Stage Of Pregnancy

Multivitamins Most of us are able to obtain our nutritional needs through our diet, but there are times throughout our lives that we may need multivitamins. Pregnancy is a good example; a woman’s body goes through a number of tremendous changes during this time; health care providers prescribe prenatal multivitamins to make sure the mother and developing fetus get all the required nutrients. Childhood is another period that multivitamins may be recommended. Most children’s diets are less than optimal, picky finicky eaters especially. Children’s multivitamins are made so that kids will eat them, like candy. Though it’s not a good thing to let your children eat at will. One a day will do! Multivitamins are essential for people who cannot get enough of the required nutrients through their regular dietary intake. Times of illness and incapacitation usually require extra supplementation also, because the body is healing and the nutritional requirements are greater. The elderly have greater dietary needs as well, and they are usually not able to fulfill them through diet alone, requiring multivitamins, in addition to calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin D. Multivitamins are essential to anyone who has a chronic disease, a genetic condition, or who find themselves in some type of medical crisis. The use of multivitamins in these types of situations should be overseen by a physician or other qualified health care professional, and recommended doses should not be exceeded. Some vitamins can have interactions with prescription medications, such as Coumadin or Warfarin and vitamin K. It is important to let your health care provider know of all medications and supplements you are using and how much you take. Multivitamins are readily available and reasonably priced; most are available without a prescription, and are available in various forms as well, such as capsules, powders, liquids, and tablets, some of which are chewable, like vitamin C. Always read the labels, and take only as recommended; most multivitamins should be taken with food, or they could cause stomach upset. If you notice any type of reaction, stop taking the multivitamins immediately and notify your health care provider. It may be that you just can’t take that specific brand of multivitamins, so don’t rule out taking any type of vitamin. Multivitamins without extra additives and ingredients are usually best because they are better digested and are more easily absorbed by the body. If you’re not sure what type of multivitamins you need, you can also consult the pharmacist or nutritionist at the place of purchase. They will be glad to answer any of your questions. To your health!

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Patchwork Quilt

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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Asthma Treatments During Pregnancy

Asthma treatments come in many shapes and forms. People who suffer from the breathing disorder have quite a few options to consider. Physicians can prescribe a number of medications that prove to be successful in relieving the symptoms associated with the frightening affliction. However, the options wane when the person looking for treatment is pregnant. One of the most exciting times in a woman’s life is when she is expecting a baby. The mother goes through a lot of emotional and physical changes during this time in her life. Some of the physical changes are unexpected and uncomfortable. A woman can find herself sleepless, irritable and nauseous. Having breathing problems on top of all of the other symptoms of pregnancy can really be a burden. Finding appropriate asthma treatments that can be administered during pregnancy can put the woman’s mind at ease. However, finding asthma treatments is not always so easy especially if you are pregnant. Asthma is quite common in the United States and other countries around the world. Anyone who has suffered an asthma attack knows the symptoms. An exacerbation, or attack, involves coughing wheezing and the frightening feeling of being unable to get any air. Some describe an exacerbation as drowning in air. Asthma treatments are developed to alleviate the symptoms associated with the attack. Unfortunately, the developing baby in the womb takes in oxygen through his mother’s breathing. If the mother isn’t getting any air, neither is the fetus. The baby is dependant on the mother’s breathing to get the appropriate supply of oxygen he needs to survive. When a woman has an exacerbation, the baby is at risk for not getting enough oxygen. This can be very dangerous to the developing fetus. Many women who used asthma treatments that involved medication before they became pregnant often cease the asthma treatments. Women with the breathing disorder are afraid that the medicine will have an adverse effect on the baby. However, it is best to consult a physician before quitting the medication completely. Your doctor needs to know the details about your condition and he needs to know if you choose to quit asthma treatments. You could be putting the baby at greater risk by quitting the medication because a severe attack will do more harm to the fetus than the medicine can. The more severe the exacerbation, the more dangerous it is for the baby. Abruptly stopping asthma treatments can do more harm than good.

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Baby Time Capsule

Anyone who has children will tell you that time slips away so quickly that it will make your head spin. One minute you have an infant and the next minute you are getting ready for your child’s first day in school. With one precious moment sweeping past after another you want to capture as many memories along the way. A baby time capsule can help you keep a collection of items that will evoke wonderful memories for you and your child. Many of us rely on our memories way too much. I kept a baby time capsule for my daughter during her first year of life. There were some objects that I collected while I was pregnant and others I collected during the first 12 months after her birth. One item I wanted to add to the baby time capture was a cute little ducky outfit. When I opened the baby time capsule I was surprised by how many things I had forgotten in so little time. My daughter just hit her 18th month when I opened the memory box and I had already started to get sentimental over the items I had collected. There were many items I had completely forgotten about as well. The amazing thing is that I often wonder how on earth I could forget about her favorite ball or her favorite hat. These items that were placed in the baby time capsule held such value for us when they were being used. How could these things be forgotten so easily so quickly? After the experience of forgetting about some of the sentimental items found in the relatively new baby time capsule I decided that I would take the process one step further. I have my daughter’s baby time capsule from her first year but I also have a few notes added to the objects to make the memories stronger. I also thought that this would be a great way to share the memories of our daughter’s first year after she is married and ready to start a family of her own. We are going to save her baby time capsule to open when she is carrying her first child. This will be a great thing to share during her baby shower. Creating the baby time capsule has been a pure joy for me and my husband. One day we will share the memories with our daughter on a very special occasion. At the rate moments are buzzing by that special occasion may come sooner than we think.