to keep from finding those annoying blemishes from appearing when we can’t take medication? My sister has been having horrendous breakouts lately. Her adult acne is so bad that her entire face is covered in blemishes. The marks on her face lead her to consult her doctor about the possible causes of acne as well as ways to prevent acne breakouts in the future. I watched my niece while my sister went to her appointment, hoping that there was a solution to her problem. When my sister arrived home, she looked wide-eyed and a little pale. She said that the doctor told her that the cause of acne in her case was bacteria. Unfortunately, she said that there was no way to treat the bacterial infection right now even though a simple antibiotic could prevent acne in this case. This didn’t make sense to me at first, then my sister added, “With me being pregnant and all.” This good news wasn’t dampened a bit by the inability to prevent acne breakouts but it did pose a challenge. The doctor suggested that my sister stay away from harsh soaps, especially antibacterial soaps. This came as a big surprise because one would think that an antibacterial soap would prevent acne that was caused by bacteria. It turns out that the opposite is true. When we use harsh soaps that kill bacteria, we often make ourselves vulnerable to pimples because we kill good bacteria that battle the bad. Yes, there is a war going on and our skin is at stake. The doctor suggested that my sister’s best approach to prevent acne would be to use a very gentle cleanser and to only cleanse twice a day. My sister was washing her face every chance she got. It has only been two weeks since her visit to the doctor. My sister’s complexion is not crystal clear and it probably won’t be until she is able to treat the acne with medication. However, she is able to prevent acne from getting the best of her. She uses a gentle cleanser twice a day and she thinks about her new baby. A little adult acne is such a small price to pay.

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Henna Design in Pregnancy

Henna design is often thought of as a safe and temporary alternative to tattooing. Unless removed through long and painful procedures, tattoos are permanent skin decorations. Those who wish to have body art for a special occasion or perhaps want to experiment without branding themselves permanently often turn to henna design. But this type of body art is much more than a temporary way to participate in the tattoo revival that has occurred in recent years. Body enhancement using henna design has been around for years. In fact, it has played and continues to be a part of various customs and ceremonies in many cultures throughout the world. In some cultures, henna has also historically been applied for spiritual or healing purposes. Some say the use of henna originated in India, while others claim that it began in The Middle East or North Africa. Tattooing of the hands and feet with henna as part of spiritual or death rituals has been fairly commonplace in many cultures. In many areas, henna design is used as a body decoration for brides, newly engaged individuals and pregnant women, just to name a few. It has been much more than a way of body enhancement in many regions. One of the reasons it has played such a heavy part in the spiriAtuality and celebrations of many cultures is that henna is not only very safe to the skin, but actually contains soothing, cooling and healing properties. Essentially a form of temporary tattooing, it is done without piercing the skin. Henna dyes the skin when it is applied, so it is obviously much less painful than permanent tattooing. A henna design can last on the skin for a time period ranging from as few as three to as many as eight or more days, depending on the thickness of the skin where the henna is applied. Because it is temporary, painless, artistic, and steeped in cultural traditions, henna design has enjoyed a recent revival in popular culture. Many celebrities have experimented with it, and it has gained popularity with Westerners of all ages. Many opt for the traditional art of mehndi, or the henna tattooing of the hands and feet. But henna design can be found in as many styles and varieties as other types of tattoos. For some, the practice holds deep cultural and religious significance. For others, it is a safe, fun and creative way to experiment with self-expression through body modification. Unlike many other cultural traditions, henna design shows no signs of fading into history, but is in fact likely to become even more common.

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First Signs of Pregnancy

Planning for a pregnancy is an exciting time filled with dreams of your little one. There are things you can do to ready yourself for conception and the following months. Even if you are not experiencing the early signs of pregnancy, it is crucial that you prepare yourself for your intended conception. The first few weeks of pregnancy are very important in the baby’s development so it is a good idea to refrain from doing things that can be harmful to the fetus. It is wise to quite smoking before you conceive. Once you decide that you want to have a child, put the cigarettes out and stay away from them. Of course, this is no easy task, but it won’t be any easier after you experience the early signs of pregnancy. Drinking in excess is also detrimental to a developing baby. Before you notice the first signs of pregnancy, keep drinks to a minimum or stay away from alcoholic beverages entirely. The same goes for prescription medications. Inform your doctor that you are trying to conceive and find out if any prescription medication you may be taking can harm the baby. Many women choose to wait until they have the first signs of pregnancy to quit their bad habits. Some wait until they miss their period before talking to their doctors, but taking care of these things before you are pregnant will benefit the baby. Part of this is because you have already rid you body of toxins and you are have the information you need from your doctor. There is no bad time to start an exercise program. Consider working out before you notice the first signs of pregnancy. It is important to consult your physician before starting any exercise program and make sure to exercise in moderation. Many women make the mistake of waiting until the baby is born before starting a regular workout routine but a moderate exercise plan can be easily followed throughout your pregnancy. It is important that you always take care of yourself in general. It doesn’t matter if you are planning to have a baby or if you are having the first signs of pregnancy. Bad habits are hard to break and they are not really easier to break when you are carrying a child. Introducing you baby to a healthy body that was taken care of before the first signs of pregnancy were even apparent will increase the baby’s chances of having a healthy start.