Ectopic Pregnancy

My grandmother and mother are both quilters. I love looking at the works of art that each have created over the years. My sister and I decided that we would like to learn how to quilt to keep this tradition alive in the family. Our mother makes very elaborate appliqué quilts. We knew that we did not want to start with something that complicated. We went to a fabric store together to find quilting patterns for beginners. The sales clerk suggested that we start with a patchwork quilt. This would be less difficult and also less expensive. A patchwork quilt consists on different fabrics cut into pieces and sewed together to create the quilt top. A coordinating solid or print fabric is used for the back of the quilt and a batting is placed in between. The top and back are then quilted together through hand sewing with thread, or by tying knots through all the layers with pieces of yarn. That process is known as tying a quilt. Each patchwork quilt is different because the quilter decides if each piece of fabric will be the same size and shape and also how to arrange the pieces. The clerk suggested using the same size squares of each fabric and to alternate the fabrics to create a sequence in the colors. As people get more involved in quilting they can create designs and patterns in the patchwork quilt by the placement of the colored fabrics. I decided that I would make the patchwork quilt for the bed in our guest room. I wanted jewel tones for this room. I chose three solid colors and three coordinating patterns. I found a striped fabric that featured all of the colors to use for the back of the patchwork quilt. My sister’s daughter is pregnant so she decided to make a baby quilt. She bought pastel colored solids and prints that had animals on them. I like the look of hand stitched quilts so I new that I wanted to quilt my patchwork quilt by hand. I did not want to attempt an elaborate pattern for my first project so I decided to cut my different fabrics in six inch squares. Once I cut out my squares I arranged the squares alternating solids and patterns. I sewed the squares together and then pinned the top, bottom and filling together. With chalk I placed as X in each square. I then hand stitched the outline of the square and the X. I used an embroidery hoop to hold the fabric taunt while I sewed. I then used a solid color binding to complete the edging. My first patchwork quilt is not perfect, but I enjoyed doing the project and look forward to making another one.

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Chlamydia Treatments and Infertility

Chlamydia Treatments Chlamydia is a nasty little sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can cause major damage to the female reproductive organs if not diagnosed and treated effectively. According to www.womenshealth.about.com, chlamydia affects over 3 million people per year, and three out of four of these people are under the age of 25 years. An overwhelming 50% of women have had chlamydia before they reached the age of 30. The signs of symptoms of chlamydia may be absent or only slightly noticeable, and if Chlamydia treatment is not sought soon enough, severe damage can happen to the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and uterus, causing infertility. Many women who have sought chlamydia treatment in the past may not even know that their reproductive system has been affected until they are unable to get pregnant. Chlamydia treatment usually does not include checking the function of the reproductive organs, and is only discovered when these women seek treatment for infertility. More than 50% of infected women and 25% of infected men may not show any symptoms of chlamydia. If symptoms are present, it may be abnormal discharge or painful urination, both of which can be very slight. Often times Chlamydia has progressed far enough that some damage has already occurred because treatment was not initiated sooner. These chlamydia treatments usually consist of prescription antibiotics, such as Zithromax, tetracycline, or erythromycin, all antibiotics that are effective in killing chlamydia with only a few doses. Patients should be instructed to finish prescribed chlamydia treatments even if symptoms are no longer present. Other the STD may not be totally eradicated and come back with a vengeance, requiring more chlamydia treatment with an even stronger antibiotic. The only way to avoid having to seek chlamydia treatment is to use a barrier device, such as a condom during intercourse. If you don’t know your partner that well, or there are extramarital relationships occurring, then by all means use a condom just to be safe. You may never know, especially if you are single and having one night stands and engaging in other promiscuous sexual activities. If you do contract the bug, then seek testing and chlamydia treatment as soon as possible. You may be too embarrassed to seek chlamydia treatment, which is understandable, but at the same time, your reproductive health is at stake. Confide in your health car provider if you have engaged in unprotected sex, and get tested. You may not have Chlamydia, but you will feel much better knowing that, and if you do, you can start chlamydia treatment right away.

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Prenatal Vitamins

Pre-natal vitamins are an extremely important part of health care during a pregnancy. While they don’t guarantee that you’re baby will be 100 percent healthy, pre-natal vitamins significantly decrease the chances of defects and generally promote big healthy babies. Any health care professional that you see during a pregnancy will practically shove pre-natal vitamins down your throat, as they all know how much of a difference they can make. Life is a pretty amazing thing, and the process of life development within a womb is beautifully intricate and complicated. Unfortunately, this means that there are a lot of things that can go wrong as well, especially if you are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals. While being just mildly deficient in some vitamins and minerals normally doesn’t have a very drastic consequence, when you’re pregnant such mild deficiencies can have significant effects on your child, which is why health care professionals always recommend pre-natal vitamins. The good news is that it’s really easy to make sure you aren’t deficient in any vitamins or minerals during your pregnancy. First of all, listen to your cravings. If you are pregnant or ever have been pregnant, you know what I’m referring to. If you find yourself with an insurmountable desire to eat a hamburger, then eat a hamburger. During pregnancy, your body is many times more sensitive to its needs than normal, and what you crave in your diet is a direct reflection of what you need. As a sort of back up measure, take pre-natal vitamins daily to ensure that you’re not missing out on things your body doesn’t even know how to crave. When all you have to do is take a pill once or twice a day to ensure that your baby is getting what it needs, there is really no argument against taking pre-natal vitamins. If they make you queasy, take them on a full stomach. If you are prone to forgetting, set an alarm on your cell phone to go off daily. If you think you may be pregnant you should see a doctor as soon as possible, and while you’re there ask him or her about pre-natal vitamins. He or she will probably have some good pre-natal vitamins to recommend, and can help further explain why its so important that you take them. The time between conception and birth is the time for laying a strong and healthy foundation for your child to grow from. A strong healthy baby is much more likely to be healthy throughout life.